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    Home > Recipes > How-Tos

    Rice Milk

    Published: May 17, 2020 · Modified: Oct 9, 2022 by Iosune · This post may contain affiliate links · 106 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    A side shot of a glass with brown rice milk made from scratch with the words rice milk
    A picture of a glass with homemade rice milk and some brown rice around with the words rice milk

    Rice milk, made with rice, water, and your favorite sweetener. It's so smooth and tasty, very easy to make, and ready in 5 just minutes!

    A picture of someone pouring rice milk into a glass jar

    Rice milk is one of my favorite dairy-free alternatives to cow's milk. It's smooth, full of flavor, and perfect to have with anything that calls for regular milk. Besides, store-bought plant milk is more expensive and packed with lots of sugar, preservatives, and additives.

    This beverage is more digestible than other milk substitutes like soy milk and lighter than other kinds of nut milk. It's also suitable for celiacs, lactose intolerants, people with nut allergies, and, of course, for vegans!

    I like to make this milk with brown rice because it's healthier and more nutritious, but you can also use a different type of rice. It's a delicious, smooth, and tasty drink, as well as more inexpensive than other types of plant milk. Also, you don't need to soak the rice grains.

    To prepare this rice milk you only need cooked rice, water, a blender, and a nut milk bag. Serve it hot or cold and customize it with some vanilla extract, cocoa or carob powder, and even a cinnamon stick!

    Contents hide
    1. How to make rice milk - Step by step
    2. Pro tips
    3. What is rice milk?
    4. Is rice milk good for you?
    5. How long will this rice milk keep?
    6. Looking for more milk substitutes?
    7. Did you make this rice milk?
    8. Rice Milk

    How to make rice milk - Step by step

    Step by step photos of how to make rice milk
    • Cook rice according to package directions. Drain and let it cool down. You can also use leftover rice.
    • Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth (photo 1).
    • Strain the mixture using a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, napkin, or a strainer (photo 2). This step is optional.
    • Use or serve your rice milk immediately.

    Pro tips

    • To make this recipe you can use any kind of rice, but my favorite ones are brown rice and short-grain white rice. Feel free to use long-grain rice.
    • Sweetener is optional, although you can use sugar or syrup, whatever you prefer. Just add it slowly to taste.
    • There're some rice milk recipes that contain a little bit of salt to enhance the flavor or even some oil, but I like it better without it.
    • For creamier milk, feel free to use less water.
    • Serve this non-dairy milk hot or cold with cocoa powder to make a vegan version of chocolate milk and eat it with some vegan zucchini bread, vegan peanut butter cookies, vegan donuts, or even vegan banana pancakes.
    A picture of a glass with homemade rice milk and some brown rice around

    What is rice milk?

    It is a vegan alternative to dairy milk. It is suitable for people who can't consume nuts or soy, and it has a very light and refreshing flavor.

    Is rice milk good for you?

    Of course! As long as you can eat rice, this milk will be good for you. One of my favorite parts about it is that you can use leftover rice!

    How long will this rice milk keep?

    This lactose-free milk recipe doesn't contain any preservatives or additives, so it's absolutely fresh and natural. That is why you should make sure to keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last for 3-5 days.

    Looking for more milk substitutes?

    • Oat Milk
    • Almond Milk
    • Soy Milk
    • Cashew Milk
    • Coconut Milk
    A side shot of a glass with brown rice milk made from scratch

    Did you make this rice milk?

    Please leave a comment below, share it, or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I’d love to see what you cook!

    This post contains affiliate links so you can easily find some of the products that we used to make this recipe. If you buy any of them through the links provided (without any extra cost for you), we'll get a commission. We're so grateful for your support!

    A square picture of a glass with homemade rice milk and some brown rice around

    Rice Milk

    Rice milk, made with rice, water, and your favorite sweetener. It's so smooth and tasty, very easy to make, and ready in just 5 minutes!
    4.80 from 10 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Course: Drinks, How to
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 2.5 cups (625 ml)
    Author: Iosune


    Ingredients 

    US Customary - Metric
    • ½ cup cooked rice, I used brown rice, see notes
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 Medjool or 4 Deglet Nour dates, optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cook rice according to package directions. Drain and let it cool down. You can also use leftover rice.
    • Add all the ingredients to a blender (cooked rice, water, and dates) and blend until smooth.
    • Strain the mixture using a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, napkin, or a strainer. This step is optional.
    • Use your rice milk immediately and serve it hot or cold with cocoa powder to make a vegan version of chocolate milk. Feel free to eat it with some vegan zucchini bread, vegan peanut butter cookies, vegan donuts, or even vegan banana pancakes.
    • Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

    Notes

    • If you want to cook your rice from scratch, use ⅓ cup of 55 g of uncooked rice and cook it according to package directions.
    • To make this rice milk you can use any kind of rice, but my favorite ones are brown rice and short-grain white rice. Feel free to use long-grain rice.
    • Sweetener is optional, although you can use sugar or syrup, whatever you prefer. Just add it slowly to taste.
    • There're some rice milk recipes that contain a little bit of salt to enhance the flavor or even some oil, but I like it better without it.
    • For creamier milk, feel free to use less water.
    • Cooking time is not included in prep time.
    • Nutritional info has been calculated before straining the milk. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cup (125 ml) without the dates | Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.7g | Protein: 0.5g | Fiber: 0.1g

    Update Notes: This post was originally published in September of 2014, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in January of 2022.

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    5.2K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer says

      March 15, 2022 at 6:30 pm

      Can I freeze this rice milk or will the consistency suffer?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 16, 2022 at 2:49 pm

        Hi Jennifer! I haven’t tried it myself, sorry 🙁 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    2. Shanti says

      January 12, 2022 at 9:13 am

      Hi,
      Can I use rice flour ? How much rice flour added into recipe ?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 13, 2022 at 5:07 pm

        Hi Shanti! I haven't tried it with rice flour, sorry 🙁

        Reply
    3. Ruchir Jhunjhunwala says

      November 02, 2021 at 7:30 am

      hi - what are recommended recipe for leftover brown rice post removing the milk?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 05, 2021 at 10:48 am

        Hi! You can incorporate it to your cookies or cakes! Also, feel free to add it to your soups or smoothies 🙂

        Reply
    4. Sella Golden says

      September 15, 2021 at 9:05 pm

      Thanks for sharing with us. Nice post.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        September 16, 2021 at 10:27 am

        Hi! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂

        Reply
    5. Anne says

      March 23, 2021 at 12:15 am

      I have started making homemade rice milk on my own but am curious--once I strain it with a nut milk bag, I have a lot of "slurry" left in the nut milk bag. It is like cream of rice and sometimes I cook it as such. But what do others do with this? I hate to waste anything!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 26, 2021 at 8:38 am

        Hi Anne! You can add it to your smoothies or even use it on your cookies, cakes, etc. 🙂

        Reply
    6. kim says

      March 06, 2021 at 9:10 pm

      5 stars
      so easy. I made mine without any sweetener. So excited for this recipe. Was perfect!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 08, 2021 at 11:10 am

        Hi! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    7. Jmae says

      January 27, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      5 stars
      Well I am feeling ashamed for not thinking of this myself. I always thought grain milks were some magical product. This is simple using leftover grain, what could be better? I love it. Just made a double batch using 1/2 c. left over wild grain rice 1/2 cup breakfast (cooked up millet, red lentil, quinoa) adding a little ginger and dates. Tastes amazing! I really am impressed. I am going to look into this milk bag strainer idea. I couldn’t find my tea cloth so I didn’t strain it.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 27, 2021 at 3:42 pm

        Hi! Sounds so good 🙂 I'm so glad you liked our recipe!

        Reply
    8. Umesh thakkar says

      October 05, 2020 at 5:41 am

      Can diabetes people drink rice milk ?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        October 05, 2020 at 11:54 am

        Hi Umesh! We always recommend contact a nutritionist if you have some nutritional doubts, she or he will help you more than us in this case 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
      • Varun Balram says

        February 09, 2021 at 9:16 am

        The simple answer is no. Since rice water is mostly starch, which means it is simple sugar and carbs that you are giving your body, it can spike the blood sugar levels. In fact, cooked rice is also not considered a very healthy option for a diabetic

        Reply
    9. Lianne says

      July 09, 2020 at 3:53 am

      5 stars
      Works pretty well! Actually giving this 4 stars but for some reason I can’t on this website. Only problem for me is that it’s a bit slimy, and that it is bland so that’s why I added vanilla extract. Nevertheless this was super fun to make!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        July 09, 2020 at 11:01 am

        Hi Lianne! I am so sorry it was slimy and bland for you 🙁 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    10. Joline says

      June 20, 2020 at 3:26 pm

      Can you freeze the milk after it's made and does it change the shelf life can I use a canning or procedure to preserve it longer I would like to make large batches and have it on hand

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        June 23, 2020 at 10:35 am

        Hi Joline! I haven't tried it myself so I can't help you with this, sorry 🙁 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    11. none of your buisness says

      June 06, 2020 at 11:22 pm

      its bad :c

      Reply
    12. Nicole Oliver says

      May 18, 2020 at 2:42 am

      I am going to try this. Just want to remind everyone not to throw away the water you boiled the rice it. It makes the most delightful natural hair treatment.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        May 19, 2020 at 5:35 pm

        Hello Nicole, thanks for your recommendation 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
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