Horchata de Arroz is a popular & refreshing Mexican drink made with ground rice, milk and cinnamon. Learn how to make this delicious drink with these step by step instructions!
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Best Horchata Recipe
There is a reason why this drink is the most popular one on Muy Delish. It’s super delicious!
It’s sweet, creamy, and refreshing! Due to the milk in the recipe, it can have a cooling effect that comes in handy when eating spicy food.
My recipe is for traditional Mexican horchata but I’ve seen versions around the web to fit today’s different diet needs: Some use almond or coconut milk to make it lactose-free or they use no calorie-sweeteners for diabetic needs.
While they may taste good, nothing beats the taste of the traditional version! I hope you treat yourself to the real deal at least once in a while.
One of the reasons Horchata is very popular in Mexico, is that it’s the perfect pairing for spicy & flavorful meals. Every time I make Pozole, Entomatadas, or Bistec Ranchero, you’ll see Horchata on my table….It’s also my favorite drink and it’ll be yours soon too 🙂
🩷 xoxo, Ana
Ingredients
- Use any uncooked long grain white rice and 2 cinnamon sticks.
- The milk base comes from evaporated and condensed milk. This is what gives the horchata the wonderful flavor and a creamy consistency.
- If the condensed milk does not make it sweet enough for you, you can add more sugar to taste.
- Ground cinnamon to garnish (optional)
- Vanilla extract (optional) – Just don’t use too much vanilla as we don’t want to overpower the cinnamon & rice flavor.
*** Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
How to make horchata
Making horchata is very simple and the hardest part is waiting for it to soak. After that, making it is a breeze!
- Place the rice in a colander and rinse under cold water.
- Place the rice, cinnamon stick and 4 cups of water into a bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 4 hours (the longer the better!).
3. Add 1/2 of the rice mixture & 1/2 of the soaking water and some of the cinnamon stick in a blender.
4. Puree until it’s very smooth and forms a watery paste like texture. About 4 minutes long.
5. Using a very fine mesh strainer (or some cheese cloth) pour the mixture over a pitcher. Strain out as much liquid as possible, pushing on the solids with a spatula or spoon.
6. Repeat this process for the rest of the rice & cinnamon mixture.
7. Stir in the canned milks, vanilla, and the additional 4 cups of water. Stir well until everything is incorporated.
Once I tried the famous Horchata from La Santisima Mexican Restaurant in Glendale Arizona and loved it! They add chunks of fruits like cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes plus chopped pecans. It’s so good! I think I’ll do that to mine next time.
What readers are saying:
Readers who have made this recipe are raving about it! Here is what they had to say after enjoying it:
I made several other horchata recipes but I’m throwing those other ones away because I’ve found the one that I like! Your recipe is awesome and my kids love it. I soak the rice in the fridge for an entire day and then overnight. It comes out so creamy. Thanks!
I made this for a catering of 100 guests. It was a Mexican inspired menu. The Horchata was a huge hit! They loved it!
P.s. I never made it before so thank you!
Tips and Notes
- I prefer long-grain white rice for a smoother texture.
- Make sure you give it enough time to soak the rice well. This will ensure that will blend the best and will retain all of the rice flavor.
- Texture: If you prefer a smoother horchata, strain it a second time or use a nut milk bag.
- Variations: Some people like to add a little almond extract or use almond milk for a different flavor profile.
How to Store
- Fridge: Place in a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2-3 days. But I guarantee that you’ll want to drink it all in a day!
- Shake Before Serving: Horchata tends to separate, so shake or stir it well before serving.
- Freezing: If you need to store it longer, you can freeze in an airtight container, leaving some space at the top for expansion. Thaw it in the refrigerator and shake well before serving.
- Avoid Room Temperature: Do not leave it at room temperature for extended periods to prevent spoilage.
You guys, if you go to a Mexican restaurant I guarantee you will see Horchata on the menu. You may have seen it as “Agua de Horchata”. The wonderful thing is it’s super easy to make and you can make it at home!
Thank you for stopping by!
I hope you like this recipe! Do you have any questions I can help you with? Or if you made it, I would love it if you leave a comment or rating below.
Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe:
Traditional Mexican Horchata
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 12 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 8 cups of warm water - divided
- Sugar to taste
- Ground cinnamon to garnish - optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla - optional
Instructions
- Place the rice in a colander and rinse under cold water. Place the rice, cinnamon sticks (see note #1 below) and 4 cups of water into a bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (preferably) or a minimum of 4 hours.
- Once you're ready to blend the rice, remove most of the cinnamon sticks but it's okay to leave small pieces with the rice.
- Blend the rice in two separate batches by adding 1/2 of the rice & water with some of the cinnamon stick left behind. Puree until it's very smooth and forms a watery paste like texture. About 4 minutes long.
- Using a very fine strainer (or some cheese cloth) pour the blended mixture over a pitcher. Strain out as much liquid as possible, pushing on the solids with a spatula or spoon.
- Repeat this process for the rest of the rice, water & cinnamon mixture.
- Stir in the canned milks, vanilla, and the additional 4 cups of water. Stir well until everything is incorporated.
- Taste and add sugar or water if needed according to taste.
- Chill and stir well before serving over ice. It's normal to have some rice paste sink to the bottom of the jar/glass. Just stir before you serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Break the cinnamon sticks in large pieces before you place in the bowl to soak. This will give more flavor from the inside of the cinnamon.
- If you don’t have cinnamon sticks, you can soak the rice with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder.
- If you decided to use vanilla, don’t add too much of it as it will overpower the cinnamon & rice flavor.
- Stora in Fridge: Place in a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2-3 days. But I guarantee that you’ll want to drink it all in a day!
- Shake Before Serving: Horchata tends to separate, so shake or stir it well before serving.
- Avoid Room Temperature: Do not leave it at room temperature for extended periods to prevent spoilage.
Your Private Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in July 2014. It has been updated to revise the content and photographs. The original delicious recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
FAQs
Any white rice will work: long grain, jasmine, basmati, short grain. Just make sure it’s raw white rice!
Yes! Since we’ll be using the same soaking water to make the horchata, I recommend you wash it to have a clean drink.
Place the bowl in the fridge since we’ll be using that same water for our final Horchata drink. This water already contains a lot of the rice & cinnamon flavor and we don’t want to waste it!
Use almond milk or coconut milk. But you’ll need to sweeten it with sugar or your favorite sweetener. This may change the authenticity and it may not provide the same results as this recipe.
I’ve made this delicious drink twice now! I always add a cup of sugar to boost the sweetness a bit. But it is always amazing.
I’m so glad you’ve made it more than once! Adding extra sugar is a great way to adjust it to your taste—I love that you’ve made it your own. Thanks so much for sharing your tip!
Unsure what I did wrong, I’m sure it’s me & not the recipe! Mine came out bland and very milky. Possibly I blended for too long (I only blended for the recommended 4 mins), but since my blender is strong, maybe less time would have been better. Grrr.. I’ll keep trying! I also wonder if 4 cups is too much water? I feel like mine came out very watery.
Delicious. My family loved it. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe.
Hello! If I want to triple the recipe, should I be using 12 cups of water instead of 4 for the rice + cinnamon stick to soak in?
i love it
The BEST horchata recipe! Every other attempt turned out bad, but this always works! Mil gracias, Ana! We use a Cuisanart food processor and it helps me to do it in two batches so it doesn’t leak out. I also think that Nestle sweetened condensed milk yields the best results (I usually use a different brand for everything else). Thanks again!
How much rice?
It was really good, but a bit sweet for me (even without any extra sugar). I put a dash (maybe a bit more) of salt in it and I liked it a lot more (I do this in my cafe con leche, it calms down the sweetness, bring out the milk flavor). Thank you for the recipe, I’ve been meaning to try making an horchata for a long while now… but it did seem a bit intimidating.
this is amazing!! i haven’t made horchata in awhile so i needed a refresher on the recipe, sooo glad to have chosen this one. definitely will make again 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! I followed each step, soaked the rice more than 12 hours. My Vitamix blender completely pulverized the rice, and nothing was left behind on the cheesecloth when I strained it. The flavor was perfect, but it left a starchy aftertaste. What can I do next time to avoid this?
I thought it tasted pretty well probably not as sweet as the store-bought stuff or at La Michiana, which is ice cream places, but I did enjoy it and I’m proud of myself for making it
Hi Bethany! Thank you so much for the review! La Michoacana Horchata is super popular too so I’m glad you gave this one a try at home. Now you can have it whenever you want to! Enjoy you day, Ana
SOOOOO GOOOOOD
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Levi!
Great recipe, refreshing and tasty
Thank you so much Arvin! I’m so happy to hear you liked it. Stay well!
aura
My Family and I really enjoy this recipe. This is so delicious, and so fun to make with my little kids. This is by far the best recipe I’ve made!
I need to make 5 gallons for a graduation party. How much finished hrochata does this make, Does this recipe multiply well or do you happen to have a “party size” version?
Hi Megan, this entire recipe makes about 96 ounces (a gallon is 128 ounces) so I would make at least 6 times the recipe. The recipe card will multiply up to 3 times but then you’ll just need to double that. Here is your Horchata party version recipe for about 5 gallons:
* 6 cup uncooked white rice
* 12 cinnamon sticks
* 6 cans of 12 ounce evaporated milk
* 6 cans of 12 ounce sweetened condensed milk (or 14 ounce cans but use a little less to start with and adjust to taste)
* 48 cups of warm water divided
* Sugar to taste. optional
* Ground cinnamon to garnish optional
* 3 teaspoons vanilla optional
Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy graduation day!
xo, Ana
Thank you so much for the party recipe! I will make it tonight for Saturday’s gathering😃
Hi! I was just wondering how much of the cinnamon sticks should be blended? Thank you so much, very excited to see the finished result!
Since you cut them in pieces when soaking the rice, you can just blend in about half of a stick between all the batches. This way it’s not overpowering the rest of the flavors.
Enjoy!
How much sugar should you start with? ½c, 1c, 1½c ¼?
Hi Terri, great question! I start with 1/4 cup of sugar and go from there if needed more. Enjoy!
Really good
I used my vitamix blender and it completely obliterated the rice. When I tried to strain it in a very fine mesh strainer, everything went right through. So it has a thicker texture and a thick residue left it my mouth.
My suggestion is to use cheesecloth then to strain it.<3 Hope this helps!
-M
Thank you so much for the recipe I can’t wait to get it made up.
This was my first time trying horchata, it tastes so good!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love horchata!
Easy and delicious
Hi! How much water for soaking 3 cups of rice for a triple batch? The recipe still says 4 cups but that doesn’t seem right! Thanks
I’ve made this horchata recipe a few times and it gets better each time. My family and I love it! The recipe is simple and easy to follow along. We like our horchata less sweet so we cut out sugar, and we don’t add vanilla extract. Overall, each batch saves me about $40 from a Taqueria. I definitely recommend trying this!
Excellent!
Much better than the kind I’ve had at markets from mix.
Absolutely delicious! I added 4 cups whole milk instead of water the second time I made it and the flavor was so much fresher and creamier.
so gooooood!!!
How long are the cinnamon sticks
Hi Wes, just the regular cinnamon sticks. I think they’re about 2 to 3 inches long? It won’t affect much a long they are.
Enjoy!
Ana
Thank you
How long are the cinnamon sticks suppossed to be
Hello, this is usually how I make my horchata but I was wondering if it would be okay to use whole or 2% milk instead of evaporated milk. It’s all I have right now and I didn’t want to ruin it in any way.
Hi T! You will definitely not ruin the drink! Replace the same amount of evaporated milk with your 2% milk. Do you still have sweetened condensed milk? if not, also add the same amount of milk and just use sugar to taste.
Enjoy!
This is the first time making this and I have to say it came out great. This will definitely become a holiday favorite. Plan on making another batch with some rum for the adults. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so happy to hear this Kiki! Love how you plan on using two different batches. Thanks for the kind review of this recipe!
xox,
Ana
I think it would be even better with kahlua!
¡Salió deliciosa! Muchas gracias
Que gusto saber que te salio deliciosa! Gracias por el comentario. Saludos!
How many servings does this recipe make? I am planning for a large quantity
Hi Karen, recipe will serve about 10 to 12 glasses (with ice). You can easily double the recipe.
Enjoy! xo, Ana
Do you think I could use this Horchata to soak oats for an overnight oats recipe? I noticed in the notes section it says to “shake before serving” as it tends to separate so I’m curious if you think it would be a good idea or not?
I would absolutely try it!! Either I am thinking it will settle in the oats and then you stir it. Brilliant idea.
Great idea!! I want to try this too. Thanks for question!
xo, Ana
Traditional Mexican horchata is such a comforting and refreshing drink! There’s something about the combination of rice, milk, and cinnamon that makes it perfect for cooling down after spicy food. I love how your recipe sticks to the authentic flavors, and you’re right—sometimes nothing beats the original. The creamy texture and gentle sweetness really make horchata a standout among other aguas frescas.
I’ve made horchata at home a few times, and one trick that I’ve found helpful is to let the rice and cinnamon soak for a good while before blending—it really helps extract all those wonderful flavors. Straining it well is also key to getting that smooth, silky texture. I can see why this is the most popular drink on your site, and I’m definitely inspired to try your version soon!
My husband loves Horchata and is expensive to buy in my small town(only 1 store carries it here, $4.50 for half a gallon). I decided to try homemade Horchata with your recipe. My husband loved it!! Thank you for the easy recipe.
Thanks so much Lois! I’m delighted to hear this. Once you have homemade horchata, you won’t want to get the store stuff again!
The horchata was greedy and to nutty for my liking
My Family loved this recipe. It was so easy to make. I was impatient and could only wait the 4 hrs. Next time I’m gonna leave it overnight to see how much softer the rice gets. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I used evaporated coconut milk and condensed coconut milk, this may be a cojito with these switches. I also toasted my rice, then rinsed, and soaked in fridge overnight. Was amazing. No sugar needed, but did add almost 4 extra cups of water. Delicious.
I like the idea of toasting the rice. I’ll have to try that next time.
This post was extremely well-crafted and insightful.
Made our first batch and it us definitely delicious.😋 Thanks for sharing!
I love the flavors in this traditional Mexican horchata – so refreshing too. Yum!
Horchata is my FAVORITE drink! The hardest part about making it is waiting overnight for it to soak, but it’s sooooo worth it.
This is the first time that I have tried horchata, and let me tell you. It did not disappoint! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
I loved this horchata! It was fantastic! The blend of cinnamon and vanilla made for a refreshing drink that paired perfectly with my spicy tacos.
I love horchata and this is hands down the best recipe out there! Perfect results. Thanks for the great recipe!
…really confusing…so you add the original 4 cups of water to blend, and then you add an additional 4 cups of water??
That’s correct! Enjoy 🙂
This recipe is so delicious, thank you for sharing. I find that soaking the rice overnight works best as it softens the rice and then there is less separation once you have the final product. I found that I only needed to add about 1/4 cup of sugar as the sweetened condensed milk is fairly sweet. Also, I added whole milk instead of evaporated. So good! My family loves it.