Horchata Recipe

Rinse and soak rice

Rinse 1 cup long-grain white rice under cold water until the rinse runs mostly clear to remove excess starch. Transfer rinsed rice to a bowl and add 2 cups of the water. Cover and let soak at room temperature for at least 3 hours or up to 6 hours. For quicker results, soak 1 hour and proceed.

Blend rice and milk

After soaking, transfer the rice and soaking liquid to a blender. Add 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup additional water (so total water used equals 3 cups including soak). Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is very smooth and rice is mostly broken down. If your blender struggles, blend in two short pulses, scraping down the sides between pulses.

Infuse and sweeten

Strain the blended rice-milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a nut-milk bag into a pitcher, pressing or squeezing to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard or reserve the pulp for another use (e.g., baking). Stir in 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon until the sugar dissolves. Optional: add 1 cinnamon stick to the pitcher for extra infusion and chill at least 1 hour for better flavor melding.

Adjust, chill, and serve

Taste the horchata and adjust sweetness to preference, adding more sugar 1 teaspoon at a time if desired. If the horchata is too thick, stir in up to 1 cup cold water to reach desired consistency. Refrigerate until very cold. To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes (about 1/2 cup ice per glass), pour horchata over ice, and sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon across the top or garnish with the reserved cinnamon stick.