Horchata

Horchata is a refreshing Mexican rice milk drink with a hint of cinnamon served over ice. Looking for a non-alcoholic, dairy free popular Mexican drink to serve with your Mexican food? This delicious drink tastes just like the best horchata at classic Mexican restaurants. Serve it with these Baked Chicken Chimichangas or these Chicken and Black Bean Flautas.

HOMEMADE HORCHATA RECIPE

Growing up in Arizona, Mexican food and drinking Horchata  at our local taquerias was a regular thing. I know all my Arizona peeps can relate to late night Filbertos runs to get burritos or rolled tacos and of course a big glass of the cinnamon sweet rice drink to wash it down.

First of all, it’s pronounced or-CHAH-tah. The ‘h’ is silent. I’ve been pronouncing it wrong my whole life…Hhhhoooorrrchata. I guess the naughty sister of or-CHAH-tah?

I had a spontaneous craving for Horchata and announced to my husband that I was going to make said Hhhoooorchata and he gave me a horrified look like “You’re making what?”

He served a church mission speaking only Spanish for 2 years and is our household expert on all things Hispanic.

He approved of this recipe. Of course there are many different versions out there and a cheater version that is simpler. I think it’s spot on and close to the original version of the Mexican recipe.

It’s a watery cinnamon drink that tastes like rice. I know that doesn’t sound appealing but as a refreshing drink on a hot day or with a Mexican meal, it’s divine.

WHAT IS HORCHATA?

• WHAT DOES HORCHATA MEAN?

Horchata is a Mexican milk drink made from white rice, whole milk, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon. Horchata de arroz is literally made from rice. The original recipe is made from simple ingredients. The main ingredient is rice and gives the rice-based drink its signature flavor.

This is my ground up rice and cinnamon stick mixture soaking. The next step is letting it sit overnight to soak up those cinnamon flavors.

HOW TO MAKE HORCHATA

1. Pour the rice, cinnamon sticks, and 2 cups of water into the bowl of a high-speed blender; blend until the rice and cinnamon sticks begin to break up. Add the remaining 2 cups of water and let rice mixture stand at room temperature overnight.
2. The next day, strain the rice water into a pitcher with a fine mesh strainer and discard the rice. Stir the milk, vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar into the rice water. Chill and stir cinnamon rice milk before serving over ice. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top when serving if desired.

I made this Horchata recipe for Bunko to accompany a Mexican feast. The Bunko girls approved. My husband loves it because it tastes like his mom’s rice pudding.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEXICAN HORCHATA AND SPANISH HORCHATA?

Horchata in Mexico and Latin America is rice based. In Spain it’s traditionally made with water, sugar, and tiger nuts.

OTHER MEXICAN RECIPES:

• Cafe Rio Sweet Barbacoa Pork
• Homemade Tortillas
• Cafe Rio’s Cilantro Rice
• Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
• Carmelitas
• Sopapilla Cheesecake
• No-Fry Fried Ice Cream
• Grilled Shrimp with Avocado Salsa
• Pico De Gallo 

Horchata

4.50 from 6 votes

Horchata is a refreshing Mexican rice milk drink with a hint of cinnamon served over ice. Looking for a non-alcoholic drink to serve with your Mexican food? This Horchata is the best Mexican drink recipe for any occasion.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Resting Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups uncooked white long-grain rice
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup milk, (coconut milk is good here too)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Instructions

 

• Pour the rice, cinnamon sticks, and 2 cups of water into the bowl of a blender; blend until the rice and cinnamon sticks begin to break up. Add the remaining 2 cups of water and let rice mixture stand at room temperature overnight.
• Strain the rice water into a pitcher and discard the rice. Stir the milk, vanilla, and sugar into the rice water. Chill and stir before serving over ice. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top when serving if desired.

Notes

Traditional Horchata is thin and on the watery side but feel free to add more milk to taste for a creamier version. Also, this doesn't make very much so you may want to double it.
Source: adapted from Allrecipes. Increased the rice, used cinnamon sticks, increased the milk, reduced the sugar.

Cuisine: Mexican

Course: Drinks

Author: Christy Denney

Christy Denney

Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!

See Full Bio