By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 1, 2026

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Horchata

Serves 5

272 cal · 195 min

Horchata

Recipe GLPRf2904be82b959a

4.5(1)
Latin American
Beverage
195 min
272 cal
Servings: 5
No-Cook
SNAP eligible

A creamy and refreshing rice-based beverage with warm spices and vanilla. This traditional drink is naturally sweet and perfectly served chilled over ice on warm days.

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Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked

5 cups water

1/2 cup 1% milk

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup sugar

Directions

  1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before preparing the horchata.

  2. Add the uncooked rice and water to a blender. Blend on high speed for about one minute, until the rice begins to break apart slightly but remains somewhat coarse.

  3. Pour the rice-water mixture into a large bowl and let it sit at room temperature for approximately three hours, allowing the rice solids to soften and infuse flavor into the liquid.

  4. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and pour the mixture through it into a large pitcher, pressing gently to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the strained rice solids.

  5. Add the milk, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and sugar to the strained rice liquid. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved and all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

  6. Refrigerate the horchata for at least one hour until chilled. Stir well before serving and pour over ice in tall glasses.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.5

Horchata is a genuine crowd-pleaser that costs under $1 per serving—rice, milk, and pantry staples are everywhere at every Charlotte chain. The stated 195 minutes is honestly misleading because the active work is maybe 15 minutes: blend soaked rice with water and milk, strain, sweeten, chill. Most of that time is passive soaking and refrigeration, so a weeknight cook needs to plan ahead, but it's not demanding once you start. The beverage is naturally shelf-stable in the fridge and reheats fine, making it practical for meal prep or a weekend project that pays dividends all week.

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