Can You Froth Oat Milk? 5 Tips You Need To Know

Lattes and cappuccinos with deliciously foamy milk are one of the greatest staples of cafes. In recent years, the emergence of non-dairy alternative milks has ensured that everyone can enjoy creamy and rich coffees without discomfort or compromise. But it’s easy to wonder: can you froth oat milk?

While oat milk does respond to frothing slightly differently than dairy milk and other plant based milk, it can be used with a milk frother to create a perfectly fluffy counterpart to your favorite espresso. However, if you want the best results when frothing this cows milk alternative, you’ll need to know the proper techniques.

Can You Froth Oat Milk?

Yes, you can froth oat milk. While this non-dairy alternative requires slightly longer frothing compared to cow milk to form a perfect microfoam, it delivers similarly delicious results. You’ll need to follow similar rules to conventional milk to avoid burning your oat milk during frothing.

Like other plant milks, oat milk is created by blending its namesake oats with water and a few essential ingredients. This store-bought confection is rich and creamy, making it ideal for creating delicious coffee creations.

Oat milk froth can quickly form a perfectly smooth microfoam like conventional dairy milk. It’s often slightly thicker and creamier than dairy milk but can be watered down if desired. It blends well with espresso and coffee drinks.

Why Should I Froth My Oat Milk?

Frothing your oat milk is essential to making delicious drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. The process of milk frothing gives it a lighter and foamier texture, adding a layer of decadence and complexity to the drink you make.

There are plenty of reasons to choose oat milk over dairy milk. Whether lactose intolerant, vegan, or environmentally conscious, oat milk has many positive characteristics that appeal to many people. Considering that it also packs an incredible taste, it’s hard not to love oat milk coffee.

Oat milk is also an excellent choice when compared to other non-dairy milks. While options like soy milk and almond milk are favorable to many non dairy milk drinkers, they have a distinct flavor that can be difficult to get used to.

And while premium options like cashew and macadamia milk are much mellower and creamier, they’re often much more expensive than options like oat milk. Oat milk is one of the best options if you’re looking for an alternative milk with a mild flavor and affordable price.

Steaming vs. Frothing Oat Milk

Depending on the result you want to achieve with your oat milk, it’s worth considering whether you should steam or froth it. Steaming your oat milk gives it a velvety and light texture, but it often slightly waters the milk down. Frothing your oat milk is the perfect way to make it velvety and fluffy without sacrificing the richness of the milk.

Generally, you can steam and froth your oat milk with the most conventional espresso machines. Both types of oat milk are perfect for adding to your favorite coffee drinks. In some cases, you can even add both. For example, cappuccinos incorporate steamed milk and frothed milk to create their signature full-bodied richness and thick, frothy foam.

Tips for Making Perfectly Frothed Oat Milk

1. Use Cold Oat Milk

If you want your frothed oat milk to turn out as light and fluffy as it can be, it’s essential to start with very cold milk. When you get the oat milk as cold as possible before frothing, you’ll have significantly more time to froth the milk and create a light foam before the milk begins burning.

2. Keep Your Milk Frother Clean

If milk gets into the wrong part of your espresso machine, it can quickly become an enormous mess to clean up. One of the most important things to remember as you froth your oat milk is to keep your milk frother clean. You should wipe the steam wand and flush steam through it after each use.

3. Froth To The Correct Temperature

As the steam wand heats the milk, it becomes much sweeter. This is one of the underlying reasons why coffee drinks with steamed milk are so popular. Unfortunately, this sweetness is lost if the oat milk is overheated. You should only steam your milk to 130 to 145°F, using a thermometer to gauge whether it’s in the proper temperature range.

4. Position The Steam Wand Correctly

Depending on how you position the steam wand in your milk, the resulting milk can have a different level of frothing quality. If you want to froth whipped and sweet milk, you need to position the steam wand’s tip just below the milk’s surface. Lower it into the milk until you only hear the occasional air escape.

Once the milk is warmer, push the steam wand further into the milk to even out the texture of the frothed milk. You can make the froth much airier by lowering the steam wand later while lowering it early will ensure the milk is closer to its liquid density.

5. Get Rid Of Large Bubbles

Large air bubbles are one of the most significant issues that can ruin an otherwise perfectly frothed milk pitcher. Luckily, this is an easy problem to resolve. If you notice that large bubbles have formed on the surface of your milk, make sure to use the steam wand towards the bottom of the picture to roll the milk. When the milk is done frothing, swirl the milk in the pitcher to eliminate the large bubbles.

Enjoy Perfectly Frothy Oat Milk Drinks

While ordering dairy-free alternatives might have been a restrictive and challenging process at cafes in the past, enjoying a frothy and decadent oat milk latte or cappuccino in the modern day is simple. And you don’t just have to stop ordering these drinks at cafes — with the help of a quality espresso machine, you can make your own coffee shop quality lattes at home, too.