Creamy, nutty, and delicious, this homemade Horchata recipe is a refreshing drink made with rice and almonds soaked in water and milk. It’s a light and sweet Mexican drink, perfect for any occasion.
If you love Mexican-inspired recipes as much as I do, hop over to grab my recipes for Machaca, barbacoa, and Elote!
What Is Horchata?
If you’ve never had Horchata (or-chah-tah) before, you’re in for a delicious treat! I was in Puerto Vallarta the first time I tried it and just kept wanting more and more. Horchata is a sweet, creamy, rice-based drink originally from Spain and popular in Mexico. The traditional Spanish version, called Horchata de chufa, was often made with tiger nuts, but traditional Mexican horchata, aka Horchata de arroz, is a wee bit different. It’s usually made by soaking rice and cinnamon in water and then straining it to produce a smooth, light drink sweetened with a small amount of sugar. Think rice pudding in liquid form!
Horchata is one of Mexico’s most famous drinks, and it’s easy to see why! With its mild, nutty flavor, this drink can be served as a snack, as a treat, after a meal, or whenever! If you add more sugar, it can be almost like a dessert; if you use less sugar, it’s a refreshing pick-me-up.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Let’s grab the essentials, such as white rice and milk, to recreate this beloved refreshment often found at your favorite Mexican restaurant. You’ll also need to take out your blender to make this recipe.
- Rice: You’ll need uncooked, long grain white rice, not cooked rice.
- Almonds: Blanched almonds are best since they have had their bitter skins removed.
- Cinnamon: I use cinnamon sticks, but ground cinnamon works as well.
- Water: Used for blending the rice mixture.
- Granulated Sugar: You can use sugar or substitute a different sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar. Sweeten to your liking.
- Vanilla Extract: Added for extra flavor.
- Milk: Dairy milk is my go-to, but you can also use dairy free milk, such as oat milk or almond milk.
- Ice: For serving.
How to Make Horchata
If you’re new to making horchata de arroz, it might seem like an unusual recipe, but the method couldn’t be simpler. There are just a few steps, including blending your ingredients, chilling the drink, and finally, straining it.
- Blend the Dry Ingredients. Combine the rice, almonds, and cinnamon sticks in a blender, and then pour in about ¼ cup water to help in the blending process. Pulse the blender until the mixture is ground.
- Add Water, Vanilla, and Milk. Next, pour in two more cups of water, along with the sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to blend until it is well combined. This should take about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a large bowl or container, and then stir in the rest of the water and milk.
- Refrigerate and Strain. Cover your mixture tightly and refrigerate it overnight. When it’s ready, use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain it into a pitcher. Stir it well, and serve over ice.
Recipe Tips and Variations
This Mexican drink is easy to make, it’s delicious, and the recipe is very flexible! Feel free to play with the amounts and even the ingredients to make it the way you want.
- Fine Mesh. If you are using a mesh strainer, make sure it is very fine. This helps to eliminate any rice in your beverage, preventing it from becoming gritty.
- Add More Milk. To make a richer horchata, use more milk and less water.
- Make Strawberry Horchata. After the horchata soaks overnight, you can blend in some strawberries to make a strawberry horchata, aka horchifresa.
- Make Coffee Horchata. For a coffee-spiked horchata, add ground coffee to the rice mixture as it soaks, or replace some of the water in the recipe with cooled espresso.
- Add Alcohol. Traditional horchatas are alcohol-free, but if you like, add some rum, brandy, or Kahlua – they are all great choices for adding a little kick to this refreshing sipper.
Serving Ideas
I love adding something crunchy to nibble on while enjoying my glass of horchata, like this delicious Pistachio Biscotti Recipe. Another good bite is these Blondies, which go wonderfully with the nutty flavor of this beverage. Pair horchata with our Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls to bring out the cinnamon flavor!
Proper Storage
Horchata should be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container and consumed within 3 to 4 days. To freeze, store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 1 to 2 months. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays to blend into a frappe! Place it in the refrigerator overnight if you’d like to thaw it.
More Tasty Drinks
Horchata
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
- ½ cup chopped or sliced almonds,
- 2 cinnamon sticks, or use 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 cups water, divided
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar, or your choice of substitute sweetener
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups milk, you can also use oat milk or nut milk
- Ice, for serving
Instructions
- Combine rice, almonds, and cinnamon sticks in a high powered blender; pour in about ¼ cup water and blend until mixture is ground.
- Pour in 2 cups water, add the sugar and vanilla extract, and continue to blend until combined, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a large bowl or container; add in the remaining water and milk.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready, using a fine mesh or cheese cloth, strain the mixture into a pitcher. Stir it well, and serve over ice.
Notes
- For a creamier horchata, increase milk and reduce water.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to remove any rice residue for a smoother texture.
- Create a strawberry horchata (horchifresa) by blending strawberries after soaking.
- Change up horchata with coffee by adding ground coffee to the soaking mix or using cooled espresso instead of some water.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This is really the best horchata recipe I’ve tried! So good!
That’s great! I’m really glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This tastes just like what I remember from my travels. Thanks for transporting me back there with these flavors.
Woaaaaah! I really need to try this!
I hope you’ll enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I have always wanted to try this and now I can make it at home. Thank you!
Please enjoy! Thank YOU! 🙂
Oh, wow! I have to tell you, I never knew that traditional horchatas didn’t have alcohol in them. I thought they were cocktails!
I hope you’ll enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂