Horchata Recipe

Rinse and combine

Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch. Place the rinsed rice, blanched almonds, and cinnamon sticks in a medium bowl or measuring pitcher.

Pour 2 cups hot (not boiling) water over the rice, almonds, and cinnamon sticks. Stir once so all solids are submerged. Let soak at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or for best flavor 3–4 hours. For quickest result, soak 30 minutes and proceed — longer soaking yields smoother, more infused horchata.

Initial blend

After soaking, transfer the rice, almonds, cinnamon sticks and the soaking liquid to a blender. Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth and milky and the solids are broken down. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.

If your blender is small, blend in two batches. Let the blended mixture steep 15–30 minutes to further extract flavor from the rice, almonds, and cinnamon sticks.

Strain

Place a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth (or a nut-milk bag) over a large bowl or pitcher. Pour the blended mixture through the cloth, allowing the liquid to drain. Gather the cloth and squeeze gently to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids (or save for baking).

Sweeten and thin

To the strained rice-almond liquid, add the granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lime zest (if using). Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the cold water and the milk or evaporated milk (if using) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness — if you prefer richer or sweeter horchata, add sweetened condensed milk a tablespoon at a time until desired sweetness and body is reached.

Chill the horchata in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour; chilling lets flavors meld and ensures it's cold for serving. The mixture can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Shake or stir before serving as separation may occur.

To serve, fill glasses with ice if desired, pour horchata over ice, and sprinkle a light dusting (~1/4 tsp per 4 servings total) of ground cinnamon on top. Serve cold.