Tag Archives: oat milk

Oat Milk Iced Coffee

Leave a reply



I’m always a little embarrassed to post a ‘recipe’ that’s basically just an idea. But tbh I’ve had some of my best tips from people posting mere ideas…

Since I stopped eating sugar and dairy (and soya, nightshades, meat and probably something else I’ve forgotten) to help with my health I’ve felt so much better. But it’d be a lie to say it hasn’t had its challenges. We are a family who loves our coffee and especially in the hot months, our iced coffees.

I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before but actually half a glass of oat milk (or plant milk of your choice), half a glass of ice, and an espresso or two makes an excellent cold drink that’s my new favourite way to drink coffee atm.

However, it seems to challenge baristas when I go out.

“Do you have oat milk?” I ask. “Yes they say”.
“Do you have ice?” I ask. “Yes,” they say.”

“Then could I have half a glass of oatmilk, some ice and an espresso?”

You’d be amazed how often the answer to this is ‘no’. (And listen, my parents ran a cafe for years and I worked there so I know what it’s like to work as a barista.)

Pret can’t seem to handle it and insist on giving me an Americano instead (which alters all the proportions). The coffee bar at my otherwise amazing military club can’t get their heads around it, although just a few feet away the staff at the lounge bar can mak a beautiful drink for me. The waiter at Ottolenghi got it and made it for me himself.

But most of the time I just make it for myself at home, thus saving myself £££.

If you like sweet drinks this isn’t for you. But if you like all the component ingredients you’ll love this. And if you’ve been doing this yourself for years then: good for you. Why didn’t you tell me?

Oat milk for smoothies

Leave a reply

I wrote about making almond milk some years ago, and whilst I love almond milk, it’s expensive. We drink a lot of smoothies in our house, and I usually add some sort of non-dairy milk to them. Not because I don’t have dairy – I do, and how! – but I just prefer nut/oak milks in my smoothies; so, in an attempt to make something cheaper,  and to avoid shop-bought ‘mylks’ I tried making my own oat milk. Plenty of people do and it’s so simple I urge you to give it a try.

The basics is one part oat flakes to four parts water, and then, depending on taste and how much you make you can add some vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, or a date for a bit of sweetness. If you use one cup as the measurement, I use a teaspoon of vanilla extract, one date, half a teaspoon of salt. So you can increase or decrease those measurements to suit the quantity you make. But, increasingly I make it using just oats and water. I make it about 1L at a time (I make mine quite thick and then dilute with water at point of making) so it’s pretty fresh. It keeps for a few days in the fridge. It might need a shake/stir before using.

Take your one part of oats (say one cup, in fact I use my 1/3rd cup measurement as that is what works for my bottle), add four parts water, blend for 30-60seconds depending on your blender. You can strain it in through a fine cloth (I do) or in fact just use as is. I don’t find there’s much left behind in the cloth but I do have a ‘super blender’, which basically turns oats to dust.

I felt so disproportionately pleased with myself for saving money making this, I went out and bought a fancy bottle to put it in, thereby completely wiping out this week’s savings.  But I think the presentation is important…