Agua de Horchata - Easy Recipe
This smooth and creamy Mexican-style agua de horchata is made from rice water, cinnamon, vanilla extract, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. This recipe also includes tips for making a vegan/dairy-free version!
Servings: 8 glasses
Calories: 279kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 4 cups filtered water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 can
- 12 ounces evaporated milk 1 can
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the rice and place it in a large bowl
- Pour 4 cups filtered water over the rice. Place the cinnamon sticks in the water and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
- Once the rice and cinnamon sticks have soaked for at least 4 hours, uncover the bowl and transfer the rice and water to a blender. Blend the rice and water on high speed for 1 full minute. You may need to do this in batches.
- Pour the rice-water over a mesh strainer into a bowl or wide-mouthed pitcher. Line the strainer with a cheesecloth or use a nut milk bag if you want it to be extra smooth.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla extract and stir.
- Horchata can be served over ice right away, or you can chill it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
Notes
- Be sure to use long-grain white rice. Avoid using basmati rice or jasmine rice because they can impart their flavor and alter the taste of the horchata.
- I prefer to use filtered water, but if you're comfortable using tap water, go for it.
- Mexican cinnamon sticks works great for this recipe if you can find them! They have a slightly sweeter taste than regular cinnamon, and have a softer, papery texture which breaks down easier when blended.
- For more cinnamon flavor, break or cut the cinnamon sticks in half just before soaking them.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cup | Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 303IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 283mg | Iron: 0.5mg