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    My Colombian Recipes » Recipes » Breakfast and Brunch » Avena Colombiana (oatmeal Drink)

    Avena Colombiana (Oatmeal Drink)

    Aug 31, 2023 · Modified: Aug 31, 2023 by Erica Dinho · 44 Comments

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    Colombian Avena is a traditional and popular cold drink. It's refreshing, creamy and very easy to make.

    Colombian Avena RecipePin

    What is Avena?

    It means oats in English and it’s a traditional and popular Colombian drink that is rich, creamy, filling and delicious. It's perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with pandebono or empanadas.

    It is my mom’s favorite Colombian drink that is great with breakfast or you could serve it at any time of the day.

    Avena DrinkPin

    What you Need to Make this Drink

    The printable recipe card to make Colombian avena with ingredients and instructions is below.

    Oats: I recommend using old-fashioned oats to make this avena recipe.

    Milk: You can your favorite milk. I prefer using whole milk, because it makes the texture of the avena creamy and smooth.

    Water: To cook the oats. You can add more water if you prefer a thinner drink.

    Spices: Cinnamon and cloves.

    Sugar: You can adjust the sugar amount to your taste.

    Colombian Avena IngredientsPin

    How to Make Colombian Avena

    Place the water, milk and oats in a medium pot over medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.

    Add the cinnamon stick, ground cloves and sugar and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 more minutes.

    Remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool.

    Place the oatmeal mixture in a container and refrigerate for a least 3 hours.

    Discard the cinnamon stick and place the mixture in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Add more water if you like a thinner consistency.

    Serve cold.

    Colombian AvenaPin

    More Drinks to Try

    Refajo (Beer and Soda Cocktail)

    Passion Fruit Mojito

    Coco Loco (Coconut Cocktail)

    Colombian AvenaPin

    Avena Colombiana Recipe (Oatmeal Drink)

    Erica Dinho
    5 from 44 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course drink
    Cuisine Colombian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 212 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • ½ cup old fashioned oatmeal
    • 4 cups milk
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • Pinch ground cloves
    • 3 ½ tablespoons sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Place the water, milk and oatmeal in a medium pot over medium heat and cook about 15 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
    • Add the cinnamon stick, ground cloves and sugar and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 more minutes.
    • Remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool.
    • Place the oatmeal mixture in a plastic container and refrigerate for a least 3 hours.
    • Discard the cinnamon stick and place the mixture in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Add more water if you like a thinner consistency.
    • Serve cold.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 109mgPotassium: 347mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 398IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 289mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword avena, avena colombina, colombian drinks
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @mycolombianrecipes and tag #mycolombianrecipes!

    More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

    Arepa Con Carne Asada (Arepa With Colombian-Style Grilled Beef)Huevos Fritos Con Miel (Fried Eggs With Honey)Cayeye And Cabeza De Gato (Colombian Mashed Green Plantain)Pandebono (Colombian Cheese Bread)Mushroom & Leek Migas
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    About Erica Dinho

    My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

    Author Page →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sophie

      May 16, 2009 at 4:46 am

      5 stars
      MMMMMM....souds so lovely!!! MMMMMM....

      Reply
    2. Carol

      June 17, 2009 at 1:45 am

      5 stars
      I've drank it while visiting Colombia; can't wait to make it for my kids. Thanks for the recipe;)

      Reply
    3. Diana

      July 27, 2009 at 4:10 am

      5 stars
      I love ur web site! I am really glad i have found it as i was looking for a proper colombian recipe site for ages. My boyfirend is from Colombia and i will definetely suprise him with some typical dishes from his country. I tried a lot of them and love it! Thank u very much and good luck! Looking forward to more info and recipes on mycolombianrecipes.com
      besos

      I love avena drink, i add a little bit of condensed milk instead of sugar, its delicious.

      Reply
    4. Erica

      July 27, 2009 at 6:50 am

      5 stars
      Thank you Diana!!!!
      Sometimes I add condensed milk to my avena too and is delicious, but my mom prefers to have it just with sugar.

      Reply
    5. Rossy

      September 17, 2009 at 8:23 pm

      5 stars
      Finally! I have been looking all over the web for this recipe. Here in Miami, there is a local colombian bakery that prepares "Avena Fria" and I have been clueless on how they make it and came across this website! thanks:)

      Reply
    6. Gil

      December 17, 2009 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      I add milk to blend instead of water, I love avena its refreshing healthy and brings back many memories when traveling through towns in Colombia. I also sprinkle a little cround cinnamon on top and serve ice cold. YUMMM!
      Gil.

      Reply
    7. Nats

      December 29, 2009 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      Mmmm thanks for posting this! I love this drink but never quite knew how to make it.

      Reply
    8. Timothy

      May 01, 2010 at 7:26 pm

      5 stars
      Erica,

      I just discoverd Alpine Avena. I am crazy about it. My mate's mother is diabetic and drinks the skim/no sugar one, Finesse. They are Venezuelan. I thought i would make it and came across your site, which is incredible. Two questions:
      Can it be made with instant oats?
      Can it be made with fat free milk?
      I can use Splenda to taste,
      Any tips would be appreciated.

      Gracias,
      Timothy

      Reply
      • Erica

        May 01, 2010 at 8:59 pm

        5 stars
        Timothy- I did not make it with splenda or low fat milk, but you can try it!

        Reply
      • Anonymous

        December 10, 2013 at 8:31 pm

        5 stars
        Yes you can make it with instant oats. Just put the instant oats in the blender and blend them raw until you see a powder like substance. I usually make a big batch and I add cinamin and sugar to the mix and I store it in a glass container. This way is more convenient to make.

        Reply
    9. Timothy

      May 02, 2010 at 4:35 pm

      5 stars
      Erica,

      I did use ff milk and splenda. Left it overnight in fridge, blended it this morning with a few ice cubes and a drop of vanilla and it came out delicious! I think it taste better than the Alpin brand, plus it does not have any things i cannot pronounce in it. Thanks!

      Timothy

      Reply
    10. Carlos

      June 28, 2010 at 4:07 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for the recipe. I have followed the instruction 3 times to the 't'. Unfortunately it turns our like carpenter glue when it cools down. Have you tested this recipe? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

      Reply
      • Erica

        June 28, 2010 at 4:53 pm

        5 stars
        Carlos- I make this drink once a week and it is good! You can add more water or milk if you think that is too thick for you!

        This is my mom's recipe and always works for her as well, sorry it is not working for you!

        Reply
      • heather

        March 31, 2017 at 10:57 pm

        5 stars
        Maybe you are using instant oatmeal? That will absorb alot of the liquid.

        Reply
    11. Carlos

      June 30, 2010 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for your reply. I will add more milk. Thank you again.
      r,
      cma

      Reply
    12. SOKY

      July 08, 2010 at 9:26 am

      5 stars
      Carlos; it is suppost to turn like glue, this is normal; that's why you have to add water or milk to the blender and then it will have the consistency that you desire; according to the amount of liquid that you add!!
      Have fun!!! this is the beauty of cooking when you can add your own touch!!!
      Try it with yougurt and fruits!!!
      Indiatayrona.

      Reply
    13. GregYohn

      February 01, 2011 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      I modified the recipe. I use 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup condensed milk, tablespoon of sugar, with cinnamon & nutmeg. I heat in the microwave 2 minutes. Makes a thicker drink, so you use a spoon.

      Reply
    14. Valerie

      March 20, 2011 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      oh my goodness! i am making that right now! i just need some quesito to go along with it!.... brings memories of me going to girardot with my family for the weekend!

      Reply
    15. Martin

      March 30, 2011 at 1:56 pm

      5 stars
      Valerie, I used to travel a lot to girardot and melgar and always try avena helada.
      I can't wait to have to chance to make it this weekend.Hope to hear from you.

      Reply
      • Valerie

        March 25, 2016 at 9:18 pm

        5 stars
        Martin, I just saw your comment (5 years later). I hope you enjoyed your avena! I look forward to going back and showing my husband where I grew up.

        Reply
    16. Gloria

      July 07, 2011 at 10:00 am

      5 stars
      I made this avena for breakfast today and we all loved it. The perfect drink for summer. Thank you for sharing your recipes.This is my favorite Colombian drink.

      Reply
    17. Lina

      July 16, 2011 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      I made this yesterday and It was delicious. Like my mom's!Thank you!

      Reply
    18. Susan

      August 20, 2011 at 5:47 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for the first time last weekend....oh so yummy! Especially after the spices spend a day or two mingling. I take a small bottle to work for a yummy and satisfying morning snack!! Thank you!!!

      Reply
    19. Carlos

      October 10, 2011 at 6:59 am

      5 stars
      Hey Thanks Erica,I was hoping to make a nice avena and here I am
      Cheers desde Australia!

      Reply
    20. nathalia

      January 20, 2012 at 5:52 am

      5 stars
      Hola Erica.
      Gracias por esta receta. Soy colombiana, vivo en Francia con mis hijos y mi esposo y desde que trajimos de Colombia un paquete de avena helada instantanea he querido hacer una version "home made". Hoy la intento y la pongo a prueba de mis mas duros jueces: mis ninnos. Felicidades por tu blog tan completo y por las fotos muy lindas que expones, bravo!

      Reply
    21. MARGARITA

      April 23, 2012 at 3:53 pm

      5 stars
      INSTANT OATS OK?

      Reply
      • Erica

        April 23, 2012 at 4:50 pm

        5 stars
        I use old fashioned oats.

        Reply
    22. Lida

      April 25, 2012 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      Thank you! I remember having this as a teenager in Bogota. Yum...

      Reply
    23. Conny Nichols

      May 21, 2012 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      Tjere could never be a day at the beach without avena helada when I was growing up. Nothing like a tall ice-cold glass of avena helada on ice at the beach. This brings a lot of wonderful memories Erica. And for your information, this mixture make the healthiest, most nutricious and best home-made popsicles. My kids grew up in Florida and I made these for them all the time. They used to bring all their neighborhood friends to share the popsicles with. Try these, they are fantastic.

      Reply
    24. Jessica

      June 25, 2012 at 4:13 pm

      5 stars
      Loved it thank you for this recipe!!

      Reply
    25. Laura

      July 31, 2012 at 6:09 pm

      5 stars
      Made this today and it's amazing! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    26. Jessica

      March 14, 2013 at 1:41 pm

      5 stars
      Ya he hecho esta receta varias veces y queda deliciosa la avena. Gracias por la receta.

      Reply
    27. Harold A

      May 02, 2013 at 9:03 pm

      5 stars
      Erica, thanks for the recipe! It just came out perfect... The kids loved it!!! It brought back childhood memories and I'm now building new memories for them! 😉

      Reply
    28. Gina

      July 06, 2013 at 5:01 pm

      5 stars
      I remember this years ago made by my extended Colombian family. I would also get in when visiting New York. This is exactly perfect.

      Reply
    29. carina

      December 02, 2013 at 9:33 pm

      5 stars
      But you need to grind the oats first! Must be from powdered oats or it is not autentico

      Reply
    30. Johanna

      April 30, 2014 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Erica. Thank you for the recipe. My mom made this for me all the time as a kid and on winter days, it's my favorite treat from the neighborhood bakeries.
      - If you have a chance, would you mind adding a comment on how to adapt the recipe for steel cut oats (if possible)? Thanks again!

      Reply
    31. Lisa

      July 06, 2014 at 11:17 am

      5 stars
      Have you ever tried it with brown sugar instead of white? prefer brown sugar but hope it won't be too strong!

      Reply
    32. Columbia rail

      November 23, 2015 at 2:32 am

      5 stars
      thank you for sharing

      Reply
    33. Alia

      February 12, 2016 at 12:07 pm

      5 stars
      What does it taste like?

      Reply
    34. Daniel

      September 23, 2016 at 7:20 pm

      5 stars
      Do you need to let the oatmeal sit overnight in water?

      Can't wait to give it a try!

      Reply
    35. Tara

      October 08, 2016 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! Came out perfectly and it was a huge hit with my kids.

      Reply
    36. karly

      May 24, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      5 stars
      very nice i cant wait to make it~

      Reply
    37. monica Simeone

      September 15, 2020 at 4:34 pm

      5 stars
      I make it all the time. It's great hot or cold.

      Reply
    38. monica

      September 15, 2020 at 4:35 pm

      5 stars
      I make it all the time. It's great hot or cold.

      Reply

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    Hola and welcome to My Colombian Recipes. My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

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