Creamy Horchata (Mexican Rice Drink)
Cinnamon sticks steep in long grain white rice and water, then sweetened condensed milk, whole milk and vanilla go in. A Mexican rice drink for 6, ready in 20 minutes.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 200 g
- 1000 ml
- 250 ml
- 120 ml
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 300 g
Process
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Rinse the long-grain white rice under cold running water for 1 minute until the water runs clear, then drain well.
Put the rinsed rice and 2 broken cinnamon sticks into a large bowl. Pour in 1000 ml cold water, cover, and soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Transfer the rice, cinnamon sticks, and soaking water to a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until the rice is completely broken down and the liquid looks milky.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth or a clean nut-milk bag into a large pitcher. Press the solids with a spoon to extract all liquid, then discard the solids.
Stir in 250 ml cold whole milk, 120 ml sweetened condensed milk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until fully dissolved.
Taste and add more sweetened condensed milk if you prefer it sweeter. Chill the horchata in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
To serve, fill glasses with 300 g ice cubes, pour the cold horchata over the ice, and dust with ground cinnamon if desired.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is not soaking the rice long enough; 4 hours is the minimum, but overnight gives a smoother, creamier texture.
- Do not skip rinsing the rice before soaking; excess surface starch makes the drink gluey instead of silky.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a nut-milk bag; a regular strainer leaves gritty rice particles.
- Taste after chilling, not before, because cold dulls sweetness. Adjust with more condensed milk right before serving.
Substitutions
- whole milk→oat milk or almond milk for dairy-free
- sweetened condensed milk→60 ml agave syrup or 80 g sugar dissolved in 60 ml warm water
- long-grain white rice→jasmine rice or basmati rice
- cinnamon sticks→1 tsp ground cinnamon added during soaking
Storage & reheating
Store horchata in a sealed glass pitcher or bottle in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It will separate naturally, so stir or shake well before serving. Do not freeze; freezing makes the rice solids separate and turns the texture grainy. Serve cold over ice; do not reheat.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why is my horchata gritty?
Gritty horchata means the rice was not blended long enough or was not strained finely enough. Blend on high for a full 2 minutes and strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a nut-milk bag. Press the solids to extract all liquid, then discard them.
Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?
Yes, but brown rice gives a nuttier flavor and a slightly darker color. Soak it for at least 6 hours because brown rice is harder, and blend for 3 minutes. The final drink will be less white but still creamy.
How long does horchata last in the fridge?
Homemade horchata keeps for up to 4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It separates as it sits, so stir or shake well before each serving. Discard it if it smells sour or looks foamy on top.
Can I make horchata without a blender?
You can, but it takes more work. After soaking, mash the rice and cinnamon with a potato masher or grind them in a food processor in batches. Then strain through cheesecloth, squeezing hard to extract the milk. The texture will be slightly less smooth.
Can I make horchata ahead of time?
Yes. The rice can soak overnight in the refrigerator, and the finished horchata can be made up to 3 days ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge and stir well before serving. Add the ice only at the moment of serving so it does not water down.
Why did my horchata turn slimy?
Slimy horchata usually comes from not rinsing the rice before soaking or from blending it too long at high speed, which releases excess starch. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and blend for no more than 2 minutes. Straining immediately after blending also helps.
Is horchata supposed to be served hot or cold?
Horchata is traditionally served ice-cold over ice. Chilling it for at least 1 hour before serving improves the flavor and texture. If you prefer it less cold, serve it over less ice, but never heat it, as the rice milk can curdle.
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