How long does oat milk last? Does it spoil?

When it comes to alternative milk options, the choice at the supermarket is huge! The rise of dairy-free milk options has caused many of us to try different versions, and oat milk is becoming a popular favorite.

How long does oat milk last? And it breaks? Oat milk spoils over time, especially if it is stored in improper conditions. Shelf-stable oat milk can be kept for up to 9 months in a cool, dry place, while refrigerated oat milk should always be kept cold. Once opened, oat milk lasts between 4 and 7 days if stored in the refrigerator. 

Want to make sure you always have a fresh supply of oat milk in your pantry? We have all the answers and more for you!

We’ll see how long oat milk lasts and give you some tips on the best way to preserve this delicious dairy alternative.

What is oat milk?

If you look at a bag of whole oats, it can be hard to imagine how it could turn into milk. However, through clever processing, it can be used to create a dairy-free milk that is deliciously rich and creamy.

To create this milk, oats are soaked in water and then blended into a pulp. Strain through a thin material, such as cheesecloth, or a nut milk bag. The strained liquid is the oat milk, and the oat pulp remains inside the bag.

The taste of oat milk is surprisingly similar to cow’s milk, with a slight hint of oats. It is slightly sweeter than cow’s milk, making it a popular addition to hot drinks.

One of the great advantages of oat milk is that it is full of nutritional goodness. The range of vitamins and minerals in oat milk includes manganese, phosphorus, folates, zinc, selenium, iron and copper.

Oat milk is also very similar in terms of calories to dairy milk, but is much lower in sugar. It is also richer in fiber, while cow’s milk does not contain any.

As for protein, oat milk has less protein than cow’s milk. However, it does contain more protein than most other types of non-dairy milk.

The best thing about oat milk is that it is suitable for anyone who is allergic or intolerant to dairy or nuts.

Oats are also gluten-free, but check the packaging carefully, as some varieties of oat milk are processed in factories that also process gluten-containing grains.

Does oat milk need to be refrigerated?

When purchased at the store, oat milk comes in two different forms: shelf-stable and refrigerated.

Shelf stable oat milk has been packaged using a method that kills all unwanted microorganisms.

This means that until the carton is opened, the milk is completely stable and should not spoil. Shelf stable oat milk does not need to be kept in the refrigerator until opened.

However, you should keep the carton of oat milk in the best possible condition.

A cool shelf in your pantry or kitchen cabinet will help keep your milk at a constant temperature. The advantage of refrigerated oat milk is that it has a very long shelf life.

Refrigerated oat milk is considered a fresher product, and will not have been processed to kill microorganisms.

This means that it must be kept in the refrigerator at all times, before and after opening. Refrigerated oat milk has a much shorter shelf life than its shelf-stable counterpart.

If you’re not sure how you should store your oat milk, check out where you bought it at the store!

If it was on the shelf, you can keep it on your pantry shelves. If it was in the refrigerated food section, then it has to go in the fridge: just!

Whatever type of oat milk you have, it should be kept in the fridge once opened . And while we all tend to keep our milk in the fridge door, it’s actually the worst place for it!

The refrigerator door is subjected to much greater temperature fluctuations than the refrigerator shelves.

It’s not the end of the world if you keep oat milk on the doorstep, but it may not stay fresh for as long. If possible, store the oat milk on one of the shelves in the fridge.

Does oat milk go bad?

Although oat milk is relatively stable and stays fresh longer than cow’s milk, it can spoil! The thing to remember is that, unlike milk, it will start to go bad gradually rather than suddenly go bad.

Oat milk can keep for a long time, but you shouldn’t risk drinking oat milk that has gone bad. In addition to risking a nasty stomach upset, oat milk that has gone bad doesn’t taste pleasant.

An opened carton of oat milk will spoil much faster than an unopened one. However, even unopened oat milk can go bad, whether it’s the refrigerated type or the shelf-stable version.

So if your oat milk has been open for a few days or past its expiration date, it’s vital that you check it carefully to make sure it’s still safe.

How to tell if oat milk has gone bad

Here are the best ways to check if your oat milk has gone bad:

Texture

Often the first sign of oat milk spoilage you’ll notice is a change in texture. It will start to clump and the rest of the milk will look watery. Spoiled oat milk can also appear slimy.

If your oat milk is thicker than usual, has a slimy texture, or you see lumps, throw it away. These are all signs that she has started to get sick.

Smell

The tricky thing about non-dairy milk is that the smell doesn’t change much until it’s really soggy. So if your oat milk smells the same as regular, it doesn’t mean it isn’t starting to go bad.

However, if your oat milk has a sour odor, it has definitely gone bad and should be thrown away.

color and appearance

The normal color of oat milk is cream-white. If the color is not what you expect, don’t risk drinking it.

If the oat milk is in a clear plastic bottle, look carefully for any mold stains on the surface of the milk or inside the bottle.

This can be difficult to check if the oat milk is in a carton unless you pour the milk in and open the carton.

Test

If your oat milk has passed the first three tests, give it a try. A small amount of spoiled oat milk is unlikely to do any harm, but just take a small sip just in case!

If the flavor isn’t the same as when you first opened the carton, it may have started to go bad.

If it tastes, smells, and looks like fresh milk, chances are it’s safe to drink.

However, if it has been open for much longer than the manufacturers recommend, we advise you not to risk it and open a carton of fresh oat milk.

How long does oat milk last in the pantry?

When you buy a carton of oat milk that can be kept in the pantry, it will have an expiration or best before date printed on it. However, this date is merely a manufacturer’s recommendation, and oat milk may be perfectly safe to drink after that time.

Shelf stable oat milk usually has a reasonably long shelf life, typically at least 9 months from the date of production.

This gives you a reasonable chance of using it well before the best before date. But what happens if you find a carton at the bottom of the shelf that has passed this date: can it be consumed?

When stored under the proper conditions, shelf-stable oat milk will usually last at least a few months beyond the best before date.

The best way to ensure that your carton of oat milk does not go bad is to keep it in a cool, dark, and dry place, away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures.

As with anything past its best before date, check it carefully to make sure it hasn’t gone bad before eating! We recommend that older oat milk be used as soon as possible after opening.

How long does oat milk last once opened?

Once a carton of oat milk is opened, it will begin to deteriorate. This is true whether you use shelf-stable or refrigerated oat milk.

Your oat milk will clearly indicate on the label how quickly it should be consumed once opened.

This is usually about 4 days, but can be less for refrigerated oat milk. The reason is that refrigerated oat milk has not been purified of bacteria, while shelf-stable oat milk has.

As soon as you open a carton or bottle of oat milk, bacteria can enter the container and begin to colonize the milk. However, the speed at which they can multiply depends on the temperature at which the milk is stored.

You can extend the life of an open container of oat milk so that it is safe to consume for up to 7 days.

To do this you must keep it refrigerated at all times, and keep the lid tightly closed to avoid contamination. However, check it carefully each time you use it, in case it has started to go bad.

To enjoy your oat milk at its best, consume it within 2-3 days of opening. Even if the oat milk doesn’t go bad, the flavor starts to change after a couple of days, once the carton is opened.

It will continue to be consumed for 1-2 days afterward, but the taste will not be as fresh.

Can oat milk be frozen?

If you’ve opened a carton of oat milk and think you won’t be able to use it before it goes bad, you may be wondering if you can freeze it to keep it longer.

The good news is that yes, you can do it.

Freezing is a great way to preserve oat milk and can save you the trauma of throwing away half a carton of oat milk that has gone out of style.

However, the texture of oat milk changes slightly once it is frozen and thawed. It will lose that lovely smooth texture and become grainier.

This means that frozen oat milk may not be the most palatable to pour over cereal or add to hot drinks, but it is perfectly fine to use as a baking and cooking ingredient.

It’s a good idea to pour the oat milk into containers that will hold the right amount for cooking, so you don’t have to thaw it all at once.

For example, if your favorite pancake recipe calls for 2 cups of oat milk, then freeze this amount in each container.

As with anything you add to the freezer, store the oat milk in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. Label the container carefully with the contents and the date of freezing.

Oat milk can be kept for up to 3 months in the freezer before it starts to go bad.

What is the best way to preserve oat milk?

In summary, these are the best ways to store oat milk in its different forms:

• Unopened shelf-stable oat milk should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place, away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Once opened, shelf stable oat milk should be stored in the refrigerator.
• Refrigerated oat milk should be stored in the refrigerator, whether it is open or not.
• Both types of oat milk keep for 4 to 7 days in the fridge after opening.
• If you are not going to use the oat milk within this period, it can be frozen for up to 3 months. Frozen oat milk can be used for cooking and baking, but it will be too grainy for hot drinks and cereals.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over how to properly store oat milk, let’s take a look at some related questions!

How long does oatmeal last?

Oatmeal creamer is a healthy, dairy-free option if you’re looking for an indulgent creamer for your coffee. But once a container of oatmeal cream is opened, how long does it last?

To keep it in its best state once opened, oatmeal cream should be stored in the refrigerator in a closed container. It is at its best when consumed within 5-7 days, although it can last up to 14 days under the right conditions.

If the oatmeal has a sour odor or has started to turn yellow, then it has gone bad and should not be eaten.

Can you make oat milk at home?

If your carton of oat milk has gone bad, is it possible to make a batch of oat milk at home?

This dairy-free milk is simply a fine mixture of oats and water, which is strained to separate the milk from the oats. So yes, you can make oat milk at home!

To make oat milk, add 1 cup of rolled oats and 4 cups of water to the mixer bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, then beat on high speed for 1 minute.

Strain this mixture through a fine material, such as muslin, or a nut milk bag. Voilà, you have oat milk! Store your homemade oat milk in the fridge and consume it within 5 days.