Traditional Mexican horchata is incredibly tasty but usually loaded with sweetened condensed milk and refined sugar. We cut out processed sugars in this recipe and used coconut sugar instead — a natural sweetener low on the glycemic index. Coconut sugar also contains a variety of minerals — 17 amino acids, vitamin C and nearly all B vitamins. Its slightly nutty flavor gives horchata a richer flavor, so you won’t guzzle down the whole batch.
Serves 4
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 8.5 hours
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Ingredients
2/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
3 cups warm water
One cinnamon stick
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups unsweetened rice milk
Ice cubes
More cinnamon for serving
Preparation
- In a blender, grind the rice into fine pieces, roughly the consistency of coarse polenta.
- Transfer the rice to a medium bowl then pour warm water over it and add the cinnamon stick. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours or overnight.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and puree the rice and water until smooth. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, squeezing to extract as much of the rice flavor as possible.
- Stir in the sugar, vanilla and milk, mixing until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until completely chilled. Serve over ice with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon on top.