The traditional horchata gets a healthy make over. You’ll never notice that brown rice was used instead of white. All the deliciousness of “regular” horchata is present in this refreshing and healthy drink.
The night before place the brown rice into a sealable container, pour the 3 cups of water over it and also add the cinnamon stick. Seal the container and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 12.
The next day when ready to make your horchata, pour the rice and water into a blender. Break off half of the cinnamon stick and also add it to the blender. Blend until the rice is completely broken down. On my blender it took about 4 minutes. Blending time will depend on your blender.
Once blended place a fine sieve over a pitcher, then place a cheesecloth over the sieve and pour the blended ingredients into the pitcher.
Once all the liquid has been poured over the cheesecloth gather all of the sides and squeeze out any liquid left. Discard the rice.
Next , into the pitcher, pour the almond milk and the 3 cups of water. Mix until well combined then pour in the honey and stir until completely dissolved. Mix in the vanilla extract if using. At this time, taste for sweetness and add more honey if desired. Additionally you can add another cup of water if the horchata is too concentrated for you.
You can now serve over lots of ice, but it’s best to place the pitcher in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to really allow the flavors come together. Stir well before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.