Mexican Horchata

Looking for a sweet, creamy beverage to sip on all summer long? Don’t sleep on horchata! This cinnamon- and vanilla-spiced drink has been popping up everywhere, and for good reason: It’s sweet, nutty, and surprisingly refreshing. It’s also easy to make at home.

If you’re unfamiliar, horchata likely has origins in North Africa and Spain, though it was popularized in Latin America, where you can find a range of variations. My Mexican version is made by soaking rice and almonds with cinnamon before blending everything together with milk and a sweetener. Because the recipe is so simple, there’s a lot of room to play around and make it your own. But first, some tips for making it the best it can be.

How To Make Mexican Horchata

INGREDIENTS

• Rice: The star of this show. I prefer long-grain for its lower starch content and more delicate texture, qualities that ensure a smoother drink with a cleaner flavor.
• Slivered Almonds: Optional but very worth it for the nuttiness and added richness they contribute. If almonds aren’t your thing, try swapping in cashews—you’ll get a smoother, creamier horchata, albeit one without the pronounced nuttiness of almonds.
• Cinnamon: My take on horchata is cinnamon-forward. First, whole cinnamon sticks are pureed along with the rice and almonds. Then, a healthy amount of ground cinnamon is added to the strained rice milk. Finally, once the drink is in the glass, more cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon are used as garish.
• Evaporated Milk: Brings luxurious richness and body to the rice milk, resulting in a more velvety horchata. For a dairy-free option, swap in almond milk (swap it in for the whole milk too). The horchata will be lighter but still super flavorful.
• Whole Milk: Contributes more creaminess and rich buttery flavor as well as a bit of sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract: A little bit of vanilla extract really rounds out and enhances all the flavors.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Our first task is to rinse off any excess starch from the rice. Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and run it under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, about 15 seconds. Transfer the rice to a blender, preferably a high-powered one. Add the almonds (if using), cinnamon sticks, and 3 cups water. Blend until the rice has broken down but not yet turned into paste, about 30 seconds. Transfer the rice mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Traditionalists might view breaking down the rice before soaking to be a little unorthodox, but I find it extracts more flavor and yields a creamier horchata.

Next, return the soaked rice mixture to the blender and blend until the rice and almonds are pulverized, about 60 seconds.

Now let’s strain the rice mixture. Line a large bowl with a single layer of cheesecloth. Pour the rice mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl, pressing on the solids in the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.

Gather the corners of the cheesecloth into a bundle, lift it out of the bowl and squeeze to express as much liquid as possible. Congratulations, you just made rice milk!

Add the evaporated milk, whole milk, ground cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and 4 cups water to the rice milk; whisk to combine. Sweeten to taste, whisking in 1 tsp. condensed milk at a time. Alternatively, you can sweeten the horchata with simply syrup or agave.

Ladle the horchata into ice-filled glasses. Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Variations

• Make it vegan: For a vegan version, swap the evaporated milk and whole milk for vegan milk (I recommend almond or oat!) and swap the condensed milk for simple syrup or agave.
• Make it boozy: Spike your horchata by stirring in your favorite spiced rum before serving over ice.

Recipe Tips

• Avoid grittiness: While a small amount of sediment in horchata is unavoidable, you definitely don’t want to get a mouthful of it in every glass. To lower the odds, strain the blended rice and cinnamon stick mixture through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a single layer of cheesecloth.
• Make it extra creamy: For creamier horchata, breaking down the rice before and after soaking yields the best results. If your blender is on the weaker side, be sure not to skip this step.
• Use a strong blender: A stronger blender means more finely ground rice and ultimately a creamier, thicker horchata. Even if your blender isn’t the strongest, you’re far better off using it than using an immersion blender or food processor instead.

Storage

Store any leftover horchata in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.