- We're going back to basics today
with a recipe that you guys have been requesting for months,
and that's oat milk.
Oat milk has really taken the world by storm
over the last couple of years and surged in popularity.
And you've probably seen it at your local market,
or a coffee shop,
where it's quickly become a barista favorite.
And it's really no surprise, as oat milk is super creamy
with just the right amount of sweetness
and it's also perfect for those
who might have a nut sensitivity
and who can't drink almond milk or cashew milk.
Store bought oat milk can get a bit pricey,
but homemade oat milk is cost effective,
it's incredibly easy to make,
and it's immediate because there's no need for soaking.
But there is one draw back
and that's that it can get a little bit slimy
if it's not prepared correctly.
Well, good news for you,
I have tested oat milk more than six different ways
and can share exactly what works
and what doesn't work.
I also have a secret tip to share with you
that I haven't seen anyone else try online yet,
and it kinda made me feel like a 6th grade science teacher
over the last week,
but I think you're gonna be really intrigued by it.
So let's dive right in.
To get started you'll need old fashioned rolled oats.
Quick-cooking oats and steel cut oats
have different textures and thickness,
and may affect how creamy or slimy the milk turns out,
so it's best to stick with rolled oats.
The other thing you wanna look out for is certified,
gluten free oats, because packaged oats
can be highly cross-contaminated with wheat.
Also make sure the ones you guys are organic,
as oats are a crop that's highly sprayed
with herbicides like glyphosate.
The first tip
in making sure your oat milk doesn't turn out slimy
is to use ice cold water,
and you'll need four cups of it.
Heat can make the oats more starchy and gummy.
Just think of what happens
when you make oat meal with hot water.
So use ice cold water
or even swap a cup of water for ice cubes when blending.
Add the water to your blender
along with one cup of rolled oats.
Now that's all you'll need if you want unsweetened oat milk,
but if you want it a little sweeter,
you can add a splash of vanilla
and a table spoon of maple syrup or honey.
The second tip I have for not making slimy oat milk
is to reduce the amount of time that you blend.
The friction of the blades in a high powered blender
can heat the ingredients.
And again heat is not our friend,
so only blend for 20 to 30 seconds.
After the oat milk has blended,
you'll wanna strain it, and I recommend a high quality,
tightly woven nut milk bag
like the one I'm using here,
and I've linked this in the description below.
You don't wanna use a strainer
or cheese cloth in this recipe,
as the weave is too open and too much sediment
will go through.
So place the nut milk bag in a large bowl
and pour the oat milk through it.
The third tip I have to not make slimy oat milk
is to not squeeze overly hard
as you would with almond milk.
Just gently squeeze until most of the milk
is out and you're left with the oat pulp.
If you wanna know what to do with this left over pulp,
I have a few ideas on the recipe post on my website.
Because my nut milk bag is really good
at catching the coats and sediment,
I don't really have to strain it a second time.
But if you wanna make sure your milk is as smooth
as possible, you can of course do so.
When you're done straining, pour your milk into a glass jar
and store it in the fridge.
Oat milk stays fresh for up to week in the fridge,
which is a little bit longer than home made nut milks.
I love oat milk in recipes for baked goods,
and smoothies, and other cold drinks.
But unfortunately, it's not the best option for hot drinks
as it can thicken, and it doesn't froth
as well as store-bought options.
But remember that store bought-options have additives,
oils and other ingredients.
What I just showed you is the best way
to make oat milk with very simple, basic ingredients.
But in my quest to make the least slimy oat milk possible,
I kept fixating on how Oatly uses an enzymatic process
to break down the oat starches into smaller components.
That then led me down oh, so man rabbit holes,
of online research about enzymes,
and my goal was to find a food-based enzyme
that I could add to the oats in the water,
in the blender, to remove any residual sliminess.
Two options with the least flavor included a banana
and some honey, because I don't think you really want
your oat milk tasting like kimchi or sauerkraut.
But unfortunately, the banana and the honey
didn't really have that much effect
on reducing the sliminess.
But there was one thing I added
that did have quite a dramatic effect, so let me show you.
That ingredient was digestive enzymes.
I'll also add a quick disclaimer
that I'm not a doctor or a scientist
or endorsing any brand of enzymes.
These are just the ones that I personally use,
and I thought it would be fun to experiment
in the kitchen and see the impact of enzymes
on the oat milk.
Digestive enzymes are typically broad spectrum,
but the enzyme I was most interested in was amalyase,
as amylase breaks down starches into sugars.
So while I didn't wanna soak the oats in my previous batch
as they can become slimy,
I do want to soak them now,
but that's because I'm gonna soak them with the enzymes.
So I added one cup of rolled oats to a bowl
and enough water to cover them by about an inch or two.
Then I added two capsules of enzymes,
which was the serving size on my container,
and I just opened them up and poured them into the bowl.
Then I gave everything a stir and let it sit for 15 minutes
so that the enzymes had time to do their thing
and break down the starches.
After 15 minutes, I gave them one more stir
and then strained the oats through a sieve over the sink
and gave them a good rinse to remove any residual starch.
These oats are now the base for our oat milk,
and the process from here on out
is similar to the first batch.
So I'll add those to a blender,
along with four cups of ice cold water.
Then I'll add a splash of vanilla extract
and one table spoon of maple syrup,
and blend again for 20 to 30 seconds.
(upbeat music)
After it's blended, I'll strain the oat milk
through a nut milk bag.
And I know it's hard to see here,
but you can instantly feel that it's not as slimy
when you start to squeeze it out of the nut milk bag.
I'll give it a double strain just to keep things consistent
with the first batch,
and try not to spill it all over the counter.
And then pour the oat milk into a glass storage container.
Side by side, you can't really tell the difference
between these two, but the texture is quite different.
The first one is creamier and thicker,
and the second one is noticeably thinner and less slimy.
You could also experiment further
and try the second one with three cups of water
to see if it'll turn out creamier while also less slimy.
But I figure I'll leave that experimentation up to you guys,
because no matter which method you choose,
they're both delicious.
I hope you guys enjoyed today's video,
and if you did make sure to give it a thumbs up,
share it with your family and friends,
and I will see you again in the next video.
(upbeat music)