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!)
- 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 (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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
*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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!!