Horchata de arroz

Name: Horchata de arroz
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 4 h 15 min
Ingredients: 200 g long-grain white rice; 1 stick cinnamon, broken; 1200 ml water, divided; 100 g sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional); 250 ml milk (optional); 300 g ice (optional)

Vegetarian

A chilled, creamy-tasting Mexican drink made by soaking and blending raw rice with cinnamon, then straining and sweetening it. Served over ice.

Horchata de arroz is a Mexican cold drink from Mexico, ready in about 4 hours 15 minutes and made with long-grain white rice and cinnamon. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

Refreshing traditional Mexican horchata served in a mason jar with cinnamon sticks. — Photo: Diana Reyes / Pexels · Pexels License

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 0 min
Rest: 4 h
Total: 4 h 15 min
Serves: 6
Level: Beginner
Calories: 187

Soak the rice at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Ingredients

6 glasses

200 g Long-grain white rice (opens in a new tab)
1 stick (3 g) Cinnamon (opens in a new tab), brokenSoft Ceylon cinnamon is traditional.
1200 ml Water (opens in a new tab), divided
100 g Sugar (opens in a new tab)Adjust to taste.
1 tsp (4.5 g) Vanilla extract (opens in a new tab) (optional)
250 ml Milk (opens in a new tab) (optional)Some families add milk for a richer drink.Swap: Almond milk (unsweetened)Contains milk
300 g Ice (opens in a new tab) (optional)For serving.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Rinse the rice, then soak it with the cinnamon (opens in a new tab) in 600 ml warm water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- 3 min
2
Step 2
Blend the rice, cinnamon (opens in a new tab) and soaking water until as smooth as possible, about 2 minutes.
- 3 min
- Blender (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin, squeezing out as much liquid as you can. Discard the solids.
- 5 min
- Sieve / strainer (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels
4
Step 4
Stir in the remaining 600 ml water, the sugar (opens in a new tab), vanilla (opens in a new tab) and milk (opens in a new tab) if using, until the sugar dissolves. Chill and stir again before pouring over ice.
- 4 min

About this dish

Origin: Mexico · Commonly attributedHorchata came to the Americas from Spain, where the Valencian version is made from tiger nuts; this rice and cinnamon style is the Mexican one.Also popular in United States, Guatemala, El SalvadorMore food from Mexico
Dish: Snack · Lunch · Cold drinks
Cooking method: Blended, No-cook
Taste: sweet, aromatic / warmly spiced, refreshing
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-free, Alcohol-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Child-friendly
Cook more with: Long-grain white rice · Cinnamon · Sugar
Techniques: Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom milk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

187 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 251 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 5%
Carbohydrate 94%
Fat 1%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	187 kcal	75 kcal
Protein	2.4 g	1 g
Carbohydrate	43.7 g	17.5 g
Net carbohydrate	43 g	17.2 g
Sugars	16.7 g	6.7 g
Added sugars	16.7 g	6.7 g
Fibre	0.7 g	0.3 g
Fat	0.2 g	0.1 g
Saturated fat	0.1 g	0 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	6 mg	2 mg
Salt equivalent	0 g	0 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 41 mg
Calcium: 35 mg
Iron: 1.5 mg
Magnesium: 13 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 0 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 129 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: vanilla extract, milk, ice.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Strain twice for the silkiest drink.

Common mistakes

Skipping the long soak gives a chalky, gritty horchata.

Food safety

Keep horchata refrigerated — raw rice drinks spoil quickly at room temperature.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; it settles, so stir before serving.

Variations

Horchata de chufa (Spain): The Valencian original made from tiger nuts.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & BlendCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Long-grain white rice200 g
Milk (optional)250 ml · 258 g

Used in steps 1, 4

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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