This Easy Horchata recipe uses brown rice, your preferred milk, raw sugar, and cinnamon to create a cooling, lightly spiced beverage perfect for hot days. It’s simple to make, naturally gluten-free, and easy to adapt to dairy-free diets.
Easy Horchata Recipe
Horchata, or horchata de arroz, is a classic Mexican rice drink that combines soaked rice, cinnamon, sweetener, and milk for a refreshing, creamy result. While traditional versions often use white rice, this brown rice horchata delivers a slightly nuttier flavor and pairs beautifully with a variety of meals. Making horchata at home is straightforward and tastes fresher than instant mixes.
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Horchata Drink
- Easy to make. Soak, blend, strain, and mix — homemade horchata is simple and far superior to powdered mixes.
- Light & refreshing. Chilled and served over ice, it’s mildly sweet and perfectly cooling for warm weather.
- Balanced cinnamon-vanilla flavor. Cinnamon sticks during soaking and a touch of vanilla afterward create a delicate, classic taste.
- Versatile pairing. Horchata complements Mexican dishes and is an excellent non-alcoholic option alongside tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, and more.
Recipe Ingredients
This brown rice horchata requires just a few pantry staples. Measurements are listed below so you can prepare this refreshing Mexican beverage at home.
- Rice – 1 cup rinsed brown rice (long- or short-grain both work).
- Water – 4 cups for soaking and blending the rice.
- Cinnamon sticks – 2 sticks to infuse warm spice while the rice soaks.
- Milk of your choice – 1 cup (skim, evaporated, almond, oat, soy, or coconut).
- Raw sugar – 1/3 cup (or agave, monk fruit, or your preferred sweetener, to taste).
- Dark vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon for depth of flavor.
- Ground cinnamon – 1/2 teaspoon plus extra for sprinkling on top.
How To Make Horchata (Brown Rice Horchata)
Plan ahead: the rice needs to soak for at least 8 hours. Aside from that waiting time, the active prep is minimal. Below are clear instructions for a smooth, grit-free horchata.
- Soak the rice. Combine 1 cup rinsed brown rice, 4 cups water, and 2 cinnamon sticks in a bowl or pitcher. Cover and refrigerate or leave at room temperature to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Blend. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks. Add the soaked rice and the soaking water to a blender and blend on high for about 5 minutes until very smooth.
- Strain. Strain the blended rice through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth two times to remove any gritty bits and separate the rice pulp. Discard the pulp.
- Combine and sweeten. Pour the strained liquid into a pitcher. Stir in 1 cup milk of choice, 1/3 cup raw sugar (or sweetener to taste), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix until the sugar dissolves.
- Chill and serve. Refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice and sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top of each glass just before serving.
Tips and Variations
A few practical tips to ensure silky-smooth horchata and ideas to customize the recipe:
- Rice choice: Brown rice gives a nuttier flavor; white rice is traditional and yields a cleaner, milder taste. Try jasmine or basmati for a fragrant twist.
- Blend thoroughly: Rice breaks down slowly — blend at high speed for several minutes for the smoothest result.
- Adjust sweetness: Start with less sweetener and increase to taste. Liquid sweeteners like agave blend easily.
- Dairy-free options: Almond, oat, or coconut milk make excellent dairy-free horchata alternatives.
- Thin if needed: If the horchata seems too thick after mixing, add extra milk or water until you reach the desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Serve horchata chilled in a tall glass over ice with a light dusting of ground cinnamon. It pairs especially well with Mexican dishes — tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, and grilled proteins — and makes a lovely non-alcoholic option for gatherings.
How to Store Homemade Horchata
Store horchata in a sealed pitcher or container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The rice components may settle, so stir or shake well before pouring. If the texture thickens, stir in a bit more milk or water to refresh it.
Brown Rice Horchata — Recipe Summary
- Yield: 5 servings
- Serving size: 1 cup
- Prep time: 10 mins (plus at least 8 hours soaking)
- Cook time: 0 mins
- Total time: about 8 hrs 10 mins
Ingredients (for 5 servings)
- 1 cup rinsed brown rice (short-grain or long-grain)
- 4 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup milk of your choice
- 1/3 cup raw sugar (or preferred sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon dark vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Soak the rice with the cinnamon sticks in 4 cups of water for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Discard the cinnamon sticks. Blend the rice and soaking water on high for about 5 minutes until smooth.
- Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth twice to remove any gritty bits. Discard the rice pulp.
- Pour the strained liquid into a pitcher. Whisk in milk, sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla until well combined. Chill.
- To serve, fill glasses with ice, pour horchata, and dust with ground cinnamon.
Nutrition (per 1 cup serving)
- Calories: 138 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 31.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Fat: 0.5 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg
- Sodium: 30.5 mg
Note: About 1/2 cup of rice pulp was discarded after straining; nutrition was adjusted to reflect that loss.
More Drinks to Try
- Colombian Salpicón
- Zero-Proof Jalapeño Paloma
- Grapefruit-Ginger Kombucha Mocktail
- Avena (oat-based beverage)
- Watermelon Agua Fresca