Spiked Horchata Recipe

By
Marisel Salazar
headshot of writer marisel salazar
Marisel Salazar
Marisel Salazar a food, restaurant, and travel writer and video host based in New York City. She has written for Michelin, PureWow, VinePair, INSIDER, and more.
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Updated on 08/13/21
spiked horchata in a martini glass with stick of cinnamon as garnish

The Spruce / Marisel Salazar

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Steep: 12 hrs
Total: 12 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 5 servings
Yield: 5 glasses

Horchata is a cinnamon and rice based beverage popular throughout Latin America and Spain. The Spanish version is made with tiger nuts (horchata de chufa). It varies throughout Latin America, with some countries using cow’s milk while others are completely vegan using coconut, rice, and almonds.

You can adjust the milks in horchata according to dietary preferences or taste.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups white rice

  • 2 sticks cinnamon, plus more sticks for garnish

  • 1 cup coconut water

  • 1 cup full fat canned coconut milk

  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 1/4 cup rum

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients for spiked horchata

    The Spruce / Marisel Salazar

  2. Rinse rice under cold water in a tightly meshed sieve to clean and remove any debris. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add rice and cinnamon sticks to a heat proof bowl. Pour boiling water over rice and cinnamon sticks. When cool enough to handle, cover with plastic wrap and let soak overnight.

    cover horchata mix with plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Marisel Salazar

  3. The next day, pour the rice and water into a blender. Remove the cinnamon stick.

    rich in blender

    The Spruce / Marisel Salazar

  4. Blend for 30 to 45 seconds or until liquified. Strain rice water over a bowl through a tightly meshed sieve or cheesecloth to remove particles.

    strain horchata mix through seive

    The Spruce / Marisel Salazar

  5. Add coconut water, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt and dark rum to rice water. Whisk until sugar is dissolved.

    add milks, sugars, spices, and rum to horchata base

    The Spruce / Marisel Salazar

  6. Chill for 1 to 2 hours. Pour into your favorite glasses and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

    spiked horchata in martini glass garnished with cinnamon stick

    The Spruce / Marisel Salazar

Tip

  • Add ice cubes to horchata to chill instantly.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
256 Calories
10g Fat
35g Carbs
3g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5
Amount per serving
Calories 256
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 84mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 33mg 3%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 246mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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