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).
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.
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.You can replace dairy milk with plant-based milk like coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, and condensed milk with vegan condensed milk to make a vegan version. Condensed milk can be skipped too.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.