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
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 12 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 8 cups of warm water divided
- Sugar to taste
- Ground cinnamon to garnish optional
- ½ 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 sugar or water if needed according to taste.
- 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
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.
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!
Love it! Excellent recipe. Also, where did you find that display board for you picture? It’s beautiful.
Hi Denise! Thanks so much! The wood board was a gift from my sister and I think she got it at a small home boutique in Los Angeles. Sorry I don’t have any more details 🙁
I used this recipe for my first attempt in making orchata and it was perfect! I doubled the recipe, but left out the additional can of condensed milk… the taste was just right for my family. I used a mesh strainer and it worked well. Thank you.
This is great to hear Divina!! I’m so happy the family loved it. Thanks for the feedback!
LOVE this recipe! i added 1/2 cup raw almonds (blanched and skinned) to the rice & cinnamon during the soaking step and blended them together, because i’m lactose intolerant ? i was relieved that the almonds didn’t overpower the flavour of rice, and my time spent skinning almonds was rewarded by the beautiful milky colour of my horchata. so dreamy and creamy!
i am curious—is there a difference if you blend the rice and water before soaking? i have been making this always soaking the rice before blending.
Unfortunately I found this to be quite labor intensive, messy, and the straining got clogged so it took a long time. My wife, the horchata drinker, was not a big fan of the taste. I don’t know if that’s because I didn’t add enough sugar, but she was not a fan. That said, I tasted the authentic horchata flavor. I’ve been trying multiple recipes to compare. I’ve found using rice flour (or making rice flour in my coffee grinder) was easier and still had good flavor. Thanks for giving me a different method to try.
Sorry to hear this Josh! You don’t add sugar to it so perhaps you tried a different recipe? The sweet flavor comes from the condensed milk. I also never heard anyone that the straining got clogged. Without knowing what kind of strainer you used I can’t help with that. Thanks for the feedback!
Sorry, but in the video demonstration they add sugar. The recipe itself lists the sugar as well? Should it be removed from the recipe?
Hi Rose, you can add sugar to taste if you feel it needs to be sweeter. I hope this helps but let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Solid recipe. I’ve been making Horchata for years. Here is an idea I will share…turn it into ice cream. I also use Mexican vanilla that has only one ingredient…Vanilla. You can serve it on its own, turn it Into a float…I like it with root beer. I even turned into a version of creme brulee.
Those are awesome ideas DC! I love the creme brulee one…yum! Thank you so much for sharing your kind review! xo, Ana
josh, i do run into the same problem where the powdered rice kinda turns into cement in the strainer. i usually filter through a mesh strainer without cheesecloth first, and pass the pre-filtered stuff through a cheesecloth lined funnel. planning ahead and being generous with your equipment sizes is key for getting every drop! that being said i do tend to lose 1/4 to 1/2 cup of horchata to the rice gloop but i’m determined to find a use for it someday. maybe a filler additive for homemade rice pudding?
I like your recipe. However, I add all the water at the time I’m preparing Horchata. I then proceed to blend, strain and flavor Horchata with milk (of your personal preference)? I like mine with evaporated milk. I also make my second batch (I divide half) and make it with yes, Abuelita (brand) Mexican Chocolate. I make the second batch melting chocolate in milk on stove; adding to Horchata. Mexican Chocolate version is Yummy! No milk, no problem, melt on stove top in a cup of Horchata water and add to mixture. Either way, Chocolate Mexican Horchata is Delicious!
Hi, what kind of sieve works best for straining the rice mixture? How fine of a mesh is needed to catch the rice particles? Do you have a link for a specific sieve? Thanks in advance
Hi Paula! I use a large fine mesh strainer. Just like the one on the link below. Most of the time I don’t use any filters since I’m okay with letting some rice pulp go thru. Just be sure to stir it before serving! Enjoy!
https://www.amazon.com/Strainer-Stainless-Strainers-Kitchen-Colander/dp/B08V91Y4GM/ref=sr_1_5_sspa?crid=12V19K4QQ6IIR&dchild=1&keywords=fine+mesh+strainer&qid=1630692649&sprefix=fine+mesh%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-5-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySjdMUk1FQU9DVlY2JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzU3ODQyMzRaSEY3SjU0Q09ENiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzgxMjM2MUVBMzU5VzhEQ0tGViZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Taste just like I would hope to have a restaurant…chilled…smooth…and perfectly sweet tasting. I’ve made it several times now to share with my good friends and family….and passed on your recipe!!! Thanks Ana
Hi Kenny! I love to hear this, so glad it was a success ? Thanks so much for making it and your feedback!
I made this and unfortunately found that the evaporated milk taste was overpowering in a negative way. My kids loved it and couldn’t taste the evaporated milk. I added 6 cups of water, 1 tbsp of vanilla and I could still taste the e.m. I will try again but with only half of can of e m. The pitcher was gone by a couple of hours.
So happy to hear the kids loved it! Sorry to hear about the milk flavor Redbaron! I don’t get that taste so I wonder if it was the brand of the milk? I’ll have to investigate and I appreciate the feedback!
I made a horchata before but not this recipe and it became lumpy and gelatinous after 3 days. Why does this happen and will it happen also in this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Liway! The only thing that happens is that the rice settles at the bottom and it does become kind of lumpy but that’s natural on all horchatas. All you need to do give it a good stir before serving. Once I do that there are no lumps at all in the drink! I hope this answers the question? Let me know if it doesn’t and I’ll see how I can help. It is truly delicious! Happy New Year!
I have a pitcher with a removable strainer to make cold brew coffee. It worked amazingly for this recipe. It saved a lot of time! This us a great recipe. I made it yesterday and its gone already! Thanks
What a great idea Daunetullina! Thanks so much for the feedback and I’m so happy you like this Horchata recipe.
Stay well!
Hi, Can I use this recipe to make a latte?
That’s a fantastic idea Anita! I don’t see why it would not work since the Horchata is super creamy as is!. I must make it and will report back but please make it and let me know how it turns out. YUM and can’t wait!
Great recipe that was super easy to make! I easily veganized it by replacing the milk with oat milk and the sweetened condensed milk with sweetened condensed coconut milk and it turned out great!
ThiI had not tried a vegan version and this is good to know Ashley! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!
Hi, I got this recipe from a friend and I am absolutely ADDICTED! I just have a question. I made this exactly one week ago today and it’s been in the fridge since then. I didn’t realize it’s been so long since I’ve been a little too busy to finish it. You said it should keep for 3-4 days for the best taste. Is it still ok to drink?
Hi Ayanna! I’m so sorry for the late reply! I’m sure you don’t have the horchata in your fridge anymore but I wanted to add that as long as the milk is good, it should be safe to drink. But for best flavor it should be consumed within a few days. Thanks so much for making it! XO, Ana
I have only ever tried horchata once at a Mexican fast food place and I wanted to recreate it as it was a bit pricey for a small-sized drink. I was looking for a good recipe and I’m glad I stumbled upon this one on Pinterest. this tasted really creamy and really great overall! also, I halved the recipe and still ended up making a lot haha. the only downside I guess is that it did taste a bit chalky (probs because I didn’t have cheesecloth) but I found that putting the horchata in the fridge overnight fixes that issue as the rice mixture would sink and clump at the bottom.
10/10 would recommend!
Hi! Can i use cinnamon bark (cassia chips)? If yes, how much should I put? Thank you! 🙂
So far the best recipe I made. The only part I found confusing was the water part. It doesn’t say anywhere in your directions to save the soak water or discard, or to add the rest of the fresh water.. I saved mine because well I figure thats the flavor I also blended with all the cinnamon as I like a spicier horchata. In your recipe it states to add the water but not which batch of water it specifies if that makes any sense. I did add the top of vanilla. Overall a yummy drink. I see myself making this frequently. I may try adding almonds to the mix but who knows. I like it the way it is.
Hi Caitlyn,
You blend the rice with the water it soaked in. You can see that in the recipe (step 3). At the end when adding the milks, you add regular water to it. You can see this in the video too. She spoons out half the rice and then pours half the soak water into the blender. (2 batches).
I haven’t made this yet, but will soon!
I love this recipe, thanks for sharing! I saw another recipe that only used regular milk, but this one seemed richer and I’m glad I decided to use this recipe instead.
I found it perfect and made just a few adjustments:
– 1 cinnamony stick instead of 2 and I didn’t remove any tof the cinnamon y
Whoops, I accidentally submitted before finishing and can’t find a way to modify the comment 🙂
The adjustments I made were:
– 1 cinnamon stick instead of 2 and I didn’t remove any of the cinnamon when blending
– Reduce water to a total of 7 cups (because I wanted to mix everything in my blender and the full 8 cups didn’t fit)
– Used 14 oz vs 12 oz of evaporated milk since I couldn’t find any 12 oz cans
I absolutely loved it! I saw a few recipes include blanched almonds so that’s what I’ll be trying next. Thanks so much for sharing! Super super happy that I found this recipe to try!
My mixture didn’t make a paste like consistency, did I need to blend longer? It was just liquid when I strained it.
Hi Kyleigh! This means that the rice was soft (probably if you soaked it for a day or so) so not having a paste is not a bad thing! It actually turns out more delicious! 🙂
Good morning! I’m in the process of making this , for some reason I was drawn to yours. I put the rice/cinnamon to soak yesterday morning with intentions to make it last night and totally forgot about it. Is it okay to still use it the next morning? Also, do you blend the rice and the same water it was soaked in?
Thank you
Hi Bernardine! Sorry about the late reply! Yes it’s okay to still use it. Specially if it has been in the fridge the entire time. If you left it out, i would smell it first to make sure still smells good. Oh and yes use the same water that you soaked the rice in. Let me know how it turns out! I’m so glad you decided to make it…you’ll love it! XOXO, Ana
I was thinking about toasting the rice before blending with the water so I can get a more pronounced nutty flavor. Should I pre-rinse before or after toasting the rise?
Hi Monique! That sounds delicious! I would rinse it before toasting it so that you don’t wash away that flavor. I have never tried so I’m curious to know how it turns out. Please report back!! 🙂 xo, Ana
Hi there, Ana!
In step 2 when you state to add half the rice and water and “some of the cinnamon stick” to the blender…do you mean one entire stick or break a stick apart and add some of the broken stick? I’m assuming your splitting all of it in half…half rice, half water and half the cinnamon sticks….so blend one whole stick in both halves.
Thank you sooo much! I cannot wait to make this…want to make a double batch, it sounds so good!!
Hi Myra! When you soak the rice go ahead and break (in large chunks) the cinnamon sticks to get all of the flavor when being soaked. Before its’ ready to be blended, remove most of the cinnamon sticks but it’s okay to leave some small pieces (if you leave too much cinnamon sticks it will overpower the horchata with that flavor). When you blend the rice, do it in two batches. So add half of the rice in the blender, half of the water and some of the cinnamon sticks that were left behind. Then blend away!
Thanks for bringing this up as I can see how it can be confusing. I updated the recipe card!! Please let me know how it turns out (no doubt it be delicious). Thanks for making it! XO, Ana
I just saw this reply! Thank you so very much!! Making it today!! Cannot wait!! I’ve made horchata before using rice milk and sugar, it was tasty and simple but yours is the real deal! Have a beautiful day!!
Thank you so much Myra!! This way has way more flavor for sure. Have a beautiful day as well! xoxo ana
Thank you!!! This was the best horchata I think I’ve ever had. I wish I had waited an extra day to drink it. The day after I made it the flavors were even more intense and delicious.
Oh Jessica! I’m so happy to hear you really liked this horchata! I agree with you that it does taste better the next day. Maybe I should add this to the notes. Thanks for pointing it out! XOXO, Ana
Hi how would you make this with whole milk or non-dairy milk instead of condensed and evaporated milk?
You could probably use a plain dairy free coffee creamer
Hi SV! Sorry for the late reply! You can use almond milk or something like that and instead of the condensed milk you can use regular sugar. Start with half a cup of sugar and adjust from there to taste. Good question!
I love horchata, and this is by far the best recipe I’ve ever tried! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Thanks so much Jessica for such a lovely feedback! I really appreciate it.
I’m missing the horchata at my favorite taqueria right now! But this is so good I can almost convince myself I’m there!
Yes! That’s the best part right? If it’s outdoors even better! Have a lovely day Mary!
I have never made this but you make it look so easy and add so many step by step directions I can’t mess it up! It looks delicious and your photos are lovely.
Thank you so much Karen! You’re right, making homemade horchata is easier than people think!
I’ve never had traditional Mexican horchata but it looks dreamy. I love anything that has cinnamon.
Oh you have to have it Kelly! Horchata is a staple drink in Mexico. I hope you like it!
How long does it take to make it
Hi Joshua, after it has soaked for a few hours (preferably overnight), the blending process and mixing it shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!
You are right! I have always seen this on the menu and I have never known what it was. This sounds delicious and refreshing!
Hi Courtney! It goes perfect with spicy Mexican food as the milk soothes the spicyness away.
can I see the pictures you had before? I’m trying to figure out if this is the same recipe or not.
Here is the pinterest photo with the props I used for the original post: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/151926187404818851/
But if you’re not sure if you made this one before I encourage you to try it! It is so delicious and it won’t disappoint you. Stay well!
XO,
Ana
You said you can make a dairy-free if you substitute almond milk for the whole milk, and prepare as usual, but the condensed milk obviously has dairy as well . What do you substitute for the sweetened condensed milk?
Yes you can! Just use sugar instead of condensed milk. Sorry for the late reply!
You can buy a coconut sweetened condensed milk at some specialty stores or places like Whole Foods.
You can make it without milk. Substitute 1 cup of unflavored, unsweetened almond milk for the whole milk and prepare as usual. How to make authentic Horchata, Mexico s famous cinnamon-infused rice water drink. It s mild slightly sweet cinnamon infused flavor complements spicy Mexican food. It s one of many delicious aguas frescas prepared in Mexican homes.
So true. Thanks for the feedback!
I’ve never made horchata before, I’m 13, IT TURNED OUT SO GOOD IM NOT EVEN KIDDING I 100% recommend this recipe
when this was modified, did you change the pictures? if so, can you please repost the picture that had a big jar in it? I’m looking for it. or send it to my email please
lynnettashtyngonzalez@gmail.com
Hi Linnet! I did change the pictures but I didn’t have one with a big jar. There is a photo here with a large jar so maybe that’s the one you’re looking for? Thanks for stopping by! xo Ana
So delicious, refreshing and easy to follow recipe 🙂
Thanks so much Bryanda!! I’m so happy you liked it! XOXO, Ana
Check to make sure that the rice has been completely liquified. There shouldn t be any bits of rice remaining in the strainer. If there is blend the horchata mixture again.
Good point! Thanks so much!
Delicious and super easy to make! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Alicia! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Horchata recipe!
This Horchata recipe is so easy to follow! Love making it for my family and friends. Deliciously refreshing. Thank you Ana, you’re the best!
Awe! thanks so much Cecy! You made me blush! I agree that this is THE best horchata recipe! My family just loves it too!
i have been looking for an authentic horchata recipe for a long time…glad to say that I have finally found it!
Yay!! I’m so happy you stopped to rate this Horchata drink recipe! I really appreciate it! xo, Ana
Amazingly delicious, and so easy to make. Ana is a superstar ❤️
Love it
Thank you so much Tina!!
I grew up drinking this beverage and I love it.. definitely a must with Mexican food. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Muchas gracias Ilse!
Any subs for the cinnamon sticks? Maybe 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon or no?
Looks fab
Hi Lad! You can add 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon and that should work! I think 2 would be a bit much. Please let me know how it turns out but I have no doubt it’ll be delicious!
Thanks so much for the question!
Ana
Thanks for showing me how to make horchata! Soooo good!
Thanks for your comment Pablo! I agree that the instructions on how to make horchata are super helpful! Have a great weekend!
I’ve seen Horchata on the menu at Mexican restaurants but never had the courage to try it. (I’m a creature of habit.) Now, I just want to make this recipe and try it out, it looks so creamy and I love the subtle sweetness!
Hi Amy! Try it! It’s so easy to make and Horchata goes perfect with spicy food as it tends to soothe the spiciness in your mouth. It is so good!
Your horchata pics rock!!! I LOVE horchata but have never made it myself! Am def inspired to now :).
Thank you Daniela! It is so easy to make and much better than bought anywhere else. Thanks so much for the kind comment!
I love horchata on ice. But, I never considered making it from scratch. It never occured to me, and I know it would be so much better than the packaged powder!
Yes yes! Much better than packaged horchata! Once you try this you’ll never go back to the other stuff lol!
This sounds like one tasty afternoon beverage. You really explained the process thoroughly and easy enough for me to understand. Going to give this a try soon.
Thank you Des! I hope you enjoy it! It’s the perfect summer drink!
We love horchata at our house. I have several friends that make it just like this! Your pictures of the process are absolutely stunning.
Thank you so much Jacquelyn! I appreciate your kind comment!
These pictures are so gorgeous! I’ve never had horchata but who could resist? These drinks look so tasty!
Thank you so much Charity! I think you need to try this delicious Mexican drink!
I’ve never made horchata at home before, but this recipe has me thinking it’s time to try it out!
I agree that is time for you to try it Tatiana! lol! you’ll love homemade horchata!
I’ve never tried Mexican horchata, but it looks and sounds delicious! Def want to make it soonest!
Horchata is a Mexican classic drink that everyone should try at least once! I hope you do!
This drink is one of my favorites! I love how easy this is to make, simple and delicious.
Thank you Sharon! you’ll enjoy making this horchata at home!
This looks sooo tasty! I love traditional Mexican recipes. Thank you for sharing this.
I think traditional Mexican dishes are the best! A little spin to them it’s good once in a while but there is nothing better than the classic ones. Thank you Maggie!
LOL….same thing over here. My husband is interviewing for a job in Austin, so we went there last weekend to check out the city and see if we could live there. I LOVED it, but holy balls it was HOT!!
Given where you live, 97 degrees is probably no biggie, but when you live on the coast, it’s a wild difference.
Anyway, not sure if the job will come through or not, but fingers crossed as I really liked the city.
Good luck with your move and your new adventure!
I hope the trip went well! We considered moving to Austin at one point lol! Good luck with the job hunt! And thanks… we’re settling nice in the new home ?