The first time I had Horchata was almost 20 years ago. I was living in California and serving as a missionary for my church. A sweet woman who had us over for dinner served this delicious drink, and I was instantly in love!
Horchata is made from simple ingredients: rice, cinnamon sticks (do not use cinnamon powder), water, sugar, vanilla, and milk. I also like to add a little heavy whipping cream or half-and-half at the end to make it a touch more creamy.
In order to break up the rice and cinnamon sticks to get their flavor out, you need to run them through the blender with some water and then let them soak overnight.
A good strong blender works best like a Ninja, Blendtec, or Vitamix.
How fun is it to have a special drink? Try these:
- Pina Coladas {Non-Alcoholic}
- Sparkling Cucumber Limeade
- Italian Soda with Cream
- Party Slush
- Sparkling Holiday Punch
- Two Ingredient Coconut Hot Chocolate
step-by-step pictures on How to Make Horchata Mexican drink
Frequently Asked Questions About how to Make Horchata
Can I make Horchata if I don’t have CHEESECLOTH?
Yes, you can use a thin kitchen hand towel or even a clean pillowcase. You need something that can strain out the tiny, gritty pieces.
Can I use ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks?
No. You really need cinnamon sticks for this recipe. You can use a sprinkle of ground cinnamon to garnish the finished product, but using it for the cinnamon in the recipe will not work. It will really change the flavor.
Can I add almond milk instead of cow’s milk to this recipe?
Yes. If you have a cow milk allergy or are vegan, using almond milk, rice milk or soy milk are great options. It will be a little less creamy but will still have a great flavor.
Does it have to sit a full 24 hours to be flavorful?
Sitting for at least 24 hours is best; however, if you are in a rush, try and let it sit for at least 8-12. If you blend up the rice and cinnamon first thing in the morning, you could serve it that night with dinner.
Serve Horchata with:
- 2 cups white rice, regular long-grain
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cups water
- 1½ cups milk
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half (optional)
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla (Mexican vanilla if you've got it)
- Crushed ice for serving (Regular ice works fine too, but dang, crushed ice is sooo good with this drink.)
- Add the uncooked rice and cinnamon sticks to your blender. Add 3 cups of water and blend for 1-2 minutes or until mixture is white and frothy.
- Add the remaining water and blend for 1 more minute.
- Pour into a container that it can sit in for 24 hours. I usually use a pitcher. It doesn't need to be refrigerated, so you can leave it out on the counter if you prefer...or it is also fine to put it in the fridge if you have room.
- After 24 hours, use a strainer and strain the rice and cinnamon chunks out of the drink. Once you have the larger pieces out, you need to strain it through the cheesecloth (as pictured above). This will help get out any gritty residue left in the drink.
- Once you have it properly strained, add the sugar, milk, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream if you desire. Stir and taste. If desired, you can add a tbsp more sugar.
- Keep refrigerated and serve over ice.
- Enjoy!
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