Creamy, homemade rice milk made with just 2 ingredients! Let me show you how.
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!
Servings 8 (1/2-cup servings)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice*
- 4 cups water (use less water for thicker, creamier milk! // plus more for soaking)
- 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
- Soak rice in 2 cups very hot (not boiling water // adjust amount if altering number of servings) 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.
- Add 4 cups (960 ml // adjust if altering number of servings) fresh water (not the soaking 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.
- Scoop out a small sample with a spoon to test sweetness. If it’s not sweet enough, add more dates.
- Pour the mixture over a large mixing bowl or pitcher covered with a thin towel, clean T-shirt, or very tightly woven nut milk bag. In my experience, it benefits from a double strain. Some nut milk bags let too much residue through.
- 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!
Video
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.
*Nutritional information is a rough estimate calculated with no additional add-ins and the leftover rice pulp nutrition subtracted from the total.
Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)
Serving: 1 half-cup servings Calories: 34 Carbohydrates: 7.5 g Protein: 0.7 g Fat: 0.1 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 4 mg Potassium: 10 mg Fiber: 0.1 g Sugar: 0.01 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 2.44 mg Iron: 0.07 mg
Liked this recipe? Check out our Guide to Dairy-Free Milk for 5 more dairy-free milk recipes!
Robert says
Do I discard the water use for soaking?
Yes
Ana Medina says
Great recipe, thanks. I am wondering why is it necessary to deceive the reader about a 2-ingredient recipe that has 5-7 ingredients? Just sayin’, no need, really.
It’s kinda like the dating profiles where people claim to be 15 years younger. It’s not like people won’t find out the truth and it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth… which for a recipe, it’s not such a good outcome.
Hi Ana, thanks for the feedback. There’s only two ingredients required: rice and salt. We don’t include water in the ingredient count due to it not being an ingredient that has to be purchased at the store. Everything else can be left out!
Pamela says
I’ve tried this several ways, soaking the rice for longer, boiling the rice, “toasting” it in a pan before use, and just this last time using brown rice soaked for about 6 hours in water I’d microwaved. I just recently got some nut-milk-bags in the mail, before I had been using remnants of lace material I found in the sewing drawer, and always the result is either too thick or too thin. It always tastes like just rice-water, as if I’m just liquefying my rice because I can’t chew anymore (I’ve not got many teeth left). It’s not so much “milk” I seem to be making as it is just liquefying whatever it is I’m trying to eat, whether it’s walnuts, almonds, or rice. Things I get from the free food places but can’t chew.
Hi Pamela, so sorry this isn’t working out for you! Are you using a high speed blender?
Pamela says
Well, the first few times I’d cooked the rice which made it too thick, that was with plain awful white rice that you can get from the dollar tree but I’d gotten from food banks; or worse, Wal-Mart’s most “generic” brand, so then I tried “donation” brands of brown rice which has made the taste better, and as brown rice takes longer to “soften” in water I’d soaked in boiling water, that next few batches, not boiling it or trying to “cook” it even a little, seems to be making the resulting product too thin; like the consistency of, at best, skim or nonfat milk even after I shake it up. I can use this stuff in my daily protein-powder shake as long as I also mix it with (store brand) Soy or Oat. Don’t get me started on all my problems making Oat milk as we have plenty of unused “old-fashioned” oats just sitting around here.
But as to the question, I’d seen in instructions on Almond Milk that it should be OK to use a “regular household” (read, second-lowest-price-at-Wal-Mart) blender as long as you over-soak the almonds beforehand, so I thought the same applied to Rice. Maybe I need to go back to at least partially “cooking” it not just an overnight “soak.” It’s just that brown rice takes so much longer to even halfway “cook” than white rice….
Thanks for sharing, Pamela. A high-speed blender is especially helpful here since, even after soaking, rice is much harder than almonds or other nuts. In our experience rice milk does tend to be thinner than other types of dairy-free milk, so you might prefer our cashew coconut oat milk for a thicker dairy-free milk!
Leslie says
I have not made this yet, I was scrolling thru the comments/questions to see if anyone tried straining this thru a stainless-steel, golden-mesh filter that you can use in a coffee maker? I have 2 cone shaped ones and when I’m straining almond milk or bone broth, I will put one inside the other and it’s sufficient. I’m not a fan of nut milk bags or squeezing thru a tea towel, etc. Do you think this method would work? I don’t want to waste the effort. Thanks!
Hi Leslie, another reader mentioned straining through a metal strainer with a cheesecloth under it with success. We think your method would work, but may drain through very slowly!
Jacquelyn LeBlanc says
Can this rice milk be used in recipe that call for milk?
Hi Jacquelyn, it will depend on the recipe, but rice milk won’t be as rich/thick, so if the milk is providing creaminess, it might not turn out right.
Rosemary says
How can you speed up the process of straining the rice? It seems to take a long time to go through the cheesecloth
Thank you
Hi Rosemary, you can squeeze it gently! See the video around 0:36 for reference. Hope that helps!
Pamela says
I’m thinking that if it’s taking too long to go through then you’ve made it too “thick”. I’ve done that one too.
Monnica says
This is easy, tasty and wholesome.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Monnica!
Nicole says
Just gave this a shot, and it wasn’t as complicated as I thought it’d be! I used arborio rice for a creamier texture and lighter flavor. It’s perfect in my baked goods!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Nicole!
Alina Kravchenko says
Where did you get your jars and cotton mesh?
Hi Alina, the jars are from various places – some are Weck jars, others are Mason, Kerr, or Ball jars, and the vintage milk jugs are from a thrift store. The cotton mesh is a nut milk bag. Hope that helps!
Nix says
Thank you for this! I tried different methods for years, but this is by far the easiest and best.
I mixed 1 with rice and 1 with shredded dried coconut and love it!
Any idea what I can do with the pulp??
Sounds tasty! We haven’t used the pulp from this particular recipe in anything, but we do have some almond pulp recipes that could be good inspiration. Thanks for the great review, Nix!
Annabelle says
It tastes divine… My cousin brother is lactose intolerant and I was baking a cake and this solved all my problems!
Love,
Annabelle
Yay! So glad this recipe was helpful, Annabelle!
Alexa says
Doesn’t raw rice have a bacteria harmful to health that can cause food poisoning? It’s called Bacillus cereus. Is it harmful to my health if I drink raw rice milk ?
Hi Alexa, we haven’t had that issue and our understanding is that the harm is when cooked rice is left out too long at room temperature.
Pamela says
I think you’re thinking more of raw Soybeans.
Robin MF says
yummy. now i can make it home without harming trees. thank you!!!
Vicki says
Can I use milk?
Hm, we’re not sure of your question. Perhaps you meant to comment on a different recipe?
Alex Ch says
I’m not sure I understood correctly how many cups of water the recipe calls for. 2 for soaking the rice plus another 4 for the milk itself? Or is it 2 cups for soaking and only 2 for making the milk?
Thank you!
Hi Alex! 2 cups for soaking, then 4 fresh cups for the milk itself!
Miriyana says
What can I do with the leftover chopped up rice grain solids?
Hi Miriyana, you can use them similar to almond pulp. We have recipe ideas here. Hope that helps!
Christina says
I am curious if there is anything that can be done with the left over rice pulp?
Hi Christina, it can be used similarly to almond pulp. We have some ideas here. Hope that helps!
Karin says
Hello,
Do you think I can use rice flour to make this rice milk? So mixing the rice flour with the water, blend it and then strain it? Thank you very much!
Hm, we haven’t tried that, but think it would have a chalky, unpleasant texture.
Zohar says
Off the top my head, although i haven’t tried it yet.
I would switch the Soak/Blend Steps.
Soak in Room temp Water for 2 hours,
Then Rinse out, pour Hot water, Blend,
Then let it cool (Which doubles as another Soak)
Then Strain.
Should allow for more “Riceyness” to blend and transfer to the water.
That’s a good idea! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try, Zohar!
Shibui says
OK, I made this, however, the rice sediment settles and liquid clears. I don’t get any flavor either. Anybody have any tips?
Hi Shibui, we’d suggest storing in a sealed container and shaking it before use. You can also use a nut milk bag that is more tightly knit so less sediment gets through. Hope that helps!
sarah says
contradiction here? In the original recipe you suggest not using a nut milk bag as it lets reside through and above you suggest using one.
Hi Sarah! This comment was in reply to a reader who was asking for help with the sediment, and we suggested they try a nut milk bag if they wanted to reduce it.
Sarah says
But in the original recipe you suggest NOT using a nut milk bag because it lets too much sediment through. I made the milk this weekend and used a nut milk bag – strained it twice. Still a bit chalky but better than I had hoped for!! Yum.
Glad you enjoyed, Sarah! It will depend on the nut milk bag – some have a finer mesh and will work better.
Emma says
I add cinnamon to my milk.
Jeni says
Same here. So I reread the recipe several times and I think I did it wrong. When you drain the liquid off—is the liquid what you use for the rice milk? Or do you discard the liquid and put the soaked rice in the blender? I’m going to try the latter. It’s not clear in the recipe. But hoping it works out this time!
Hi Jeni, sorry for any confusion. Discard the soaking water and add fresh water to the blender with soaked rice. Hope that helps!
Jerez says
That’s much clearer. The original was unclear and I was also puzzled about what one was supposed to do when I read the recipe. Will you rewrite the original recipe?
Yes, we’ll get that updated! Thank you for the suggestion!
Pamela says
That’s my problem too; loads of sediment and a more watery look, feel and taste. Like it’s just rice-water.
I dunno, maybe we should try boiling the finished product, cooking it like you do with Soy milk…..?? Just a thought…..
Tina says
I am not sure about this recipe. It did not turn out well. It tastes funny..
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Tina! How would you describe the taste? Is it possible your rice wasn’t fresh?
Tina says
I don’t know how to tell if the rice is fresh. I bought a new pack from the store… but that is no guarantee. The taste was bad and smell as well I threw it away. Your oat milk is awesome though. I make it very often.
Hi Tina, if the dry rice smells rancid, that could be the issue. Glad to hear the oat milk is a win!
Billy says
When you say, “very hot (not boiling water) “, can I boil water in a kettle, pour that water into a bowl, and soak the rice in it for 2 hours?
It’s been boiled, but it’s not currently boiling.
Hi Billy, we’d suggest letting it cool a bit after boiling so it softens the rice, but doesn’t cook it. Hope that helps!
Pamela says
I don’t know, but if you’re using brown rice maybe you do want to boil it at least somewhat, this is what I’m finding.
Then again I use a fairly medium-powered “Wal-Mart second-cheapest” blender. I just blend stuff longer in it when I’m following these recipes. Frankly I’m just “at” this because I can’t afford milk and am just trying to find ways to make use of other foods we have around the house that have been gotten from food banks, and trying to lose weight with the protein-powder that also is “found around the house” and mixing that with something besides water to make it actually blend up….I’m all, “I’ve got bags of rice for free, and there’s tap water and we’ve got A blender….”
Linda says
Maybe try less water. Maybe 1:3 or 1:2 ration instead.
Sally says
I’m confused. You soak the rice and strain it – what do you do with that water, discard? Then you put rice and water in the blender….new water or the water you soaked the rice in?
Hi Sally, sorry for the confusion! Yes, discard the soaking water and use new water (4 cups) for blending.
Pamela says
Well theoretically the soaking water gets rid of the potential toxins in raw rice. So, I mean, it’s your choice!!
Linda says
put the soaking water in the garden or for your plants. that is what I do.
Lera says
Used new long white rice, vitamin blender and fine cheese muslin. Milk turned out very chalky and got separated into rice residue and water in a couple of hours in the fridge. Tastes watery and chalky, might try using it in porridge. Otherwise will be trying other recipes.
Sorry to hear that, Lera! Is it possible it soaked or blended too long? If not, another idea would be to use a more tightly woven dish towel. Some separation is normal and we’d suggest shaking before each use.
Isabelle says
I misread the recipe the first time I read it and cooked the rice and all for 2 hours; I might have added a bit more water at the end before blending it in the high speed blender. So, unless you have to make it raw… it was good and I did not need to filter it.
Thanks for sharing, Isabelle!
Jeff says
Store-bought non-dairy milks have gums and stabilizers. This being a 2-ingredient homemade version I would expect a great deal of separation.
Pamela says
I’ve been experimenting with some sort of middle ground between blending it “raw” and trying to “cook” it seeing as how I’m now using brown rice which takes like FOREVER to cook thoroughly. The first time I tried cooking the rice thoroughly, it was, I’d used some Wal-Mart generic cheap-o white rice (yuck, in the first place), and cooked it using my proportions that I use when I’m trying to make breakfast “cereal” out of it which is like a 1:3 proportion. So, yuck. I ended up using it in some protein-powder shakes and essentially throwing most of it down the drain. I figured out that the taste was because of the rice, and threw the rest of that bag of rice away too. But even using brown rice I don’t get “the best” I get ‘what got donated’……
Linda says
I’ve read a small amount of gelatin can help keep some nut milks from separating. Not sure if would work for rice milk. Also salt in home made salad dressing will keep the oil from separating out too. Not sure if this will help since it is more sediment than fat separating but won’t hurt to try a pinch of salt.
Suzanne says
Hi there, thanks for the recipe. Why do I have to soak the rice in hot water instead of just boil it?
Hi Suzanne, the goal is to soften it, rather than cooking it. Hope that helps!
Pamela says
I’ve seen recipes that say exactly that; to soak it and then boil it. I’m trying to reach some sort of middle ground there myself.
I mean, with Soybeans you do soak them, then blend them and then strain and then boil the resulting milk because you can’t ingest raw soybeans as humans….but rice isn’t quite like that…..
Dashaun says
Hi there. Do you wash the rice prior to starting the recipe?
Hi Dashaun, no, rinsing is not necessary because step 1 essentially does the same thing (soak and drain). Hope that helps!
Suzanne says
I made the rice milk using 3/4 cup of white parboiled rice and 4 cups of water. I had a hard time straining it as it was so thick. I soaked in hot water for 2 hours. I blended it for 1 minute exactly. Not sure what went wrong. I have made the oat milk and had more success straining it. Nyone have the same issue?
Hm, we wonder if your blender wasn’t powerful enough? Or was the rice old?
Suzanne Leroux says
I thought the opposite as it’s a vita mix. I made it a second time and it’s the same so once I was done I just added another cup of water
christina says
it actually could have been because of the par boiled rice it’s essentially cooked in a 1st stage so maybe just my thought
Pamela says
I’ve read that except with Oat, the way you overcome a lower-power blender is to blend for LONGER. At least that works with almonds, and also with almonds you soak them longer. And then blend LONGER. I think oats are the only thing you can’t do that with, just run the blender much, much LONGER.
Bryant says
Parboiled rice is already cooked, so that’s the problem. I never use pre-cooked rice if planning to strain it. Tried it once and had the same results. Use uncooked rice instead.
If you want to use pre-cooked rice, then you won’t want to strain it afterward, and the ratios (rice vs water…use less rice) will be different. There are recipes out there for using cooked rice, but I’ve not found one that worked for me. And that’s a lot more work.
Hope that helps…
Jeff says
I thought it was to be raw rice…not par-boiled.
Touka nini says
Hi! I just made my first rice milk ever and it came out well, I actually added tiger nuts as well to increase the nutritional value and it was nice for me.
I am still clueless on what or how to use the pulp any recipe please.
Thanks for sharing, Touka! You can find inspiration for using the pulp here: https://minimalistbaker.com/12-easy-almond-pulp-recipes-sweet-savory/
Ingrid says
This recipe sounds great and I’m going to try it. I just wanted to share that the water used to soak the rice in can be used to water your flower pots. There’s potassium and other minerals in there that the plants thrive on.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing, Ingrid!
Giselle says
I make rice for horchata and other deserts. I e used pearl rice as well and use the pulp for rice pudding. I give mine a double strain as well. It’s great to see people starting to make their own “milks” it’s so much healthier than store brought.
Kimberly Olsen says
The hot water that the rice is soaked in starts off hot and then cools over the 2 hrs of soaking? Or am I keeping the water hot over the whole 2 hrs
It cools off, but that’s fine!
Techminator says
Can I rather get rice flour from the grocery story and just add water to it to make my own rice milk?
Hmm, we don’t think that would work the same, unfortunately. It would likely be a chalky texture.
M,R says
hi tah mee i just made some and pouted the left overs in my garden and some for the birds lets see if they will eat it and if you let it dry i guess you could use it for are work good luck
Jose Schwartz says
34 kcal per 1/2 cup? I’m hoping that’s a misprint and not 34,000 calories in a half cup!
Hi Jose, kcal is the measurement for calories, so it is 34 calories.
Jean says
The “k” in kcal stands for “kilo-“calories, aka 1 cal = 0,001 kcal and 1 kcal = 1000 cal…
Hi Jean, see this article for more info.
Alexandra says
Hi there, thank you for the recipe, im trying to calculate the nutrition for the version i’ll be making and was wondering how you calculated for the nutrition with your recipe. Do you subtract the discarded rice pulp ?
Hi Alexandra, The nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with no additional add-ins and the leftover rice pulp subtracted from the total. We estimated that half of the nutrition content would be lost in the pulp.
Divya says
Thanks for the recipe. Going to try this. Can rice milk be used for making yogurt too?
We’ve tried using DIY dairy free milk to make yogurt and haven’t had success. Let us know if you try!
Fay Baker says
Home made non dairy yoghurts: I have had some success using a mix of hemp seed (50%), cashews (10%), flax seeds (30%) and coconut flake (10%) milk. I put all the ingredients to soak for 12 -24 hours depending on the weather, drain then add fresh water, blend and filter through nut bags in batches, heat until almost boiled, then add the yoghurt starter and use machine or oven light to maintain correct temperature. I’m told that adding lecithin can help to stop the milk separating at high temperatures, but I’ve not experimented with this yet. Xanthan gum, even only the tip of a teaspoon full, seemed to thicken the mixture to the point of unusable, so no luck there. :) Cheap supermarket soya milk is, in my experience, the easiest to use to turn into yoghurt or ricotta.
BellaRose_AU says
Could this be adjusted to make rice cream for savoury cooking (cream sauces) and/or rice cream cheese or a sour type cream?
I’ve just found out I have total dairy allergy (anaphylactic) so now have to find substitutes. (Allergy extends to derivatives of whey – which is used in some vegan products at supermarkets).
Hm, we’ve never tried that, but we think it would be too thin/watery. We have a sour cream recipe here.
Inge Strauss says
One food Calorie is actually 1000calories. That’s why 1kcal (food calorie) = 4.18kJ. 1calorie= 4.1iJ
Food calories are often a written as cal instead of the correct kcal
Ester M says
Has anyone used SWEET Rice to make milk?
We haven’t! But let us know if you try it!
Carolina says
I made this and used medium grain rice. I didn’t wash it before hand, but I did put water that was quite hot. Then I rinsed it once the two hours were up, and threw away the water it soaked in, but I know you can you that in soups if you want. I blended it with 3 cups of water as some stated that 4 cups was too watery. I found 3 cups were a good amount, definitively not 4 cups. I strained it very slowly using a bag with very small holes. If you find it starchy at all, it’s because you have to strain it through something really small. I’m dehydrating the paste that was left over. It’s rock hard now, so I’m going to have to put it in a food processor to turn it into a flour of some sort. All in all, it was a satisfying project, but I would much rather do milk from organic soybeans as an alternative to milk.
Pamela says
Me too; I think almonds and soybeans (I’ve had better luck easier with walnuts, too) behave better in what seem to be “low-powered cheap” blenders. After all with those other 3, nobody is saying you just HAVE to have the “$300-even-at-Walmart” blender. If I could spend that on a blender I’d just buy Soymilk over at Aldi’s, thank you very much.
Tah'mee says
What can you do with the leftover residue? my parents are super into conserving and using everything so if there’s something that can be done with it besides throwing it away, that’d be great.
Hi Tah’mee, you could use it similar to how we recommend using almond pulp: https://minimalistbaker.com/12-easy-almond-pulp-recipes-sweet-savory/
sophie says
i followed the recipe as directed and put the dates in it but the rice milk turned out very bitter and coated my mouth in starch but i’m confused because i even rinsed the rice after soaking :( any advice ??
Hmm, was your rice fresh (or rancid) and what kind did you use?
sophie says
i used fresh basmati rice, any ideas on how i can improve?
Fresh as in dry? Or cooked?
sophie says
it was dry
OK, in that instance, I’m not sure! I’ve never had that experience. Did you strain through cloth or fine mesh?
Chelle says
Thanks for the recipe. I was wondering what to do with that bag of rice! haha
Here are some modifications I made to my concoction:
-Instead of adding 4 cups of plain water, I added warm water that was fortified with unflavored bone broth/collagen protein so that whole batch had a total of 44.5g of protein. I also added 6g of cellulose fiber. Both the protein & fiber made no changes to the consistency or taste of the water.
-I also added 6 whole medjool dates. The pits had to be removed first. I did not add anything else.
-While straining the rice water, some of what was left was a superfine paste (kinda like cheese), which I added back into the rice milk. It helped to make the rice milk creamier.
-I also added 4 more cups of warm water to the recipe. I found that the rice granules in the bottom of the ninja blender just kept giving the rice flavor to the water. So I ended up with approx 8 cups of rice milk instead of 4. I also started with 1 cup of rice instead of 3/4 cups.
-When I was finished, I put 1/2 of the rice milk in 1 jar and then in a freezer bag and put that in the freezer. I put the other half in another jar and placed in the refrigerator.
The rice milk will be a good protein drink to use as a creamer for coffee/tea or as a base for other drinks like cocoa, or in other recipes that call for milk/water. It’s quite versatile.
Thanks again!
Ana-nina Vintar says
Dear madam/Sir!
I have to high potassium in blood. Reading recipes what I should avoid to eat and what is recomended. Everywhere are recipes with RICE AND PASTA, but I was surprised how much potassium content rice. Instet of normal milk is written Rice milk. I am confuse what is different betwin this 2 milk.
Thank you for any answer.
Kind regards
Ana-Nina Vintar
Hi Ana-nina, not sure if I am understanding your question? Rice milk is made from rice while normal milk is a dairy product from cows. You can find rice milk in stores or use this homemade recipe. It looks like both have a lower potassium content than cow’s milk, but we’d suggest discussing with your doctor. Hope that helps!
Linda says
Do you add salt to your diet? Sodium usually with help balance potassium in your body.
Judith Mlotshwa says
Hi guys
I would like some advice does anyone have an easy recipe to make rice milk? I have Rice flour what can I add in to make it a bit sweeter
Yolande says
Dates to make it sweeter.
Oche kenneth says
Can rice milk be made into a powder form?
Not sure! Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Shelley says
I used a cotton cloth and mesh strainer after blending but my batch still turned out very starchy (using basmati). Is it recommended to wash the rice first before soaking? Or what else can I do to minimalise this starch?
We can revisit the recipe to see about making more improvements. But yes, before blending, giving the rice a good rinse will remove some of the starch. Admittedly, I’ve never been able to get rice milk *as* creamy as nut milk (it requires straining through a t-shirt of towel to remove the sediment. You could also try soaking your rice overnight (and then thoroughly rinsing) before blending!
Priscilla says
I made it. First time. I added cinnamon a piece of cinnamon stick and some star anise to the rice as it soaked.
The star anise turned out to be too powerful but in all it was great. Thanks
Oh and the water used to soak the rice is a great face toner! It can be used to strengthen the hair as well. Mine’s in the refrigerator ?
Thanks for sharing, Priscilla! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Jess says
Silly question but you said to soak in hot water, does the water need to remain hot or I can pour boiled water into a bowl and leave it?
Not a silly question! You can just leave it =)
Laura says
First time making rice milk. Easy to follow steps, great little tips and tricks sprinkled through the recipe. I used the vanilla, date and maple syrup for depth. I also ised the solids that are strained out to make a cream of rice hot cereal!
So clever, Laura! Thanks for sharing! We are so glad you enjoyed it.
Rev. Kevin McGrane Sr. says
Third time I tried making rice milk and decided to try your recipe. Eureka! Found the right recipe! Very good. Thanks, Mini-Baker People!
Thanks for sharing!
woody says
I use cheese cloth to strain mine an came out perfect first time an every time after
dk says
Hi, first time rice milk maker…
I’m confused with the wording of the recipe. Do the 2cups of water used for soaking get thrown out?
Does the soaked rice go in the blender? Does the remained two cups go in the blender with the salt and dates?
Is it the conents of the blender that are strained?
How would that be strained more than once?
Sorry for the confusion! The 2 cups of water get drained and discarded. Then, the soaked rice goes into the blender with the 4 cups of water, the salt, and dates. The contents of the blender are then strained. To strain again, you would discard any pulp on the strainer, rinse the strainer, and pour the liquid through the strainer once again into another container. Hope that helps!
dk says
Perfect, thank you!!
Teri Roberts says
Thank you for clarifying the numbers
Lisa Giordano says
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.
Nadi says
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.
Did you strain it as per the directions?
Jelena says
That probably happened because you used hot water to blend the rice with it. It shouldn’t happen with cold water.
Pamela says
Agreed – all the recipes I see that call for cooked rice, do say that after you cook it let it cool off before blending, so cool or cold water may be the key, there.
Tussock Blue says
The soaking water is over and above the recipe as written so once you’ve soaked the rice, discarded the soaking water and rinsing the rice, you add the rice to the blender with the full 4 cups of water, blend TIL smooth, then strain. The recipe doesn’t make it clear.
Hana says
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!
Hana says
Oh also I used a cheese cloth and worked very well! I’m pleased as can be.
Kimberly says
Hi! This will be my first time making any type of milk, and I was wondering if I could use honey or stevia instead of the dates or maple syrup to sweeten the milk. Or do the dates or maple syrup just give it a better taste?
Sure! We prefer the taste of dates and maple in this one, but those should also work.
Julie says
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.
Alice says
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?
Kathy says
I’m also wondering about the safety of eating uncooked rice. Did you ever get an answer?
From our understanding as long as the rice is well soaked (as it is in this recipe) it should be fine. However, if you’re worried you could also sub cooked rice and see how that works instead.
JJ says
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.
Pamela says
Here’s something that I see on “oat milk” forums, the key then is to use cold water, they say right out of the refrigerator if necessary. Not sure how important that is with rice, though.
When I tried oat the aforementioned suggestion made it all watery and barely, again, like oat-water or almost like nonfat or skim milk and I threw it out.
Zaneta says
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!?
Jennifer says
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!!
courtney butler says
What type of label maker do you have?
I love this recipe and have used it many times!
Sarah says
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.
Indywoo says
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.
Hmm that’s a great question! While we are not sure, we’d love to hear if you experiment with it! Let us know!
newena says
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.
Marcia says
Hi, I don’t know how this Japanese pudding looks like but if you’re talking about something jelly like without syrup then you could try cooking the rice milk sweetened with regular refined sugar with a fouet to prevent lumping. It should get really creamy after it starts to boil. Pour it into a mold and let it cool completely. It will get jelly like after refrigerated for a few hours. Here in Brazil we call it marble pudding and eat it with caramel syrup and prunes. (Yes, prunes lol). Anyways, ours is made with milk and corn starch but rice milk should yield the pretty same consistente. Good luck!
Dee says
For rice pudding you use sticky rice or risotto rice.
Raema says
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.
J says
You should try tiger nuts and tiger nut milk (they are not actual nuts so like me he won’t be allergic to them) you can also make tiger nut milk at home and it’s very good for you. :)
Saira says
What difference do you think it would make if using cooked rice?
I’m not sure it would work, Saira! If you experiment with it, report back on how it goes!
Tara says
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!
Angela says
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.
Hmm I am wondering if it was because you used basmati rice, which we haven’t tried..
Angela says
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.
Zaneta says
Bazmati is not as starchy as other rices so skip the bazmati!?
Ann Warneka says
My sister has your cook book, 31 days. She loves it. Saved her sanity.
What do you do with the left over rice?
Queencricket
Rachel says
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.
Erin says
Hello,
How do you know when the rice milk has gone bad?
Thanks,
Erin
Hi Erin! If your rice milk smells off or has a sour taste it has spoiled. It should keep for 5 days or longer!
Rachel says
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)
Mark Beatty says
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.
Naomi Paskin-parsons says
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.
Mashahed says
I have a question you dont cook the rice?? Only blend it?
Hi! Soak rice in 2 cups very hot (not boiling water) for 2 hours. The rice should be soft but still very raw.
Riana Ambarsari says
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?
Richard Lightbown says
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
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!
Sarah says
Thank you for advice I will give it another go ?
Sarah says
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?
Hi Sarah! Yeah I am thinking that may have been where you went wrong.. better luck next time!
Ashley Holland says
Can this milk be frozen? It is so expensive to buy here
Hi Ashley! We haven’t tried, but if you do, report back on how it goes! I would think it would work?
Edward Kirby says
I only use rice milk for my oatmeal (3x a week) and I add protein powder to it as well. So I make a large batch, and freeze it into ice cube trays. Then, when I need it, I take out 4 cubes and put them into my Pyrex measuring cube first thing in the morning; this provides me with 4 oz of rice milk. They thaw out while I run (and perform the rest of my rather extensive morning routine), and by the time I cook my oatmeal, its ready to go.
I double your recipe and that provides me with about a month’s supply.
Let me add that its economical, more nutritious and far more delicious than the store bought stuff. And each batch I make gets easier to do. [Not that its exactly difficult to begin with.]
Livia says
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?
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.
Sofia says
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??
Blend with 4 cups of water!
robhob says
Thanks for clearing that up, I was also unsure. Might be worth editing the recipe for clarity.
Phil says
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. :|
You guess right, Phil!
zora says
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?
Graceread says
Have you ever used brown rice? I am assuming the nutrition might be a bit better?
Yes, you can use brown rice, but I prefer the taste of white rice milk!
Pamela says
I’m sure the nutrition is better as that’s what I’m doing, and the taste is better considering the white rice I had used was the cheapest thing I found at Wal-Mart, but I’m finding that since brown rice takes longer to soften or “cook” that may be my problem. It’s turning out way more watery and weak. Like nonfat or “skim” milk at best. Off-white chalk-water at the worst.
Michelle Rangiwulan says
Can I use short grain rice? Like korean rice?
I think so! Let us know how it goes.
Myint Soe.(Myanmar) says
Great
Margaret says
Can’t I just use a regular blender?
That should work!
Pamela says
That’s what I have, my thing may be that I didn’t blend for longer like 4 or 5 minutes…..
Aiste says
Hi, if it would work to soak rice for 12-24 hours in cold water? I would love it to be raw :)
Natasha says
This sounds super easy! But does it really not require any cooking?
Kathleen Anast says
Can I substitute rice or coconut milk for cow milk in my bread recipes ..
Yes! That should work.
Kathleen Anast says
Awesome … I did double strain the milk ..
Sophia says
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
Ceri says
Just a guess, but I imagine you could sort some kind of ground rice pudding?
Great idea!
Martha says
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.
Karyel says
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.
Smart use of the leftover pulp, Karyel!
Ian says
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.
els says
I’ve used the rice pulp (leftovers) to add to (bean) burgers.
Amelia says
Wpuld this be suitable for steaming for barista coffee??
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!
Grand says
Why would you avoid cooking it? Isn’t rice supposed to be consumed cooked not raw?
Hi Grand, it won’t strain well if using cooked rice.
Mici says
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 :)
Hi! You could try, but I would recommend using almond milk instead of coconut milk!
Mici says
Thanks!!