We love Mexican food in our family and I’d say hardly a couple of weeks go by before we visit one of our local favorites around where we live. The kids make sure they get Horchata and with my renewed interest in nutrition and food this past year, I was really curious what the recipe for Horchata was. With summer around the corner, I figured that this would be a great, refreshing drink to make at home. First things first, I learned that the original Horchata is made from Chufa aka Tiger nut which are tiny, tuberous roots of a Middle-Eastern plant of the sedge family. In other words an awesome protein shake! I so need to make that one, but the Mexican version uses rice which is what this recipe for Horchata is all about.

Recipe for Horchata

I was actually pleasantly surprised at how easy the recipe for Horchata was. A few simple ingredients and a quick refreshing drink, just perfect for summer when we have Taco night at home. This is all it takes for the perfect recipe for Horchata.

2 cups of Almond milk

1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice

5 cups of water

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Plenty of Agave syrup

Have to say that the Almond milk was a nice touch as it adds a unique flavor to the recipe and makes the recipe vegan. Originally I thought I only had to soak the rice for an hour, but we were going to make this for a dinner party, ran out of time and I ended up soaking the rice over night. Turned out to be a good thing. Soak the rice in the water for 8+ hours. Blend the mixture in a food processor like Vitamix® (best kitchen appliance ever!) until the mixture is smooth. Use a strainer to get the rice sediments out of the mix. Add the almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon and Agave to the mix and blend them some more. Add additional Agave until it’s sweet enough for you. Hint: it takes a fair bit and another hint: don’t ask your kids if it’s sweet enough! Chill for an hour, stir and serve over ice. Just make sure that the kids are outdoor and running around when the sugar gets to their head. 🙂

Have you tried making Horchata at home? What does your recipe for Horchata look like?

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