Quick Horchata Recipe (With Leftover Rice)

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Make this quick horchata recipe using leftover rice and save yourself time and hassle. A cool and refreshing cinnamon-flavored drink isn't too far away!

two glasses of cinnamon horchata in front of a pitcher

Horchata is a delicious cinnamon flavored rice drink best served cold over ice. It's so refreshing and tasty, especially on a hot summer's day.

I am a HUGE fan of cinnamon anything, so of course, horchata is one of my favorite cold drinks. But what makes this drink even better is how AFFORDABLE it is! I love to repurpose leftovers and turn them into new recipes, so this drink is always welcome around here.

An entire pitcher of homemade horchata was made for just pennies (twenty of them, to be exact). This is even cheaper than making a pitcher of Strawberry Pink Lemonade.

Why This Recipe Works

Quick and easy horchata. Made with just a few steps, this recipe couldn't be any simpler. Blend, strain, add water, and serve.
Minimal ingredients. While this is a recipe known for not having minimal ingredients it should be noted that a lot of the ingredients that are needed are already in your home- water, leftover rice, etc.
One batch makes enough to share. One large pitcher of horchata is plenty to share with everybody and can be spread out even more when served in glasses filled with ice.

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🥘 Ingredients
🍽 Equipment Needed
🔪 Instructions
🧾 Substitutions
📖 Variations
👩🏻‍🍳 Storage
💭 FAQs
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🥘 Ingredients

Cooked white rice- You will need already cooked rice. This is great for using up leftovers when you aren't making Fried Rice.

Water- You'll need some water to be the base of this recipe, but if you'd prefer to add in the milk or use a combination of milk and water, you may.

Ground cinnamon- For a delicious spiced taste!

Vanilla extract- A great flavor enhancer.

Granulated sugar- Use granulated sugar to get the horchata drink sweetened.

For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.

🍽 Equipment Needed

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🔪 Instructions

Check out how to make this quick horchata recipe with these simple step-by-step instructions:

Add 2 cups of water, rice, cinnamon, and vanilla to a blender.

a blender full of water rice vanilla and cinnamon

Blend on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until the rice is finely chopped and blended.

blended ingredients for horchata in a blender

Place a fine-mesh strainer over the top of a pitcher and strain the mixture into the pitcher so that there are no chunks.

Add in the sugar and stir well to combine until dissolved.

strained cinnamon rice water in a pitcher

Add in the remaining water and stir to combine.

If desired you can stir in one cup of milk for a cloudier look.

sugar and milk added to cinnamon rice water in a pitcher

Serve over ice in your drinking glasses.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick and whipped cream.

angled view inside of a glass of ice cold horchata with cinnamon

🧾 Substitutions

Leftover rice- If desired you can cook fresh rice to use for this recipe. The results are too similar to notice any difference at all. Leftover rice can just be more convenient. I love finding new ways to use up leftover rice because we often have a lot of it on hand.

If you have more leftover rice you want to use up, check out my Hot Dog Fried Rice recipe.

📖 Variations

Uncooked vs cooked rice

Horchata is usually made by grinding up uncooked long-grain white rice and cinnamon sticks in water and letting them soak overnight before adding the vanilla, sugar, and ground cinnamon.

By using cooked rice we shorten the time needed to extract the tasty starches and can get a pitcher of drink made in minutes instead of hours.

Adding milk

There are recipes that show it being served with milk, condensed milk, almond milk, or just plain water. It can be served thin or thick and adjusted to suit your own tastes.

This recipe version is my own, but feel free to adjust it however you like!

Vegan-friendly

You can make this drink vegan or dairy free by using water and/or plant based milk. Almond milk is a preferred milk of choice for horchata but adding it is completely optional as this drink can be made exclusively with water as the base.

👩🏻‍🍳 Storage

You can keep your horchata drink in a pitcher in the fridge for up to 1 week. This gives you plenty of time to sip away throughout the week!

💭 FAQs

Does horchata have cow milk?

Traditional horchata doesn't contain dairy which is great for those with allergies or trying to limit their dairy intake. I included a side note on the recipe card below on adding in cows milk, if desired.

Is drinking horchata healthy?

This drink has been around for hundreds of years and some believe it to be one of the healthiest drinks you can have. Cinnamon is great for all sorts of health benefits and rice is packed with nutrients as well.

What type of rice should I use for horchata?

This drink is usually made with medium or long grain white rice, but it can be made with other types of rice as well. Basmati, brown rice, or even jasmine rice can be used instead, but note that the flavors may change slightly with more flavorful types of rice.

a glass of horchata topped with whipped cream and cinnamon

More great beverage recipes to check out soon

📖 Recipe

two garnished glasses full of ice col horchata with a cinnamon stick inside

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5 from 2 votes