A simple and creamy oat milk latte with endless flavor combinations is tastier, faster, and more cost-effective than going to your local coffee shop. You can make this recipe with numerous flavors, such as plain, vanilla, pumpkin spice, gingerbread, or mocha!
Back in 2019, when I first created this post, oat milk was starting to become more mainstream. Now, oat milk is used as an alternative to dairy milk in coffee shops everywhere.
I consider myself a bit of a coffee connoisseur. Over the years, I have created a wide variety of vegan-friendly lattes, including an almond milk latte, vanilla soy latte, matcha iced latte, and many more.
Now that I’ve been making homemade oat milk lattes at home for years, I’ve learned a few tricks to help you make a creamy, frothy latte without needing any fancy or expensive espresso machines.
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What is an oat milk latte?
An oat milk latte is a coffee drink with espresso and oat milk. Oat milk is dairy-free milk suitable for those who are vegan or have a dairy intolerance. It is made by blending oats and water and then straining to get a smooth and creamy texture.
Why You’ll Love This Oat Milk Latte Recipe
Creamy Texture: Oat milk creates a creamy and smooth texture that complements the espresso in a latte.
Health Benefits: Oat milk is an excellent alternative to dairy milk, as it is often fortified with vitamins and minerals like calcium and vitamin D. It is also naturally lower in fat and calories than cow’s milk.
Dairy-Free and Vegan: Perfect for those who are lactose intolerant or follow a vegan diet.
Customizable: You can customize your latte with different spices or flavorings to create your perfect drink. Here, I’ll show you how to make a regular vanilla, pumpkin spice, gingerbread, and mocha latte.
Ingredients and Notes
Espresso or Strong Coffee: If you have an espresso machine, prepare 1-2 shots. If not, prepare a strong cup of coffee. If you use a strong cup of coffee, you’ll fill your mug halfway.
Oat Milk: There are many brands and variations of oat milk on the market. Some are made particularly for coffee. These barista blends broth up nicely, but it is also important to note that they contain additives, fillers, and artificial ingredients that help them create this foamy texture. I recommend looking for an oat milk that uses natural ingredients.
Organic Maple Syrup: Provides a hint of sweetness to your latte. This ingredient is optional, if you prefer an unsweetened latte, leave it out. You can also use the sweetener of your choice, such as agave syrup, coconut, or cane sugar, to sweeten your drink.
Vanilla Extract: Compliments the creaminess of the oat milk and gives it a hint of flavor. Use this ingredient for the vanilla latte variation.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Used for the pumpkin spice latte variation.
Ground Ginger and Cinnamon: Used for the gingerbread latte variation.
Cocoa Powder: Added to the oat milk for a mocha latte.
Tools I Use
If you have some of these coffee tools above, they will work wonders to create an authentic latte. However, I assume you don’t have any fancy equipment but still want to make an oat milk latte at home. While all these tools are nice to have, they’re unnecessary.
I will show you how I make an oat milk latte at home using a strong cup of brewed coffee, and a blender.
How to Make an Oat Milk Latte
- Brew your coffee or make your espresso.
- Heat one cup of oat milk on the stove. Whisk with maple syrup if using. Heat on medium until warm and begins to thicken.
- Remove from the heat. Pour the oat milk into your blender and blend until foam forms. You can also use a milk frother if you have one. If you are making a flavored oat milk latte, add the necessary ingredients now. For vanilla, add the vanilla extract. For pumpkin spice, add the ground pumpkin spice with the vanilla. Add ground ginger and cinnamon with vanilla extract for the gingerbread latte. Lastly, add the cocoa powder with the vanilla extract for the mocha.
- Pour your coffee or espresso into your mug. Pour oat milk over the coffee. Use a spoon to skim the foam, and place on top of your latte. Enjoy!
Expert Tips for Making Oat Milk Lattes
- Depending on your tools, you can use a standard coffee brewer, espresso machine, Keurig, Nespresso, or stovetop espresso maker. Choose the one that is easiest for you.
- Depending on your frothing tools, you can use a milk frother, or if you don’t have a milk frother use your blender to make your oat milk nice and frothy!
- If you like your lattes sweeter, add a teaspoon of maple syrup until you get your desired taste.
FAQS
Oat milk thickens and gets creamy when heated, so it’s perfect for lattes and coffee. It tastes very similar to a dairy latte because of this reason. It also has a slightly sweet taste similar to milk, so oat milk lattes have become a popular dairy-free latte option in recent years.
Yes, Starbucks has oat milk as a dairy-free option. They use the Oatly brand of oat milk to make their lattes.
The main difference between regular oat milk and barista blend oat milk lies in their consistency and performance when steamed or frothed. Barista blend oat milk is specifically formulated to create a rich, creamy texture that foams well. Regular oat milk may not foam or steam as well as barista blend oat milk, resulting in a thinner, less creamy texture when used in coffee drinks. However, barista blends have more additives and fillers that create that creamy texture, so it’s up to you when choosing what type of oat milk you want to use for your coffee drinks.
Yes, you can use this recipe to make an iced latte. Use cold brew coffee, and froth cool oat milk with maple syrup and flavor of choice. Then pour over ice.
More Latte Recipes!
Recipe
Oat Milk Latte 5 Ways
Equipment
Ingredients
Plain Oat Milk Latte
- 1-2 shots espresso or ½-1 cup of brewed coffee
- 1 cup oat milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional
Vanilla Oat Milk Latte
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Latte
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Gingerbread Oat Milk Latte
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mocha Oat Milk Latte
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Brew your coffee or make your espresso.
- Heat one cup of oat milk on the stove. Whisk with maple syrup if using. Heat on medium until warm and begins to thicken.
- Remove from the heat. Pour the oat milk into your blender and blend until foam forms. You can also use a milk frother if you have one. If you are making a flavored oat milk latte, add the necessary ingredients now. For vanilla, add the vanilla extract. For pumpkin spice, add the ground pumpkin spice with the vanilla. Add ground ginger and cinnamon with vanilla extract for the gingerbread latte. Lastly, add the cocoa powder with the vanilla extract for the mocha.
- Pour your coffee or espresso into your mug. Pour oat milk over the coffee. Use a spoon to skim the foam, and place on top of your latte. Enjoy!
Notes
- Depending on your tools, you can use a standard coffee brewer, espresso machine, Keurig, Nespresso, or stovetop espresso maker. Choose the one that is easiest for you.
- Depending on your frothing tools, you can use a milk frother, or if you don’t have a milk frother use your blender to make your oat milk nice and frothy!
- If you like your lattes sweeter, add a teaspoon of maple syrup until you get your desired taste.
Erika
This is perfect! I love mixing up my latte flavors and I love all these different ways to do that.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
I made your recipe for a gathering the other day and everyone kept asking for the recipe. It was totally a hit!
Michelle
Delicious! Love these amazing festive recipes. I always need extra coffee during the holidays~
Anita
Yep, I drink coffee on a daily basis too. Thanks for this simple recipes with oat milk. Now I have added several favorite recipes to my ever growing coffee latte recipes. 🙂
Dannii
I love an oat milk mocha. So creamy.