Horchata
Ingredients
- 1 cup Carolina® White Rice
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 8 cups water, divided
- 1 cup sugar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
Compliment any of your favorite meals with this sweet and refreshing Traditional Mexican Horchata drink made with rice, water, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla.
Step 1
Combine rice and cinnamon stick with 4 cups of water in a blender.
Step 2
Pulse until rice is coarsely ground.
Step 3
Pour mixture into a large bowl and allow to soak at room temperature at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 4
Puree rice mixture until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer.
Step 5
Add remaining water*, sugar and vanilla, if desired. Stir until sugar dissolves. Chill.
Step 6
Stir horchata before serving.
Cooking Tips
For a richer drink, use 4 cups of your favorite milk or milk alternative instead of water.
Leftover horchata will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Video
What is Horchata?
Horchata is a sweet drink that originated in Spain and is traditionally made with soaked, ground, and sweetened tiger nuts. Over the centuries it has also become a popular drink in Latin America and is made with a rice base instead. One of our favorites is Mexican horchata, which is typically made of rice, water or milk, cinnamon, and sugar.
The rice, sometimes along with some nuts or seeds, is blended and mixed with water to make a drink this is milky in appearance. We’ve chosen quality rice to start with a flavorful base. It is served over ice and is a cool and refreshing drink that is perfect in Mexico and a lot of Latin America’s hot climate.
There’s no need to cook rice on the stove for this simple and satisfying Mexican-style horchata! It’s well worth it to plan in advance! If you plan to serve it with a meal as it takes at least 4 hours of soaking before you can puree the ingredients to make the drink. It’s even better if you can let the mixture soak overnight for maximum flavor.
Once this step is done, the rest of the recipe is easy! Puree the mixture and add the remaining water, sugar and vanilla and chill. Pour it over ice and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon for a beautiful, fragrant, and delicious drink to go with your meal. If you’re a horchata fanatic, make sure to try this tasty drink as a sweet snack or creamy dessert with this Banana Horchata Smoothie recipe!
