Make Creamy Dairy Free Mexican Horchata at Home

Treat yourself to a batch of this creamy dairy free Mexican Horchata at your next fiesta. Not only is it easy to make but, like most things, it is so much tastier when it is homemade. And it is wonderfully refreshing on a hot summer day.

There are countless ways to make Horchata.

Different regions use different nuts and seeds including tiger nuts, sesame seeds, almonds, rice and more. All are sweetened, some use cow's milk, most use cinnamon.

This is a Mexican version combining raw almonds and rice with cinnamon and sweetener of your choice.

Now matter how you decide to make it, Horchata is a creamy and refreshing way to quench your thirst.

Ingredients for Dairy Free Horchata

The ingredients are pretty simple:

• raw almonds
• white rice
• sweetener (sugar, stevia, agave, honey, etc.)
• cinnamon, both stick and ground
• vanilla extract

You can make a "cheater version" if you choose by combining premade almond and rice milks and adding vanilla and cinnamon. But I assure you, making it from scratch is easy and tastes better.

Special Equipment for Horchata

You really only need two items to make Horchata:

• a good blender or food processor to grind everything
• cheesecloth or a nut milk bag

Dairy Free Mexican Horchata

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Ingredients

 

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 6 cups water (divided use)
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 stick cinnamon
• ⅓ cup sugar or equivalent sugar free sweetener (more or less to taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ground cinnamon for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Blanch almonds: Boil 2 cups of water. Add almonds and boil for 1 minute. Drain and immediately put almonds into bowl of ice water. Slough of skins.
• Boil 4 cups water and remove from heat. Add almonds, rice and cinnamon stick and let sit for at least 3-4 hours up to overnight.
• Puree the mixture in batches until smooth.
• Strain through cheesecloth. Add sugar and vanilla. 
• Chill and serve over ice with ground cinnamon on top if desired. 

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