Have you tried the newest non-dairy milk obsession – oat milk? It’s a delicious alternative to nut and seed milks, particularly if you have any allergies. Buying non-dairy milks and coffee creamers can be a little frustrating because they can be pricey, and what if you don’t like it? A lot of store-bought alternative milks have extra additives, flavorings, etc. So we thought, why not try to make an oat milk coffee creamer at home? Not only is it economical, it can be tailored to suit any flavor preference you can think of. If you love a warm bowl of oatmeal, you will love this recipe. It is so creamy and delicious, and tastes like comfort.
Before we go any further, I have to admit something – I don’t really like coffee creamer in my coffee. I know. I’m one of those weirdos who likes her coffee with milk (non-dairy or dairy) and zero sugar. This is because of bad experiences ordering flavored, overly sweet iced and hot coffees that I just couldn’t stomach. (Coffee ice cream is a different thing completely, by the way. Ha!)
After trying a bunch of different non-dairy store-bought coffee creamers, I decided making my own was the best option next to forgoing creamer completely. As I was testing out this recipe and the different flavor combos, I fell hard for oat milk coffee creamer. It is so flipping good. I may have had a glass or two sans coffee. I’m a huge fan of oatmeal in any shape and form, so it makes sense I would love oat milk and oat milk creamer. I adjust it to my preferred level of sweetness and add the flavors I love – lavender oat milk creamer in coffee will blow your mind.
I’ve come up with four easy variations: Chocolate Truffle, Salted Caramel, Lavender, and Bourbon Vanilla. Because these are all on the plain side, they leave room for adding a few drops of other extracts or spices. For example, add peppermint extract to the chocolate truffle, or a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg to the vanilla, or pure almond or hazelnut extract. Have fun creating new combos–this coffee creamer is your flavor playground!
Which Types of Oats are Best for Oat Milk Coffee Creamer?
Homemade oat milk coffee creamer is very economical to make, as I mentioned. Pretty much everyone has oats in their cupboard. And if you’re like me, you have two or three different kinds. For this recipe you can use old-fashioned rolled oats, instant oats, oat groats, or steel-cut oats. I found I liked a combination of steel-cut and old fashioned rolled oats.
Cooked oats are gooey, which is good for oatmeal, but not so much when it comes to coffee creamer. I learned that it’s important not to heat the oat milk coffee creamer when I’m preparing it. Pureeing in the blender works great. Adding the creamer to hot coffee thickens it slightly, but it doesn’t get gluey. Whew!
Pre-soaking the oats first, as I mentioned, is not particularly necessary. But if you’re using whole groats or steel-cut oats, a little presoak may help them blend better if you don’t have a high-speed blender. If the oats are pre-soaked, make sure they are thoroughly rinsed and drained, and blended with fresh, cool filtered water.
Do I Really Have To Strain The Oat Milk?
The oat milk should be strained before using to remove any gritty oat particles. I recommend a nut milk bag because you’ll end up with a creamier, less gritty oat milk as the creamer base. In lieu of a nut milk bag, several layers of cheesecloth can be laid inside a fine-mesh sieve.
What’s The Best Type of Sweetener for DIY Oat Milk Creamer?
Use whichever sweetener you prefer, or none if you prefer unsweetened coffee. Changing up the type of sweetener gives control over the amount plus the flavor. Oat milk creamer sweetened with pure maple syrup will taste different than one sweetened with sugar. Also, natural zero calorie sweeteners such as stevia, can be used. I’ve listed below some sweeteners I recommend for this recipe:
- Liquid sweeteners: maple syrup, agave, honey, rice syrup, date syrup, coconut nectar, stevia drops
- Dry: turbinado, raw sugar, sucanat, granulated sugar, powdered maple syrup or maple sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, maple sugar, stevia, erythritol or other natural no-calorie powdered sweetener
- Dried fruit: dates, dark or golden raisins
How To Make Non-Dairy Creamer More Creamy
I found that while I enjoyed the flavor of the oat milk creamer, it was a little on the thin side. It didn’t have that rich, creamy mouthfeel that I was going for. The solution was to add some MCT oil and blend it in to create a creamy emulsion. I like MCT oil not just for the health benefits, but because it’s liquid at room temperature and when chilled. Because it is refined, there is no residual coconut flavor either.
DIY Oat Milk Coffee Creamer
A homemade non-dairy alternative to artificial flavor-laden coffee creamers made with real ingredients, including oats.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked dry oats see notes
- 2-3 cups cool filtered water
- 2 tablespoons sweetener of choice or to taste
- 2-4 tablespoons MCT oil see notes
- Pinch sea salt
- Flavorings see list in notes
Instructions
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Place oats into blender with 2 cups cool water. Blend at high speed for 30-60 seconds. Don't blend too long if using a high-speed blender because it will heat the liquid and the oat milk will become too thick and gooey.
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Place nut milk bag or layers of cheesecloth in a measuring cup. Pour the oat and water mixture into the bag. Gather edges or pull string of bag and suspend over the measuring cup to strain the liquid from the solids. Gently squeeze or twist the bag or cloth to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the oat pulp or save for another purpose. (See notes for ideas.)
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Rinse out blender to remove any of the oat residue. Pour the oat milk into the blender along with desired flavorings or additions. Blend for 30-60 seconds until well-combined. Transfer to a container or jar with tight-fitting lid. Store in refrigerator for 3-4 days. If the creamer looks bubbly and smells sour, discard.
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Shake well before using. The creamer will separate into a thicker cream and a thinner, watery liquid. It doesn't mean the creamer is spoiled.
Recipe Notes
Which types of oats to use:
- Different types of oats can be used - steel cut oats (Irish or Scottish), quick cooking oats, old fashioned rolled oats, whole oat groats.
- If using whole oat groats or steel-cut, pre-soaking for several hours or overnight is recommended if not using a high-speed blender. Drain off soaking liquid and rinse the soaked oats well before using in the recipe.
- Adding MCT oil to the creamer helps with the mouthfeel and richness factor, but it can be omitted, if desired. MCT is preferred over other refined coconut oils, but refined coconut oil can be used as can another liquid oil such as avocado, almond, macadamia, pumpkin seed, walnut, almond, or your favorite.
Variations:
- To make Vanilla Oat Milk Coffee Creamer: Place the oats in a blender with fresh water. Add 2 tablespoons desired sweetener, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and sea salt.
- To make Salted Caramel Oat Milk Coffee Creamer: Add 2 soft, pitted medjool dates along with the dry oats and water to a blender. Strain and stir in or blend in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and a pinch sea salt.
- To make Chocolate Truffle Oat Milk Coffee Creamer: Start with 1 cup rolled oats and 2 cups water in the blender. Add 1-2 tablespoons dark cacao or cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons sweetener of choice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch sea salt. Optional: add peppermint or creme de menthe extract for a mint chocolate creamer.
- To make Lavender Oat Milk Coffee Creamer: Add 1-2 teaspoons culinary lavender buds into the blender with the dry oats. Strain as directed and add vanilla extract, if desired, and sea salt. (This flavor doesn't last quite as long as the other variations - it lasts only 2-3 days.)
What to do with the oat pulp:
- Add to smoothies, cookies, muffins, pancakes for extra fiber.
- Combine with a little castile soap and use as a gentle face, hand, and body scrub.
- Place pulp in an old nylon stocking - tie a knot at the top and drop into bath water as a soothing soak.
