Horchata Recipe (Easy Mexican Rice Milk Drink)

This Horchata recipe makes a cool refreshing rice-based drink that is best for hot summer days. Perfect for the Cinco de Mayo party. This is my take on the traditional Mexican rice milk drink with cinnamon and almonds.

If you are in the mood for unique refreshing drinks, you must try orange Julius or Iced Hibiscus tea. Don’t miss the Cinco-de-Mayo party dip recipes fresh mango salsa, roasted tomatillo salsa verde, white queso dip.

What is Horchata?

Horchata or orxata is a popular Mexican/Spanish drink that is generally plant-based but sometimes contains animal milk (dairy milk) in it. You probably had this drink in your favorite Mexican restaurant. It goes by the name “aqua de horchata”. It’s easy to make it at home and healthy too.

This Mexican rice milk drink is made by blending soaked rice, almonds, and cinnamon. It’s flavored with cinnamon and sweetened with condensed milk. This version of Spanish horchata is made of tiger nuts and authentic Mexican horchata has rice and no nuts.

Best served chilled with ice. Summer is just around the corner and this cold refreshing drink is perfect to sip on.

Fruity milk-based drinks like strawberry milk are my kid’s favorite.

Ingredients

1. Rice – you need uncooked white rice for this drink. Long-grain white rice is best. Other white rice like basmati rice, short-grain white rice or jasmine rice will work too.
2. Almonds – sliced almonds, chopped almonds, or whole almonds all work.
3. Cinnamon – to infuse strong cinnamon flavor blend the sticks with soaked rice and almonds. I like the subtle cinnamon flavor. For subtle flavor break each stick into two and soak with rice and almonds.  Before blending remove some of the cinnamon stick and blend. Depending on how strong the cinnamon flavor you want to infuse, discard sticks accordingly.
4. Milk –animal-based or plant-based milk can be used. Plant-based milk like almond milk, coconut milk, or cashew milk can be used. I used both evaporated milk and condensed milk.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Add raw long-grain white rice, sliced almonds, and cinnamon sticks to a large bowl. Rinse the mix under tap water well. Drain.

Step 2: Pour 4 cups water and let it soak in water for a minimum of 4 hours, best overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 3: Drain the rice and collect water in a large bowl.

Step 4: For strong cinnamon flavor blend all cinnamon with rice and almonds. For subtle flavor, remove some of the cinnamon. I used 2 large cinnamon sticks soaked overnight to infuse flavor while blending just ½ cinnamon stick.

Step 5: Add drained rice mix to high power blender. Pour 1-2 cups of soaked water to help blend rice.

Step 6: Note: you can use all water used to soak rice while blending. I like my horchata drink a bit more thick, and rich, so I used only 1 ½ cups of soaked water. Blend for 3-4 minutes.

Step 7: Strain rice milk through a fine mesh sieve. Best use cheesecloth lined over a mesh strainer and drain the liquid. Discard all the grits. It’s important to get rid of all the grits, they are not pleasant to drink.

Step 8: If needed strain the milk 2-3 times through a fine mesh sieve.

Step 9: To a large pitcher pour rice milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla extract, and a dash of salt.

Step 10: Stir it well.

Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Best served chilled over a glass of ice.

Tips

1. Soak overnight. It’s best to soak rice, almonds, and cinnamon sticks overnight in the refrigerator. The longer soaking time ensures flavors of rice and cinnamon are infused well and you also get creamier milk.
2. Use a powerful blender. Soaked rice mix should be blended well to exact the milk.
3. A whole cinnamon stick is best. Use 2 sticks of cinnamon for strong flavor, and 1 stick for subtle flavor. Although cinnamon powder can be used, it does not taste the same. I highly recommend you use whole cinnamon sticks.
4. Strain milk. Although unstrained rice milk can be served and in some places, you get the thick unstrained horchata, I find the strained drink better. The unstrained drink has rice grits which are not pleasant to drink. For a smooth creamier horchata recipe, always strain milk using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth lined over the sieve to ensure no grits are left in the drink. If needed strain milk 2-3 times.
5. Extra tip: there is always a possibility of some rice grits left in the drink even after straining. To make sure 100% grit-free drink, after straining allow rice milk to sit for a couple of minutes on the counter undisturbed. All grits will settle at the bottom of the jar/bottle. Then carefully pour rice milk into a pitcher holding back some of the milk in the end.
6. Serve chilled. The Horchata recipe tastes best served chilled over ice.

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📋Horchata Recipe (Easy Mexican Rice Milk Drink)

Jyothi Rajesh

This Horchata recipe makes a cool refreshing rice-based drink that is best for hot summer days. Perfect for the Cinco de Mayo party. This is my take on the traditional Mexican rice milk drink with cinnamon and almonds.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Soaking time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine Mexican, Spanish

Servings 4 servings

Calories 441

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup long-grain white rice
• ▢ ⅓ cup almonds sliced
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 2 cinnamon sticks
• ▢ 2 cups milk any plant-based or dairy milk, I used evaporated milk
• ▢ ½ cup condensed milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Add raw long-grain white rice, sliced almonds, and cinnamon sticks to a large bowl. Rinse the mix under tap water well. Drain.
• Pour 4 cups water and let it soak in water for a minimum of 4 hours, best overnight in the refrigerator.
• Drain the rice and collect water in a large bowl.
• For strong cinnamon flavor blend all cinnamon with rice and almonds. For subtle flavor, remove some of the cinnamon. I used 2 large cinnamon sticks soaked overnight to infuse flavor while blending leaving just ½ cinnamon stick.
• Add drained rice mix to high power blender. Pour 1-2 cups of soaked water to help blend rice.
• Blend for 3-4 minutes.
• Strain rice milk through a fine mesh sieve. Best use cheesecloth lined over a mesh strainer and drain the liquid. Discard all the grits. It’s important to get rid of all the grits, they are not pleasant to drink.
• If needed strain the milk 2-3 times through a fine mesh sieve.
• To a large pitcher pour rice milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla extract, and a dash of salt.
• Stir it well.
• Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
• Best served chilled over a glass of ice.

Video

Notes

1. Soak overnight. It’s best to soak rice, almonds, and cinnamon sticks overnight in the refrigerator. The longer soaking time ensures flavors of rice and cinnamon are infused well and you also get creamier milk.
2. Use a powerful blender. Soaked rice mix should be blended well to exact the milk.
3. A whole cinnamon stick is best. Use 2 sticks of cinnamon for strong flavor, and 1 stick for subtle flavor. Although cinnamon powder can be used, it does not taste the same. I highly recommend you use whole cinnamon sticks.
4. Strain milk. Although unstrained rice milk can be served and in some places, you get the thick unstrained horchata, I find the strained drink better. The unstrained drink has rice grits which are not pleasant to drink. For a smooth creamier horchata recipe, always strain milk using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth lined over the sieve to ensure no grits are left in the drink. If needed strain milk 2-3 times.
5. Extra tip: there is always a possibility of some rice grits left in the drink even after straining. To make sure 100% grit-free drink, after straining allow rice milk to sit for a couple of minutes on the counter undisturbed. All grits will settle at the bottom of the jar/bottle. Then carefully pour rice milk into a pitcher holding back some of the milk in the end.
6. Serve chilled. The Horchata recipe tastes best served chilled over ice.

 

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 441kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 13gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 474mgFiber: 3gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 305IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 329mgIron: 1mg

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