Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

mexican rice milk, horchata mexicana

(9 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Juliann Esquivel
Florida City, FL

This rice drink is both refreshing and delicious. It is made with rice, almonds, cinnamon, water, sugar, and vanilla. For more nutrition, in many homes, milk and almonds are added but they are optional. It is very popular in Mexico. Since it is made without milk it will keep in the fridge for days. However, because it is so good, it does not last long. Friends who have tasted it for the first time when traveling to Mexico come back looking for the recipe. Try my Horchata for yourself it is very easy to make and involves no cooking.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

If you've never tried Horchata, now is the time to do so. This is a simple and delicious Horchata recipe. The milk is cool and refreshing, slightly sweet, and has a hint of cinnamon flavor. We opted not to add the blanched almonds and it was tasty without it. Serve over ice for a fun Taco Tuesday drink.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(9 ratings)
yield 5 or 6
prep time 20 Min
method No-Cook or Other

Ingredients For mexican rice milk, horchata mexicana

  • 1 1/2 c
    long grain rice, uncooked
  • 2 qt
    + 2 cups more water
  • 1 stick
    cinnamon
  • 1 c
    sugar or to your liking
  • 1 c
    fresh milk optional or evaporated milk, optional
  • 1/2 c
    skinless white almonds blanched, optional
  • 2 tsp
    pure vanilla extract
  • 1 md
    cheese cloth, important

How To Make mexican rice milk, horchata mexicana

  • Rinsing the rice.
    1
    First, in a large pot rinse rice two or three times in cool water.
  • Rice combined with water and cinnamon sticks.
    2
    Now combine rice and (almonds optional) with about 10 cups of water and a broken-up cinnamon stick. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight, for 24 hours or up to two days. I put mine in the fridge covered and sometimes just leave it in the fridge for two days.
  • Draining rice after it has soaked.
    3
    After overnight, 24 hours or two days (whichever length of time you chose), remove from the refrigerator and strain the rice and cinnamon sticks from the water. Do not throw the water out.
  • Blending rice mixture with sugar, rice water, and the soaked cinnamon sticks.
    4
    In a blender, process on high about a cup of the rice mixture with a half cup sugar, 1 cup of the rice water, and the soaked cinnamon sticks on high. Process until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks very smooth. Pour into a pitcher.
  • Remaining rice, sugar, and cinnamon added to blender.
    5
    Next, do the remaining rice and the rest of the sugar and cinnamon sticks and process again until all is dissolved. (If you chose to soak almonds with your rice then you will have ground the almonds along with the rice as well.) Remember try for a very smooth mixture.
  • Adding rice mixture back to rice water.
    6
    Now add all of the rice and almond mixture back into the reserved rice water mix very well. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
  • Straining the mixture through cheesecloth.
    7
    Now you are ready to strain all of the rice water mixture through a cheesecloth. Put it over another pitcher push down in the pitcher somewhat and I secure the cheesecloth ends over the edge of the pitcher with a very large rubber band all around the outside of the pitcher. I then strain the mixture slowly until all the liquid has been poured back into the pitcher. Remove the cloth discard the contents. Sometimes I strain twice.
  • Evaporated milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup.
    8
    Now if you like you may add the cup of milk and the vanilla. Stir well and taste for sweetness to your liking. Refrigerate. When nice and cold, serve in tall glasses over ice. Enjoy.
  • Horchata poured into a glass with ice.
    9
    In Mexico sometimes after a very hot or spicy meal cool glasses of Horchata are served after the meal to calm and cool the taste buds. Of course, anytime is great to enjoy a refreshing glass of Horchata.
  • 10
    I will post my picture tomorrow, as I have rice and soaking in my fridge as I write this. I plan on making the Horchata tomorrow.
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