The benefits of plant-based milk are numerous. But can you froth oat milk? If you want to enjoy frothed milk, look at everything you should know about frothing oat milk below!
You can froth oat milk, though it will be more complex than frothing regular dairy milk. This is because oat milk lacks the protein that typically causes frothing in traditional milk!
You can use many different tools to enjoy frothy, textured oat milk. This includes using a whisk, a jar, a food processor, a designated frother, a steam wand, a blender, a mixer, and even a microwave! They all have different techniques to help you master the milk foam. I’ll discuss them to help you get the right results each time.
Does oat milk froth?
With a description like that, it’s easy to assume that oat milk doesn’t froth. Naturally, it doesn’t. You probably already know this if you’ve ever poured yourself a glass of oat milk, and it doesn’t froth at its top!
When it comes to frothing oat milk for coffee, you can get it to froth beautifully, even if it doesn’t have the same proteins as dairy milk. You’ll have to practice your technique, and I really encourage you to try a few frothing techniques, too. I’ll talk more about that later, though.
Can you froth oat milk in a milk frother?
You can froth oat milk in a designated milk frother. You’ll use the same portion and technique as you would with other types of milk. As I’ll mention later, the main difference is that it may take longer for you to achieve the froth level you’re looking for!
Fun Fact: Silk is the most popular brand of oat milk in the US. Chobani is the second most popular brand.
Can you froth oat milk by hand?
If you’re old-school and often enjoy frothing milk by hand, you’ll be glad to know you can also froth oat milk by hand. The amount of time and effort it takes to get stubborn oat milk to foam can be overwhelming. If you are set on using hand-powered options, you’ll want to be prepared to dedicate time and patience to it!
Many will use other options when frothing oat milk because it takes time and effort. To each their own, though! I must admit that there is a certain professionalism about properly and effectively frothing oat milk by hand!
What is the best temperature to froth oat milk?
If you are looking at heating your oat milk, you’ll want to aim precisely for a temperature of 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). I said “specifically” for a reason, too! It is easy to have your oat milk be too cold or hot, and it won’t froth correctly!
The best way to keep your temperature right where you need it is to use an actual thermometer to monitor it as you heat it.
What is the best oat milk to froth?
As the world gets more and more into the idea of plant-based milk, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options. To help you navigate that mess, especially when you just are looking for a choice for frothing, the Oatly barista blends are a great option. These aptly named options are designed for easy frothing so that you get the intended effect of the textured milk but with less effort.
That’s not to say it won’t still take effort and practice. It won’t be as tricky as the more drink-focused types of oat milk.
The one thing that I found with the barista blends, I must say, is that they do cost a bit more than your classic oat milk. So, if you are looking for oat milk to drink and froth, it’s probably a good idea to save your barista blend milk just for frothing!
Ways to froth oat milk
There are many exciting ways to froth oat milk for your latte or any other specialty drink. The top choices include:
- With a whisk
- With a jar
- With a food processor
- With a frother
- With a steam wand
- With a blender
- With a mixer
- In a microwave
If you’re already experienced with frothing milk, you probably have a preferred option for getting that consistency just right. If that’s the case, I’d recommend sticking with that option. You’ll still need to adjust your technique, but it will help you start with an idea of what to expect!
If you’re a newbie, a jar is a great choice, plus it’s kind of fun to get some aggression out. If you already have specialized equipment, a frother is a great choice. But I’ll go over all the options next so you can make an informed choice!
How to froth oat milk step by step
As you might be able to guess, learning how to froth oat milk will mostly depend on which method you choose. I’ve got it all sectioned out with instructions for each way so you can move forward with the best method that works for you.
With a whisk
The first and easiest way, equipment-wise, will be using a whisk. It’ll be as simple as pouring your oat milk into a bowl or a wide-mouthed glass and whisking it until it gets frothy. It’ll take some practice to get to the point where you are whisking fast enough to get that texture you’re going for.
The main benefit of this method is that you control the speed and method of use, which helps offer some authenticity to making the oat milk. Many experienced bakers and other kitchen professionals prefer hand-powered tools because of this control!
With a jar
Another popular method is using a jar as your main frothing milk. Most will use a mason jar since it lets you see how the milk is doing in real-time. Plus, lids seal tightly and prevent messes!
To have this method work for you, it’s as simple as shaking the milk as vigorously as you can, and it’ll froth for you. This method is excellent for working out some anger and also really getting involved in the frothing process manually!
With a food processor
If you want to get involved with tools, a food processor is often one of the most common starting choices. To use this effectively, you’ll add your milk and set the processor on the highest setting! It needs speed to froth it up. This is great for those who are serving multiple servings of coffee!
With a frother
As far as tools go, a milk frother will be an excellent one for frothing oat milk for obvious reasons. If you already have this tool and are comfortable using it, it would be my recommendation to keep things as easy as possible all around.
To use it, just pour the oat milk into a serving glass. Then you just stick the frother wand into the milk and turn it on. If your frother has speed adjustments, you’ll want a higher setting. Keep a close eye on the milk, as the frother will do an excellent job at getting it going — it’s easy to have a spill!
With a steam wand
If you have a steam wand as part of your at-home coffee equipment (be it part of your machine or not), this can help you both heat your milk and froth it. Much like the frothing wand, ensure that you’re comfortable using it before you attempt to use it with oat milk.
Turn on the steam wand, and follow the instructions on the packaging. After all, you’ll use it just as you would with any other type of milk.
Fun Fact: Did you know you can froth creamer as you would milk? You can read more about it by clicking on the link.
With a blender
Whether you are making a large batch or just looking at getting out the bigger tools, a blender is a great choice when hunting for something a little stronger to work with.
The actual use instructions for this method of frothing oat milk are mostly going to depend on the instructions for the blender! Most will find that a medium or high setting will be a great speed to help get that rich, frothy texture.
One of the biggest benefits of this approach is that the blender has a great lid to prevent messes!
With a mixer
Another choice on the list, often overlooked, is using a mixer! WikiHow explains that you’d use this much the same as a blender! You can use the beaters you’d use to mix together cake mix. You also can find mixers that have a whisk attachment to them. You can use that, too, for a mechanical version of the first method that we talked about!
Lastly, you can consider learning how to froth milk in the microwave! To do this, you grab your jar (from above) and fill it with milk. You can also use a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the milk to the right temperature. After that, lid the jar or the bowl and shake it vigorously to get the frothy texture you’re going for!
Tip: If you’re struggling with frothing oat milk, try using another kind of milk first and get a feel for how it should look and taste! Then try it again with oat milk!
There are many options for properly froth oat milk, and each has its advantages and problems. Finding out which one that works for you is going to be a combination of trial and error.
Why isn’t my oat milk frothing?
Sometimes you’ll find that your milk just isn’t going to froth up. This is common initially, even if you’re used to frothing other types of milk. Since oat milk is challenging to froth, this can be a problem until you adjust to the different consistency! There are two main reasons why your oat milk might not froth.
The first is that your oat milk is either too hot or too cold. This is a frustrating problem, but it has an easy solution. Remember how I talked about above that you might want to rely on a thermometer to help you get the temperature just right? This is why! You need to know exactly where your temperature is to get your oat milk to froth properly!
The second common problem is that you or your tools aren’t agitating the milk enough. Oat milk needs even more agitation than classic dairy milk. You’ll get the hang of this part easily enough. You just need to practice, that’s all!
Tips for perfectly foamed oat milk every time
If you’re still perfecting the proper art form that is frothing oat milk, don’t worry. It is one of the hardest milk types to froth, and it will take practice and patience to get it done just right. If you’re looking for some tips, here are a few to help you out!
- Start with a small amount
- Try multiple methods to see which you prefer
- Use store-bought oat milk
Start with a small amount
You’ll get the best experience in frothing oat milk if you don’t try to froth a large amount. It will take longer and be more difficult to froth large amounts, and you’ll also have difficulty gauging how oat milk reacts to your frothing. Practice with small batches, and then add more capacity as you get used to it!
Try multiple methods to see which you prefer
Sometimes a specific approach to frothing milk works well for dairy milk but not oat milk. You may find trying another method will give you better results. Everyone’s experience with oat milk is slightly different, so don’t be afraid to try a few things!
Use store-bought oat milk
While many will make oat milk at home, you’ll find that homemade options don’t froth as well as store-bought options. As often as possible, stick to storebought oat milk for frothing! You don’t need any more difficulties waiting for you, right?
Without question, there’s a certain technique for frothing oat milk. You can froth oat milk, but you’ll find that it is more challenging compared to frothing regular dairy milk. You can use many tools for properly frothing oat milk, including a whisk, a jar, a food processor, a designated frother, a steam wand, a blender or a mixer, and even a microwave. The best way to determine the best for you is to try them all!
If you know an oat milk lover who enjoys frothed milk, consider sharing it to help them find the right technique!!
