Agua de Avena

Agua de avena is a traditional Mexican drink made with oats, water, cinnamon, and sugar (my recipe opts for dates). It's a refreshing beverage known for its many health benefits.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 5

Course Drinks

Cuisine Mexican

Servings

Calories 99 kcal

Equipment

Blender
Nut milk bag or fine-mesh strainer and cheesecloth or linen towel
Pitcher
Glasses
Wooden spoon
Mexican Apron

Ingredients

6 cups water divided
4 dates or 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashion oats
4 cups ice

Instructions

Blend ingredients. First, add 4 cups of water, dates (or sweetener), salt, cinnamon, and vanilla to a blender and process for about one minute until dates and cinnamon are completely dissolved. Blending these ingredients first helps ensure that their flavors are infused into the water.
Next add oats and blend for an additional 15 – 30 seconds.
PRO TIP: Over-blending the oats will result in a slimy drink texture.
Strain ingredients. Use a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, clean linen towel, or nut milk bag to strain the mixture into a large bowl or pitcher. Press or squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the leftover oat pulp or save it for another use, like baking or smoothies. If using a metal sieve, you may have to strain ingredients two times.
Chill and serve. Transfer the strained liquid to a serving pitcher and then add remaining 2 cups of water. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.
Chill in the refrigerator or serve immediately over ice. You can garnish with a cinnamon stick or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon if desired.

A Note from Lola

ON SWEETENERS

It's worth noting that the sugar in this recipe comes from the natural sugars in the dates, rather than from added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Six pitted dates contain about 96 grams of sugar (16 grams per date), however only about 75% of the sugars make it through when strained. Other nutritional values may also be skewed due to the straining.
Natural sweeteners including dates, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or pure cane sugar are all great options for this recipe. However, if you prefer an unsweetened milk, you can omit the sweetener altogether.

TIPS, TRICKS, AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Rolled oats (also known as old fashioned oats) are the best choice for making oat milk, but you can also use quick oats or steel-cut oats. Just keep in mind that the texture, flavor, and thickness of the milk may vary depending on the type of oats used.
Condensed milk adds creamy sweetness, and evaporated milk adds lovely creamy texture, however if you decide to use these ingredients, keep in mind that it will no longer be dairy free.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ouncesCalories: 99kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 73mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 26IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg

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