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How to Make Rice Milk

Wood cutting board with ingredients for making homemade rice milk

Creamy, homemade rice milk made with just 2 ingredients! Let me show you how.

Straining homemade rice milk through a nut milk bagJugs of DIY dairy-free milks including homemade rice milk

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Jars of assorted types of homemade dairy-free milk
4.8 from 10 votes

How to Make Rice Milk

A quick and easy 2-ingredient way to make homemade rice milk! Naturally creamy and sweet, and perfect for smoothies, granola, and more!
Author: Minimalist Baker
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 (1/2-cup servings)
Category: Beverage
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 5 Days

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice*
  • 4 cups water (use less water for thicker, creamier milk!)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 whole date, pitted (optional // for sweetness // or 1 Tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa or cacao powder for "chocolate milk" (optional)
  • 1/4 cup fresh berries for "berry milk" (optional)

Instructions

  1. Soak rice in 2 cups (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) very hot (not boiling water) for 2 hours. The rice should be soft but still very raw - you should be able to snap a piece in half with your fingernail without much effort. Drain and add to a high-speed blender.
  2. Add water, salt, and any additional add-ins (optional). Top with lid and cover with a towel to ensure it doesn't splash. Blend for about 1 minute until the date specks are very small and the mixture seems well combined. It doesn't have to be 100% pulverized.
  3. Scoop out a small sample with a spoon to test sweetness. If it's not sweet enough, add more dates.
  4. Pour the mixture over a large mixing bowl or pitcher covered with a thin towel or clean T-shirt. In my experience, it benefits from a double strain through a very fine towel. A nut milk bag lets too much residue through.
  5. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate. Will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days (sometimes more). Great for use in things like smoothies, granola, vegan cheese sauces, and baked goods!

Notes

*You can use brown rice, but I prefer the taste of white rice milk.
*Nutritional information is a rough estimate calculated with no additional add-ins and the leftover rice pulp nutrition subtracted from the total.

Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 8 half-cup servings)

  • Calories: 34
  • Fat: 0.1g
  • Sodium: 4mg
  • Carbohydrates: 7.5g
  • Fiber: 0.1g
  • Protein: 0.7g
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danaHi, I'm Dana! I am a food stylist, photographer, creator of Food Photography School and author of Everyday Cooking.

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Talk About It

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All commentsI made thisQuestions
  1. Avatar for MiciMici says

    September 11, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    Hi! Is this a good substitute for coconut milk when making golden turmeric milk? Where I live there’s sadly not a wide variety of milks, but there is plenty of rice!
    Thank you :)

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      September 11, 2017 at 7:31 pm

      Hi! You could try, but I would recommend using almond milk instead of coconut milk!

      Reply
      • Avatar for MiciMici says

        September 12, 2017 at 12:15 pm

        Thanks!!

        Reply
  2. Avatar for AmeliaAmelia says

    October 25, 2017 at 3:25 pm

    Wpuld this be suitable for steaming for barista coffee??

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      October 25, 2017 at 6:38 pm

      Hi Amelia! It might be a bit thin, and the the froth may not be as substantial as cow’s milk but it would work!

      Reply
  3. Avatar for SophiaSophia says

    October 30, 2017 at 10:57 am

    Hey, I love all of your recipes– including this one! I make rice milk regularly & was wondering whether you have any ideas what I could use the left over rice bits for…I hate letting them go to waste every time. xx Sophia

    Reply
    • Avatar for CeriCeri says

      February 26, 2018 at 7:46 am

      Just a guess, but I imagine you could sort some kind of ground rice pudding?

      Reply
      • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        February 27, 2018 at 9:03 am

        Great idea!

        Reply
      • Avatar for MarthaMartha says

        April 6, 2018 at 9:26 pm

        I have never made this milk but I would at least add the rice to a soup base; I certainly would not want to throw it away.

        Reply
    • Avatar for KaryelKaryel says

      September 8, 2018 at 3:26 am

      Great recipe, thank you!!! Saved me this morning. I didn’t blend it long enough and it was pretty thin even though I double strained it and also used a whole cup of rice. So, will definitely blend it for the whole 2 minutes next time! Also, I used sticky rice so you could try that if it’s all that’s available.

      Half of the leftover pulp was turned into porridge. Used some previously cooked pumpkin, half a ripe banana, flax seeds, spices and water/rice milk. Will probably add coconut milk and raisins or grated carrots the next time. And I’ll use the other half to make a savoury porridge for my baby daughter.

      Reply
      • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        September 8, 2018 at 9:35 am

        Smart use of the leftover pulp, Karyel!

        Reply
      • Avatar for IanIan says

        September 22, 2018 at 6:19 am

        You can try to dehydrate the pulp and use it as rice flour… great gluten free substitute for bread crumbs.

        Glutinous rice is a great ingredient for a simple dessert in the Philippines: add enough water to form workable dough. Form into balls then flatten to about 1/4 inc thick. Drop in boiling water. It’s cooked when it floats to the top.

        Take out and roll in coconut flakes and sprinkle with sugar and toasted/ground sesame seeds.

        Reply
    • Avatar for elsels says

      November 21, 2018 at 12:21 am

      I’ve used the rice pulp (leftovers) to add to (bean) burgers.

      Reply
  4. Avatar for Kathleen AnastKathleen Anast says

    January 8, 2018 at 7:01 am

    Awesome … I did double strain the milk ..

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Kathleen AnastKathleen Anast says

    January 11, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    Can I substitute rice or coconut milk for cow milk in my bread recipes ..

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      January 12, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      Yes! That should work.

      Reply
  6. Avatar for NatashaNatasha says

    January 14, 2018 at 7:09 am

    This sounds super easy! But does it really not require any cooking?

    Reply
  7. Avatar for AisteAiste says

    January 18, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    Hi, if it would work to soak rice for 12-24 hours in cold water? I would love it to be raw :)

    Reply
  8. Avatar for MargaretMargaret says

    February 1, 2018 at 5:56 pm

    Can’t I just use a regular blender?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      February 1, 2018 at 6:28 pm

      That should work!

      Reply
  9. Avatar for Michelle RangiwulanMichelle Rangiwulan says

    February 15, 2018 at 10:33 am

    Can I use short grain rice? Like korean rice?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      February 15, 2018 at 11:45 am

      I think so! Let us know how it goes.

      Reply
      • Avatar for Myint Soe.(Myanmar)Myint Soe.(Myanmar) says

        October 10, 2018 at 4:04 am

        Great

        Reply
  10. Avatar for GracereadGraceread says

    February 24, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    Have you ever used brown rice? I am assuming the nutrition might be a bit better?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      February 25, 2018 at 3:29 pm

      Yes, you can use brown rice, but I prefer the taste of white rice milk!

      Reply
  11. Avatar for SofiaSofia says

    March 7, 2018 at 11:41 am

    You listed 4 cups of water in the ingredients. We used 2 cups to soak the rice. Does that mean we use the last 2 to blend, or are we blending with 4??

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      March 8, 2018 at 3:24 pm

      Blend with 4 cups of water!

      Reply
      • Avatar for robhobrobhob says

        September 29, 2018 at 3:19 am

        Thanks for clearing that up, I was also unsure. Might be worth editing the recipe for clarity.

        Reply
      • Avatar for PhilPhil says

        February 13, 2019 at 5:19 am

        do you mean to say that in total, there’s 6cups of water?
        2 cups for soaking (which we don’t use after draining) and,
        4 cups for blending (which will be the milk)?

        I’m sorry if I sound stupid. :|

        Reply
        • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          February 13, 2019 at 1:19 pm

          You guess right, Phil!

          Reply
    • Avatar for zorazora says

      February 7, 2019 at 7:45 am

      I had the same question and almost didn’t try the recipe (until I read this comment) because it was confusing. Thanks for asking it robhob👍

      Reply
  12. Avatar for LiviaLivia says

    March 10, 2018 at 10:06 am

    Hi. My 1 years old is drinking homemade rice milk. I boiled the rice milk. My questions are :
    1. Can i store my hot milk in thermos ?
    2. How long can i keep rice milk in room temp?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      March 12, 2018 at 7:28 pm

      Hi Livia! I would store it refrigerated where it will keep for up to 5 days (sometimes more). For short term use, you can store it in a thermos.

      Reply
  13. Avatar for Ashley HollandAshley Holland says

    March 13, 2018 at 3:59 pm

    Can this milk be frozen? It is so expensive to buy here

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      March 14, 2018 at 6:31 am

      Hi Ashley! We haven’t tried, but if you do, report back on how it goes! I would think it would work?

      Reply
  14. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    March 23, 2018 at 9:50 am

    Hi my rice milk just looks like slightly cloudy water. I followed instructions but I rinsed rice after soaking, could this be where I went wrong?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      March 24, 2018 at 11:59 am

      Hi Sarah! Yeah I am thinking that may have been where you went wrong.. better luck next time!

      Reply
  15. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    March 25, 2018 at 2:17 am

    Thank you for advice I will give it another go ?

    Reply
  16. Avatar for Richard LightbownRichard Lightbown says

    April 25, 2018 at 2:03 pm

    Hi Dana,

    I have eliminated (cow’s) milk products from my diet as this seems to be having positive effects with my arthritis. So I need another source of calcium, and this looks to be the answer.
    My question is, does the water have to stay very hot for the full two hours or do you just put the rice in the very hot water and leave it o soak (and cool at the same time)?

    Thanks,

    Richard

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      April 26, 2018 at 8:24 am

      Hi Richard! You’ll want to put the rice in very hot water and leave it to soak (and cool at the same time) Hope this helps!

      Reply
  17. Avatar for Riana AmbarsariRiana Ambarsari says

    May 21, 2018 at 12:21 am

    First time I tried, I didn’t blend for a full 2 minutes. The milk turned out thin. Second time, I let the blender working for a full 2 minutes. Boy, it’s creamy as can be :) Happy, happy, happy. Thank you for the recipe. I plan to make peanut milk. I figured I can use similar concept?

    Reply
  18. Avatar for MashahedMashahed says

    June 6, 2018 at 8:34 am

    I have a question you dont cook the rice?? Only blend it?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      June 6, 2018 at 8:53 am

      Hi! Soak rice in 2 cups very hot (not boiling water) for 2 hours. The rice should be soft but still very raw.

      Reply
  19. Avatar for Mark BeattyMark Beatty says

    June 12, 2018 at 11:16 pm

    I’m making yogurt from scratch scratch. In other words the rice milk is from scratch as well. So it worked very well even though I used brown rice. It is a little grainy. I could run it through the cheese cloth again but I need the fibre. Hoping it doesn’t mess with the yogurt.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Naomi Paskin-parsonsNaomi Paskin-parsons says

      July 11, 2018 at 8:55 am

      you could always double strain the milk, then pull the pulp aside and toast it and serve it on top of the yogurt, highlighting the textural difference rather than attempting to hide it.

      Reply
  20. Avatar for ErinErin says

    July 9, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    Hello,
    How do you know when the rice milk has gone bad?

    Thanks,
    Erin

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      July 10, 2018 at 7:46 pm

      Hi Erin! If your rice milk smells off or has a sour taste it has spoiled. It should keep for 5 days or longer!

      Reply
    • Avatar for RachelRachel says

      July 16, 2018 at 3:13 pm

      Even if it has gotten sour you can still use it as a replacement in any recipe for “buttermilk”, even add a little white vinegar to make it more sour. My kids love when our milk goes bad b/c its time to make pancakes, cornbread, or yummy fluffy biscuits (all whole wheat)

      Reply
  21. Avatar for RachelRachel says

    July 16, 2018 at 3:10 pm

    I have never made grain or nut milk before, and this looked like a very simple recipe with WHOLE and RAW grains. I am a very eclectic grain mixer, so made a double batch and used “Bob’s Red Mill grain medley” with about 6 different grains (some being rice, buckwheat, sesame, kamut, oat,ect.), as well as almonds, sorghum, black millet, and flax seed. I used the very hot water as mentioned, but soaked for about 8 hrs. I left it out of the fridge, but any longer probably should have been in. I added the vanilla, salt, and Date paste (a fabulous add in that I would not have thought of). It took a few tries of adding more flavoring, and re-blending until I got the correct sweetness as well as consistency. I blended about 4 times with a very powerful blender, then I did not strain. I felt like it would be more healthy for the kids to have the whole raw grain. At first it was a little thick, so I added some water and it was absolutely delicious. It was even great without straining. Its supposed to be for my kids for their breakfast cereal, but I couldn’t stop drinking. Thanks for the fabulous ideas, ratio and overall great recipe base.

    Reply
  22. Avatar for Ann WarnekaAnn Warneka says

    August 11, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    My sister has your cook book, 31 days. She loves it. Saved her sanity.
    What do you do with the left over rice?

    Queencricket

    Reply
  23. Avatar for AngelaAngela says

    August 16, 2018 at 8:45 am

    Hello,

    I tried this with basmati rice yesterday and maple syrup. It turned out very watery. Should you rinse the rice before soaking or not? Not sure if it turned out this way because I used basmati rice or because I rinsed it first.

    A.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      August 17, 2018 at 9:11 am

      Hmm I am wondering if it was because you used basmati rice, which we haven’t tried..

      Reply
      • Avatar for AngelaAngela says

        August 18, 2018 at 6:54 am

        Thank you for the reply.

        Can I just ask a final question… if I use the long grain white rice. I take it I rinse it as normal before soaking? Or not? Normally I rinse my rice before cooking so it doesn’t go all gooey :)

        A.

        Reply
    • Avatar for ZanetaZaneta says

      January 10, 2019 at 3:34 pm

      Bazmati is not as starchy as other rices so skip the bazmati!😊

      Reply
  24. Avatar for TaraTara says

    September 21, 2018 at 11:30 am

    It worked! So easy! I used about 2 cups of water instead, as I wanted it creamier. It was still watery so I’m not sure about using the full four cups, but I will be definitely making this again in double or triple batches. Glad I found this recipe!

    Reply
  25. Avatar for SairaSaira says

    September 24, 2018 at 1:42 am

    What difference do you think it would make if using cooked rice?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      September 24, 2018 at 6:16 pm

      I’m not sure it would work, Saira! If you experiment with it, report back on how it goes!

      Reply
  26. Avatar for RaemaRaema says

    October 5, 2018 at 12:29 pm

    Hi, thank you for posting this. I made white rice but I cook the rice like regular cooking style then I let it cool down before blending it. It really taste better than brown rice and I put less water to make it creamy and not runny. My son loves it. Since he is allergy to nuts and dairies. And yes this is a great alternatives. I also mixed it with hemp milk for more nutrients his little body needs.

    Reply
  27. Avatar for IndywooIndywoo says

    October 19, 2018 at 2:13 pm

    No comment but a question. Years ago I had the pleasure of having rice pudding after a dinner in a Japanese hibachi restaurant. It was light and delicate made only with rice milk. It is like jello as far as texture much much lighter and delicate. I have tried to make this myself but do not know how to congeal it. Would gelatin work? And if anyone tries this be aware that vanilla, disaronno, coconut sugars all give the pudding a dull brown color. It should look almost luminous like a pearl.

    Thanks for any input.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      October 21, 2018 at 6:33 pm

      Hmm that’s a great question! While we are not sure, we’d love to hear if you experiment with it! Let us know!

      Reply
    • Avatar for newenanewena says

      January 10, 2019 at 11:22 pm

      I usually make the pudding myself to avoid additives in store-bought ones. And it looks quite as you describe it, so maybe that’s what you are searching for. I use corn starch to make it thick, rice milk, sweetener and vanilla Sugar.

      Reply
  28. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    October 21, 2018 at 4:54 pm

    I bought a cheese cloth with very fine mesh and my rice milk seems think. Do you have any advice? I used long grain Jasmine rice.

    Reply
  29. Avatar for courtney butlercourtney butler says

    December 6, 2018 at 9:55 am

    What type of label maker do you have?
    I love this recipe and have used it many times!

    Reply
  30. Avatar for JenniferJennifer says

    January 6, 2019 at 3:32 pm

    This is a super easy recipe. Thank you for sharing it!!
    I tweaked it a little by adding Brown Rice, 1 ripe banana & 1 tablespoon of Date Sugar. I strained it through a double folded cheesecloth with a metal strainer under the cheesecloth to catch any chunks. It’s very delicious!!!!
    I do have 1 question though…..if I want to freeze it what’s the best container to put it in?? Thanks!!

    Reply
  31. Avatar for ZanetaZaneta says

    January 10, 2019 at 3:40 pm

    I could not understand your directions entirely. Do i throw out the drained off water that soaked the rice for 2 hours or add it back in with the other 2 cups? I threw it out. I used Jasmine long grain rice (that is all i had) and it turned out pretty good except it tasted slightly “dirty” which i am certain that was because of the Jasmine. So next time i will use regular organic long grain. I also substituted the dates (i ate the last date yesterday😊) for raw cane sugar. It turned out great! Aside from the “dirt” taste!🤣

    Reply
  32. Avatar for JJJJ says

    January 16, 2019 at 9:18 am

    Mine turned out very thin and watery. I did have one point of confusion, was I supposed to keep the soak water as part of the 4 cups of water? I drained it, then added 4 cups of water. The instructions were a little ambiguous as far as the water goes. I *think* I did what the recipe was saying, but I’m not sure why it turned out so watery and so not-milky.

    Reply
  33. Avatar for AliceAlice says

    January 18, 2019 at 8:20 pm

    Hi, I’ve read that eating uncooked rice isn’t good for you because it can contain bacillus cereus.
    Is this true, or a concern with this recipe?

    Reply
  34. Avatar for JulieJulie says

    January 23, 2019 at 8:54 am

    Thanks for the great rice milk recipe. I had been trying (made it twice and it came out too watery,) to get the right ratio of rice and water myself to make rice milk in my soy milk maker. I am so busy I am grateful to know the ratio so I did not waste additional time figuring it out on my own. I already figured out to make almond milk or other nut milk in a soymilk maker the same amount of almonds/or other nuts are used as soybeans. Rice milk takes more rice.

    Reply
  35. Avatar for HanaHana says

    February 4, 2019 at 10:12 pm

    Oh WOW! I just tried this recipe tonight and I absolutely love it! I even got the approval stamp from my parents who are always honest about my homemade items. I soaked in 2 cups of water and then added one more cup for blending (I wanted a thicker texture). I added the salt and 3 dates instead of one and I added a tablespoon of stevia because I don’t think I’m quite ready to cut out all the sweetness from my milk. Maybe the dates I used weren’t as sweet as others? Not sure. But I added that bit of stevia to give it that punch I desired. Will try again with some vanilla and cinnamon 😁 I look forward to trying out more recipes from you. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

    Reply
    • Avatar for HanaHana says

      February 4, 2019 at 10:14 pm

      Oh also I used a cheese cloth and worked very well! I’m pleased as can be.

      Reply
  36. Avatar for NadiNadi says

    February 8, 2019 at 4:10 am

    I’ve tried to make it (soaking in 2 cups of hot water, then rinsing and then adding 2 cups of hot waster, then blending) and it turned into kasha (messy slush). It’s is delicious, but I wanted milk 😁
    What went wrong? I’ve used 150 gr of long lightly dark-white rice.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      February 8, 2019 at 10:31 am

      Did you strain it as per the directions?

      Reply
  37. Avatar for Lisa GiordanoLisa Giordano says

    February 12, 2019 at 6:40 pm

    Thank you so much. I love your recipe. It turned out great. I went with 3 1/2 cups of water and blended for 2 min on high. Creamy, smooth, delicious. I have tried a lot of other rice milk recipes that didn’t work. I love all your recipes. Thank you.

    Reply

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