BatchMake aheadCreamySummer
Horchata
Rice, cinnamon and milk, blended and strained. Sweet, cooling, and the best thing to drink with spicy food.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Serves
- 6
- Glass
- Highball
- Difficulty
- Easy
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cups warm water, for soaking
- 1 cup whole milk (or oat milk)
- 0.5 cup sugar, to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon, to garnish
Method
- 1Blend the rice and cinnamon sticks briefly with a cup of the warm water until coarsely broken up.
- 2Add the rest of the water and leave to soak at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- 3Blend again until as smooth as you can get it.
- 4Strain twice through a fine sieve or muslin — twice is not optional, or it will be gritty.
- 5Stir in the milk, sugar and vanilla. Chill and serve over ice with cinnamon grated on top.
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Notes
- Strain it twice. Once leaves texture, and texture is what ruins horchata.
- Soaking overnight extracts far more flavour than a short soak.
- Oat milk makes an excellent dairy-free version.
Common questions
Is horchata alcoholic?
No — Mexican horchata is rice, cinnamon, milk and sugar, and is naturally alcohol-free. It's a standard soft drink there and pairs particularly well with chilli heat.
Make one of these next
- Mint Lemonade
Blended rather than muddled, which is what makes it green, cold and far more intense than the stirred version.
- Peach Iced Tea
Real peach and real tea, not syrup from a bottle. Makes a jug that disappears fast.
- Southern Sweet Tea
The method matters more than the recipe — sweeten it hot, cool it fast, and never boil the leaves.
A new recipe each month
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