Once you learn how quick and easy it is to make an oat milk latte at home, you can skip the trip to the coffee shop! All you need is FOUR simple ingredients and a few minutes to make this creamy, dairy-free oat latte drink recipe.
If you're a coffee lover or have a weakness for delicious coffee drinks, I have another one for your list.
It's a creamy oat milk latte and you'll love it because it's so smooth and satisfying and can be customized just the way you like. It also happens to be naturally vegan and gluten-free, too!
So, let's dive into the details so you can make a homemade oat latte today!
But before you head down, if you enjoy making warm, cozy drinks at home so you can skip the trip to Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, or a different coffee spot, then bookmark these and try them all!
- Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
- Vegan Peppermint Mocha
- Vegan Gingerbread Latte
- Creamy Vegan Hot Chocolate
- Vegan Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- And if you like making iced coffee drinks, I recommend this vegan mocha frappe!
Ingredients You'll Need
You only need three basic ingredients to create this delicious drink at home, and the choice to add a fourth optional ingredient.
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
Oat Milk - The best oat milk for a latte is one that's unsweetened and unflavoured so you have full control over the final taste and the level of sweetness. Use certified gluten-free oat milk, if needed.
If all you have is sweetened oat milk, that's okay, just taste the drink before adding any sweetener because you may not need it. You can also use vanilla oat milk, just don't add vanilla.
If you want your oat latte to be extra creamy, use oat milk labelled "barista blend." This type is thicker and creamier than regular oat milk because it contains less water. Store-bought oat milk or homemade oat milk can be used.
Coffee - I use strongly brewed coffee when I make lattes but you can also use espresso. If you need to make it without a coffee machine (or espresso machine), make it with instant coffee, and you can also use decaffeinated coffee if you prefer a decaf oat milk latte.
Sweetener - I like to use pure maple syrup, however, based on your personal preference, use the sweetener of choice, like brown sugar, coconut sugar, cane sugar, or regular sugar to taste instead. Sugar alternatives will work, adjust the amount as needed. If you prefer no added sugar, leave the sweetener out.
Vanilla Extract (optional) - To give the latte a little more flavour, you can add a small amount of vanilla. If you don't have vanilla extract but would like to make a vanilla oat milk latte, use vanilla-flavoured oat milk.
There are so many vegan snacks you can have with your latte, how about vegan applesauce muffins, oat flour chocolate chip cookies, or vegan chocolate cookies?
How to Make It
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
***The steps for making the hot version are outlined in the following steps and images. To make the iced version, see the "Variations" section below.***
1. Brew your coffee (or espresso) and pour it into your mug, set aside.
2. Warm the oat milk until it's steaming, set the milk to be foamed aside, and then pour the rest of it into the mug with the coffee.
3. Add the sweetener and vanilla, stir, carefully taste it and add more sweetener, if needed.
4. Froth the milk (for tips, see the next section " Frothing the Milk") and then pour the oat milk foam on top of the drink.
Have a look through all of these easy vegan drink recipes for more ideas on what drink to make next.
How to Froth Oat Milk
I use a simple handheld milk frother and it does the job perfectly. I recommend sticking with a simple one, like the one I have, unless you make lattes or specialty drinks quite often.
I recommend warming the milk, I find that warm milk foams up much better than cold milk.
While frothing, tilt the frother to create a swirling whirlpool effect. This enables the air to flow into the milk quickly and evenly so it foams up nicely.
Other ways to froth milk without a frother:
- add the milk to a blender (regular or high-speed) and blend until foamy.
- add the milk to a French press and push the plunger up and down until the milk is foamy.
- blend the milk with an immersion blender until it's foamy.
- add the milk to a small jar (like a mason jar), cover it, and shake until the milk is foamy.
- whisk the heated milk vigorously with a small whisk to add air to it and make it foamy. This method takes longer and the foam will be thinner and not as thick.
For more helpful tips about foaming milk, read this article filled with tips on how to froth milk.
Variations
- Make it decaffeinated by using a caffeine-free coffee or a coffee substitute.
- Make it without foam and just add the milk you would have foamed to the drink. You can also substitute dairy-free whipped cream for the foam. (Read this article "Is Cool Whip Vegan" for a list of vegan whipped cream brands to look for.)
- Add a hint of spice by sprinkling a little bit of your favourite spice on top of the drink, like pumpkin spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg.
- Make it an iced oat milk latte by adding the hot coffee and sweetener to a tall glass and stirring. If you are using granular sugar, make sure it has dissolved before adding the milk. Fill the glass with lots of ice, add the cold oat milk and the vanilla, if using, stir, then taste and adjust the sweetener if needed.
Tips for Success
- Use unsweetened, unflavoured milk so you can be fully in charge of the sweetness and flavour.
- Heat the oat milk only until it's steaming. Get the milk nice and warm, but don't let it boil over (which can happen fast if you aren't keeping an eye on it!). Take it off the heat when it starts to steam.
- Adjust the strength of the coffee to suit your taste. I always use strong brewed coffee, however, if you're looking for an extra kick, use espresso. If you prefer a milder taste, use regular coffee or brew your coffee to be weak.
- For an extra creamy drink, grab your milk frother and whip up your drink once it's in the mug, but do this before you layer on the foam.
- If you are making an iced latte, make coffee ice cubes by freezing brewed coffee in an ice cube tray. This will help keep your drink from getting watery as the ice melts.
- Read through the recipe before getting started and read through this post from top to bottom for lots of tips to make this recipe perfectly, every single time.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! Oat milk is naturally creamy making it a great choice to make a warm, cozy latte.
Since oat milk is naturally creamy, a latte made with oat milk is creamier than one made with thinner milk. The coffee flavour is prominent but it's mellowed out by the milk. Depending on your preference, it can have a very slight hint or a lot of sweetness.
If you prefer a creamier latte, then oat milk is the best pick for you but the type of milk you use is a matter of preference and what is available to you. Both will make a delicious latte (just like most other non-dairy milk options), so you can't go wrong with either of these choices.
Want to make your delicious oat milk latte a little fancier? Top it with whipped cream instead of or along with the foamed milk. Read this article: "Is Cool Whip Vegan" to get an extensive list of dairy-free whipped cream brands.
If You Make This Recipe...
Please tell me about it! Leave a comment and star rating below or you can post a picture on Instagram and tag me so I can see it. (I’m @delightfuladventures on Instagram)
If You Like This Recipe...
You may like these other vegan oat recipes:
Oat Milk Latte (Hot or Iced!)
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup (60ml) brewed strong coffee or espresso
- 1¼ cups (300ml) unsweetened oat milk (divided)
- sweetener to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions:
- Pour the hot coffee or espresso into a mug and set aside.
- Add the oat milk to a small pot.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and heat for 2 ½ - 3 minutes or until the milk is steaming. Don't allow it to boil. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour ¼ cup of the milk into a small jar or frothing jug, set aside.
- Add the rest of the milk into the mug with the coffee. Add the sweetener and vanilla (if using), stir, taste, and adjust as necessary.
- Using a milk frother, froth the ¼ cup of milk you set aside until it's foamy. Pour it onto the top of the drink.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information and FAQ info above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
- This recipe makes 1 ¼ cups. Double, triple, or quadruple as needed.
- For the best results, use unsweetened, unflavoured oat milk to control the flavour and sweetness. If all you have is sweetened milk, adjust the amount of sweetener you add accordingly or omit it.
- Any sweetener will work, use your favourite, like maple syrup, brown sugar, coconut sugar, cane sugar, or white sugar.
- To make it in the microwave, do step 1, then add the oat milk to a mug and microwave in 25-30 second intervals, whisking in between each interval, until it's steaming. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't boil. Proceed with step 4.
- Make it iced by adding the hot coffee and sweetener to a tall glass and stirring. If you are using granular sugar, make sure it has dissolved before adding the milk. Fill the glass with lots of ice, add the cold oat milk and the vanilla, if using, stir, then taste and adjust the sweetener if needed.
- Nutrition info is for the full recipe prepared as written using 2 teaspoons of maple syrup as the sweetener. The data below is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is determined on this website.
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