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    Home » Beverage Recipes

    Homemade Horchata

    LAST UPDATED: July 25, 2019 PUBLISHED: July 29, 2019 By Pam Greer 26 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you love horchata and who doesn't, you're going to love this homemade horchata!  Creamy and refreshing with a hint of cinnamon, it is so good! 

    Two glasses of horchata with a pitcher behind them.

    What is Mexican Horchata?

    It is so sad that I had never heard of or tried horchata before last year!  I was at a Mexican restaurant and saw it on the menu and decided to give it a try.   I loved it!

    After much googling, I discovered that there are several different kinds of horchata.  Horchata de chufa originated in West African countries and is made with ground tiger nuts.  Horchata de ajonjoli is made from sesame seeds and is popular in Puerto Rico.  There are even more types and you can read about them - All About Horchata. 

    The Mexican horchata that I am talking about is also called horchata de arroz and is made with rice.  

    Ingredients for horchata: water, simple syrup, salt, vanilla extract, rice, and a cinnamon stick.

    Ingredients for Easy Homemade Horchata.

    There are many different recipes floating around for how to make a homemade horchata.  Some use almonds, some use sweetened condensed milk.   The recipe that I am using is one I found in The New Cocktail Hour.  It was simple and I had all the ingredients, so I decided to give it a try! 

    Water - use filtered water if possible.

    Simple Syrup - equal parts of water and sugar heated up and stirred until the sugar dissolves.  Can use the same amount of sweetened condensed milk. 

    Salt.

    Vanilla Extract - I used my homemade vanilla extract. 

    Rice - preferably organic. 

    Cinnamon Stick.

    Glass jar filled with rice, water and other ingredients for homemade horchata.

    How to Make Mexican Horchata.

    Once you see how easy it is to make this horchata drink, you'll be making it all the time! 

    Step one is to soak the rice.  In a jar, combine the rice, cinnamon stick and 2 cups of water.  Cover and let it sit for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

    2 photo collage showing the steps for making homemade horchata.

    Next, pour the rice mixture into your favorite blender and blend on high for about 15 to 20 seconds.  You want the rice ground to a sandy consistency.   Add 2 more cups of water and blend again, briefly. 

    Strain the rice mixture through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth.  You might have to stir it a bit to get the liquid to drain through. 

    Then stir in the simple syrup, vanilla and salt.  Chill.   Will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. 

    Glass bottle filled with white liquid and tag reading horchata.

    Homemade Horchata is so good!

    We loved this horchata!  We drank it over ice and it was so refreshing! 

    Of course, we had to make our own RumChata cocktail which is coming up on Friday!!  So delicious! 

    Add a shot of espresso to horchata for a coffechata - my new favorite drink! 

    Some other ways to use this horchata:

    Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding - use it in place of the almond milk.

    Blueberry Almond Smoothie - it would be a delicious substitute for the almond milk. 

    Vanilla Yogurt Panna Cotta - use it in place of the milk. 

    In all of these, you might want to decrease the amount of sugar or sweetener in the recipe, since the horchata is already sweetened. 

    If you're looking for more no alcohol drinks, be sure and follow my Drinks - No Alcohol Board on Pinterest. 

    Two glasses of homemade horchata
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    5 from 30 votes

    Homemade Horchata

    This easy homemade horchata is rich, creamy and delicious!
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine Mexican
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Resting Time 1 day day 8 hours hours
    Total Time 1 day day 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 290kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup white rice long grained, uncooked
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 4 cups water divided
    • ½ cup simple syrup
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • In a jar, combine the rice, cinnamon stick and 2 cups of the water. Put a lid on it and let it sit for 8 hours or overnight.
    • Pour the rice mixture, including the cinnamon stick, into a blender and blend for 15 to 20 seconds.
    • Add the remaining 2 cups of water and briefly blend again.
    • Line a strainer with cheesecloth and strain the rice mixture through it. You might have to stir it a bit to get it to strain through.
    • Add the simple syrup, vanilla and salt. Stir and chill. Serve over ice.

    Notes

    Simple syrup - mix ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir until the sugar has dissolved and remove from the heat.  This will make a little more than you need for this recipe.  Store in the fridge and use in other cocktails. 
    This will keep for 5-7 days in the fridge. 
    Note - the calorie count is inflated because it is taking into account all of the rice, when some of the rice is strained out. 
    For a creamier version, use sweetened condensed milk instead of simple syrup.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kirsten/Comfortably Domestic says

      August 13, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      I absolutely love horchata! Homemade is nicer because you can control the sweetness. I haven't seen a recipe that uses simple syrup before. I like the idea of that far better than sweetened condensed milk.

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        August 13, 2019 at 2:15 pm

        Yes, give it a try and let me know what you think!

        Reply
    2. Debra says

      August 11, 2019 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      Yum. A tasty alternative to plain rice milk. Perfect to make a sweet chia pudding with. Especially with that added cinnamon. WEll done.

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        August 11, 2019 at 2:49 pm

        Oh my gosh, it would be great with chia pudding!

        Reply
    3. Tracy says

      August 11, 2019 at 12:47 pm

      5 stars
      Wow um I’m embarrassed this is the first time I’ve heard of it! But I love that you can make it so easily from scratch. Your step by step is so helpful. Love all your recipes, thanks for another great one!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        August 11, 2019 at 2:49 pm

        I hadn't heard of it either until a little bit ago!

        Reply
    4. Jenni LeBaron says

      August 11, 2019 at 11:08 am

      5 stars
      I've never had a proper horchata before, but I see it on the menu at a bunch of restaurants we frequent and have always been curious. This one looks really simple to put together and the ingredients sound tasty! I can't wait to give this drink a try!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        August 11, 2019 at 2:50 pm

        You'll have to let me know what you think!

        Reply
    5. Tina says

      August 11, 2019 at 7:40 am

      5 stars
      I've been seeing recipes for Horchata everywhere it seems, and I wasn't sure what it was. This looks delicious! We recently discovered my son is mildly lactose intolerant so I'll have to make some so he can use it as a dairy replacement alternative as you suggested in the post. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        August 11, 2019 at 10:20 am

        It's really good. You'll have to let me know what he thinks!

        Reply
    6. Meagan Johnson says

      August 11, 2019 at 3:31 am

      Is the nutrition information that's listed per serving or per batch?

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        August 11, 2019 at 10:22 am

        It's per serving, but as I mentioned in the notes, it is definitely inflated. It is counting all of the rice, when a lot of it is strained out. So the nutrition information is not completely accurate.

        Reply
    7. Gloria says

      August 06, 2019 at 5:47 pm

      5 stars
      I have never tried this. We love Mexican food. I think I need to give this a try it. Love the sound of the cinnamon i this tasty drink.

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        August 07, 2019 at 3:13 pm

        It's really good and refreshing!

        Reply
    8. Marjie says

      August 04, 2019 at 7:26 pm

      I've never heard of horchata, but it sounds interesting. Cinnamon is always a winning flavor!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        August 05, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        It is surprisingly refreshing!

        Reply
    9. Sharon says

      July 29, 2019 at 8:08 pm

      5 stars
      I had no idea that making horchata right at home was so simple! I can't wait to make my own soon.

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        July 30, 2019 at 2:30 pm

        You'll have to let me know what you think!

        Reply
    10. Beth says

      July 29, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      This looks cool and refreshing and for us cinnamon lovers, this is a delicious drink!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        July 30, 2019 at 2:30 pm

        Fellow cinnamon lover here!

        Reply
    11. Irina says

      July 29, 2019 at 5:14 pm

      5 stars
      I have never heard about Mexican Horchata, but it sounds delicious! I should try to make it for sure! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        July 30, 2019 at 2:31 pm

        You'll have to let me know what you think!

        Reply
    12. Mary says

      July 29, 2019 at 5:00 pm

      5 stars
      I love horchata! I always order it when I'm at a taqueria, but I'd never made it myself! Thanks for demystifying it!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        July 30, 2019 at 2:31 pm

        You need to try it, it's so easy and so good!

        Reply
    13. Annissa says

      July 29, 2019 at 5:00 pm

      5 stars
      I confess that I've never heard of horchata. Sounds delicious as I love anything cinnamon. I can't believe I went to Mexico last year and didn't try it!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        July 30, 2019 at 2:31 pm

        You need to try it!

        Reply
    5 from 30 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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    Pam Greer from Sidewalk Shoes

    Hi, I'm Pam. I'm the person who plans whole vacations around where to eat and drink. Beautiful scenery is optional.

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