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).
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About Strawberry Horchata
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 worldwide.
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 you can sip it later with your friends and family. Make a large pitcher and pour over some ice and enjoy.
This Mexican strawberry Horchata recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. It is a gluten-free drink. You can make it vegan too.
Here are some more Mexican recipes you may like
- Mexican Quinoa
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Mexican Churros
- Hot & Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip
- Loaded Nachos
- Mexican Tres Leches Pancakes
- Cilantro Lemon Rice
- Mexican Mocha
- Tamarind Margarita
- Mango Pico De Gallo
Ingredients
Rice – I prefer long-grain white rice, which is aromatic and tastes great when made into horchata. You can make this Mexican drink with any fragrant long-grain rice.
Almonds – Traditionally, the horchata recipe uses Tiger Nuts or Chufas. But as they are not readily available, I like replacing them with almonds. I crush the almonds in a motor and pestle to make blending easier.
Cinnamon Stick – Use half of the whole cinnamon stick in this recipe. I will not recommend adding cinnamon powder, as it doesn’t dissolve in the water properly and floats on the top.
If you can find Mexican cinnamon, use it to flavor this pink horchata for the best traditional flavor.
Use less cinnamon in this recipe than 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 enhances the taste and gives the beverage a pretty pink color.
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 – Enhance the flavor with a good quality vanilla extract.
You can make an adult version of this drink by adding spiced rum, plain rum, tequila, or bourbon. 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 of whole almonds and ½ of whole cinnamon stick in a mortar and pestle. Crushing the cinnamon and almonds makes the blending process easier. If your blender’s strength is high, 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, which 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, nut bag, or muslin cloth. We don’t want any particles 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
- 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 blue and raspberries.
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. But if the weather is colder and you are craving horchata, you can surely warm it up a bit.
Storage Suggestions
Horchata can be stored for about 7 days in an airtight glass container or frozen for about a month. If frozen, thaw it on the counter until it melts, stir it, and enjoy.
Freeze it in popsicle molds and serve it 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 chilled 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, nut milk bag, or 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!