Ask Goodbaker:
Vegan Baking Questions and Answers

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Q: I'm baking and I want to substitute rice milk (rice dream) for non-fat milk. Is it the same? Does 1 cup rice milk equals 1 cup cow milk?

A: Rice milk is fine for most recipes, although it is often a bit sweeter than soy.

The one exception is when you're making something that has to jell, like pudding or a custard. Because rice milk has less protein than soy or cow, it won't set properly and you'll have to nearly double the corn starch, tapioca, or whatever the jelling agent is.

Also, if you need "buttermilk" and want to add lemon juice or vinegar to your milk to sour it, it's better to use soy or almond milk, again because they have more protein so they will thicken better, to make a better non-dairy approximation of buttermilk.

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Please note that we are not medical professionals, and our advice is not intended to treat any disease or to substitute for the knowledge and advice of a medical professional. We're just trying to help by passing on what we've learned from others.