Vegan Oat Milk

Homemade vegan oat milk is super simple to make and is free of any additives, so it tastes amazing! Made with just 2 ingredients.

Say hello to my current obsession: vegan oat milk.

One of the coolest things about being vegan aside from not contributing to the horrible suffering and death of millions of animals a day is how many awesome vegan options there are for all animal products. The dairy industry may be the most cruel of all when it comes to ways animals are used and abused. It also seems to be one that people have the most misconceptions about. Here’s a 5 minute video of how it actually goes down.

We see advertisements with pictures of happy, frolicking cows, but the reality of the dairy industry is the complete opposite. So many people don’t even consider that cows have to be pregnant to produce milk in the first place. There isn’t some special breed of “dairy cow” that just magically produces milk for people to consume. Instead, a human shoves their arm into the cow to forcibly impregnate them.

When the mother has her baby, the dairy industry can’t have calves drinking up all the milk that people want. As a result, the baby is taken immediately. Mother cows bellow and cry for their babies for days after they are stolen. There are videos of mothers chasing the trucks that carry their babies away. The calves who are taken from their mothers are either put into the dairy industry to suffer the same fate of their mother (girls) or they’re put into tiny pens and slaughtered for veal (boys). This occurs not just once, but over and over until the mother cow can no longer produce milk. She’s then sent to slaughter.

It’s hard to fathom the cruelty and suffering these animals endure. It’s just as frustrating that people continue to support this industry, simply because we are not baby cows. Why would humans need to consume the milk of a randomly chosen mammal? Why not giraffe, or dog, or cat milk? If those sound weird to you, it’s important to see that there’s no difference between another animal’s milk and that of a cow.

Unlike what we’re sold by the media, milk doesn’t create strong bones – it actually does the opposite. It makes absolutely no sense, and it blows my mind that some people are so freaked out at the thought of not consuming cow’s milk. When you really think about it, it couldn’t be more unnatural and honestly, just weird. Don’t get me wrong, I use to drink tons of cow’s milk growing up. But then I learned what really goes on and I started thinking about my food choices, and it was easy to make the switch.

The bottom line is – the dairy industry is horrible for animals, and we are not baby cows, so we have no need for cow’s milk. PLUS, there are SO many plant-based milk options available now that are all amazing in their own way!

Let’s see how many I can think of off the top of my head…

• Almond milk
• Cashew milk
• Coconut milk
• Hemp milk
• Macadamia nut milk
• Pea milk
• Soy milk
• Rice milk
• Walnut milk

I feel like I’m still missing quite a few. What’s your favorite?! I love almond milk for baking, because it’s super consistent for batters and things like that. I love using coconut milk if I want a super rich, creamy texture. Pea milk is amazing for warm drinks like hot cocoa, or coffee. The others I actually have never tried, but it’s so cool that there are so many options, because it means there’s pretty much no way you won’t find one you love.

Ingredients for vegan oat milk

• Rolled oats: of course, we need lots of oats for oat milk! I use old fashioned rolled oats.
• Water: you’ll need lots of water to help the oats blend together to a thin, liquid consistency.

Tips for making vegan oat milk

• Get everything ready before you start blending. Make sure you have your ladle, funnel, milk bag, a big bowl, and bottles ready, to make the whole process as easy as possible.
• Blend for 2 minutes, then squeeze squeeze squeeze. You’ll get LOTS more milk from squeezing it out of the bag. Once you’ve gotten out all the liquid, you can put the leftover oat pulp in a tupperware container and use it for cookies or just discard it.
• Store in the fridge for up to a week. It may last longer, but I always go through it by that time! It’ll separate a lot in the fridge, so don’t be alarmed. Just give it a good shake before pouring and you’re ready to go.

Vegan oat milk is very, very rich and creamy. The texture is my favorite thing about it! The ratio of oats to water I use produces are wonderfully thick result. It has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor from the oats, but it’s definitely pretty neutral in flavor overall. My favorite ways to use it are on top of oatmeal breakfast bowls, pouring it over homemade granola, and as the base for warm drinks (coffee drinkers out there, talking to you!).

This vegan oat milk will become a new staple in your fridge! I haven’t looked back after that first batch and have made it every weekend since – it has just become a part of my simple meal prep routine. I use it all week in my overnight oats for breakfasts on work mornings, and on weekends for mushroom drinks and whatever else I’m feeling. Plus, I love that it has nothing artificial added or ingredients I can’t pronounce! It’s worth the effort of all the squeezing/straining/funneling, and I have to say it’s a fun process, especially with a super awesome husband to help – but that’s just my preference.

Xo,

Sara