Horchata is a refreshing Mexican rice drink made with white rice, vanilla, cinnamon, milk and cream. It’s slightly sweet and oh-so-creamy, with a unique taste that is similar to arroz con leche. With just a few ingredients and a little patience, you will be sipping a chilled creamy glass or horchata in no time!
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Why I Love This Creamy Mexican Rice Drink
Growing up in Texas, a glass of ice-cold horchata was the ultimate refreshment on a hot summer day! The creamy texture combined with the warm flavors of cinnamon and vanilla quickly became one of my favorite drinks. This horchata recipe was passed along to me from a family friends’ Abuela, and it’s by far my favorite version! Here’s why I think you will enjoy it too:
- Rich and Creamy: The secret to this perfect horchata recipe? A can of sweetened condensed milk! It gives this horchata recipe a creamy, rich flavor that’s totally decadent.
- Easy to Make: This recipe is simple and doesn’t require many ingredients, which makes it so simple and quick to pull together.
- Refreshing: Served chilled and over ice, this sweet rice milk is so refreshing on a hot day! Its cold, cinnamon-y flavor is impossible to resist.
- Great for Parties: A hit at any gathering, from a Cinco de Mayo party to backyard barbecues, with both kids and adults. Prepare in advance and store in the fridge for a ready-to-drink treat!
Looking for more Mexican themed drinks the kids can also enjoy? Try my refreshing mangonada or make a batch of aqua frescas. This cucumber aqua frescas is always a hit, or go fruity with watermelon aqua frescas!
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this easy horchata recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- White Rice: This is the base for the horchata, giving it a starchy, creamy texture. Any plain long grain white rice is fine (long grain, jasmine, etc.). Just don’t use instant, quick rice or brown rice.
- Cinnamon: I like to use Mexican cinnamon (canela). It breaks easily, helping the flavor get into the rice. However, whole cinnamon sticks will also work! I also like to sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top when serving.
- Evaporated Milk: This is a canned milk that enhances the creaminess and richness of the horchata. If you don’t have it, use whole milk instead. You will need to use 4 cups of milk to replace the evaporated milk, and be sure to reduce the amount of water to 5 cups.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: In my opinion, this is the key to a great homemade horchata. It adds a sweetness and almost caramel-like flavor, and makes it even thicker and creamier!
- Heavy Cream: If you want to really up the ante, add a splash of heavy cream. This is totally optional, your horchata will still be delicious without.
How to Make Horchata
Making Mexican horchata is very easy and mostly hands-off. You will need time to refrigerate, however, so be sure to budget about eight hours for that. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step by step video!
- Blend and Soak: Blend rice with hot water, then add your cinnamon sticks, and refrigerate this for at least 8 hours.
- Blend Again: After soaking in the fridge, take out the rice mixture and blend it again until it is smooth.
- Strain: Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or some cheesecloth to strain out the rice. Discard the leftover rice.
- Finish: Mix in the rest of the ingredients, and refrigerate the horchata until you’re ready to serve. Serve chilled, with ground cinnamon as a garnish.
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- Chocolate Horchata: Change this up by adding a chocolate Abuelita tablet! Blend it well, and strain with the rice.
- 4-Hour Horchata: Blending the rice for a bit and using hot water makes it possible to enjoy this horchata sooner than usual. You can check it at about 4 hours and see if it’s creamy enough for your liking. However, I really think it’s best when given the full 8 hours to soak.
- Straining The Rice: I like to use a combination of a fine mesh strainer AND cheesecloth. This ensures a smooth texture by removing any gritty rice particles. Strain the mixture twice to ensure maximum smoothness.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use almond milk or coconut milk instead of regular milk. Then add granulated sugar, honey, maple syrup, or a sugar-free alternative like stevia to sweeten it.
Horchata
Ingredients
- 8 cups water, divided
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks, I like to use Mexican canela
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 1 (12 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
Optional Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Ground cinnamon, for garnish
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Instructions
- Heat 4 cups of water until hot, then add to a blender with the rice and blend until the rice is coarsely ground.
- Add the cinnamon sticks and blend again. Refrigerate mixture for at least 8 hours. (I place the lid on the blender and store this mixture in the fridge in the blender.)
- Add the mixture back into the blender and blend again until smooth.
- Line a colander with cheesecloth, or a fine mesh sieve, and strain liquid into a large pitcher. Discard any leftover rice. Strain the mixture twice to ensure maximum smoothness.
- Stir in the remaining water, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Stir or shake well before serving. Serve over ice with a little extra ground cinnamon on top, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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First time ever making horchata and it turned out great! Instead of using plain milk I used: 12 oz evaporated milk, 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 c heavy whipping cream. Adding 1/2 tsp vanilla is a nice touch. So sweet and creamy there was no need for adding any granulated sugar. Topped it with whip cream and cinnamon. Tastes great with a couple shots of fireball!