The Oat Milk Trend (or How I started Loving Matcha Lattes again)

Elixr, a really cool coffee house, is just five minutes from my home, and that alone is very good news. Odd, don’t you think that it took my kids visiting from Bucks County recently to let me know about this terrific place. My first time there, I wanted a matcha latte and asked if they served Oatly, the oat milk sensation from Sweden. Indeed they do, and I enjoyed a delicious matcha Oatly oat milk latte! More recently I’ve had an iced matcha latte as well—on one of the (too) rare warm days so far in Philadelphia.

Today, after two workouts—Yes, I did!—I came home wanting a matcha latte, but the rain was pouring down, and I didn’t want to go outside again. Then, I remembered I’ve made oat milk a couple of times and really liked how quickly it is to make,  and how creamy the milk is. I  decided to make a half batch, because instead of using rolled oats, as usual, I used steel cut oats. Why steel cut? Well, that’s what was in my pantry. “Use what you have if possible,” is my motto.

Homemade Oat Milk

I tasted no difference in the resulting creamy oat milk between the batches I’d made with the rolled oat and today’s steel cut oat milk. The difference was in the prep, or as we say at the Rouxbe Cooking School in all of the courses (Plant Based Professional, Essential Vegan Desserts, Culinary RX), the mise en place.  I do not soak rolled oats, but I did soak the steel cut for 20 minutes in boiling water. Next, I strained the oat milk through a fine mesh strainer, and added the resulting oat cream to add to my morning oatmeal. I expected the oat milk to be bland, so I added, as I normally do, some vanilla extract and maple syrup. Delicious. You can add any sweeter or flavoring you like.

I made what I consider to be a half recipe, as I was not sure of the final result. Scroll to the recipe and increase it to make a larger amount.  You can certainly soak the steel cut oats longer in room temperature water and I am sure you make oat milk from oat groats. Those will need a much longer soak. Per my usual, I started the blender on low and quickly increased the speed to high. Boom. Creamy oat milk.

Oat Milk Matcha Latte

The baristas at Exlir have nothing to worry about, but I saved money and didn’t have to go out in the rain. My frother is on the fritz so all I could do was heat and aerate the milk. The milk aerated a lot less than almond milk and soymilk, but still, it made a fine oat milk latte. Oat milk is a good plant to use in baked goods too I learned this in Italy during my Vegano Italiano Tours, where I first found it.

Oats are very healthy, as is matcha, so this is a win-win! According to Mother Jones, oat milk has three times the protein of its almond-based rival and at least twice the fiber.

Some of the health benefits of oats include:

• Oats are rich in antioxidants
• They contain a powerful soluble fiber called beta-hlucan.
• Oats can lower cholesterol levels and protect LDL cholesterol from damage.
• They can improve blood sugar control.

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Homemade Oat Milk

This oat milk comes together quickly and tastes great! Enjoy it in your morning latte. Feel free to increase the recipe. Don't blend longer than it takes to make the milk, or you risk having a gummy oat milk. Add water if you want it to be thinner.TIp:  You can add a few pitted dates to the blender and allow to soak with the oats.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups creamy oat milk

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword oat milk

Author Fran Costigan

Ingredients

• ½ cup steel cup oats
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup, or to taste
• Pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Place the oats and boiling water in high-speed blender and allow to soak for 20 minutes. If you’d prefer to use room temperature water, allow the oats to soak longer.
2. Start blending on low and quickly increase the speed to high.

3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag. Save the oat cream to add to your cereal. 

   
   

4. Add the vanilla extract, maple syrup, and salt. Taste and add more sweetener, or spice- like cinnamon, if you like,
   

5. Oat milk will separate, so just shake it. It lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator.