Creamy, homemade rice milk costs pennies to make, needs just 2 ingredients, and is ready in 2 minutes. Naturally dairy-free, lactose-free, allergen-free, and great for nearly all diets!
If you buy rice milk on a regular basis but you’ve never considered making it yourself, here’s your gentle nudge: You need two ingredients and two minutes. It costs mere pennies, and it tastes WAY better than any rice milk you can buy from the store!
Easy Rice Milk Recipe
My recipe is incredibly easy, with the hardest part having to start with cooked rice.
That’s easy to overcome though, especially when you can make Instant Pot White Rice in under 10 minutes. Or better yet, use leftover rice you have stashed away in your fridge or freezer!
Tip: If you don’t have leftover rice, go ahead and make extras when you make it for this easy recipe. Freeze it one cup portions, and then you’ll be ready to go for your next batch!
Rice Milk Benefits
The greatest benefits come from the fact that it’s naturally dairy-free, lactose-free, allergen-free, and great for nearly every diet. It’s a great plant milk for those who cannot have nut milk or soy milk either.
The only catch is when you BUY rice milk. Most brands (like Rice Dream and Better Than Milk) contain unhealthy fats, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives that can interfere with the digestive system.
You’ll get all the benefits when you make it yourself. Keep reading for my easy recipe!
Homemade Rice Milk Recipe Ingredients
You need just two ingredients:
- Rice. Any kind of cooked rice will work. White rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, short grain rice, long grain rice… if you like the way the rice tastes when you make it plain, then it’s suitable for this recipe.
- Water. Filtered water is preferred.
You do need a blender in order to make this recipe. I’ve tried making this in a food processor and it just doesn’t come out as creamy.
How to Make Rice Milk
Step 1: Measure the rice and water into the blender. This recipe starts with 1 cup of cooked rice and 4 cups of water and makes one quart.
Step 2: Blend the ingredients. If you have a high-powered blender, you may only need to run the blender through one round of blending. If you have a regular blender, you may need to blend the milk two or more times. The more times you blend, the smoother and creamier it will be.
Step 3: Strain the milk. Pour the blended milk through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pulp. Another option is to strain the mixture with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag. Keep reading for ways to reuse rice pulp and prevent food waste. The liquid you’re left with is your non-dairy milk!
Tip: When you blend for longer, the rice nearly disappears entirely. This eliminates the need to filter the milk through the sieve.
Store your finished rice milk in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. I like to store in a mason jar and use a pour spout lid like these.
Homemade Rice Drink Flavor Variations
While the basic recipe calls for just cooked rice and water, you can easily change the flavors with just a few tweaks:
- For a thicker drink, you can use more rice or you can also use less water
- Add Ground Cinnamon
- Add Extracts: Almond Extract, Coconut Extract, or Vanilla Extract (or vanilla powder)
- Use Leftover Coconut Rice
- Use coconut milk in place of some of the water
- Horchata Flavor: Cinnamon + Vanilla + Almond Extract
- Add cocoa powder or cacao powder for “chocolate milk”
- Use maple syrup to sweeten and make maple milk
- Add fresh berries for “berry milk”
- Use hot water instead of cold water (this makes creamier milk)
My homemade rice drink recipe is unsweetened, but you can add one whole date (pitted) or 1 teaspoon of coconut sugar if you’d like.
How to Use Leftover Rice Pulp
Reducing food waste is vital to working within a grocery budget, so use rice pulp to make rice pudding, rice porridge, or even to my favorite Minestrone Soup. If you don’t have enough pulp left over, you can always freeze it until you have enough for another recipe.
Rice Milk FAQs
Is rice milk good for you?
Yes, homemade rice milk is good for you! Store-bought, on the other hand, often contains processed and unhealthy oils like safflower oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil. They’re also enriched with synthetic vitamins, contain unnecessary additives, and are loaded with sweeteners.
Which is better rice milk or oat milk?
Neither rice milk nor oat milk are better than the other, but some may tolerate one drink over the other. One is made with rice, while the other is made with oats. I think milk from oats has a distinct oat taste while rice milk taste neutral. It’s just a matter of preference!
Is rice milk the same as horchata?
Rice milk is similar to horchata, but it’s not exactly the same. Traditional horchata uses whole milk, uncooked rice, almonds, cinnamon sticks, and it’s sweetened with a good bit of sugar.
You can get a similar flavor to horchata by making the recipe below and adding cinnamon, almond extract, and vanilla extract.
Is rice milk a good milk alternative?
Yes, it is a good alternative to cow’s milk if you don’t tolerate dairy. This recipe is a great vegan dairy-free milk that’s gluten free and nut free if you have an allergy. It can be used in recipes like The Best Vegan Lemon Scones and Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce, as well as common uses like coffee creamer and in a bowl of Oatmeal.
OTHER PLANT-BASED MILK OPTIONS:
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Dairy Alternative: Homemade Rice Milk
Creamy, homemade rice milk costs pennies to make, needs just 2 ingredients, and is ready in 2 minutes. Naturally dairy-free, lactose-free, allergen-free, and great for nearly all diets!
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
Instructions
- Measure the rice into a blender and add 4 cups of filtered water. Blend until smooth, approximately 1 minute. You may want to blend again for ultra-smooth consistency. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy cold; shake before using.
Notes
- For two cups: ½ cup rice, 2 cups water
- For one cup: ¼ cup rice, 1 cup water
Nutrition
- Calories: 169
Lara
Hi Tiffany, thanks for the recipe, it works so well and was just what I was looking for! I am disappointed about one thing though – I went out and bought a whole lot of rice milk last night, before coming across this recipe.
After my first batch, I noted I had some raw figs (not 100% ripe though), and I added a couple of those – this made a much creamier batch and just a subtle hint of flavour. I think I’ll keep experimenting. But the standard recipe will be my ‘go to’ from now on.
Tiffany
I can see how adding figs would help with creaminess and a hint of flavor. Good call!! You could do the same with banana, mango, pear, etc. Just a smidgen of flavor, with a natural sweetness. 🙂
Renee Varnadore
Thank you. I make homemade white bean milk milk. It is higher in protein than rice milk.
I can white beans
3 1/2 cups water
Blend 1 minute on high
Strain into nut bag
save pulp for humus
Shake before using
Lasts 5 days
K S
Wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing.
Debi
Thank you for this! I double the rice and it makes a nice thick milk. Currently I don’t flavor it because I just use it in recipes or cereal. SO inexpensive and no reason to limit it in our meals! Awesome.
MO
All that is required is to boil rice, add some water and blend? WOW!!! I am literally blown away. I got diagnosed with lactose intolerance a few months ago and I have been struggling to get alternatives in my country (tried soy, hated it). I am definitely trying this as soon as I get home today. Anything else you feel I need to add before trying this with my oatmeal?
Tiffany
Before trying this with rice, nope – go for it! (PS – did you mean to say oatmeal?)
MO
I did say “oatmeal” or at least I think I did. Anyhoo, so I got home and tried it yesterday and it was a bit bland till I added some sugar (something else I am trying to stay away from). I have therefore asked the wife to purchase some vanilla syrup to spice it up a little. Is there anything else you think I should try?
Tiffany
Vanilla and cinnamon will help with flavor, cinnamon especially! A smidge of maple syrup goes a long way too.
Rachel Madsen
How long will rice milk be good for in the fridge?
Tiffany
Up to a week Rachel – after that, use the smell test!
Margo
I’m in shock, I’ve been buying rice milk for YEARS! I am seriously trying this today! Thank you!!
Nanc from MN, USA
The first ‘rice milk’ recipe I found said to strain the milk and use the residue for something else. I decided to check out those options tonight and found your website. It sounds like I can make the rice milk and don’t need to strain it, correct?
I am allergic to dairy, corn, and sugar cane. recently found out that the chemicals used in non-dairy milks contain corn. Sad to say, I discovered this after 3 years of trying to manage food allergy symptoms.
More IMPORTANTLY, I am on the track to eliminating them from my diet.
Tiffany
Correct Nanc, you don’t have to strain if you don’t want to. It’s more of a preferred texture thing really, not nutritionally based. Congrats on being on track with your food allergies!!
Diana
Hi Tiffany. I was diagnosed with fructose, Lactose and Sorbitol intolerance 3 years ago and am limited to only Rice milk as a alternative but have avoided buying it because of hidden fake sugars that are added to the product which I am not able to tolerate. Thank you for you recipe. I will try this and look forward to eating cereal once again.
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Diana!! Enjoy the cereal! 🙂
DannyMac
great post, great topic, two things, it would be good to have more of the scientific basis for your claims clearly referenced and it seems wrong that you put so much effort in at the “make it yourself level” so you know exactly what you’re getting, but then you buy your rice or almonds at cost co and they could be of dubious origin and cultivation. Shoudn’t you also pay very precise attention to the “composition” of the rice itself?. I think with some more rigour you could have one of the best presentations on this topic I’ve seen, and your inspiring message would carry so much farther. I’ve always felt the key issues in this whole healthy eating vs. industrial food argument have been victim to the lack of fundamental scientific fact, e.g. no one will listen to your point about added vitamins if you don’t prove it, and industry will say these statements are ridiculous because a vitamin is a molecule and a molecule is a molecule… etc… More effort is needed on the basis of fact in this space. Well done on a great blog and lovely recipes.
Deena
Emerile made his “Horchata” or Rice Milk with rice, almonds, cinnamon, and lime zest…FANCY! This is what is currently resting on my counter over night. I love your website so far, I’m really excited to keep reading. I’ve added you to my book marks so I don’t lose your site. My family lived on Rice milk for two years, then I noticed they were all rashing out AGAIN!!! So my husband, who never believed in my dairy allergy theory took the kids to visit his mom for a week, while I had to work. They came back completely clear, and had been drinking milk. So I gave up on Rice milk, but my little guy with the worst skin issue, missed the rice milk…he says milk makes his stomach hurt, so I started trying to make it… well once they get attached to a certain idea of how it should taste, it’s hard to change… So I am adding agave to mine, or dates, I wish I could get away with not doing it, but my husband supports a healthy sweet tooth for our family and if it isn’t sweet they don’t want it. I choose not to fight it too hard… but trying to encourage limiting sugar.
ali
hi Tiffany! please research how unhealthy white rice is. there are no health benefits to it whatsoever. brown rice would be infinitely better preferable
Deb
Brown rice has a much higher level of arsenic in it. A good quality Jasmine like the organic one from Lundberg Farms in CA is a better choice. Stay away from any rice farmed in the South because those fields were used to produce cotton and the pesticides used we’re high in arsenic which is absorbed by the rice as it grows. Wash the rice until the water rooms clear before you cook it.
Lauren
My husband is extremely sensitive to FODMAPs and we’ve kept trying different cereals wondering what’s wrong. Turns out it was the store-bought rice milk he’s had on his cereal for years (recently tested for FODMAPs by the Monash University)! We had him completely off rice milk the last two weeks while we were on vacation and could easily have hot breakfasts and he feels so much better, but now that we’re going back to work I found your recipe and am taking a shot at making some safe rice milk so he can have cereal again! For anyone used to store bought, II taste-tested against Trader Joe’s Rice Drink (which I think tastes a lot like Rice Dream) and added 3 tsps of vanilla, a mixture of table sugar and stevia to taste (still leaving it less sweet than store-bought), and a pinch of salt. The salt made ALL the difference. I think he’ll be pleased–fingers crossed! (Oh, and I used some fresh nutmeg at the end instead of cinnamon…makes it taste like egg nog. ) 🙂 Thank you so much for posting this!
Lauren
Update after the husband-taste-test: A bit too thick for what he’s used to on cereal, and he doesn’t really want to have egg nog every day. 😉 For our second attempt, we used half the rice for the same amount of water (1/2 cup), skipped the vanilla and nutmeg, and used 4 tsp sugar, 1 scoop stevia and a heavy dash of kosher salt. It was a winner! Next time we’ll bend the sweetener ratio a little more toward stevia and see if we can get the amount of sugar down. But I’m excited! And with half the rice and no vanilla, we’re now looking at what, 3 cents a quart?
Stacey
Just made this recipe for my hot matcha latte…wow! SO good, thank you for the recipe. I poured the milk through a strainer, added a dash of cinnamon, ginger and vanilla….delicious!
Tiffany
So glad you liked it Stacey!!
Stacey
This recipe looks so good, but I’d love to incorporate it into hot drinks. Will it work in a hot drink too?
Tiffany
I haven’t tried it myself Stacey, but it should!
Stacey
Thank you, will give it a try :).
JRC
The Rice Dream you buy at the store has added canola oil and is very expensive. JRC
Emily
I thought raw milk from grass-fed cows or goats was expensive, until I started to look at how much commercial soy, oat and rice milk cost.
WHAT??!! How can a product that comes from such cheap food be $12+ per gallon? (answer: vegans are willing to pay anything to have a milk alternative, rather than just give up dairy. Not to mention the “stuff” added to the plant-based milks.)
Thanks for posting the recipe; I’m going to try an oat milk recipe I found elsewhere, and then this recipe you provide and see which one the family prefers.
Mandy
Uhm…sorry, but you say “polyunsaturated fats aren’t that good for you”. That’s dead wrong. Its saturated fats that are bad for you. Polyunsaturated fats are simply fat molecules that have more than one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule, this is also called a double bond. Oils that contain polyunsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature but start to turn solid when chilled. Olive oil is an example of a type of oil that contains polyunsaturated fats. Having said that, you say eat some nuts. Well, that’s what IS in nuts. Your recipe is great, but that bit is really some misinformation.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Polyunsaturated-Fats_UCM_301461_Article.jsp#.VwXoU_krIdU
Tiffany
I’m sorry Mandy, but we’re going to have to agree to disagree. In all the independent research I’ve done, I firmly believe that what’s being recommended by government groups is not correct. I encourage you to look beyond these groups and read more articles on how saturated fats and poly- fats work in our bodies.
Nikola Gjinari
Hey! So I was just wondering, I’m starting this non dairy diet and was wondering if rice milk is a perfect substitute for calcium since I’m extremely worried about not getting enough calcium. Thank you and also great recipe. 🙂
Tiffany
Hi Nikola – I’m not a medical professional so I can’t make a recommendation on this. If you’re concerned about getting enough calcium, I’d suggest talking to a dietary professional.
Katie
I have a two year old who can’t drink or eat any cow’s milk products. He mostly drinks store bought rice milk with some coconut milk in it. Does home made rice milk have sufficient calcium for a toddler or child?
Katie
Geeky
Katie,
People don’t NEED as much calcium as was shoved down our throats growing up (brought to you by the folks at “Got Milk?” aka the California Milk Processor Board).
Cow’s milk is for calves and has the calories, fat, and cholesterol needed to grow a calf into a full size adult cow (600-2000 pounds depending on breed!). Humans do not need cow’s milk, period… not for calcium, not for any reason.
Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that dairy consumption actually depletes the calcium in bones and doesn’t actually strengthen bones.
Besides, why get your vitamins process through a middle man (the cow)? Where do cows get their calcium? Yep… plants!
Calcium sources: Butternut squash, beans, legumes, broccoli, oranges, brussel sprouts, etc. all have calcium. If your child doesn’t like beans, you can try bean chips (Beanitos or similar) or bean burgers. There are lots of options. If you are super worried about it, they make Calcium + Vit D. gummy vitamins for kids.
Katie
Geeky, Thank you for sharing all that. I do wonder whether we need all that calcium too. I look forward to the day when we can know for sure. We do live longer than cows do, but then I suppose so do elephants and they don’t drink calcium all day. Very interesting subject.
Miss Lady Daisy
Thank you so much for this recipe! Our little man / 5 months old has allergies and severe GERD…and is allergic to Cow milk. We started feeding him Rice milk formula out of desperation, from a recipe I found on Pinterest, and it literally saved his life. He was dying of starvation and has spend time in the hospital as well as many medical emergencies. He is a failure to thrive baby and having to go through lots of therapy but He has finally started gaining weight a couple months ago, but is still very small for his age. All of that to say this…..His diet requires lots of feeding…thus lots of “Store bought” Rice Milk.(as in A carton per day now) = Lots of money….!!! This will be a HUGE blessing to our family if this recipe works out for him. I cannot wait to try it!! Tomorrow!! :]
Again, thank you! I’ll try to post again and update.
God Bless!