Go Back
Vegan Horchata, vegan recipe

Vegan Horchata

A creamy vegan horchata built by simmering rice with cinnamon, then blending and straining it, so the body comes from the rice itself instead of dairy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Horchata base
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice rinsed well
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
To finish
  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk unsweetened, or oat milk
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt a small pinch, to round out the sweetness
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more for serving
  • ice for serving

Method
 

  1. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain it well so no loose starch is left clinging to the grains.
  2. Add the drained rice, the 4 cups of water, and the cinnamon sticks to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the rice is soft enough to squash easily between your fingers.
  3. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Cooling it first matters, because a blender full of steaming liquid can blow its lid off.
  4. Pour the rice, its cooking liquid, and the cinnamon sticks into a blender and blend on high for a full 2 minutes, until the mixture looks like a smooth, cloudy rice milk with no whole grains left.
  5. Set a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl or jug, line it with a double layer of cheesecloth or a clean thin towel, and pour the blended mixture through. Let it drain for a few minutes, then gather the cloth and squeeze gently to press out the last of the liquid, and discard the pulp.
  6. Stir the almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, and ground cinnamon into the strained rice liquid. Taste it and add another tablespoon of maple syrup if you want it sweeter.
  7. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or until cold. Stir well before pouring over ice, dust the top with ground cinnamon, and serve right away.

Notes

Long-grain white rice gives the cleanest, most neutral base, and medium-grain rice works if that's what you have. Rinsing the rice is not optional here, because loose surface starch is what makes horchata taste chalky instead of creamy. The rice does need a real 15 minute simmer rather than a quick soak, since soft grains blend down to the smooth, thickened liquid you're after. Taste the horchata once it's fully chilled before deciding on more maple syrup, because cold drinks taste less sweet than warm ones.