Agua de Horchata (Rice Water)

Three glasses of Agua de Horchata with cinnamon sticks in front of them.

Agua de Horchata (Rice Water)

Agua de Horchata is a sweet, creamy beverage served in many Latin American countries. This version is from Mexico, and it’s so refreshing with tacos, burritos, and fajitas.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Mexican

Cook Time 2 10

Total Time 2 10

Servings servings (1 cup each)

Calories 332kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

5 cups water divided (see note 1)
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cinnamon sticks broken (see note 2)
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, add water, rice, and cinnamon sticks. Soak for 2 hours. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth (do not remove the cinnamon sticks).
Pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Stir in sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and the remaining 2 cups water. Serve over ice or chill until serving time.

Video

Notes

Water: To speed up the initial soak, use 3 cups boiling water and reduce the soaking time to 1 hour.
Cinnamon: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon may be substituted for the cinnamon sticks (or add more to taste at the end).
Yield: This recipe makes 6 (1-cup) servings.
Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make ahead: The rice can be soaked up to 12 hours in advance in the refrigerator.
Horchata with oats: 1 cup of rolled oats may be substituted for the rice. That's just another way they make it in Mexico.

Nutrition