Horchata de Coco (Coconut Horchata)
Why this recipe works
- Smooth, creamy texture: Soaking the rice and coconut helps them blend more thoroughly, giving the strained drink a naturally milky body without dairy.
- Clean, chilled finish: Serving the horchata cold over ice keeps the coconut, cinnamon, and vanilla light rather than heavy.
- Easy to prepare ahead: The drink benefits from chilling and can be stored in the fridge, making it practical for preparing before serving.
Get the most out of this recipe
Timing notes
- Longer soaking option: The rice and coconut can be soaked overnight in the fridge if that suits your schedule better than soaking at room temperature.
- Chill before serving: Allow enough time for the strained horchata to chill properly; it tastes cleaner and more refreshing when served very cold.
Texture tips
- For a smoother drink: Strain the blended mixture twice, rinsing the sieve between passes to remove more fine rice and coconut sediment.
- Avoid graininess: Blend the soaked mixture until very smooth before straining, and press firmly to extract flavour without forcing too much grit through.
Ingredient notes
- Adjust the sweetness: Caster sugar dissolves easily, but the sweetness can be adjusted to taste after straining and before chilling.
- Use desiccated coconut: Desiccated coconut gives the drink coconut flavour without adding dairy or canned coconut milk, keeping the texture lighter.
Make-ahead tips
- Keep it chilled: Store the horchata in a sealed jug in the fridge and stir well before pouring, as rice and coconut naturally settle.
- Add ice at the last moment: Do not store the drink with ice; add ice cubes only when serving so the horchata stays properly flavoured.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Tip into a mixing bowl and stir in the desiccated coconut and ground cinnamon. Pour over 750 ml of the water, cover, and leave to soak at room temperature for 4 hours.
- Blend the soaked rice mixture until very smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the blender if needed. Add the remaining 250 ml water and blend again for 10 seconds to loosen. Let it stand for 5 minutes so the foam settles slightly.
- Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing firmly to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in the caster sugar and vanilla extract until fully dissolved. Chill for at least 30 minutes, then serve over ice cubes, stirring the jug first as it can settle.
Recipe notes
Tips
- For the smoothest texture, strain twice: once through a fine sieve, then again through the same sieve rinsed clean.
- If serving to young children, pregnant people, or anyone with a weakened immune system, use boiled and cooled water for soaking and chilling.
Substitutions
- Replace caster sugar with agave syrup for a softer, honeyed sweetness.
- Replace vanilla extract with madagascar-vanilla-paste for a more rounded vanilla flavour.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days
- Store in a sealed jug in the fridge and stir well before serving, as the rice and coconut will settle. Do not store with ice; add ice cubes only when serving.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 4 glasses
- Total time: 4h 10min (20min active)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cuisine: Spanish
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