Rice milk has become the forgotten milk alternative. It was the original allergy-friendly milk substitute (no nuts and no soy), and many argued it had the cleanest taste. But when oat milk hit the scene, rice milk was shoved aside. I guess oat milk was novel, and sounded more wholesome. But dairy-free rice milk still has a better taste, in my opinion. So I’m resuscitating this classic alternative with my updated homemade rice milk recipe.
The Best Way to Make Dairy-Free Rice Milk
Many years ago, I shared two versions of homemade rice milk. I’ve tried many other methods since then, and eventually landed on a new recipe that I shared in the 2nd edition of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. Today, I’m putting it up online to replace those older recipes. I’m also adding some more tips and options in the recipe and in the FAQs below.
Can I Use Brown Rice to Make Rice Milk?
I prefer to use white rice rather than brown rice for both health and taste reasons. Brown rice might be a little higher in nutrients, but it also contains 80% more inorganic arsenic than white rice. It’s impossible to avoid arsenic, but I prefer to limit it whenever possible. Rinsing the rice and sourcing white rice from certain regions (like California, Thailand, or India) can also help to mitigate the issue. Toasted brown rice can also taste a bit overpowering when made into dairy-free rice milk. White rice milk has a very “plain” taste that can be integrated into almost any recipe.
What Type of Rice should I use?
I typically use jasmine rice, because it’s our everyday long-grain rice. Some people swear by basmati. But short-grain rice like sushi rice or arborio rice also work well.
Why do you use Oil? Can I omit it?
Like other grains, rice is low in fat. This means it creates a very watery milk alternative on its own, especially without the use of industrial machinery. Blending in a little oil until it emulsifies creates a richer, milkier consistency. You’ll find that many store-bought brands contain both oil and thickeners. Nevertheless, I have included some oil-free options in the notes of the recipe.
Why do you Toast the Rice?
It takes the raw “edge” off the rice, and I think it improves the overall flavor of the homemade rice milk.
Can’t I just Cook the Rice?
It will seem creamier if you use cooked rice, but this is caused by starches, not fat. So the resultant milk alternative will be more gooey, slimy, and pasty than creamy. This can work fine in things like soup, where it helps to thicken. But it isn’t very appealing in many other applications.
What Type of Oil should I use?
I like to use rice bran oil, since the flavor melds well and it’s inexpensive. But any neutral-tasting oil should work well. I find that extra light olive oil (not extra virgin), canola oil, and other similar oils work well. Nut oils and avocado oil will add flavor, but should work fine. Coconut oil is the only one I’d avoid since it won’t blend well into the cold water.
What Type of Sweetener can I use?
Any type of sweetener, liquid or granulated, classic or sugar-free, will perform fine. It’s really up to your personal taste preference. As mentioned white rice milk has a very plain taste, so plain cane sugar will meld the best. Other sweeteners will influence the flavor, depending on how much you add.
Why do you Add Salt?
Grains love salt, and rice is no exception. Though it isn’t absolutely necessary, I find that just a pinch of salt improves the flavor of this dairy-free homemade rice milk quite a bit.
Do I need a High Power Blender?
A high power blender can be useful for making homemade rice milk. I use a Ninja, which is a cost effective option. But I’ve also made this recipe with a regular blender, and it worked just fine. Just keep in mind that rice is quite hard, even after soaking, so your machine needs to have good blades for breaking the kernels down.
How Much Does Homemade Rice Milk Cost?
By my calculations, with current high prices, it costs less than $1 to make a quart of rice milk (plus a couple servings of cream of rice cereal!). At my local store, rice milk currently costs $5 per quart. That’s a big savings, and this recipe is so easy! You do have to plan ahead with the soaking, but the hands on time is relatively quick. Also, if you have a smaller household, you can easily reduce the batch size to avoid waste.
Special Diet Notes: Rice Milk
By ingredients, the base recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, coconut-free, seed-free, optionally added sugar-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
Homemade Dairy-Free Rice Milk
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Thoroughly rinse the rice with cold water in a fine-mesh sieve. Let it air-dry for a few minutes.
- Put the rice in a large skillet over medium heat. It should finish drying out as the pan heats up, but stir to prevent sticking. Continue stirring until the grains no longer look opaque and are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
- Put the toasted rice in a container and cover with a few inches of cold water. Cover and place the rice in the refrigerator to soak for 12 to 24 hours.
- After it has soaked, drain and rinse the rice.
- Put the rice in your blender with about 1 cup of the water. Blend on high until the rice is finely ground and has released some milkiness, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 to 3 cups water. Blend until relatively smooth, about 1 minute.
- Pour the milky mixture through a nut milk bag or a few layers of cheesecloth lining a sieve to strain. Squeeze the pulp to extract as much milky goodness as possible. (See the Cream of Rice Cereal Recipe below for the leftover rice pulp / sediment.)
- Return the rice milk to your blender and add the oil and salt. Blend until emulsified and relatively creamy, about 1 minute.
- Blend in your favorite sweetener to taste (if using) and vanilla (if using).
- Store the rice milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I can only recommend it for up to a few days, but we usually keep it for up to 1 week. Whisk or shake before each use; it might separate a little as it sits.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Also try my Classic Dairy-Free Horchata Recipe!
