This easy method helps to create your own allergy-friendly rice milk using your any kind of rice you like. NO added oils or unnecessary ingredients.
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!
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
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.
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.
FAQs
I’ve tried pretty much every type of rice you can think of, and my personal favorite is short-grain brown rice. It has more starch than long-grain and yields a thick and creamy milk.
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.
Yes, it works well in both sweet and savory recipes. For savory recipes, like mashed potatoes, leave out the sweetener.
The consistency is akin to full fat soy milk, in my opinion.
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!
Jade’s Chocolate Sunbutter Shake
How To Make Rice Milk (Thick and Creamy!)
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.
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!
Almond milk is the best!
Great recipe, Lauren! So much healthier than store bought!
Very good, I think your use of short grain is better because it contains more starch than others. Thank you!
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?
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.
Hate rice, but this is probably the best rice milk I ever had🌝💐
🥰🤗
Hi Lauren, why does the rice need to cook for 3 hours? If cooked for a shorter amount of time (say an hour) would it turn out differently? Also, have you tried simmering the rice in a slow cooker? (Can you tell I’m trying to find a way to not have to keep an eye on a cooking pot for 3 hours. Thanks!)
Hi Kristen,
Ha, I get it. I usually do this when I’m busy with other things, and it just sits on the stove. So, I find that this method softens and plumps the rice, it also infuses the water with the flavor, and it creates a starchy water that thickens the final milk. I’ve tried just blending cooked rice with water, which works, but, for me, there’s a lot to be desired. I hope that helps?
I’d like to try making this for my mom, if I wanted to add vanilla how much would I add and should I leave out the date? She drinks Rice Dream but this sounds much healthier and easy!
Hi Vanessa,
I’d say one teaspoon should be good!
I sure hope this works! It would be such a cheaper alternative to store bought alt milk. Hopefully will try this today and see if it tastes good in coffee tomorrow. 🙂
Has anyone tried this recipe using an instant pot?
Much better than using the brown basmati rice I pre-cooked and then added to Vitamix with water.
It’s worth the time to cook the short-grained brown rice on the stove top for the 3hrs that are recommended. I chopped and added two pitted dayes that had dried out quite a bit while the rice was cooking to soften them.
Delicious and creamy as promised. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you, Phil, I’m so glad the recipe worked out well for you. 🙂
I’m planning to cook much more than the recommended amount an freeze it in portions. 👍
Have you tried making this in an instant pot? Thanks.
I haven’t, sorry!
Does the rice milk separate like some nut milks?
It does a little, but just give it a good shake before using.
About how long does this last in the fridge? Thanks in advance!
About 3-5 days, depending on the freshness of the rice and temperature of the fridge.
Rice Milk was made with raw rice as an anti parasitic. Cooking the rice defeats the purpose of the rice milk. But you do you.
Thanks, but for us, I created this recipe to be the tastiest it can be, as it was the only milk my daughter could have for years.
I’m not a fan of the soaked and blended variety, but ‘you do you’. Good luck with your parasites!
It won’t go thru the siev 🙁 Perhaps it’s because I forgot about the rice for a couple of hours after I had taken it off the burner, as directed? I followed all directions. Blending it even longer in my Ninja probably won’t make a difference.
Hi Nate,
I would guess you’re leaving it to sit is causing the problem. It probably turned the rice to mush, which would inhibit the straining process. Do you have a nut milk bag? You could try squeezing it through there? Otherwise, you could re-blend it in your Ninja and just forget about straining it.
This recipe is genius! I gave up on rice milk long ago because it was too watery, so I am thrilled to discover this recipe. I prepared it without the dates or salt so I could use it as a neutral base for both sweet and savory dishes. Thanks so much!
Hi! I’m looking forward to making this 🙂
Have you ever tried freezing the leftovers? Wondering how that would go, so that I can defrost a cup of it each time I make my dairy free quiche…Would love to know your thoughts, thank you 🙂
Hi Yunni, I think it would freeze well in an ice cube tray? I haven’t tried it, but here’s a big ol’ article on it! https://foodsguy.com/freeze-rice-milk/
It seems that over 3 hours, the water evaporated down to 2 cups that I blended, it seems the salt needs to be doubled, but it isn’t like milk, it has a slimy texture (not creamy)…
Hi Elizabeth,
Was your pan covered? Also, the heat should be on low. If either of those directions weren’t followed, it would reduce as you said.
yes the pot was covered, and the heat was the lowest I could do on a gas stove, my salad master pot did not click…
Have you ever tried it in a crock pot? Do you think it would work?
I haven’t tried, but it might!