Homemade coconut and rice milk, nut-free plant milk

Coconut & Rice Milk (Nut-Free, Allergy-Friendly)

Nut-free, gluten-free, naturally sweet. This is the milk for households where somebody cannot have almonds, and everybody is tired of reading labels to find out.

You'll need

  • 70 g desiccated coconut
  • 120 g cooked white rice, cooled (last night's leftovers are perfect)
  • 1 L cold water
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Optional: 1 date, for a sweeter finish

Method

  1. Use cold, cooked rice. Warm rice makes the milk gluey the starch has not set. Straight from the fridge is ideal.
  2. Load the jug: coconut, rice, water, salt.
  3. Press Raw nut milk. Sixty seconds.
  4. Filter properly. Coconut leaves more pulp than nuts do — do not skip the basket here.
  5. Chill. It thickens noticeably overnight; loosen with a splash of water if you like it thinner.
Never blend hot rice. Blending warm, freshly cooked rice releases free starch and you end up with something closer to wallpaper paste than milk. Cold rice has retrograded starch it stays put. This is the single rule that decides whether rice milk works or fails.

Why this one matters

Shop-bought rice milk is mostly water, rice syrup and sunflower oil it is one of the most heavily processed plant milks on the shelf. Made at home it is two ingredients and costs pennies. And because it contains no nuts, no soy and no gluten, it is often the only plant milk a whole family can share.

Make it your own

  • Creamier: add 20 g cashews.
  • Warm version: run it on a hot program with a cinnamon stick horchata, essentially.
  • Brown rice: works, and gives a nuttier, less sweet result.

Keeps 3–4 days, refrigerated. Shake well rice milk separates more than most.

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