Whats the deal with oat milk?
Oat milk is a plant-based milk derived from whole oat and the second most consumed plant based milk in the United States.
It is a good choice for people food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities that include lactose, nuts, and soy.
Also, some oat milks are made from gluten free oats, making those particular brands safe for those who are gluten-free as well.
Oat milk is nutritious and has many health benefits.
There are few potential downsides to drinking oat milk, but they are minor.
What does it taste like?
Depending on the brand you choose, the oat milk can taste like regular milk or oat flavored water.
The better brands have a creamy milk-like texture and an undetectable oat flavor.
Some brands have a very thin, water-like consistency with a strong oat flavor.
There are also brands which are somewhere in between the two.
What to do with it?
You can do anything with oat milk that you would do with regular milk or almond milk.
You can put it in your coffee, pour it into a bowl of cereal, make hot chocolate with it, and more.
Can you cook with it?
Yes, you can.
You can make pancakes with oat milk and biscuits and gravy with oat milk.
Pretty much any cooking that would call for cow’s milk, you can use oat milk for.
Can you use it in baking?
Yes, you can use it for baking.
Blueberry muffins with oat milk are delicious, as is cornbread made with oat milk.
To replace milk with oat milk in recipes is very simple.
All you have to do is substitute the milk called for in the recipe for oat milk at a 1:1 ratio.
Oat Milk VS Cows Milk
According to Northwestern Medicine, oat milk is a good option if you have an allergy to soy or nuts or you cannot digest lactose.
However, the calories, protein, and other nutrients may vary widely by brand, so they are hard to compare.
Oat Milk VS Almond Milk
According to Women’s Health, unsweetened oat milk is higher in fiber, carbs, protein, sugar, and calories than unsweetened almond milk but is lower in fat and sodium.
The most notable difference were the calories and carbs, which almond milk was notably lower in both.
However, this doesn’t mean that oat milk is unhealthy. Depending on how enriched it is, it can actually be quite healthy.
Also, if you’re looking for a good replacement for your cold brew or iced coffee, oat milk is the way to go.
Oat milk provides a creamy consistency that even barista styled almond milk can’t achieve.
Also, oat milk froths in a way that almond milk typically can’t, which is why baristas love it.
Another perk of oat milk’s naturally heavier texture is that it rarely contains thickeners, unlike almond milk.
Oat Milk Vs Soy Milk
According to Healthline, compared with oat milk, soy milk is higher in calories, fat, protein, potassium, and iron, while oat milk is higher in carbs.
Oat milk is also creamier and a bit sweeter than soy milk.
However, soy milk may be a better choice for making foamy coffee drinks due to its higher protein and fat content.
Oat Milk is Environmentally Friendly
According to BBC, oat milk is one of the best milks for the environment.
In comparison to cow’s milk, UQ Healthy Living says the production of oat milk leads to 80% less greenhouse gas emissions, 60% less energy, and about ten times less water.
Also, Columbia University states that oat milk uses significantly lower water usage to produce compared to dairy, soy, and almond milks.
In addition, unlike what has been seen with other plant-based milks, Good Food Institute believes that it is unlikely that oat milk will cause unintended environmental consequences.
Choosing your Brand
I have tried a handful of oat milk brands and I can tell you, not all oat milks are created equal.
Some brands taste like oats and have the consistency of water. Other brands have a milder taste and are slightly reminiscent of milk. Oatly and Alpro are my two go-to brands.
When I visit New York, I really like Oatly, which I find to taste like regular milk and to be a little extra creamy. I’d assume this is true in Canada too.
In Israel, I only use the barista version of Oatly, which is still more watery than the regular Oatly in the States. I expect it is the same in Europe because that is where it is imported from.
For Israel and Europe, I find the Alpro oat milk indistinguishable from the Oatly Barista. However, the Alpro “Not Milk” oat milk I find to be almost identical to milk but a little sweeter – which I like.