Horchata de Arroz is a popular & refreshing Mexican drink made with ground rice, milk and cinnamon. Learn how to make this delicious drink with these step by step instructions!
One of the reasons Horchata is very popular in Mexico, is that it’s the perfect pairing for spicy & flavorful meals. Every time I make Pozole, Entomatadas, or Bistec Ranchero, you’ll see Horchata on my table….It’s also my favorite drink and it’ll be yours soon too 🙂
My recipe is for traditional Mexican horchata but I’ve seen versions around the web to fit today’s different diet needs: Some use almond or coconut milk to make it lactose-free or they use no calorie-sweeteners for diabetic needs.
While they may taste good, nothing beats the taste of the traditional version! It’s creamy, flavorful and so refreshing. I hope you treat yourself to the real deal at least once in a while.
Horchata ingredients
- Use 1 cup of any uncooked white rice and 2 cinnamon sticks
- The milk base comes from 1 can each of evaporated milk and condensed milk. This is what gives the horchata the wonderful flavor and a creamy consistency.
- If the condensed milk does not make it sweet enough for you, you can add more sugar to taste.
- Ground cinnamon to garnish (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional) – Just don’t use too much vanilla as we don’t want to overpower the cinnamon & rice flavor.
I once tasted an Horchata from La Santisima Mexican Restaurant that is made with chunks of fruits (cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes) and pecans. It’s so good! I think I’ll do that to mine next time.
How to make horchata
- Wash and drain the rice.
- Place the rice, cinnamon stick and 4 cups of water into a bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 4 hours (the longer the better!).
- Add 1/2 of the rice & 1/2 of the soaking water and some of the cinnamon stick in a blender.
Soak the rice with cinnamon Blend rice with the soaking water
- Puree until it’s very smooth and forms a paste like texture. About 4 minutes long.
- Using a very fine strainer (or some cheese cloth) pour the mixture over a pitcher. Strain out as much liquid as possible, pushing on the solids with a spatula or spoon.
- Repeat this process for the rest of the rice & cinnamon mixture.
Blend until rice is fine Strain rice & water mixture
- Stir in the milks, vanilla (optional), and 4 cups of water. Stir well.
- Taste and add more sugar or water if needed.
- Chill and stir before serving over ice.
Add the evaporated milk Add the condensed milk
FAQs:
It should last about 3 or 4 days for the best taste. But I guarantee that you’ll want to drink it all in a day!
Any white rice will work: long grain, jasmine, basmati, short grain. Just make sure it’s raw white rice!
Yes! Since we’ll be using the same soaking water to make the horchata, I recommend you wash it to have a clean drink.
Place the bowl in the fridge since we’ll be using that same water for our final Horchata drink. This water already contains a lot of the rice & cinnamon flavor and we don’t want to waste it!
Use almond milk or coconut milk. But you’ll need to sweeten it with sugar or your favorite sweetener. This may change the authenticity and it may not provide the same results as this recipe.
You guys, if you go to a Mexican restaurant I guarantee you will see Horchata on the menu. You may have seen it as “Agua de Horchata”. The wonderful thing is it’s super easy to make and you can make it at home!
Other Mexican drinks you may enjoy!
Traditional Mexican Horchata
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1-12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1-12 oz can condensed milk
- 8 cups of warm water divided
- Sugar to taste
- Ground cinnamon to garnish optional
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla optional
Instructions
- Wash and drain the rice. Place the rice, cinnamon sticks (see note #1 below) and 4 cups of water into a bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (preferably) or a minimum of 4 hours.
- Once you're ready to blend the rice, remove most of the cinnamon sticks but it's okay to leave small pieces with the rice.
- Blend the rice in two separate batches by adding 1/2 of the rice & water with some of the cinnamon stick left behind. Puree until it's very smooth and it forms a paste like texture. About 4 minutes long.
- Using a very fine strainer (or some cheese cloth) pour the blended mixture over a pitcher. Strain out as much liquid as possible, pushing on the solids with a spatula or spoon.
- Repeat this process for the rest of the rice, water & cinnamon mixture.
- Stir in the milks, vanilla (0ptional), and 4 cups of water. Stir well.
- Taste and add more sugar or water if needed.
- Chill and stir before serving over ice.
Video
Muy Delish Notes:
- Break the cinnamon sticks in large pieces before you place in the bowl to soak. This will give more flavor from the inside of the cinnamon.
- If you don’t have cinnamon sticks, you can soak the rice with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder.
- If you decided to use vanilla, don’t add too much of it as it will overpower the cinnamon & rice flavor.
- To make a boozy version just add some rum to make Rumchata!
Add Your Own Private Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
This recipe was originally published in July 2014. It has been updated to revise the content and photographs. The original delicious recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
PIN ME to make later!
Very good! Perfect amount of sweetness and I recommend adding vanilla.
The vanilla does add the perfect tough… I’m so happy you liked it Lucy! Thanks for the review xoxo, Ana
Delicious delicious delicious!!!
This is delish! I wish there was something I could do with the strained out rice/cinnamon sludge though….
you can make rice pudding but you wouldn’t get the rice chunks, I made it with the paste the leftover rice and water made and it turned out delish!
I have never had horchata. I seldom try any drinks for that matter. I think I recall an old Chinese fix for stomach upset. Rice water. This is rice water…and yum! I tasted coconut? Rice soaking as we speak. Thank you. Just wonderful.
I just prepared this horchata ❤️❤️❤️❤️ can’t wait to try it later!!!! Is chilling on the fridge. Thanks Ana 😊😊
I followed directions exactly and used a very fine mesh strainer… Yet I still had large bits of rice after blending and straining. I blended and strained a second time to try to remove some bits, which did help! However I am still left with a chalky feeling in my mouth afterwards. I added some more water to try to improve that, but not much improvement. Any ideas what I could have done wrong?? Flavor is delicious at least!!
You can buy a nut milk bag. I first use a metal strainer, then I pass the liquid through a cheesecloth, then I pass THAT liquid through a nut milk bag and it filters out the pasty rice residue. I am left with pure liquid and no chalkiness whatsoever. Hope this helps!
It’s gone as soon as I make it!
Mmmmm, rumchata!! Yummy! Thanks Ana!
Forgot to rate it lol
Can you substitute the last 4 cups of water with like coconut milk? Not the 4 cups that you soak the rice in but 4 that you add last with the other milks? Just curious. This will be my second time making it and it was delicious.
Having lived and traveled in Central America and Mexico for close to 20 years, as well as living in Egypt where Horchata originated, this horchata recipe, while good, is WAY too Creamy, and way too sweet leaving a tummy ache if you drink too much.
The best horchata recipie is made from
2 cups rice
2 cups almond milk
4 cups Water
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 All Spice
1/3 cp Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
Take the rice and water, blend it up, let it sit for 12 hours and add the other ingredients. Let sit for 6 hours more and strain it. Horchata should be watery light and refreshing able to drink as much as you like, not heavy and creamy.
idk man it tasted just like my Tio’s
Lol people like you are obnoxious. “Hey I know you were born and raised in Mexico but my experience traveling there means I know better abd your family recipe is wrong”…That’s what you sound like
Besides you do realize every family has their own version of horchata right? That’s how cuisine works.As for your “sensitive tummy”(seriously are you 12) that’s a you problem not a recipe problem.
Lol I thought the same thing!! I couldn’t have said it any better!Jeez rude much! I’ve been making it since I found it and it’s wonderful!
Yes! Thank you! I’m trying to tell people it’s not a milk beverage!!!