Oat milk is something I have been using more recently. I love it!
I primarily used it for a long time to transition away from dairy milk.
However, while researching different uses for oat milk, I saw there are plenty of other ways you can use it to simplify life and save money.
Here are eight ways to use oat milk that you may have never considered!
1. Baking
Oat milk is an excellent option to replace cow’s milk as an ingredient in baking recipes.
In fact, domestic goddess Martha Stewart says the plant-based alternative ranks number one on her list of non-dairy milk to use in baked goods.
The neutral and sometimes nutty flavor allows it to blend seamlessly within the recipe’s original flavor profile.
Oat milk has a similar viscosity to cow’s milk, so a one-to-one replacement in a recipe should work out well.
Be sure to shake the oat milk before using it in baked goods like chocolate cake, banana bread, or blueberry muffins so that any solids in the liquid are easily distributed.
And what’s better? Oat milk can be made at home if you find yourself in a recipe bind.
Simply blend one-part oats with two parts water, and strain through a nut milk bag to remove any sediment. Voila! You now have fresh oat milk to use in your recipe.
Here's a video from The Great Creator that walks you through the process (even if you don't have a nut milk bag!)
2. Cooking
Unsweetened oat milk can be swapped one for one in a recipe that calls for dairy milk.
Even a roux, sauce, or soup that requires dairy to reach a creamy consistency can benefit from adding oat milk!
Use oat milk to transform everyday recipes into healthier and often vegan meals; think mashed potatoes, curry, mushroom gravy, and pasta carbonara.
Oat milk’s neutral flavor profile and its similar consistency to dairy milk make it an excellent replacement for recipes that call for milk.
If you’re looking to purchase oat milk for use in cooking recipes, always look for a high-quality, unsweetened option. This way, added sugars and flavors won’t interfere with whatever recipe you’re cooking.
3. Cereal
Oat milk is a great substitute for cow’s milk in your morning breakfast cereal.
It has less fat and sugar than regular dairy milk and makes a healthful alternative.
While oat milk is not as sweet as cow’s milk, most cereals already have sugar added.
So, using oat milk as opposed to regular milk will help cut down your morning sugar intake (or your child’s) drastically.
Oat milk can be used exactly like regular milk. Just pour it over your cereal and enjoy this healthy, plant-based alternative!
4. Coffee & Tea
Oat milk is perhaps the best coffee and tea creamer on the non-dairy alternative market.
As with baking, the neutral and slightly nutty flavor complements coffee and tea beverages really well.
Plus, the viscosity of the beverage is so close to 2% cow’s milk that you’ll get the same mouthfeel as if you’d gone the dairy route.
Using Oat Milk For Coffee
Oat milk manufacturers have also discovered ways to thicken oat milk to make it frothy, just like cow’s milk.
For this reason, it’s excellent in coffee recipes such as cappuccinos and lattes that feature frothy, foamed milk in the starring role.
When shopping for oat milk for coffee or tea, consider how you will use it.
Do you just want a little milk in your coffee or tea, no fuss? Go with regular oat milk that has fewer fillers.
Need oat milk that will froth up for a cappuccino? Choose a barista oat milk.
This type of oat milk typically has some additional fat and gums added that help them froth up more similar to cow’s milk.
To make a barista version of oat milk at home, increase your oats to water ratio to one-to-one.
You can also add an eighth teaspoon of xanthan gum during blending to thicken the mixture further.
Xanthan gum will also help prevent oat milk from separating in the refrigerator.
Using Oat Milk For Tea
Some consumers enjoy a “spot of milk” in their tea but prefer to ditch the saturated fat content in dairy milk.
Oat milk makes an excellent replacement!
Whether you prefer black tea, herbal tea, or any other unique blends, oat milk’s nutty flavor pairs wonderfully.
If you plan to use your oat milk for tea alone, you may prefer a sweetened version you can buy at the grocery store.
Or, if you make your oat milk from scratch at home, try adding a couple of dates to the blender.
This acts as a natural sweetener that won’t add processed sugar to your beverage.
A word to the wise: Before you add any plant-based milk to your hot tea, but especially if it’s homemade plant-based milk such as oat milk, heat it first.
Cold plant-based milk can curdle in hot tea. While it won’t change the flavor, it certainly makes for an unsightly appearance.
Related: Why Does Your Oat Milk Curdle?
5. Ice Cream
Oat milk ice cream is absolutely delicious and, if made from scratch, can be totally guilt-free!
For people with lactose intolerance, oat milk ice cream is a welcome reprieve from the uncomfortable symptoms associated with consuming dairy-based ice cream.
Oat milk’s similarities to dairy milk make it an easy ingredient to swap out in your ice cream maker.
Some cooks would suggest adding a touch of xanthan gum to your oat milk (if it’s not already in there from your store-bought brand) to add a more creamy mouthfeel and to ensure the oat milk doesn’t separate.
If it does, your oat milk can get icy in your freezer.
In addition, when making ice cream with oat milk, leave it on your counter for 15 minutes before consuming it to let it soften up a bit.
Since it doesn’t have the same fat content as dairy milk, it tends to harden more than traditional ice cream.
Just choose your favorite mix-ins and natural sweeteners, throw them into your ice cream maker, and you’ll have a delicious, creamy, sweet treat in no time!
Thrive Market has a great recipe for oat milk ice cream, which you can check out below!
6. Hair
Oat milk makes an excellent hair mask to treat itchy, flaky scalp and dandruff.
Oat milk has anti-inflammatory properties, which relieve discomfort on your scalp and gives you back that shiny, gorgeous mane!
In addition, it doesn’t have the perishable quality of dairy milk, so you can feel safe allowing it to sit on your head and swirl down your shower drain without going sour or rancid.
Oat milk helps remove excess oil on your scalp.
In addition, it also is rich in Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids can help revive damaged locks and seal in moisture.
This oat milk mask will make your hair soft and bouncy and help relieve symptoms of a dry scalp.
Related: 4 Benefits of Oat Milk For Hair
Oat Milk Mask Recipe
Use this oat milk mask after you’ve washed your hair with shampoo. Since it is all-natural and safe, you can use this mask as many times per week as you’d like.
Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
1 cup organic, gluten-free oats
Blend the ingredients together as you would to make oat milk.
Be careful not to over-blend, as this can make the mixture slimy.
After blending for approximately 20 to 30 seconds, strain through a muslin cloth or nut milk bag to remove any sediment (you don’t want this stuck in your hair!).
Apply the mixture to your hair, almost as a rinse post-shampoo. Leave it on for up to 10 minutes and rinse out.
You can complete your hair care routine here or add conditioner and rinse as your last step if you prefer.
7. Skincare
Just as oat milk is great for your hair, the anti-inflammatory benefits of oats are also great for your skin!
There’s a reason why you’ll find oatmeal in bath soaks, lotions, and face washes and creams.
Oats help seal in moisture on your skin, preventing your skin from drying out quickly and suffering from signs of premature aging.
The antioxidants and phenols in oats are also naturally anti-aging and can help relieve itchy skin that’s due to dryness or sunburn.
The best part about using oat milk as a calming element in your skincare routine is that it is so inexpensive compared to beauty products you’ll find at the store.
You can literally just whip up a batch of oat milk and apply it to your face and body!
The recipe is as simple as blending two cups of water with one cup of organic, gluten-free oats. Then strain, and your face and body treatment is ready to use.
Most prefer to use this treatment as a mask, then rinse off after 10 minutes. You can also use oat milk in your bath to calm irritated skin.
8. Pets
You may have seen cats drink milk on TV and in movies, but cow milk is actually very difficult for animals to digest – except cows, of course!
To ease the burden on your cat or dog’s digestive system, replace regular dairy milk with oat milk, which is easily digested.
Homemade oat milk is your best option if you want to give your pets a treat because it doesn’t contain some of the fillers, flavors, and shelf-stabilizers that you’ll find in brands sold at the grocery store.
Oat milk is non-toxic to dogs and cats, but it’s not necessarily beneficial, either.
Allow your pets to enjoy oat milk as a nice treat every once in a while, but don’t make it a regular staple in their diet.
Conclusion
Oat milk is a plant-based milk alternative to dairy milk that can be used in nearly every application that traditional milk can.
It has a similar consistency to dairy milk, and its neutral flavor makes it a preferable ingredient in baked goods, cooking recipes, coffee and tea, cereal, beauty and hair care routines, and even a treat for your pets!
