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Chill glass of Homemade Horchata with cinnamon and rice garnish on a wooden table.

Homemade Horchata

A refreshing and creamy cinnamon-infused drink perfect for warm days, homemade horchata is a delightful combination of soaked rice, water, and cinnamon, optionally blended with milk.
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Prep Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Beverage, Refreshment
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 150
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Horchata
  • 1 cup long grain white rice Rinsed and soaked
  • 1 stick cinnamon or 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups water for blending and soaking, plus more as needed
  • 1 to 1 and 1/4 cups milk optional, dairy or almond milk
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar Adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt Enhances flavor
  • as needed serving Ice For serving

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Rinse the rice in a bowl, cover with water, swish around, then drain. Repeat once or twice.
  2. Soak the rinsed rice and the cinnamon stick in a bowl with 2 cups of water. Cover and let it sit for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Blending
  1. Pour the soaked rice and cinnamon stick into a blender with 2 more cups of fresh water. Blend for a full minute until well-mixed.
Straining
  1. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag. Squeeze gently to extract the liquid.
Final Touches
  1. Stir in sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and milk if using. Adjust sweetness and creaminess as desired.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving over ice, sprinkling cinnamon on top if desired.

Notes

For best results, make horchata a little sweeter than you think necessary, as ice will dilute the sweetness. Stir before serving as it may settle.