Vegan Horchata
I love this vegan horchata. It is creamy, flavored with warm, comforting spices, and somehow also wildly refreshing. I make it with long-grain rice, almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla. It satisfies any sweet craving without using any refined sugar.
Servings: 8
Calories: 161kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ cups long grain rice
- 6 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add the rice and water to a blender and blend until the rice has been broken up.
- Transfer to a glass container along with the cinnamon sticks, cover and soak overnight.
- The next day place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Pour the rice mixture into the strainer, reserving the rice milk in the bowl.
- Discard the rice pieces and cinnamon sticks. Keep the rice milk.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl, mix and adjust sweetness to taste.
- Serve immediately! Pour over ice and sprinkle ground cinnamon on top.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this vegan horchata recipe is to strain the rice mixture really, really well. I even strain it twice, or use a muslin cloth. I have made this before, and had little bits of rice in the drink. It was extremely off-putting. This drink is meant to be as smooth as regular milk.
- Use good-quality vanilla: Vanilla extract works best, and you could even use vanilla bean paste if you do not mind the specks. I would advise against imitating vanilla essence as it evaporates quickly and has an artificial or medicinal aftertaste.
- Almond ice cubes: I like to freeze almond milk with a bit of ground cinnamon and vanilla in ice trays. This way, your drink stays cold without getting watered down.
- Sweeten last: I add the maple syrup at the very end, and a little bit at a time. This way, I am able to control the sweetness.
- Allow enough time to soak: I let my rice soak for at least 8 hours, to allow the cinnamon to infuse fully.
- Store properly: I prefer storing my horchata in a glass bottle with an air-tight lid. Milk-like products have a tendency to absorb smells that linger in your fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g