How to Make Homemade Rice Milk Dairy Free

Making rice milk yourself is an inexpensive way to create a delicious beverage.

Whether you are a vegan, lactose intolerant or simply looking for something new to try, homemade dairy-free rice milk is a delicious and easy alternative to traditional ubiquitous dairy milk. In Mexico, it is made often in the summer and spiced up with cinnamon and vanilla to make a beverage called horchata. Your homemade rice milk may also be used in place of other milks, such as soy and almond, when cooking or baking.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup rice of your choice
• 8 cups water
• Pot
• Blender
• Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer

Instructions

1. Combine the rice and water in a pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for 3 hours, stirring often to prevent sticking. Let cool.

2. Fill a blender half-way with the rice mixture. Blend until smooth. Repeat until you've blended the entire contents of the pot.

3. Strain the blended rice mixture through a cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer. Repeat for very smooth rice milk.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use either white or brown rice. Brown is richer in nutrition, but white makes for smoother milk.

• To flavor your rice milk, add 2 tsp. vanilla after the mixture cools, but before pureeing. You can also stir in some cocoa powder or sugar to taste for other flavors.

• You can also use cooked rice, but use only 4 cups water for each cup of cooked rice.

References

• Epicurious: Brown Rice Milk
• Epicurean: Rice Milk
• VegWeb: Rice Milk
• Vegan Reader: How to Make Rice Milk and Stop Supporting Rice Dream