Oat Milk Ice Cream
Homemade Oat Milk Ice Cream is the most amazing dairy-free dessert, made with barista-style oat milk, and simply flavored with vanilla.
To make homemade oat milk ice cream super creamy and rich, we’re making it French-style, using a thick custard made from egg yolks.
This easy oat ice cream recipe is completely dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free depending on which oat milk brand you use.
Oat milk has recently been very popular as a dairy-free milk substitute, particularly when it comes to coffee drinks like lattes.
It turns out that oat milk is most like regular milk when it comes to frothing up nicely for cappuccino, and I’ve determined that oat milk makes an excellent homemade non-dairy ice cream too!
You should also check out our Coconut Milk Ice Cream recipe, and all of our tasty sorbet recipes. Delicious frozen treats can absolutely be made without dairy. You might also like this coconut mint ice cream.
Why You’re Going to Love this Oat Milk Ice Cream Recipe
Super Creamy Dairy Free Ice Cream – We’ve tweaked this recipe to ensure that it’s extra creamy without using any cream or milk at all. To make up for the fat that would normally be in dairy cream, this recipe uses extra egg yolks to make a thick, rich custard base.
Ice Cream Maker Oat Milk Ice Cream – Using an ice cream maker to churn this dairy-free ice cream base gives us the best results. The perfect amount of air is added to the base while it freezes.
Easy Instructions – both French-style ice cream, and dairy-free ice cream recipes can seem intimidating, but I promise it’s not difficult. I’ll guide you through each step so that you are successful at making this delicious Oatmilk Ice Cream every time.
Ingredients in Homemade Oat Milk Ice Cream
Egg Yolks – This dairy-free ice cream recipe uses 6 egg yolks, rather than the 3 I usually put in recipes that use cream. We’re relying on the egg yolks to create a thick and rich custard to mix with the oat milk. Save the egg whites for breakfast tomorrow!
Sugar – Regular granulated sugar gives the perfect amount of sweetness, and helps create the best ice cream texture.
Oat Milk – Buy “barista-style” oat milk to use in this recipe. It costs a bit more, but it’s totally necessary to get a really creamy homemade ice cream result from oat milk.
Salt – Just a bit of salt balances the sweetness and makes everything taste a bit brighter.
Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is a must for almost all of our ice cream recipes. It elevates the simple flavors of sugar and oat milk.
How to Make Oat Milk Ice Cream from Scratch
Start the day before by making sure that the bowl for your ice cream maker has at least 24 hours to freeze solid.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
- Add the oat milk and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the oat milk to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Be sure not to boil.
- Add about 1/2 cup of the hot oat milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined. This is called “tempering” the eggs.
- Then, add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take a few minutes.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked. Then, add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
- Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or a loaf pan. Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid.
- Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving. This will ensure that the oat milk ice cream is easy to scoop.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
How to Store Oat Milk Ice Cream
Store this homemade Oat Milk Ice Cream in the freezer in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed on top for up to one month.
Oatmilk Ice Cream Recipe Tips
Use quality ingredients – When making homemade ice cream, you’ll want to make sure you are using high-quality ingredients for the best outcome.
Chill out – If possible, always start with chilled ingredients. This is important for homemade no-churn ice cream recipes and ice cream maker recipes.
Don’t skimp on the fat – High-fat oat milk (aka, barista-style oat milk) is essential when making homemade oat milk ice cream. Opting for a low-fat option will lead to icy ice cream.
Don’t go crazy with the add-ins – If you’re adding in additional ingredients, pick one or two and make sure they are chopped into pieces no larger than a blueberry or pea.
Don’t skimp on the sugar – Sugar not only adds sweetness to homemade ice creams, it also helps with the texture. Sugar is essential for the creamy texture of ice cream.
What is the Difference Between Barista Oat Milk and Oat Milk?
Barista Style oat milk is made in a way that it is thicker and contains a higher fat content than regular oat milk. The FAQs on Oatly’s website (The brand I used here) state that the barista blend has 3% fat, while the regular oat milk has only 2%.
When making ice cream, that extra bit of fat is super important! The fat content of the milk and cream is what makes dairy ice cream creamy. In oat milk, oils are added to the milk during production, since oats don’t have fat on their own.
You will typically find barista oat milks in the refrigerated section of the store. Try Oatly, Califa Farms, or Chobani, just make sure that it says “barista” on the carton.
No Churn Oat Milk Ice Cream Directions
Chill a shallow container or a loaf pan in the freezer while you mix the ice cream ingredients.
Pour the ice cream mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for 3-4 hours. Stir the ice cream every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours to help add air. This will help create a creamy, smooth texture.
If you plan to add mix-ins, stir them in after the last time you stir the mixture so that they won’t all sink to the bottom.
Oat Milk Ice Cream Add-Ins
Oat Milk Ice Cream is basically just a dairy-free version of vanilla ice cream, which means that it is ready for you to add just about any mix-ins you like!
- Miniature chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars
- Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles or jimmies
- Chopped nuts or shredded coconut
- Fruit spreads and toppings
- A drizzle of fudge sauce or caramel sauce before the final freeze step
- Sandwich a scoop between two plant based cookies
When Do You Add Mix Ins to Homemade Ice Cream?
The perfect time to add in any chocolate chip, nuts, or sprinkles is during the last two minutes of churning, while the ice cream is still firming up, but isn’t quite ready yet.
This method gives the add-ins enough time to incorporate into the ice cream, but won’t crush them up.
If you want to add syrups or fruit spreads to your ice cream, add them in while you’re putting the churned ice cream into the ice cream container. You can layer them, or add them on top and swirl them in.
Is Oat Milk Ice Cream Vegan?
This oat milk ice cream recipe is not vegan, as it contains eggs. If you’re looking for a vegan ice cream recipe, try my Coconut ice cream recipe instead.
Does Oat Milk Taste like Oats?
I don’t think so, but I suppose it does have a warm flavor that reminds me of oats if I pay attention to it. When sugar and vanilla are added to oat milk ice cream, the flavor of oats is not noticeable.
There are other ingredients that help the flavors blend – It’s free from dairy and gluten, but it contains a good amount of sugar and 6 egg yolks.
What is the Best Oat Milk Ice Cream?
While you can find oat milk ice cream in the grocery store from brands like Oatly and SoDelicious, and Trader Joe’s, I believe that this homemade version is the best oat milk ice cream ever! Oat milk ice cream from scratch is fresh, extra creamy, and made with all-natural ingredients.
You’ll also get a lot more ice cream for your money when you make it yourself. This recipe makes six servings, about twice what comes in a typical non-dairy pint of ice cream.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
If you are looking for more dairy-free frozen treat recipes, be sure to try all of my easy sorbet recipes.
- Lemon Sorbet is my absolute favorite, and Lime sorbet is a close second.
- For something different, try Watermelon Sorbet or Coconut Sorbet.
Make this Oat milk Ice cream, and combine it with Strawberry Sorbet. The fruity sorbet mixed with the creamy oat milk ice cream will be so good.
Use your creamy Oat Milk Ice Cream to make a dairy free Ice Cream Cake, or delicious Fried Ice Cream.
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Oat Milk Ice Cream
Homemade Oat Milk Ice Cream is the most amazing dairy-free dessert, made with barista-style oat milk, and simply flavored with vanilla and sugar.
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups barista style oat milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours or until solid. You should not hear any water sloshing around when you shake the bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
- Add the oat milk and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the oat milk to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Be sure not to boil. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot oat milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined.
- Then, add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
- Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take a few minutes.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked. Then, add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
- Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or a loaf pan. Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid.
- Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- It's important to use "barista style" oat milk in this recipe, as it has a higher fat content than regular oat milk.
- Because oat milk has less fat than dairy milk and cream, extra egg yolks are used to make the ice cream creamy.
- This vanilla flavored oat milk recipe is a great base and ready for any of your favorite ice cream mix ins, like nuts, chocolate chips, or sprinkles. Add them in during the last two minutes of churning if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 217mgSodium: 271mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 35gProtein: 8g
I attempted to make this, and once I put the tempered egg mixture back into the pan to begin reheating, everything turned into scrambled eggs 🙁 I had to dump the whole thing.
Hi Kacie,
It sounds like the oatmilk was too hot or when you went to heat it again, that it heated too quickly. If you decide to try an ice cream recipe with eggs again, make sure the milk isn’t too hot and turn the burner to the lowest setting if the instructions call for the mixture to be reheated. I hope that help.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
How can I make this into Chocolate Ice Cream?
Hi Ben,
Yes, you can make this into chocolate. Add 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder into the pan with the oatmilk and salt.
Then when you add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan (step 4), add in 2 oz dairy-free semisweet or dark chocolate, roughly chopped, and allow it to melt as you reheat the mixture over a low heat.
With the number of eggs, the key is to heat it low and slow.
The Ice Cream from Scratch Team
I made this tonight and it was SO good! I ended up using the Oatly full-fat milk in the dark blue carton (I couldn’t find the Oatly barista blend) and it worked well. I also tempered the egg mixture slower than the recipe called for – I did a slowly poured 1/4 cup while constantly mixing, and then another 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup all at once. I didn’t find that the mixture when fully combined thickened up that much on the stove. After ~8 minutes of slowly stirring on low, I called it quits and finished the rest of the recipe steps. I added some vanilla beans + vanilla extract to the mixture at the end.
It was the perfect vanilla bean ice cream! Would highly recommend making and I’ll be saving this recipe for the future.
Hi Casey,
Thank you for stopping back by and letting us know that you loved it. We appreciate it!
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
I made this twice the first time it came out perfect with the oat-ly oat milk but the second time I used the barista blend and it wasn’t as creamy as the first time I used it. Would coconut oil be helpful in giving this recipe the fat to make it more creamier
Hi Vernon,
We have seen differences from brand to brand for oatmilk. You can add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to start, to see if that gives you the texture you’re looking for.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
I’ve seen recipes say the sugar should be added to milk in pan rather than whisked with the egg yolks. Have you tried it this way? Does it matter where the sugar is added?
Hi Sarah,
For this recipe, since we are making a custard base, adding the sugar in with the egg yolks changes the chemical structure of the protein in the eggs and helps prevent the eggs from coagulating into clumps when you temper the eggs with the warm milk. You can certainly add the sugar to the milk, and then temper, as long as the milk isn’t too hot and you temper a little bit at a time.
Best,
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
Can you replace the sugar with pure maple syrup?
You can, but please note that it will change the texture. It may not be as creamy.
The Ice Cream From Scratch
THIS OAT MILK ICE CREAM WAS AMAZING! It was so creamy and smooth, hard to believe there’s no milk or cream in it. It stayed creamy too, even a week later (airtight container)! I used Oatly, full fat. I will definitely be making this again & again. I think the oat milk mutes the vanilla more than dairy would. Plus it may have been the vanilla I used (Singing Dog alcohol free vanilla extract). Thank you SO much for creating this recipe & sharing it!!!
Hello! This recipe is indeed amazing!! I’ve made the vanilla and the chocolate variation you posted in the comments 🙂 Do you have any suggestions on how to make this into strawberry ice cream? Thanks!
Hi Mikala,
We’re so glad you’re loving our recipes. You can make strawberry ice cream with this recipe buy following the instructions in our strawberry ice cream recipe for the strawberries, and adding it to the ice cream mixture. https://icecreamfromscratch.com/strawberry-ice-cream/
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team