Dairy-Free Horchata Recipe: Creamy, Vegan Mexican Drink

Horchata is a sweet rice-based drink enjoyed across Mexico and the United States. While many people are familiar with the creamy version made with evaporated and condensed milk, traditional Mexican horchata is dairy-free and made simply with rice, cinnamon, water, and sugar.

My family’s version was passed down from my great-grandmother. Rice and cinnamon sticks are soaked overnight to soften and release their flavors, then blended and strained. Some variations include almonds or oats for extra body, but the classic agua fresca-style horchata is light, refreshing, and water-based.

Spanish horchata, the original drink from Spain, is different — traditionally made from tiger nuts — and is also dairy-free. This recipe focuses on the traditional Mexican method using rice and cinnamon.

Ingredients:

Long grain rice – Regular long grain or jasmine rice work well. Use a quality brand you prefer.
Cinnamon – Use 1–2 cinnamon sticks. One stick is about 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Use 2 sticks for a stronger cinnamon flavor.
Water – Traditional Mexican horchata is made with water, not milk.
Sugar – Granulated sugar works, but converting it to a simple syrup first helps it blend smoothly and improves the texture and flavor.
Vanilla extract – Optional (about 1/4 tsp). In this water-based version a small amount of vanilla brightens the flavor.

4.95 from 18 votes

Traditional Mexican Horchata (Dairy-Free)

By Stella Navarro-Kim

This classic agua fresca is dairy-free and made with soaked rice, cinnamon, water, and sugar for a bright,Refreshing beverage.

Prep: 15

Soaking time: 8

Total: 8 15

Servings: 8 cups

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Ingredients

8 cups water, divided
1 cup long grain rice
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water, optional — for making simple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

Soak the rice and cinnamon stick(s) in 4 cups of water overnight (at least 8 hours).

Use two cinnamon sticks for a stronger cinnamon flavor, or one if you prefer it milder.
After soaking, pour the rice, cinnamon, and soaking water into a high-powered blender. If your blender is large enough, add the remaining 4 cups of water now; otherwise add it after straining.
Blend on high for 2–3 minutes, until the rice is broken down into a fine, milky consistency.
Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Discard the solids. If you didn’t add the second half of the water earlier, stir in the additional 4 cups now.
If you prefer a smoother texture, strain the horchata a second time to remove finer particles.
Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, if using. A small amount of vanilla enhances the flavor of the water-based horchata.
Add the sugar and mix until dissolved. Tip: make a simple syrup by heating 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water over low–medium heat for a couple of minutes; this blends more smoothly into the horchata.
Serve the horchata over plenty of crushed ice and enjoy.