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Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 stick Mexican cinnamon stick (canela), broken into pieces
- 4 cups hot water
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ice, for serving
- ground cinnamon, optional, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Rinse the rice briefly under cool water and drain.
Place the rice and broken cinnamon stick in a large bowl or container.
Pour 4 cups hot water over the rice and cinnamon. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Pour the soaked rice, cinnamon, and soaking water into a blender. Depending on blender size, work in batches if necessary.
Blend on high until the rice and cinnamon are very finely ground and the liquid looks milky, about 1-2 minutes.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a nut-milk bag into a large pitcher. Strain thoroughly so the finished horchata is creamy rather than gritty.
Stir in 2 cups cold water, the whole milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla.
Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Taste and adjust the sweetness if necessary. If you prefer a thinner horchata, add a little additional cold water.
Refrigerate until very cold, at least 1 hour.
Stir the horchata very well before each serving because natural settling is expected.
Serve over plenty of ice with a light dusting of ground cinnamon if desired.
