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    Home » Recipes » Smoothies & Drinks

    How To Make Rice Milk (Thick and Creamy!)

    Published: Sep 15, 2022 · Modified: Dec 6, 2022 by Lauren · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe  ↓

    How To Make Rice Milk - An easy method to create your own allergy-friendly milk using your favorite kind of rice. NO added oils or unnecessary ingredients.

    Milk being poured into a glass on a white plate.

    I make multiple homemade milks each week, including Coconut Milk, Pumpkin Seed Milk and today's recipe.

    The latter I make primarily for my daughters, Jade and Miki, who don't tolerate cow's milk very well.

    I used to drink Rice Dream until I became skeptical of the added oils. The watery texture also left quite a bit to be desired!

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    What I love about this recipe

    • NO added oils or preservatives - Store-bought brands add polyunsaturated fats, like sunflower, safflower, or canola oils to their milks, which can be inflammatory to the body.
    • I can control both sweetness and salt - I typically give this milk to Jade or Miki, so I'll add in a date to give it some sweetness!
    • It's thick and luscious! - I've yet to try a rice milk from the store that didn't resemble water. This recipe is thick and creamy!
    • Add in any flavor you like - Additions of vanilla, cinnamon, or even pie spice could jazz this up nicely.

    How to make the best rice milk

    Ingredients

    Water, rice, sea salt, and a date in little clear bowls on a wood table.

    Recipe steps

    Add the raw rice to a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for three hours.

    After the rice cooled, blend it with (or without) a date and a bit of salt.

    • Pot of rice and water boiling in a stainless steel saucepan.
      1
    • Cooked rice in water in a steel pot.
      2
    • Vitamix blender on a granite counter with milk inside of it.
      3

    Rice milk benefits

    • This easy recipe is not only thick and delicious, it's also allergy-friendly. Rice is one of the most tolerated foods for highly allergic individuals.
    • Low in both fat and calories.
    • Cheap to make! A quarter cup of rice is mere pennies, even when buying organic. Compare that to the four bucks you'd pay for a carton of Rice Dream.
    • NO nut milk bag needed. I just pour the final blended milk quickly through a sieve to catch any large bits.
    Glass of milk on a white plate with raw rice surrounding it.

    FAQs

    What is the best rice to use to make rice milk?

    I've tried pretty much every rice you can think of, and my personal favorite is short grain brown rice. It has more starch than the long-grain and yields a very thick and creamy milk! I've also had readers tell me that black rice works well.

    What is the consistency like?

    The consistency is of this milk is akin to full-fat soy or cow's milk.

    Can I use rice milk like I would use regular milk in a recipe?

    Yes, I've used this with success in pretty much every recipe. If you're going to use it in a savory recipe like mashed potatoes, I wouldn't sweeten it.

    Can't I just blend cooked rice and water instead?

    You can, but that's pretty much what it tastes like. I did an experiment here where I compared blending cooked rice and water with the method below, and the latter won, hands down. Try taking the time to make this and see!
    Overhead shot of a glass of rice milk on a white plate.

    Recipes to use with rice milk

    Smoothies are our favorite way to enjoy this dairy-free milk, but it also goes great atop a bowl of oatmeal or granola!

    Grain-Free Granola

    Tahini Milkshake

    Jade's Chocolate Sunbutter Shake

    Milk being poured into a glass on a white plate.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    How To Make Rice Milk (Thick and Creamy!)

    An easy method to create your own allergy-friendly milk using uncooked rice. NO added oils or unnecessary ingredients.
    Prep Time2 mins
    Cook Time3 hrs
    Blend and strain time:3 mins
    Total Time3 hrs 5 mins
    Course: Beverage
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Dairy-free, Milk, Nut-free, Vegan
    Servings: 4 cups
    Calories: 49kcal
    Author: Lauren Goslin

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup uncooked rice see FAQs above for which rice to use
    • 4 cups water
    • ⅛ tsp sea salt
    • 1 soft date optional

    Instructions

    • Rinse and drain the rice very well.
    • Add the rice and water to a medium saucepan.
    • Bring the mix to a boil and let bubble for 10-15 seconds.
    • Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let cook for three hours.
    • Remove the pan from the heat and let cool a bit.
    • Add the mixture to a high speed blender, along with the date (if using) and salt.
    • Blend on high for 30-45 seconds or until smooth.
    • Strain out any rice pulp by pouring the milk through a sieve (there shouldn't be much).
    • You can add a bit more water at this point if you want it thinner.
    • Chill and use as desired.

    Notes

    WW Points: 2

    Nutrition

    Sugar: 1.3g | Fiber: 0.6g | Calories: 49kcal | Fat: 0.3g | Protein: 0.9g | Carbohydrates: 10.6g

    If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!

    Shared with: Busy Monday, Inspire Me Monday

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    Filed Under: Smoothies & Drinks

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Natalie

      September 15, 2022 at 8:31 am

      🥰🤗

      Reply
    2. 🪐💖IWuvU🤙✨

      September 15, 2022 at 8:25 am

      Hate rice, but this is probably the best rice milk I ever had🌝💐

      Reply
    3. Nancy

      April 02, 2018 at 8:29 am

      Do you cook the rice with the salt or do you add it when blending everything together? Have you switched to another milk with arsenic as an issue with rice? I also can't tolerate almonds. Is this recipe too sweet to use in mashed potatoes?

      Reply
      • Lauren

        April 04, 2018 at 10:00 am

        Hi Nancy,

        The salt is added in during the blending process. I'm personally not concerned with arsenic at this point, since rice is one of the foods my family and I tolerate best! I think you could use it in mashed potatoes if you leave the dates out.

        Reply
    4. Olya

      September 24, 2017 at 6:45 am

      Very good, I think your use of short grain is better because it contains more starch than others. Thank you!

      Reply
    5. amber

      September 24, 2013 at 9:23 am

      Great recipe, Lauren! So much healthier than store bought!

      Reply
    6. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      September 23, 2013 at 1:01 pm

      Almond milk is the best!

      Reply
    7. Lindsay

      September 23, 2013 at 5:18 am

      Oh my god. I love you. I am trying this when I get home tonight (and by tonight I mean tomorrow night since I have plans tonight - I KNOW! I. Have. Plans. Can you believe it? Me either).

      Thank you!

      Reply

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    Hi there, I'm Lauren Goslin, and I've been a food blogger for over ten years. My goal with this blog is to show you healthy, lower sugar recipes that my family and I enjoy.

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