Vegan Horchata
This cold, creamy drink is the kind of thing you make once and immediately want to keep on rotation all summer long. Soaking rice overnight with a whole cinnamon stick is the secret — it pulls out a warm, spiced fragrance that no store-bought mix can replicate. After a long blend and a careful strain through cheesecloth, the result is a silky, opaque liquid that already tastes like something special before you even add the good stuff. Plant-based milk steps in seamlessly, giving the finished drink that rich, creamy body without any dairy involved. A little sugar and vanilla round everything out into something that tastes indulgent but is made entirely from pantry staples. Served over ice with a dusting of ground cinnamon, it's refreshing, lightly sweet, and genuinely impressive for a recipe that mostly just requires patience. Each batch serves four, making it a perfect pitcher drink for a warm afternoon or a crowd-pleasing addition to a weekend brunch spread.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches)
- 2 cups water, for soaking
- 2 cups plant-based milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the rice and cinnamon stick in a large bowl or pitcher. Pour in the 2 cups of soaking water, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight, until the rice has softened and the water is lightly cloudy and fragrant.
- 2
Transfer the soaked rice, cinnamon stick, and all of the soaking liquid to a blender. Blend on high for 2 full minutes, until the mixture is as smooth as possible and the liquid looks opaque and milky.
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