Horchata Recipe – Two Ways (2024)

Horchata Recipe made two ways. Come see how easy it is to make the homemade drink and how to make a Horchata Frappuccino!

I was at a friend’s wedding reception recently and the most adorable sugar cookies with the design of a Mexican tile on each one and concha’s (Mexican sweet bread) were the refreshments. The cookies were {almost} too cute to eat. Even the cake was made to look like Mexican tiles. I was loving everything about the dessert table. And then I made it to the end of the dessert table to the drink table. I felt pure joy when I saw one of the drink options was Horchata! Apart from the gorgeous bride, this was hands down my favorite part of the reception!

Horchata is delicious. It is the perfect drink when serving dessert or any Mexican main dish. The traditional drinktakes hours to make, but not my easy recipe! You can have this drink ready to serve in just 35 minutes.

How to Make Horchata:

1. First, heat milk to 100 degrees F.
2. Then, add the rice and let it sit for 30 minutes.
3. Add the rice mixture to the blender.
4. Next, add 2 cups of water.
5. Add ground cinnamon.
6. Then, add the vanilla.
7. Blend for 2-3 minutes.
8. Next, pour the mixture through a strainer into your pitcher.
9. Add 10 cups of water.
10. Finally, add 1/2 cup of sugar, and stir until blended.

Traditional Horchata takes hours to make, but not my easy recipe! Minute Rice helps me get it in glasses in just 35 minutes! My family loves having it when I whip up our favorite Mexican dinner, or as a dessert whipped up with some ice cream to make a frappe!

Horchata Recipe Questions Answered:

What is Horchata?

Horchata (pronounced or-CHAH-tah) is best known as a Mexican drink flavored with cinnamon, sweetened with sugar, and made with rice and water. The rice is blended up finely and mixed with the water, sugar, and cinnamon resulting in a milky looking drink.

See Also

Easy Stuffed Cheesy Bread Recipe

Why is it called horchata?

There is kind of a trail to follow to understand why it is called horchata. The word horchata comes from the Latin word hordeata which actually comes from the term hordeum. Hordeum is the Mediterranean custom of grain-based beverages.

Horchata was originally made with dried and sweetened tiger nuts. The popularity of this grain-based beverage grew and eventually, the tiger-nuts were exchanged for white rice and cinnamon.

Cook’s Note:

• Feel free to add more cinnamon to the recipe if that’s your taste, especially when making the Frappe!
• I suggest using any milk except skim in this recipe. This includes almond milk, rice milk, etc.
• Either serve this recipe right away over ice or pop it back in the fridge for an hour to chill. I usually serve it over ice because I can’t wait that long.
• This Horchata recipe will keep, chilled, for up to 1 week.

LOVE MEXICAN FOOD AS MUCH AS I DO?

Check out some of my personal favorite recipes:

• Chicken Burrito Bowl
• Restaurant Style Refried Beans
• New Mexico Style Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
• Mexican Spinach Dip
• Sweet Corn Tamales Cake
• Green Chile Pinto Beans
• Guacamole
• Picadillo
• Enchilada sauce
• Carne Asada Street Tacos
• Queso Blanco Dip
• Breakfast Taco Bar

5 from 20 votes

Easy Horchata Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

12 people

Horchata Recipe made two ways. Come see how easy it is to make the homemade drink and how to make a Horchata Frappuccino!

Ingredients

FOR HORCHATA:

• ▢ 1 cup milk any kind but skim
• ▢ 1 cup Minute Rice
• ▢ 12 cups water divided
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar

FOR HORCHATA FRAPPUCCINO:

• ▢ ½ cup horchata
• ▢ 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• ▢ whipped cream for garnish
• ▢ ground cinnamon for garnish

Instructions

FOR HORCHATA:

• First, in a microwave-safe bowl heat the milk in the microwave until it reaches 100 degrees F, about 1-2 minutes. Pour the rice into the hot milk and let it sit for 30minutes.

• Then, transfer the rice mixture to a blender canister. Add 2 cups of the water, cinnamon, and vanilla. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes, or until all the rice is finely chopped and blended.

• Next, place a fine mesh strainer over a large pitcher (at least 3 quarts). Pour the mixture through the strainer into the pitcher. Discard what’s left in the strainer.

• Add the remaining 10 cups of water and sugar, stir to combine. Finally, serve over ice.

FOR HORCHATA FRAPPUCCINO:

• In the canister of a blender, add the Horchata and ice cream. Blend until smooth, about 3-5 pulses. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with whipped cream and ground cinnamon.

Notes

This recipe makes 3 quarts of Horchata.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 26mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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This post first appeared on Food Folks and Fun on April 30, 2015. I have since updated the post and pictures.