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Homemade Horchata

Name: Homemade Horchata
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Beverages
Ingredients: 1 cup long-grain white rice; 5 cups water, divided; 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces; 1 cup whole milk; 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk; 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or to taste; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Ground cinnamon and ice, for serving

A creamy, cinnamon-scented Mexican rice drink that is sweet, refreshing, and irresistible over ice.

30 minutes

Serves 6

Drink

14 min prep

23 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

6 steps

1
Add the rice and broken cinnamon stick to a blender and pulse a few times to crack the grains, then pour in 2 1/2 cups of the water. Blend for about 1 minute until the rice is coarsely ground.
2
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and let it soak at room temperature for at least 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator; the longer it sits, the more flavor and creaminess you extract.
3
Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups water to the soaked mixture, then blend again for 1 to 2 minutes until very smooth.
4
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a pitcher, pressing gently to extract all the liquid and discarding the gritty solids.
5
Whisk in the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and vanilla until fully combined. Taste and adjust sweetness.
6
Chill thoroughly, then stir before serving over ice with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon on top.

Homemade Horchata — plated and served — Serving moment. How Homemade Horchata looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

84/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 96

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 56

Pantry-friendly 66

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

285

Calories

6 g

Protein

57 g

Carbs

4 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

This homemade version simplifies horchata down to one sweetener rather than two, using sweetened condensed milk in place of separately measured sugar and evaporated milk, while still relying on a long rice soak to get a smooth, blendable base.

Listahan note

This version splits the water into a soaking batch and a blending batch, and lets condensed milk do double duty as sweetener and cream, rather than balancing several separate ingredients.

Technique cues

Splitting the water into two batches, one for soaking the rice and cinnamon, a separate batch for blending, keeps the starchy soaking liquid from diluting the final blend too much.
Sweetened condensed milk stands in for a separate measure of sugar plus evaporated milk, adding sweetness and creaminess from a single ingredient rather than balancing two.
The rice and cinnamon need the same long soak, several hours or overnight, as any horchata, since a short soak leaves rice too firm to blend into a smooth drink.
Straining through a fine cloth after blending removes the rice solids that a home blender, even a powerful one, doesn't fully liquefy.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Chill glasses and prep garnish while Homemade Horchata steeps, blends, or infuses, so nothing is rushed once it's ready to pour. This one leans on the sweetened condensed milk.
Make-ahead: Batch the base of Homemade Horchata (the sweetened condensed milk) ahead and refrigerate, then finish and garnish individual servings right before pouring. Plan around the chill; that's the slow part.
Leftover move: Leftover Homemade Horchata keeps refrigerated in a sealed container; give it a stir or shake before pouring again since it may separate. This one leans on the sweetened condensed milk. The chill step is what sets the pace here.
Cleanup rhythm: Rinse the blender or pitcher used for Homemade Horchata immediately — sticky or dairy-based drinks are far easier to clean before they dry. This one leans on the sweetened condensed milk. Plan around the chill; that's the slow part.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

1 cup long-grain white rice

Structural base

Purpose: cup long-grain white rice defines the shape and texture of the dish.

Handling: Rinse, soak, whisk, or separate as the recipe requires so the texture stays clean.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

5 cups water, divided

Flavor support

Purpose: cups water, divided supports the balance of Homemade Horchata and should taste integrated.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

Sweetness and aroma

Purpose: cinnamon stick, broken into pieces adds aroma, sweetness, or warmth without needing extra garnish.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

1 cup whole milk

Richness and texture

Purpose: cup whole milk rounds the texture and helps the dish feel complete.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use unsweetened dairy-free alternatives only where they still provide enough fat and body.

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Richness and texture

Purpose: cup sweetened condensed milk rounds the texture and helps the dish feel complete.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use unsweetened dairy-free alternatives only where they still provide enough fat and body.

Technique notes

Adjust the condensed milk to taste gradually, since it's easy to oversweeten a batch that's already been blended and strained.
Whole milk added after straining thins the concentrate to a pourable consistency without diluting the cinnamon flavor as much as adding more water would.
Keep the pitcher stirred as you serve, the rice and cinnamon particles that make it through the strainer settle quickly.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free direction: Swap the milk for a full-fat plant milk (oat, coconut, or soy all whip and pour similarly) — the texture shifts slightly but the dish holds together. This one leans on the long-grain white rice.
Lower-sodium direction: Salt in stages instead of all at once, tasting as you go — you'll likely need less than the full amount. This one leans on the long-grain white rice.
Weeknight shortcut: Pre-portion and freeze the fruit or mix-ins in small bags so a weeknight version is a one-step blend, no chopping. This one leans on the long-grain white rice.

Serve alongside

Fresh fruit
Cucumber slices
Plain rice crackers
Cold water
Sparkling water

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days when the drink is brewed, blended, or mixed ahead.
Stir or shake before serving over fresh ice.
Do not freeze unless the recipe is meant to become pops or granita.

Equipment

Pitcher or blender
Measuring cup
Long spoon

Make this household-aware

Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.

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