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This homemade Horchata recipe is so easy to prepare, made with rice, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and water. It's my take on the popular favorite.
Do you love Mexican recipes as much as I do? Check out my versions of Tacos Al Pastor, Elotes, or Tres Leches Cake.
We love to make homemade Horchata at our house because I usually always have the ingredients I need, and it's easiest enough for my kids to do. Plus, horchata is an extra fun addition to taco night. I can't say this recipe is authentic, but it's my take on it and I think it tastes incredible. (Here's an authentic Horchata recipe from Isabel Eats.) Let me know how you make horchata, in the comments below!
What is Horchata?
Horchata (pronounced or-CHAH-tah) is a popular Mexican drink that is often described as a sweet rice milk beverage. Horchata is made out of rice, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and is served in many Mexican restaurants. There's an important balance to the creamy rice and cinnamon flavors found in horchata and this homemade horchata recipe is my favorite.
How to Make Horchata:
Blend: Combine the rice, hot water, and cinnamon sticks in a blender and blend until the rice and cinnamon sticks are roughly ground. Add the remaining water and blend again. Pour contents into a pitcher or container with a fitted lid and refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours).
Strain: Pour the rice mixture into a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a pitcher and discard the rice.
Finish Horchata: Stir in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar (to your preference). Chill until ready to serve. Stir well before serving and serve over ice.
What is Hochata de Chufa?
Horchata de chufa is popular in Spain and it differs from Mexican horchata (or horchata de arroz) in that Mexican horchata is made with rice and horchata de chufa is made with chufa (also known as tiger nuts).
Recipe Variations:
Vegan: To make this recipe vegan, simply substitute equal parts almond milk for the milk in the recipe.
You may also like these Mexican recipes:
- Wet Burrito
- Smothered Green Chili Chicken Burritos
- Authentic Mexican Rice
- Cheese Enchiladas
- Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
- Mole Enchiladas
- Esquites (Mexican Corn in a Cup)
Horchata
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
- 2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
- 4 cups hot water
- 2 cups milk, , or almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅓ – 1/2 cups granulated sugar, , to taste
Instructions
- To a blender, add rice, 2 cups of hot water, and 2 Mexican cinnamon sticks.
- Blend until the rice and cinnamon sticks are roughly ground. Add the remaining water and blend again.
- Pour contents into a pitcher or container with a fitted lid and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Pour the rice mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, into a pitcher. Discard the rice.
- Stir in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar (to your preference). Chill until ready to serve. Stir well before serving and serve over ice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe April 2016. Updated July 2019 and April 2023.
I’ve tried several other recipes, but this one is the closest I could find to the horchata that I’m used to drinking, the flavors are light and delicate and it pairs beautifully with chili, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, etc.
I’m obsessed with this recipe– the horchata is fantastic, so refreshing and delicious. It satisfies my sweet tooth while still tasting healthy and filling.
BEST HORCHATA I HAVE EVER TASTED
Turned out great!!
I’ve tried this twice and both times it has sucked, help.
Sorry to hear that–going to need a little more info though and what you didn’t like about it.
My horchata has come out very well. At the bottom of my mixer there was a bunch of brown rice and cinnamon clumped together, I decided not to reencorporate that into the upper liquid and it came out good. From the other comments I’m getting the sense that this recipe calls for too much cinnamon, but as I didn’t reincorporate my cinnamon mixture into the drink, and it came out very good, I have to assume that the clumped up cinnamon would’ve mal-effected the drink. Although I really can’t complain, as my horchata has come out as nearly perfect.
I think grinding the cinnamon sticks and then adding 2 tsp more of ground cinnamon is why so many people are commenting about too much cinnamon.
I’ve used a recipe that calls for soaking the rice and cinnamon sticks and then discarding the cinnamon sticks before blending.
I ground the cinnamon sticks for about 40 seconds before adding the rice so could get a fine grind of the cinnamon without pulverizing the rice. The first time I made it the rice was too fine and I had a hard time straining it without a bunch of particulates in the final drink, which I didn’t like. I then added rice and ground the mix for the remainder of the time. I only used 1 tsp of ground cinnamon as I felt 2 tsp lent an overwhelming flavor of cinnamon, instead of a hint.
I modified replacing the milk with soy milk. Tasted the mix before sprinkling the extra cinnamon and it was perfect, so no added cinnamon. Great no lactose alternative.
For those who prefer to use milk, you could use lactose free milk instead of a plant-based beverage.
I been trying for so long to make them I’m having a hard time lol hopefully this helps
Since it’s so high in sugar content what can be used to replace the granulated sugar for a sweetener without tasting artificial (a natural product/low calorie)?
Thank you.
do i have to let it sit for 8 hours or can it be a little less?
A little less is fine! Enjoy.
Turned out great. Per prior reviews, I took it easy on the ground cinnamon , just sprinkled on top. Is there a shelf life for it, because we didn’t finish it all. Used the leftovers the next day for horchata milk shake! Delicious
The added ground cinnamon was too much. It ruined the smooth flavoring that is supposed to be the horchatas and each time I stopped drinking I was left with a sandy taste in my mouth. I did my best to try to fix just how groundy it was, but to no avail. 🙁 I’ll do it with just the cinnamon sticks next time.