For those who want to avoid dairy for reasons varying from allergies to ethical concerns, making your own rice milk provides an inexpensive and readily available alternative.
It is also good to know how to do this in order to prep for survival when you won’t have access to fresh dairy milk. In relation to the effort required this homemade rice milk is definitely cheaper than commercially prepared rice milk.
Rice Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups water you can use slightly less to create a more creamy milk
- ¾ cup long grain white rice – uncooked Brown rice can be used but the taste is not typically considered as pleasing.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Soak the rice in two cups of the extremely hot but not boiling water for about two hours. The rice will still be in a basically raw state, but will be a little softened. If you tried to snap a piece of the rice in half with your fingers, you should still be able to do it after straining the water from the rice.
- Strain the water from the rice.
- In a blender or food processor (if you have access to modern appliances), or with a manual grain grinder if you do not, add in the rest of the water, the salt, and any optional flavorings. If using a blender then blend for 60 seconds. The rice particles do not have to be completely broken up.
- If you prefer a 100% liquid milk, then blend for a bit longer.
- Pour the rice milk mixture into a pitcher or another large bowl through cheesecloth, a fine mesh strainer, or even a clean cotton shirt. Do not use a nut milk bag for this recipe, as the openings are too large and will allow rice particles to filter through.
Notes
Optional flavorings
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract for added flavor,
- ¼ of a cup of your favorite berries,
- …or 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder


Tara lives on a 56 acres farm in the Appalachian Mountains, where she faces homesteading and farming challenges every single day, raising chickens, goats, horses, and tons of vegetables. She’s an expert in all sorts of homesteading skills such as hide tanning, doll making, tree tapping, and many more.