Barista Blend Oat Milk
This homemade barista blend oat milk combines oats with cashews, almonds, and Brazil nuts for a creamy, full-bodied plant milk. Unlike many homemade oat milks, this version isn’t slimy; a little (sunflower) lecithin gives it an even creamier, fuller mouthfeel, while dates add the mild, natural sweetness you expect from oat milk without making it taste sweet. I make it in my Mylky plant milk maker, which filters the ingredients as it blends, so there’s no nut milk bag needed; a small piece of vanilla bean rounds out the flavor if you like.
What Is Barista Blend Oat Milk?
Barista oat milk is formulated for a creamy texture and for use in coffee. Compared to regular oat milk, it often contains more fat and, depending on the brand, emulsifiers, acidity regulators, or stabilizers.
My homemade version is a barista blend, in other words, a blend. Mine is made with oats and a variety of nuts.
What Makes My Barista Blend Oat Milk Different
My initial tests showed that using more oats doesn’t automatically make the oat milk creamier; rather, it simply gives it a stronger oat flavor.
Adding oil, as is often recommended for homemade barista milk, wasn’t really an option for me either. Fat, yes. But oil? There had to be another way.
That’s why I started combining oats with nuts and a few other ingredients:
- Cashews and almonds naturally contain fat and protein and add creaminess without the need for added oil.
- Brazil nuts are mainly there for their selenium. Selenium is an essential trace mineral and is considered a potentially critical nutrient in a vegan diet.
- (Sunflower) lecithin makes a noticeable difference for me. Lecithin is a naturally occurring emulsifier found in foods such as sunflower seeds and soybeans. It helps the water and fat combine more evenly which makes the milk taste rounder, fuller, and creamier.
- Dates round out the flavor. They don’t make the milk taste like dates or noticeably sweet; instead, they add the mild, natural sweetness you expect from oat milk.
- Vanilla bean is optional, sometimes I am making the milk with it, sometimes without.
By the way, I also use cashews and almonds to make other homemade vegan alternatives to traditional dairy products: I use almonds to make my vegan feta and cashews to make a creamy vegan sour cream.
How I Keep My Homemade Oat Milk From Getting Slimy
I use cold water and don’t soak the oats beforehand. I usually use Feinblatt-Haferflocken, the type of oats commonly sold here in Austria that are roughly comparable to rolled oats. They’re what I always have at home for my porridge anyway (and my daughter loves eating them straight from the package!).
And in case you’re wondering how much oats you need for homemade oat milk: I use 50 g (about ½ cup) of oats per 1 liter (about 4¼ cups) of water – this amount has worked best in my tests.
I’m also pretty sure Mylky plays its part in keeping my oat milk from turning slimy. Cold water and all the usual tricks weren’t enough in my earlier attempts. More on my experience with Mylky below.
What about quick oats? I haven’t tested this recipe with US-style quick-cooking oats, so I can’t say that they’ll give you the same result. My recipe was developed using the Austrian oats described above.
Making Homemade Oat Milk in a Plant Milk Maker: My Mylky Experience
Before I had my Mylky, I tried making homemade oat milk several times using a blender and nut milk bag. I used ice-cold water, blended only briefly, barely squeezed the nut milk bag, and tried what felt like every tip the internet had to offer.
The result was always the same for me: slimy oat milk and a messy kitchen afterward. Unfortunately.
So when I was offered a Mylky, one of my first questions for the company was, “Does it really make oat milk that isn’t slimy?” And surprisingly enough: Since I’ve been making it with Mylky, my oat milk has never turned out slimy.
One of my favorite features is the integrated filter basket. The solids stay inside while the plant milk is filtered directly, so there’s no nut milk bag needed. I don’t throw away the leftover oat-and-nut pulp either – my favorite way to use it is in porridge.
Cleanup is easy too: I simply rinse everything and let it dry on a kitchen towel. Alternatively, the filter basket can go in the dishwasher.
I received my Mylky directly from Mylky as a gift in November 2025. I’ve been using it constantly ever since. I genuinely wouldn’t want to be without it anymore and am very happy to recommend it.
I’m not sure whether Mylky is available in your country, but if it is, you can save €10 on your order through this link *) or with my code HEIDRUN10.
My experience with Mylky has also taught me this: The machine alone doesn’t turn oat milk into barista oat milk. I tested different quantities and combinations, and some batches were too thin or didn’t froth well enough.
Ultimately, it’s the combination of the machine and the ingredients that gives me the result I’m looking for – the two go hand in hand.
That’s also why I can’t promise that this exact recipe will give you the same results with a regular blender and nut milk bag. I developed and tested it using Mylky.
How Much Does Homemade Barista Oat Milk Cost?
For one liter of my homemade barista oat milk, I spend roughly the following amounts on ingredients. These prices are based on what I pay for groceries here in Vienna, Austria, where I live, so your total may be higher or lower depending on where you live and shop.
- 50 g oats (organic): €0.09
- 20 g cashews (organic): €0.26 – I usually buy less expensive cashew pieces since they’re going to be blended anyway.
- 20 g almonds (organic): €0.33
- 2 Brazil nuts (organic): approx. €0.24
- 2 dates (organic): approx. €0.29
- 1 pinch salt (organic): negligible
- 1 tsp sunflower lecithin: approx. €0.33
- 1 cm vanilla bean (organic, optional): approx. €0.09
- 1 liter tap water: negligible
That brings my cost to around €1.50–€1.60 (about $1.75–$1.90) per 1 liter (33.8 fl oz), using organic ingredients except for the lecithin. And that’s more of a “worst-case” calculation: I often stock up when ingredients are on sale – for example, when supermarkets offers 25% off certain product ranges – or I collect PAYBACK points when shopping at “dm” (similar to CVS in the US), which I can redeem on future purchases.
For me, that price also includes part of my next breakfast: The leftover oat-and-nut pulp from the filter basket doesn’t go to waste but ends up in my porridge.
In the video embedded above, you’ll hear me mention a cost of around 20 cent per liter. That refers to a very basic plant milk made with oats only – and quite honestly, I find that pretty boring in comparison.
This barista blend costs more, but for around €1.50–€1.60 (about $1.75–$1.90) per 1 liter (33.8 fl oz), I get a creamy, full-bodied plant milk made almost entirely with organic ingredients that I genuinely enjoy drinking.
Does Homemade Oat Milk Froth?
Yes – but homemade oat milk doesn’t froth equally well with every frothing method. That became particularly clear during my tests.
I can froth this barista blend oat milk quite well using the steam wand on an espresso machine (I tested it with a Lelit Bianca). In my electric SMEG milk frother, which heats and froths the milk at the same time, however, I get hardly any foam at all.
That’s why I wouldn’t make a blanket claim such as “perfect for every milk frother” for homemade barista oat milk. Commercial barista blends can be specifically formulated for frothing and hot drinks. With homemade plant milk, the ingredients, temperature, and frothing method can all affect the result.
Can I Substitute the Nuts?
Yes. You can make this barista oat milk without cashews by increasing the amount of almonds instead. Or leave out the almonds and use more cashews. Keep the total amount of nuts the same.
Cashews are mild and give the plant milk a particularly smooth, creamy mouthfeel, while almonds have a slightly more pronounced flavor. So the taste will change a little depending on which one you use.
I haven’t tested how an all-cashew or all-almond version performs when frothed.
If you’ve tried the recipe with different nuts, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments – your experience may be helpful to other readers too.
Storage and Shelf Life
Homemade oat milk doesn’t contain preservatives, so it has a much shorter shelf life than many store-bought versions. I pour mine into a very clean, tightly sealed glass bottle and refrigerate it immediately after making it. And by the way, the small pinch of salt in my recipe is there for flavor, not preservation.
How Long Does Homemade Oat Milk Last?
My homemade oat milk keeps in the refrigerator for 3 days. Some separation as it sits is completely normal – give the bottle a good shake and it comes back together.
If it starts separating much more than usual, looks increasingly watery, or develops a different smell or taste, I no longer use it.
Can You Freeze Homemade Oat Milk?
Yes, you can freeze homemade oat milk in portions and thaw it slowly in the refrigerator. It may separate more after freezing and the texture can change, so simply give it a good shake or briefly blend it again.
For coffee and frothing, I prefer fresh oat milk. Thawed oat milk would be better suited to uses where a slight change in texture doesn’t matter as much, such as cooking or baking.
How Can I Use Barista Blend Oat Milk?
Despite the name, I don’t use my barista blend oat milk only for coffee. I also pour it over cereal, use it for hot chocolate, and cook and bake with it – mashed potatoes are one example.
The dates (and vanilla) aren’t a problem in savory recipes either: At this amount, the plant milk doesn’t taste sweet. They simply round out the flavor.
So for me, this isn’t just a plant milk for coffee. It’s my homemade plant milk for everyday use.
Homemade Barista Blend Oat Milk (Creamy, Not Slimy)
Useful equipment
- 1 plant milk maker *) (I use Mylky, check to see if it is available in your country)
Ingredients
- 1 l cold water
- 50 g oats
- 20 g cashews
- 20 g almonds
- 2 Brazil nuts
- 2 dates pitted
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp sunflower lecithin *)
- 1 cm vanilla bean optional
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to the filter basket: Add the oats, cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, dates, salt, sunflower lecithin, and optional vanilla bean to the filter basket. Screw the filter basket securely onto the lid.
- Add the water: Place the Mini Jug in the Mylky and fill it with 1 liter of cold water.
- Make the plant milk: Put the lid with the attached filter basket in place and run the Mylky twice in a row.
- Let it drain: After the second cycle, let the filter basket drain well. My tip: I leave the basket attached to the lid and hang it up as shown in the photo.
- Bottle and refrigerate: Pour the finished barista blend oat milk into a clean, tightly sealed glass bottle and store it in the refrigerator.
- Shake well before using: Give the plant milk a good shake so the fat, lecithin, and other components are evenly distributed again.
Notes
- Cold water: I always keep one of my two Mylky glass bottles filled to the top with water in the refrigerator. That way, I always have properly chilled water ready for my next batch of plant milk.
- For 1.6 liters with Mylky: Enter 1.6 in the servings field. The ingredient amounts will automatically adjust to Mylky’s maximum capacity. The same applies to the Mylky minimum quantity of 750 ml: Enter 0.75 in the field.
- Nutrition information: The automatically calculated nutrition information is based on all the ingredients used, not just what ends up in the filtered plant milk. Since some of the solids remain in the filter basket, the actual nutritional values of the finished barista blend oat milk will be lower.
- Use the leftover pulp: Don’t throw away the oat-and-nut pulp from the filter basket. My favorite way to use it is in porridge or overnight oats. You’ll also find more ideas for using the leftover pulp on the Mylky website.
