Turn rice grains into rice flour instantly with this recipe! We share how to make rice flour at home, which is quick and easy and the perfect solution when you can't find rice flour at the store or you need to make it in a jiffy!
What is rice
Rice is a seed of the grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is widely consumed as a household staple item providing more than one-fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans [source].
We find rice in three forms: long, medium, and short-grained which all serve specific purposes in cooking. Long grain rice can be found in both brown and white rice and is high in amylose and enjoyed as a side dish or base over masala recipes and remains intact when cooked. Medium-grain rice is high in amylopectin, slightly more sticky than long-grain rice, and is used in risotto. Short-grain rice is usually sweet rice and is very sticky, making it great to use in sushi rolls as the stickiness allows rice to hold its shape when cooked.
All of these can be turned into rice powder, which feels like just what it is - a powder texture.
Brown rice
Brown rice flour is made from whole grain brown rice. Brown rice has the outer hull removed, but still contains the bran and germ. It is more nutrient dense than white, containing magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, and manganese, and is high in fiber. It is great to turn into a powder or flour, and use in combination with white rice for gluten-free flour mixes.
Sweet rice (glutinous rice flour)
Sweet rice is also known as glutinous rice (Oryza sativa glutinosa) or sticky rice. Glutinous rice refers to any type of rice high in amylopectin starch and low in amylose starch. Due to being naturally 'sticky', when made into flour, sweet rice helps to bind ingredients together and lends delicate sweetness to desserts like mochi and baked goods.
White rice
Like brown rice, white rice also has its husk removed, but it also has the bran and germ removed as well. It is then polished to a shiny finish, leaving very little nutritional value, and flavor. White rice makes a wonderful addition to homemade gluten-free breads and baked goods when mixed with other gluten-free flours and starches.
Rice Flour
Rice flour is the most common gluten-free flour ingredient for baking, homemade doughs, dumplings, breading foods for frying, as a thickener for soup, and thickening agent for sauces and gravies. It is milled flour made by grinding cooked and dehydrated kernels of long or short grain rice until it becomes the consistency of a powder or flour, often done using grain mills.
Using rice flour is essential for gluten-free cooking and baking in place of wheat flour or all purpose flour. It is the main ingredient in my homemade gluten-free flour blend (exclusively found in my gluten-free baking cookbook), and other gf flour blends, and can be found in most store-bought mixes. It comes in brown rice, sweet white rice, and white rice.
But what happens when you are in the middle of a recipe and need a quick homemade gluten-free flour in a jiffy, or can't find sweet white rice at the store? That's where knowing how to make rice flour at home comes in handy! And you don't need a grain mill - just a high speed blender, food processor or coffee grinder will do the trick!
Ingredients and ratio for turning rice into flour
This rice flour recipe is made with 1 cup of rice, which the ratio can be double or tripled if you need more rice flour. How much flour does 1 cup of rice make? A good rule of thumb is to note that 1 cup of rice equals about 1 ½ cups of rice flour. Use this measurement conversion chart for converting, or for more, use 2 cups of rice to make 3 cups of flour.
The images shown on how to make rice flour use white rice, but you can use use brown rice or sweet white rice as well.
Equipment
Grain mills are used to make rice flour, and other domestic culinary flours. Although not everyone wants one more cooking gadget in their kitchen. To make homemade rice flour, use one of the below. That way you can make it with our without a grinder, food processor, or blender!
How to make rice flour
STEP 1: Add the rice to a high powered blender, food processor, or in increments in a coffee grinder (if using a coffee grinder, make sure it is extremely clean so it doesn't taste like coffee).
STEP 2: Pulse on high for 1 minute until the rice grinds into a very fine powder. It will go everywhere, so make sure that lid is on!
STEP 3: Store the homemade rice flour in a sealed jar in a cool dry place for up to 3 months.
Best blender for making flour
Any high powered blender with a sharp blade will do such as a Vitamix or Ninja blender. I have great experience using this Vitamix and set the setting on 'soup' or 'spread', where it starts out slow then speeds up to grind the rice grains.
Frequently asked questions
Rice is gluten-free as long as the packaging says "certified gluten-free". During farming it can get cross contaminated with other wheat grains, so it is best to make sure the source labels the product as certified gluten free.
If stored properly, it will last quite a while. Homemade rice flour that is stored properly in a sealed airtight container in a cool dry place will last 3 months. It can also be stored in an airtight container with all air removed in the freezer for up to 12 months. Check the smell before using it to make sure it has not spoiled. If it has spoiled it will have a rancid smell, similar to that of a wax crayon.
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📖 Recipe
How To Make Rice Flour From Scratch (Brown, Sweet, or White Rice Flour)
Equipment
- high powered blender
- Coffee Grinder
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked rice Chose the rice needed, and can use sweet rice, glutinous rice, brown rice, white rice, and/or jasmine white rice
Instructions
- Add the rice to a high powered blender, food processor, or in increments in a coffee grinder (if using a coffee grinder, make sure it is extremely clean so it doesn't taste like coffee).
- Pulse on high for 1 minute until the rice grinds into a very fine powder (it makes about 1 ½ cups of rice flour).
- Store the homemade rice flour in a sealed jar in a cool dry place for up to 3 months.
Notes
- How much does this make: about 1 ½ cups. Rule of thumb is that one cup of rice grains produces about 1 ½ cups of rice flour.
- Storing: If stored properly, it will last quite a while. Homemade rice flour that is stored properly in a sealed jar in a cool dry place will last 3 months. It can also be stored in an airtight container with all air removed in the freezer for up to 12 months. Check the smell before using it to make sure it has not spoiled. If it has spoiled it will have a rancid smell, similar to that of a wax crayon.
Gail says
I’m trying to make sweet white rice? Can you give me a substitute I have stoneground white rice flour but I need sweet rice flour can’t find anywhere have recipe must make tonight 🙁 can I Substitute anything or add sugar to this flower?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
You can try making the rice flour with what you have and if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sweet rice, adjust to 3/4 cup homemade rice flour and 1/4 cup tapioca flour (add more flour to adjust to the batter). Or if you can find "sweet rice, glutinous rice, or stick rice" then use one of those and blend it into rice flour.