Can You Freeze Oat Milk?

Plant milk has become popular in recent years, especially with the rise in the number of people who are vegans. However, perhaps you only use a little of it on a daily basis. It usually lasts for around a week in the fridge when opened and as it usually comes in a large carton, you might not be able to use it all up before it spoils.

So, can you freeze it instead of wasting it and throwing it away? The answer is yes but you have to be prepared for some changes in texture. It will probably become grainy but if you whisk it up with other ingredients to make a smoothie, you won’t notice the difference between fresh oat milk and defrosted oat milk.

However, if you want to add it to coffee or drink it as it is, you will notice the grainy texture. In this article, we will tell you how to freeze oat milk and how to defrost it.

How To Freeze Oat Milk

Perhaps there’s a sale on oat milk in the store and you have decided to stock up. If so, you can just put unopened cartons straight into the freezer. However, if you have opened the carton, this is the way to freeze oat milk.

1. Put the oat milk into small freezer-safe bottles.

It is a good idea to divide the oat milk into portions so that you only defrost as much as you need for up to the seven days you can keep it in the fridge. Don’t fill the bottles right up to the top as the oat milk will expand in the freezer. Put a label on each bottle with the contents and the date frozen.

2. Freeze.

That’s all there is to it!

Tips For Freezing Oat Milk

Divide the oat milk into portion sizes.
Always put a label on the bottles with the date so that you don’t keep them in the freezer for longer than their use-by date.
It is better to keep the milk in the fridge for up to seven days after opening rather than freezing it. Only freeze the oat milk if you can’t use it up within this time. This is because the texture becomes grainy with freezing.
If you make your own oat milk, it probably won’t last as long in the freezer as shop-bought because it won’t have the preservatives shop-bought oat milk has. It will also only last for up to five days in the fridge rather than seven. However, it will probably be healthier than shop bought oat milk for the simple reason that it doesn’t have preservatives
It is a good idea to strain the oat milk after you have defrosted it. Strain it through a cheesecloth. This will get rid of the small granules of oats. This does help to improve the texture of the oat milk but it may turn it a little watery. The taste also might not be as good as fresh oat milk.
Check the best-by date before you put a whole carton of oat milk in the freezer. It usually has a long best-by date and there may be no need to freeze it.

For How Long Can You Freeze Oat Milk?

You can freeze shop-bought oat milk for around six months. Homemade oat milk can be kept in the freezer for around three months. It doesn’t freeze as well as shop-bought oat milk because it doesn’t contain preservatives.

How Do You Defrost Oat Milk

The only way to defrost oat milk is slowly in the fridge. If you defrost it at room temperature, it can spoil. Leave it for eight to ten hours or even overnight in the fridge. This goes for both shop-bought and homemade oat milk.

Can You Refreeze Oat Milk?

It’s not a good idea to refreeze oat milk. As we have said, the texture of the oat milk changes when it is frozen. If you refreeze it, the texture will deteriorate even further. The flavor will also change, and you might find it undrinkable. The best thing to do is to freeze it in small portions so that you only freeze just as much as you need at one time. This helps to avoid unnecessary wastage.

Is It a Good Idea to Freeze Oat Milk?

We think that you can gather from this article that oat milk is not the best thing to freeze. It becomes grainy and the taste and texture deteriorate. It can even become watery. If you can, use the oat milk within a week or so, the time it will last in the fridge. However, if you have some left over and can’t use it all up before it spoils, then go ahead and freeze it. Just be prepared for the oat milk to be less tasty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing oat milk but if you are still curious, we have answered a couple of questions here.

What can I do with my defrosted oat milk?

The best use for oat milk is in a smoothie. Blending it with other ingredients will help to get rid of the grainy texture. You could try making ice cream with it. If you use an ice cream maker, the churning will help with the texture as it does when you make a smoothie. You can use it in pasta sauce, chocolate pudding, or custard (see also Can You Freeze Custard?). Mac and cheese is also a great choice. It is mainly when you drink it on its own or in a hot drink, that the grainy texture will be more prevalent.