Coconut Horchata

This delicious vegan horchata is a deliciously sweet blend of white rice, coconut milk, and cinnamon spice.

The first time I tried horchata, I thought I was drinking melted vanilla ice cream over ice. That's pretty much what it tastes like!

This Mexican-inspired treat is creamy, sweet, and loaded with vanilla flavor. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there was no actual dairy in it!

Traditional horchata is made pretty similarly to rice or almond milk, so this is a naturally vegan friendly drink too. Yum!

I've played around a bit with making my own horchata, and my favorite version follows the traditional formula, but has one not-so-traditional addition: coconut milk!

The addition of some coconut milk gives you a horchata that's extra rich and creamy, so it kind of tastes like extra rich and creamy melted vanilla ice cream, but it's still totally vegan.

How to Make Vegan Coconut Horchata

To make this extra rich and creamy vegan horchata, just soak some rice and a cinnamon stick in water for a bit, then blend and strain.

The coconut milk gets added at the end, along with a nice dose of vanilla extract.

I sweetened up my coconut horchata with maple syrup because (1) as a liquid sweetener it's easy to stir in, and (2) not all granulated sugar is vegan, and I wanted to keep my horchata vegan friendly.

Quick Tips

I recommend serving this vegan horchata right away after you make it. If you store it in the fridge, it will separate. That isn't a huge deal - you can easily stir it up again. But for the best flavor and freshness, definitely drink up within a day or two.

The recipe calls for light coconut milk. It's this kind - not the kind in the refrigerated milk section of the store. If you opt for a full fat variety, you may want to use less!

And if you love this recipe, be sure to check out our other tasty beverages, or one of these delicious creations:

• Mexican Chocolate Breakfast Shake
• Mexican Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
• Vanilla Ice Cubes (for perfect cocktails!)

📖 Recipe

Coconut Horchata

from Oh My Veggies

This delicious vegan horchata is a deliciously sweet blend of white rice, coconut milk, and cinnamon spice. The addition of light coconut milk makes this coconut horchata extra rich and creamy.

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Prep Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients 

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 medium, about 3 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cups water, plus extra for soaking
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For serving:

• Ice, try these vanilla ice cubes
• Ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Place the rice and cinnamon stick into a bowl and cover with a few inches of water. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Drain the excess water, and then transfer the rice and cinnamon stick to a blender. Add 2 cups of water. Blend until the rice is very finely ground and the liquid is a milky color.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or large-mouthed pitcher. Stir in the coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. You can thin the mixture with some additional water and/or coconut milk, if you like.
• Divide ice cubes among glasses and pour the horchata over the ices. Sprinkle each glass with some ground cinnamon, and serve.

Nutrition (estimated per serving)

Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 51mgPotassium: 90mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Coconut Horchata, how to make horchata, vegan horchata

Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!