Soaked rice and almonds blended into a creamy chilled drink and then lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Such a versatile and simple recipe that complements all your favorite Mexican recipes. You can also make a regular horchata recipe with rice and milk, without the addition of nuts. Horchata is such an underrated, delicious drink, and it comes in different variations. Some horchata variations are naturally vegan, (dairy free) but some variations contain milk. Either way, this is one of our favorite breakfast drinks! Horchata originates from a drink made by soaking and blending tiger nuts. But other variations can be made with rice, sesame seeds, almonds, melon seeds, and more! I’ve even had the pleasure of drinking a cocoa horchata, made with rice and cocoa nibs that was incredible! To make the horchata taste even richer and creamier, evaporated milk and condensed milk can also be added, but this recipe contains no milk and is a dairy free / vegan version of authentic horchata. It’s a naturally plant based horchata, made with white rice, almonds, and unsweetened almond milk, and is ultra creamy!
Vegan horchata recipe highlights
The white rice and nuts are first soaked in HOT water, which enhances their flavor. In addition to that, I usually leave it overnight, so that the water is fully infused with all the flavors. The rice and almond are blended and then drained, making this drink super creamy! I’ve made this vegan recipe with Mexican cinnamon as well as Ceylon cinnamon. Mexican cinnamon obviously contributes to that classic Mexican horchata taste, but Ceylon cinnamon gives it a very fragrant, floral flavor profile that I love. Feel free to use whichever cinnamon you have at hand. The nutmeg and vanilla also add a beautiful warmth and floral sweetness that enhance the taste of this vegan horchata. The addition of almond milk makes this dairy free horchata even more creamy and luxurious.
Ingredients you’ll need
Equipment you’ll need
How to make vegan horchata
Step one
Wash the rice to remove excess starch. This step is crucial because you don’t want too much starch in the drink, and this way you can also use the soaking liquid without throwing it out. Place the rice in a colander and rinse about 3 times until the water runs clear. Just like you would when cooking rice. The step to prepare the almonds is optional, and only required if you want to do it. If you’re using raw almonds with the skin, you can remove the skin before using. This is more important if you don’t want to strain the horchata at the end. To do this, boil water in a large pot and add the almonds to the boiling water. Let it blanch for about 1 – 2 minutes. Then drain the water from the almonds and let it cool. While warm, pinch each almond between your fingers and the almond should slip out of the skin. However, if you can, use blanched raw almonds so that you can avoid this step, or make sure to strain the horchata at the end.
Step two
Soak the rice and almonds. This is crucial because soaking will soften the rice and almonds and make it easier to blend it into a smooth mixture. Place the washed rice in a large jug or container (at least 4 cup capacity). Also place the almonds with the rice. If using whole cinnamon sticks, add this as well, because the stick can soften along with the rice and almonds. Or you can add ground cinnamon when blending the horchata later. I like to soak the ingredients right inside the blender jug for convenience. Pour about 2 cups of boiling water over the rice and almonds and stir to mix. Then let this soak for a minimum of 4 hours, but I like to soak it overnight. I like to soak it at room temperature, but it can also be kept in the fridge.
Step three
Blend the ingredients. Place the soaked rice, almonds, cinnamon, and the soaking water in the blender (image 3). Add an additional 1 – 2 cups of water as well. Blend on high speed for a few minutes until it’s very smooth and creamy. With my vitamix, this takes about 3 minutes (image 4). Then add the sugar, salt, cinnamon (if using ground cinnamon), and nutmeg, and blend again for 1 – 2 minutes until everything is mixed through and the sugar is dissolved (image 5). The dairy free horchata should look silky smooth when blending (image 6).
Step four
Now it’s time to strain. Here is where recipes can vary. Most recipes call for the horchata to be passed through a very fine sieve / nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Some don’t. I only pass my horchata through a regular sieve to remove large pieces (image 7). Usually there are no large pieces because the blender has done its job. This results in a very thick horchata that is slightly grainier than others, but we love our horchata this way! But if I were to serve this drink to others, I would pass it through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth. You can also use a nut milk bag for a smoother drink, but I prefer using a sieve that is not as fine as a nut milk bag.
Step five
Mix other ingredients. Now add the remaining water, and the plant-based milk (image 8). This adds a lovely creaminess and richness to the horchata! I usually have oat milk at home, so I tend to use this. However, you can use almond milk to complement the almonds that are already in the horchata. Taste and add more sugar to taste.
Step six
Finally, it’s time to store the horchata. Horchata tastes best chilled. So, make sure to refrigerate the drink before serving. If you’re impatient (like we always are!), then serve the horchata in a tall glass with lots of ice. The excess ice will chill the drink much faster, so you can have an ice cold horchata immediately (without any dilution of the drink).
Recipe tips
Don’t forget to wash the rice before using it. If you soak unwashed rice, you will need to discard that soaking water and add extra water to the blended horchata. It’s just easier to wash off the excess starch before soaking the rice. Use raw almonds that are already skinned. Easier, and the texture is smoother at the end too. You can even use slivered or sliced blanched almonds. Part of the deliciousness of horchata comes from the slightly gritty texture because of the blended rice and nuts. So, if you choose to strain the drink, use a 165 – 225 micron mesh (mesh size 60 – 100) to strain. This will remove extra pulp, while still retaining very fine pulp that gives the horchata that characteristic creamy texture. Use barista grade plant milk to give the dairy free horchata a rich, thick texture. If you’re serving horchata with lots of ice, then you can add a little extra sugar to make it sweeter. The ice will melt and dilute the horchata slightly.
How to make dairy free / vegan horchata smoother
While we personally prefer minimally-strained homemade horchata, you can try these steps for extra smooth vegan horchata.
Strain the horchata through a nut milk bag to remove most of the pulp. This is a time-consuming step however, as the pulp is thick. So, strain the horchata in batches, making sure to squeeze the pulp (with clean hands) to get as much liquid as possible. The more pulp you strain out, the less your yield will be – so bear that in mind. This will result in a vegan horchata that has no “pulp” or texture, and is very smooth. But without the pulp it is less creamy and thick as well. Another option is to use almond butter. Instead of using raw almonds, you can use ½ cup of natural almond butter. This will add the almond flavor with less pulp. This way, you only have to strain the pulp of the rice if you choose to. But I do find that this makes the consistency of the drink thinner, and not as rich.
Serving ideas
This delicious drink can be enjoyed as is with ice, because it’s SO refreshing. It’s the perfect drink for hot summer days, especially during an outdoor party or BBQ, for Cinco de mayo and the holiday season. It’s one of our favorite breakfast drinks as well. And of course this Mexican rice drink pairs splendidly with Mexican dishes like tacos (fish tacos, pork carnitas tacos, roasted pork tacos), burritos, fajitas, quesadilla (like this fajita steak quesadilla), enchiladas, chicken taquitos, carnitas (like this pork carnitas recipe) etc. But it also pairs well with other Latin American and Spanish dishes. Really, it’ll pair with any spicy dish, because of how cooling and refreshing horchata can be! We regularly enjoy this with any one of our authentic curry recipes.
Recipe variations
Instead of almonds, you can also use other types of nuts such as,
Cashews Hazelnuts – For a hazelnut flavored horchata Sesame seeds
Other additions
When soaking the rice, add cocoa nibs or cocoa powder when blending to make vegan chocolate horchata. Add rum for an alcoholic horchata, much like a vegan rumchata! You could also add maple syrup or vanilla extract to your horchata, but keep in mind that this will change the flavor.
Storage
Horchata should be stored in the fridge in a jug or airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. While this horchata doesn’t last longer than 3 days in our home, it can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Since it’s so easy to make, we find ourselves making horchata 2 – 3 times a week during summer.
Frequently asked questions
