Homemade Mexican Horchata with Cinnamon and Vanilla

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

A refreshing traditional Mexican rice drink infused with cinnamon and vanilla, perfect to cool off celebrations. This Mexican-inspired Cinco de Mayo recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 10 minutes, brings together long grain white rice, water, cinnamon sticks for a refreshing, crowd-pleasing drink — a bright, easy pour for parties, gatherings, or any warm-weather afternoon when you want something festive without alcohol-only options. Each serving lands at about 160 calories and feeds 6, so it works for entertaining, brunch, or a non-alcoholic option at the bar cart. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 10 min Serves 6 Mexican cuisine 160 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Rinse 1 cup long grain white rice thoroughly under cold water until water runs clear, then combine the rice with 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 cups water in a large bowl; soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  2. Step 2: Transfer the soaked rice, cinnamon sticks, and soaking water to a blender and blend on high for 2 minutes until the rice breaks down but the mixture is still slightly grainy.
  3. Step 3: Strain the blended mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids and cinnamon sticks.
  4. Step 4: Stir in 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup whole milk, and the remaining 2 cups cold water until sugar dissolves completely.
  5. Step 5: Chill the horchata in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving over ice, garnished with a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

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