As someone with a nut allergy I’ve found it a bit frustrating when ordering something like a latte or other milk-based products in restaurants and the like. For a long time soy was always the only alternative and I do my best to have as little of that as possible. Over the past year or two it’s gotten better as coconut milk has become more ubiquitous, and lately oat milk seems to be all the rage.
There are a lot of recipes online about how to make nut-based milks at home. The process is really easy and it’s a great (and I have to say, kind of fun) way to create something in your kitchen instead of buying it at a grocery store. For those of us with nut allergies, however, this wasn’t an option. That’s why I decided to put together a recipe for oat milk that’s just as simple (and fun) and makes the homemade milk club a little more inclusive for us nut-free vegans.
I’ve been trying to use more of this grain on the site lately (like in these Fruity Overnight Oat Cups) because it’s so easy to work with. The oat milk-making procedure is the same as, say, almond or cashew milk: soak the oats, put them into a blender with water and drain. Super simple. You can sweeten of flavor it however you’d like, and it’ll last in your fridge for about a week. Plus, making it at home will save you money and a trip to the grocery store for some Oatly milk (which I love, too).
Give this a try—especially those of you with nut allergies—and let me know what you think in the comments below. And tag @nutfreevegan on social media so I can see your recipe posts!
Homemade Oat Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick or rolled oats
- 3 –4 cups water
- 1 –2 Tbsp. maple syrup
Instructions
- Cover oats with water and soak overnight (or for at least 20 minutes if you’re short on time). Drain and rinse the oats.
- Add oats, maple syrup and water to blender and blend for about 1 minute (If you want a thicker milk, use 3 cups of water and 4 for a thinner consistency).
- Using a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, drain the milk into a bowl. Transfer to a sealable container and store in your refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
-Other sweeteners such as agave and dates work just as well as the maple syrup.
-Once you’ve drained the milk into a bowl you can add any desired flavoring such as vanilla or chocolate.
-This recipe is gluten-free.
Nutrition
What oats do you use that are peanut free?
Hi James. Thank you so much for the question. Peanut contamination is something I’ve never thought about as it pertains to oats. I’m also not allergic to peanuts, so if there were peanut traces in the oats I use I wouldn’t have noticed it anyway.
I just did a bit of research and from what I can tell the Steel-Cut Oats from Whole Foods only have a potential cross-contamination with wheat and the label gives no indication that it’s prepared in a shared facility. I also checked Quaker and Bob’s Red Mill and it seems like neither of them have a dedicated facility. So the Whole Foods brand might be the best option for maximum safety. It’s worth following up with a phone call or email though, just to be super safe.
I hope this helps! And thanks again for the question. Food allergies are something I’ve been rather myopic with, focusing specifically on tree nuts since that’s what I’m allergic to. But as I meet more people in the food allergies community it’s made me think more about allergens beyond that and how I can be more mindful of recipes and products that aren’t going to be potentially harmful for them. Peanuts in oats is now something else I can be mindful of going forward.
Costco sells a wonderful brand of oatmeal that has those magic words on the label:produced in a tree nut free and peanut free facility. They are made by One Degree Organic Foods. Costco sells them in 5 lbs. bags.Hope that is helpful.
Oh, and one more resource for allergen free oats is the mail-order company based in Rhode Island, Gerbs. Their website is mygerbs.com. They sell dried fruits, seeds, seed butters, rice, other grains, baking ingredients and more.
Thank you for the tips, Mary! Nut-free facilities are important to a lot of readers here, so any time someone can share resources it’s super helpful!