Stored

Sealed carton of rice milk beside a small glass of the poured liquid, showing its pale, thin appearance.

Shows the typical retail packaging and the milk's characteristic translucent, pale white color and watery consistency.

Beverages

Rice Milk

Light, naturally sweet dairy-free milk, allergen-friendly

Thin and naturally sweet, rice milk is the most allergen-friendly plant milk — free of nuts, soy, and dairy — for drinks and cereal. Keep it at room temperature unopened, cold after.

Rice milk is a plant-based milk made from milled rice and water — naturally sweet, very light, and thin, with a clean, mild flavor and almost no fat or protein. It's the most hypoallergenic of the common milk alternatives (free of dairy, soy, and nuts), which makes it a go-to for people with multiple allergies. In cooking, its thinness and natural sweetness suit lighter, sweeter dishes: cereal, smoothies, rice pudding, pancakes, lighter baking, and as a milk in tea or coffee. It's less suited to rich, creamy sauces (it stays watery and can need thickening), but it shines where a clean, sweet, allergen-friendly milk is wanted.

Measured in: ml
Storage: Room Temperature

Find it in

BeveragesHealth Food

Types & varieties

Unsweetened

Best for cooking — still mildly sweet

Sweetened/vanilla

Drinks and desserts

With added oil

Slightly more body

How to use in cooking

Rice milk's clean sweetness suits breakfast and lighter dishes: pour over cereal, blend into smoothies, cook a (doubly) rice pudding, make pancakes, or use it in lighter cakes and muffins. It's a top choice for allergy-friendly cooking (no dairy, soy, or nuts). Because it's thin and low in fat and protein, it won't thicken into a rich sauce on its own — add a starch or flour roux if you need body. Use it where a delicate, sweet, allergen-safe milk fits best.

How to choose

Unsweetened rice milk is best for savory or controlled-sugar cooking, though even unsweetened it tastes naturally sweet. It's the most allergen-friendly common plant milk. For creamy sauces, blend it with a thicker plant milk or add a thickener. Most cartons are fortified with calcium and vitamins; some have added oil for a little body.

Common uses

Pour over cereal or granolaBlend into smoothiesMake a light rice puddingCook pancakesBake lighter cakes and muffinsUse as a milk in tea or coffeeMake allergy-friendly custard (thickened)