This Easy Strawberry Horchata (Pink Horchata) is a fun twist on the classic Spanish beverage. Make this lightly sweet, no-cook, rich, and creamy drink for a refreshing summer treat (gluten-free).
Here are some more Mexican recipes that you may like – Mexican Cornbread, Mexican Quinoa, Instant Pot Mexican Rice, Mexican Churros, and Hot & Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip.
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About This Recipe
Strawberry Horchata (Pink Horchata) is a fun twist on the traditional Mexican horchata recipe.
Horchata (pronounced as Or-cha-tah) is a popular Spanish summer drink that is lightly sweet, creamy, and rich. It is a type of agua fresca, (literally meaning “fresh water” in Spanish). Horchata drink is basically flavored rice milk.
Not only in Mexican homes, but it is also popularly served in Mexican restaurants all over the world.
This homemade strawberry horchata recipe combines the classic drink with the fruity flavors of strawberries. The addition of strawberries also gives this drink a lovely pink color.
This no-cook Pink Horchata is a great refreshing beverage to serve during baby showers, bridal showers, and summer potlucks. It is one of my favorite drinks to serve for weekend brunch or valentine’s day.
It can be made in advance and chilled in the fridge so that you can sip on it later with your friends and family. Make a large pitcher and just pour over some ice and enjoy.
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. It is a gluten-free drink you can make it vegan too.
Ingredients
Rice – I prefer to use long-grain white rice, as they are aromatic and taste great when made into horchata. You can use any long grain rice with an aroma to make this Mexican drink.
Almonds – Traditionally, the horchata recipe uses Tiger Nuts or Chufas. But as they are not very easily available, I like to replace them with almonds. I crush the almonds in a motor and pestle to make the blending process easier.
Cinnamon Stick – Use half of the whole cinnamon stick in this recipe. I will not recommend you to add cinnamon powder, as it doesn’t get dissolved in the water properly and floats on the top.
If you can find Mexican cinnamon, then use it to flavor this pink horchata for the best traditional flavor.
Use less amount of cinnamon in this recipe as opposed to the traditional version because we don’t want the flavor of cinnamon to take over the strawberry flavor.
Strawberry Puree – This is a great twist added to the traditional horchata, which not only enhances the taste but also gives a pretty pink color to the beverage.
If you do not get fresh strawberries, you can thaw the frozen strawberries, puree them and use them in the recipe.
Milk & Condensed Milk – These two ingredients are added to make it rich and creamy. You can also replace milk with evaporated milk.
Dairy is optional! You can avoid adding these two ingredients to get dairy-free traditional horchata.
You can also replace dairy milk with plant-based milk like coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, and condensed milk with vegan condensed milk.
Sugar – Adjust the amount of sugar, as per your taste.
Vanilla Extract – Finally, enhance the flavor a bit more with a good quality vanilla extract.
You can make an adult version of this drink by adding spiced rum, plain rum, or bourbon to it. Add approximately 1 oz alcohol to 3 oz horchata and serve it on the rocks.
How To Make Strawberry Horchata
Rinse 1 cup of raw long-grain white rice 2-3 times with water until the water runs clear. Drain the water.
Lightly crush ¼ cup whole almonds and ½ of whole cinnamon stick in a mortar and pestle. Crushing the cinnamon and almonds makes the blending process easier. If the strength of your blender is high, then you can skip this step.
Add the rinsed rice to the medium jar of a high-speed blender along with the crushed almonds, cinnamon, and 4 cups of cold water.
Blend the ingredients to make a coarse mixture. The rice and almonds will just be crushed and that is what we want.
Transfer the mixture to a large glass bowl. Cover the mouth of the bowl using a lid or a plate and leave the bowl on the counter at room temperature for 8-10 hours.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or a muslin cloth. We don’t want any particles coming up in the drink, so use a fine sieve only.
Discard the leftovers.
Stir in ½ cup strawberry puree, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups chilled milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup granulated sugar.
Chill the drink for a few hours before serving.
Pour horchata into serving glasses, add a few ice cubes and garnish with fresh strawberries. Serve chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can always substitute strawberries with other fruits such as pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, and other berries like blueberries, raspberries, etc.
Yes, you can. Replace 1 cup raw rice with ½ cup rice flour and keep the rest of the recipe the same.
Serving Suggestions
Serve a chilled glass of strawberry horchata on a hot summer day with some ice cubes in it. But if the weather is on the colder side and you are craving horchata, then you can surely warm it up a bit.
Spike it with tequila, or rum for an adult version.
Storage Suggestions
Horchata can be stored for about 7 days in a glass container or can be frozen for about a month. If frozen, thaw it on the counter until it melts, give it a stir and enjoy.
Freeze it in popsicle molds and serve as ice lollies.
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Recipe Card
Easy Strawberry Horchata Recipe (Pink Horchata)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw long grain white rice
- ¼ cup whole almonds (lightly crushed)
- ½ whole cinnamon stick (lightly crushed)
- 4 cups chilled water
- 10 ounce strawberry puree (300 g)
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups whole milk (or plant-based milk for vegan)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Rinse rice 2-3 times with water until the water runs clear. Drain the water.
- Add the rinsed rice to the medium jar of a high-speed blender along with the crushed almonds, cinnamon, and 4 cups of cold water.
- Blend the ingredients to make a coarse mixture. The rice and almonds will just be crushed and that is what we want.
- Transfer the mixture to a large glass bowl. Cover the mouth of the bowl using a lid or a plate and leave the bowl on the counter at room temperature for 8-10 hours.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or a muslin cloth. We don’t want any particles coming up in the drink, so use a fine sieve only.
- Discard the leftovers.
- Stir in strawberry puree, sweetened condensed milk, chilled milk, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar.
- Chill the drink for a few hours before serving.
- Pour horchata into serving glasses, add a few ice cubes and garnish with fresh strawberries. Serve chilled.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!