Jugo de Avena Recipe: An Oat Milk twist on the Dominican Republic Drink

This spiced oat milk smoothie makes for a tasty and nutritious breakfast. Inspired by Jugo De Avena, a popular drink in Dominican Republic, it combines rolled oats with milk, banana, carrot with a variety of spices.

Jugo de Avena | Dominican Republic Drink

Country Number 49: Dominican Republic

If you read our last post, you would have seen that we made the mistake of not realizing Dominica and Dominican Republic were different countries. Well, it went one step further. We initially made this recipe thinking it was from Dominica. It was only afterward that we realized that Jugo De Avena is actually a drink from Dominican Republic, not Dominica. Thankful, we realized before posting the recipe online and making false claims of its origins, and we were able to use it for the DR instead.

History of Dominican Republic Cuisine

The Dominican Republic is located on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. With population of over 10 million people and a land mass of 48,671 square kilometres, it is one of the largest Caribbean nations. The island of Hispaniola was first inhabited by the Taíno people, where they established an advanced society of farming of hunting. However, Christopher Colombus discovered the island in 1492 and claimed the Dominican Republic for Spain. The country remained under Spanish colonial rule for hundreds of year, as well as French, Haitian and even American control before gaining independence in 1924. Inevitably, the cuisine  has been shaped  by these cultures, as well as being influenced by Middle Eastern, African and Taíno cuisine.

The typical Dominican diet consists of nearly all the food groups, including meat or seafood, grains, vegetables, fruit and legumes. Starches and meats make up the bulk of the diet and are featured in most Dominican dishes. Most dishes are served with rice as this is a staple grain of the island. Thanks to the Spanish influence, lunch is the most important meal of the day and tends to be a lot more substantial than dinner. Many traditional Spanish dishes are still present on the island, such as empanadas, arroz con leche and crème caramel. Soup is a very common meal as it is cheap, filling and can feed many people. The soups in Dominican Republic often contain rice, meat, vegetables and beans, and locals take a lot of pride in the soups they prepare.

Popular Dominican Republic Vegetarian Dishes

  • Mangú– A uniquely Dominican dish consisting of mashed plantains, using served with eggs and fried cheese.
  • Habichuelas Guisadas- A protein-packed bean stew that is served with white rice.
  • Ensalada Verde– Almost every meal in the DR is served with a green salad, often including vegetables such as shredded cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cucumber.
  • Tostones– Made from unripe plantains that are twice-fried which are often served as part of a larger meal.
  • Jugo De Avena–  A popular drink that combines milk, fruit juice and oats.

Vegetarian rating of Dominican Republic Cuisine:

Jugo de Avena | Dominican Republic Drink

Making Spiced Oat Milk Smoothie (Jugo De Avena)

Believe it or not, Dominican Republic have been making jugo de avena before oat milk became a trend. However, unlike oat milk, which tends to just be oats that are blended with water and strained, jugo de avena . Either way, we are obsessed with oat milk and anything oat based, so figured it would be a fun one to try out. Please note that this is not a traditional recipe for jugo de avenue. Instead, we took inspiration from the flavours of the popular Dominican Republic oat drink and turned it into a smoothie. The result is a super creamy, spiced drink that is filling enough to have as a meal in itself.

How to make Spiced Oat Milk Smoothie (Jugo De Avena)

Besides a little pre-preparation with soaking the oats and freezing ice cubes and bananas, this recipe comes together in one step. It’s the perfect for a quick breakfast on the go!

  1. In a bowl, mix 1/3 cup rolled oats in 2/3 cup of water and leave in fridge overnight to soak.
  2. Fill half an icecube tray with coconut milk and freeze overnight.
  3. In the morning, blend soaked oats and residual water together to form liquid.
  4. Add in all other ingredients and blend until smooth.
Jugo de Avena | Dominican Republic Drink

Ingredient notes for Spiced Oat Milk Smoothie

  • Rolled oats- We recommend using whole rolled oats for this recipe (not pre-cut) as these will blend the best and retain the most oaty flavour. You can also skip the first step of soaking and blending the oats and sub for oat milk.
  • Coconut milk– You can sub the coconut milk icecubes for a milk of your choice or just use normal ice if you don’t mind the smoothie being a little less creamy.
  • Bananas– Make sure you freeze your bananas the night before to get the best smoothie texture.
Jugo de Avena | Dominican Republic Drink

Serving suggestions for Jugo De Avena

This spiced oat milk smoothie is nice and filling, making it a great standalone breakfast or midday pick-me-up. You could also top it with fruit and granola and make it into a smoothie bowl.

Jugo de Avena | Dominican Republic Drink

Spiced Oat Milk Smoothie (Jugo De Avena)- Dominica

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

This spiced oat milk smoothie makes for a tasty and nutritious breakfast. Inspired by Jugo De Avena, a popular drink in Dominican Republic, it combines rolled oats with milk, banana, carrot with a variety of spices.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk, frozen in icecubes
  • 2 bananas, chopped in pieces and frozen
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1/2 tsp citrus zest
  • 1/2 tsp ginger, grated
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix 1/3 cup rolled oats in 2/3 cup of water and leave in fridge overnight to soak.
  2. Fill half an icecube tray with coconut milk and freeze overnight, along with chopped banana.
  3. In the morning, blend soaked oats and residual water together to form liquid.
  4. Add in all other ingredients and blend until smooth.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment & review above or share a photo on Instagram tagging @polkadotpassport so I can reshare your creations!

Other sweet recipes:

Liked this jugo de avena recipe? Pin it for later!

A recipe for an oat milk version of jugo de avena, a spiced milk smoothie from the Dominican Republic

READ NEXT:

Pönnukökur: Icelandic Pancakes Recipe

Pönnukökur: Icelandic Pancakes Recipe

Pönnukökur, or Icelandic pancakes, are thin, crepe-like pancakes filled with thick, creamy skyr yogurt and topped with fresh berries. You need to try this healthy & delicious breakfast from Iceland! Almost every country in the world seems to have a version of...

read more
19 Most Instagrammable Cafes in London (2023)

19 Most Instagrammable Cafes in London (2023)

From riverside igloos to retro pastel fit-outs, flower walls to former loos... Here are 19 of the most instagrammable cafes in London in 2023. "Camera eats first." No phrase could be more true when it comes to eating out these days. It's no surprise that more and more...

read more
Pistachio Overnight Oats

Pistachio Overnight Oats

These pistachio overnight oats are the ultimate healthy breakfast for pistachio lovers. Overnight oats are topped with vegan pistachio cream and finished with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. If you love pistachio as much as I do, you are going to LOVE these...

read more

READ NEXT:

The Ultimate Snowboarding Packing List

The Ultimate Snowboarding Packing List

Planning a snowboard trip? This packing list for snowboarding will take you through all the gear and equipment you need for your time on the slopes! If there is one trip you do NOT want to be unprepared for, it's a snowboard trip. There is nothing worst than getting...

read more
18 Best Instagram Spots + Views in Porto

18 Best Instagram Spots + Views in Porto

From stunning Azulejo tile street art to the best views for sunset- here are 18 hidden gems in Porto that make the ultimate Instagram spots! Located at the end of the Douro River, Porto has got to be the most photogenic city in Portugal. The unique hilly terrain on...

read more
Pönnukökur: Icelandic Pancakes Recipe

Pönnukökur: Icelandic Pancakes Recipe

Pönnukökur, or Icelandic pancakes, are thin, crepe-like pancakes filled with thick, creamy skyr yogurt and topped with fresh berries. You need to try this healthy & delicious breakfast from Iceland! Almost every country in the world seems to have a version of...

read more
Skip to Recipe