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Horchata · Cinnamon Rice

Homemade Cinnamon Rice Horchata

Rice and cinnamon sticks soak overnight, then get blended, strained and sweetened into a creamy, refreshing drink. Great with tacos or on a hot afternoon.

New, no ratings yet0 reviewsby Simmerbee Kitchen

Prep
15 min
Cook
0 min
Total
9 hr 15 min
Serves
about 6 cups
Level
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice ≈ 185 g
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
  • 4 cups water, for soaking
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1 cup milk, or more water for dairy-free
    Swaps for milk

    Instead of milk

    • Unsweetened soy milk: The same amount. The closest plant milk for baking: its protein helps things brown and set.
    • Unsweetened oat milk: The same amount. Creamy and mild with a hint of sweetness.
    • Unsweetened almond milk: The same amount. Thinner and less rich, so cakes are a little paler and drier.

    All 5 swaps for milk

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • ½–⅔ cups granulated sugar, up to 2/3 cup ≈ 100–133 g
    Swaps for granulated sugar

    Instead of sugar

    • Less sugar: Up to ¼ less in cookies, muffins and quick breads. Less browning and spread, a drier, more cake-like texture, and bakes go stale sooner.
    • Brown sugar: The same amount, packed. Moister and chewier, with a caramel flavor and darker color.
    • Coconut sugar: The same amount. Darker and caramel-like, a little less sweet; cookies spread slightly less.

    All 4 swaps for sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    Swaps for vanilla extract

    Instead of vanilla extract

    • Vanilla bean paste: The same amount. Stronger, with visible vanilla seeds.
    • Vanilla bean: The seeds of 1 bean for each 1 tbsp extract. A deeper, floral flavor and visible seeds.
    • Alcohol-free vanilla: The same amount. Made with glycerin; a slightly milder taste.

    All 5 swaps for vanilla extract

  • ground cinnamon, for serving
    Swaps for ground cinnamon

    Instead of cinnamon

    • Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice: The same amount. Mostly cinnamon, with ginger, nutmeg and allspice or cloves: a little spicier.
    • Ground allspice or nutmeg: About ¼ the amount. Much stronger and different, but warm in the same way.

    More for cinnamon

  • ice, for serving

Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.

Steps

Kid helper. A child can do steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10: no knife, no heat. Steps marked “Grown-up” use a sharp tool. Cooking with kids

  1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer for a few seconds and drain.
    Kid step
  2. Put the rice and cinnamon stick pieces in a bowl or pitcher, pour in the 4 cups of water and cover.
    Kid step
  3. Refrigerate to soak overnight, or at least 8 hours.
    ⏱ Soak: 8 hrKid step
  4. Pour the rice, cinnamon and soaking water into a blender.
    Kid step
  5. Blend on high until the rice is ground as finely as possible.
    ⏱ Blend: 2 minGrown-up: sharp tool
  6. Set a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth over a pitcher and pour the mixture through it. Let it drain.
    Kid step
  7. Gather the cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Discard the solids.
    Kid step
  8. Stir the cold water, milk, sugar and vanilla into the pitcher until the sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar if you like.
    Kid step
  9. Refrigerate until very cold.
    ⏱ Chill: 1 hrKid step
  10. Stir well, since it settles, and serve over ice with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
    Kid step

Tips

  • Soak the rice in the fridge, not on the counter, so it stays fresh.
  • No cheesecloth? Strain twice through the fine-mesh strainer, or once through a clean thin kitchen towel.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Stir before pouring.

Make ahead

Start the soak the night before.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.

Quick answers

Can I make it ahead?

Start the soak the night before.

What can I swap?
  • Instead of milk: Unsweetened soy milk, the same amount.
  • Instead of sugar: Brown sugar, the same amount, packed.

Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
210
Protein
3 g
Carbohydrates
46 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugars
22 g
Fat
1.5 g
Saturated fat
1 g
Sodium
20 mg

Whole recipe, 6 servings: about 1,290 calories.

Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 6 of 6 ingredients.

How we estimate

We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 6 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.

Not counted: water (for soaking); ground cinnamon, ice (to taste or as needed).

Estimated cost

About $0.15 a serving

About $0.95 for the recipe as written (6 servings).

Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data. Priced: 5 of 6 ingredients, 99% by weight.

How we estimate

Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.

  • long-grain white rice $0.45 BLS
  • granulated sugar $0.25 BLS
  • milk $0.25 BLS

Free: water, cold water (tap water).

Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): vanilla extract.

Not counted: ground cinnamon, ice (optional, or to taste).

More dishes for less: cheap eats.

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Cleanup score 2/5 (more cleanup): 4 things to wash, mixing bowl, blender, strainer, pitcher.

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simmerbee.com/r/horchata-cinnamon-riceSimmerbee