Horchata Water (32 Oz) Recipe

Rinse and soak

Rinse 1 cup long-grain white rice under cold water until the rinse runs mostly clear. Place the rinsed rice in a medium bowl and add 2 cups water. Let the rice soak for at least 3 hours at room temperature, or for best results refrigerate and soak for 6–8 hours or overnight.

Blend

After soaking, transfer the rice and soaking water to a blender. Add 1 cup whole milk and blend on high for 1–2 minutes until the mixture is very smooth and rice is mostly broken down. If your blender is small, blend in two short pulses and scrape down sides as needed.

Strain

Place a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth (or a nut milk bag) over a large pitcher. Pour the blended rice mixture through the cloth/sieve, pressing or squeezing to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the rice solids (or reserve for another use).

Sweeten and finish

To the strained rice-milk in the pitcher, add 6 cups cold water, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust sweetness — add up to 2 tablespoons sugar total if you prefer sweeter horchata. If a creamier texture is desired, substitute up to 1/2 cup additional whole milk for 1/2 cup of the cold water.

Chill and serve

Refrigerate the horchata for at least 1 hour to let flavors meld and to chill thoroughly. To serve a 32 oz (about 4 cups) portion, fill glasses with ice (about 4 cups total across servings), pour the horchata over the ice, and sprinkle a pinch (~1/8–1/4 tsp) of ground cinnamon on top as garnish. Keep leftover horchata refrigerated for up to 3 days; shake or stir before serving as separation may occur.