Homemade Chocolate Oat Milk

Happy Monday, Friends! As a longtime connoisseur of almond milk, I've recently become partial to oat milk. I find that most people are either all-in or no thanks! when it comes to plant-based milk--do you like it? If so, check out the homemade chocolate oat milk recipe I've been tweaking

I've shared before that I drink iced mocha lattes year round. I prefer to make my own because it is healthier and definitely cheaper. Recently, I have been experimenting with switching my usual almond milk to oat milk but it seems to be the priciest plant-based alternative of all. So what's a mocha-loving girl to do? Make my own, of course!

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:

4 cups cold filtered water

2/3 cup rolled oats

3 tablespoons cocoa

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Optional: sweetener of your choice

(maple syrup, agave, or liquid stevia)

Makes 1 quart

Supplies:

Blender

Extra fine mesh strainer or nut bag strainer

Glass jar(s) for storing

A common issue is preventing a slimy texture. Since I didn't encounter this problem, I wondered if adding cocoa helped. The overall consensus is to use very cold water and rolled oats (rather than quick or steel cut.) TIP: I used a spoon to press the remaining liquid from the oats while straining. Below you can see the strained oats that I saved for another recipe!

This is a recipe that you will need to tweak according to your preferences. For instance, maybe you want to omit the cocoa or prefer it less sweet. Here's what I learned while tweaking my recipe: Do not overblend! (It only takes about 30 seconds to blend the ingredients.) Add sweetener last or only to coffee. When I made my first batch, I divided it in half and sweetened one jar with agave nectar and added monk fruit to the other, but even though I liked the overall taste, I wasn't tasting the sweetness I desired. After a few batches, I realized that it works best to sweeten my coffee first before adding the oat milk. (I use these.) If you do prefer adding your sweetener to the oat milk, add it last. I also highly recommend double straining. (Blend-strain-strain-add sweetener if desired.) You will also need to stir the milk thoroughly before each serving but it's well worth it--I was surprised by how much more satiating my lattes are now.