Wellness Origin HubMexican horchata with rice and cinnamon, soaked overnight
An easy Mexican horchata recipe: white rice and cinnamon soaked overnight, blended, strained and sweetened for a creamy, cold rice drink with no cooking.
Mexican horchata is white rice and a cinnamon stick soaked in water overnight, blended until smooth, strained and sweetened. The result is a cold, creamy, cinnamon-scented drink that tastes rich but needs no cooking and, in its simplest form, no dairy.
It is one of the classic aguas frescas, the "fresh waters" sold from big glass barrels at Mexican markets, taquerias and street stalls, next to agua de jamaica (hibiscus) and agua de tamarindo. The name and the idea came from Spain, where horchata de chufa is made from tiger nuts in Valencia. In Mexico, rice took their place, and cinnamon became the main flavour.
How to make it
- Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs almost clear.
- Put the rice and the cinnamon stick, broken into pieces, in a large bowl or jug. Pour over the warm water, cover and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- Tip the rice, cinnamon and all the soaking water into a blender and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until the rice is as fine as you can get it.
- Strain through a fine sieve lined with a nut milk bag or a clean cloth, squeezing the pulp to get all the liquid out.
- Stir in the cold water or milk, the sugar and the vanilla until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust.
- Chill, then stir again and serve over ice with a light dusting of ground cinnamon.
Why it needs the overnight soak
Dry rice is hard, and even a powerful blender cannot break it down finely enough on its own. A long soak softens the grains so they blend into a smooth liquid instead of a gritty one. It also gives the cinnamon time to flavour the water. Hot water speeds the soak up a little, but it does not replace it; four hours is the bare minimum.
A strong blender makes a real difference here. If you are choosing one, our guide to the best blenders for smoothies covers what to look for.
Tips for the best flavour
- Use Mexican cinnamon if you can. Mexican canela is Ceylon cinnamon: soft, flaky sticks with a gentle, floral flavour. The harder cassia sticks sold in most supermarkets work, but taste sharper, so use a smaller piece.
- Strain twice. One pass through a sieve and a second through a cloth gives the silkiest drink.
- Sweeten after straining. Sugar dissolves easily in the strained liquid and you can taste as you go.
- Stir before every glass. Horchata settles in the jug. A quick stir brings the creamy part back up.
Water or milk?
Both versions are common. Water gives a lighter, cleaner drink and keeps it dairy-free. Milk, or a mix of milk and a spoonful of evaporated milk, gives a richer, sweeter glass. Unsweetened almond or oat milk is a good middle way; our comparison of plant milks explains how they differ in taste and body.
| Base | Texture | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Water only | Light, refreshing | Hot days, a dairy-free drink |
| Half water, half milk | Creamy | The everyday version |
| Almond or oat milk | Creamy, nutty | Dairy-free but richer |
Variations
- Toasted: toast the dry rice in a pan until lightly golden before soaking, for a nuttier flavour.
- With almonds: add a small handful of blanched almonds to the soak.
- Less sweet: start with half the sugar. Horchata is traditionally quite sweet, but it is easy to adjust.
- Horchata with fruit: pour it over ice with a few chunks of fresh strawberry or cantaloupe, as some street sellers do.
- Another agua fresca: our hibiscus iced tea is close to agua de jamaica and is a nice tart partner on the same table.
Make ahead and storage
Keep horchata covered in the fridge and drink it within three days. It will separate as it sits; that is normal, just stir or shake. If it smells sour or tastes fizzy, it has started to ferment and should be thrown away. The rice pulp left after straining can go into porridge or baking.
Questions people ask
Can I use brown rice?
You can, but the drink comes out greyer and has a stronger grain flavour. Long-grain white rice gives the clean, pale horchata you get in Mexico.
Does horchata have dairy?
Traditional Mexican rice horchata is often made with water only, so it can be completely dairy-free. Some recipes add milk or condensed milk. Check the label or ask if you buy it ready-made.
Is horchata high in sugar?
Like most aguas frescas, it is sweetened. This recipe has about 17 g of added sugar per glass when it serves six. Halving the sugar still gives a pleasant drink, and you can drink it as a treat rather than an everyday thirst quencher.
Photograph: AI-generated image
