Horchatade 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.
- 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.
- 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.
FAQs:
How how long does horchata keep for in the fridge?
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!
What kind of rice can I use?
Any white rice will work: long grain, jasmine, basmati, short grain. Just make sure it’s raw white rice!
Do you need to wash the rice prior to soaking?
Yes! Since we’ll be using the same soaking water to make the horchata, I recommend you wash it to have a clean drink.
Do you leave it in the fridge overnight or just out on the counter when soaking?
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!
How can I make it dairy free?
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!
- Melon Pepino Agua Fresca
- Agua de Jamaica
- Watermelon Strawberry Sangria
Traditional Mexican Horchata
Servings 12 cups
Ana Frias
4.96 from 514 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
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Learn how to make the authentic Horchata drink that everyone loves! With this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll be able to make the best homemade Horchata recipe made with a few simple ingredients. Skip the store-bought mixes and use this easy recipe right at home!
Equipment
Blender
12cups
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!
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Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g
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!
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