Made with a base of creamy brown rice milk and sweetened with maple syrup, this Brown Rice Maple Syrup Sweetened Horchata is a healthy and delicious way to cool off this summer!
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I'm writing this post while still on a high from Harper learning how to laugh just a few hours ago. We've been hearing glimmers of laughter the past few days, but this time it was official. Brett and I were babysitting our niece and nephews--if we can even call it babysitting because they're old enough to do most things on their own--and Brett and the big kids were jumping on the trampoline. I was sitting on a wooden swing nearby with Harper on my lap and we were just watching the craziness play out when all of a sudden Harper started giggling. Soon the giggling turned into full on belly laugher. I could feel her body shake as she let out the joy of watching her cousins bounce up and down.
Ah. I literally teared up. It was the best sound ever.
What a gift to see her grow and develop day by day and to be her mom!
I'm hoping these warm summer nights will bring about more bouts of laugher in the near future.
Speaking of warm summer nights, this Brown Rice Maple Syrup Sweetened Horchata is probably going to be my new go-to summer beverage. If you don't know what Horchata is a milky drink made from ground up nuts or rice. It sounds complicated, but it surprisingly easy and oh so delicious! I've made Horchata a few times in the past and wanted to see if it was possible to make it with brown rice and also use a natural sweetener.
Oh, it's possible all right!
This recipe requires just a few minutes of preparation and time to soak overnight. You basically make your own cinnamon rice milk and then sweeten and flavor it in the morning with maple syrup, vanilla and an extra splash of non-dairy milk. It's so easy and incredibly creamy and sweet!
You can definitely make this with white rice too. Use what you already have in your house and you'll be good to go! This Brown Rice Maple Syrup Sweetened Horchata tastes amazing when chilled and would make the perfect hosting drink. You're friends will be super impressed and would never guess how easy this drink is to make.
I'd love to know if you give this recipe a try. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below or take a photo of the finished product, post it on Instagram and tag @theconscientiouseater so I can see your creation!
📖 Recipe
Brown Rice Maple Syrup Sweetened Horchata
Ingredients
- 5 cups water divided
- 1 ⅓ cup brown rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- ¼-1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place 2 cups of water into a blender and add in the brown rice and 2 cinnamon sticks. Blend for about a minute until the rice starts to break down.
- Add the last three cups of water into the blender and blend again for another 30 seconds or so until everything is combined.
- Transfer the blended cinnamon rice mixture to a pitcher and place it in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, strain the mixture through a coffee filter or fine mesh strainer.
- Place the strained cinnamon rice milk back into your blender and add in the non-dairy milk, maple syrup and vanilla and blend briefly to combine.
- Serve chilled!
Craig Nettleton says
Never mind on the rice Faith. I somehow skimmed through the instructions about leaving it overnight. So I'm guessing now the rice is uncooked. I'd still love to know your preference for cinnamon for this drink.
Faith VanderMolen says
Glad you figured out the rice issue! I hope you can give this recipe a try and that it works out for you!
Craig says
Hey Faith,
I want to try this recipe but had some questions. I've never made horchata before. Is the rice you add cooked or raw? I couldn't tell by the recipe. Also, there are many types of cinnamon out there. Do you prefer a certain type of cinnamon stick? Thank you!
-Craig
Faith VanderMolen says
Hi Craig! I just get whatever cinnamon sticks I can find at my local grocery store. Ceylon cinnamon sticks or sticks from brands like McCormick would be fine!
K Chen says
This is the kind of healthful horchata I was looking for. I used raw cow’s milk. I was surprised that I liked it with even less sweetener than the lower suggestion-I tend to like sugar=P Maybe my taste buds are actually changing, because of trying to eat less refined sugar? Also, I’m thinking of mixing in the pulp with oatmeal. Anyway, thanks for this!
Faith VanderMolen says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for your comment!
Lia de Ruiter says
Hi, I just started making this recipe, as it looked great to me. I love horchata (de chufa) so this looked like a great alternative to me. Unfortunately my blender doesn't take 5 cups... It can only take 4. Also I don't have a pitcher large enough to place in the fridge. I will have to half the ingredients for the next batch I will make, if I like the taste of this one. Sofar it smells great! Some of this batch got spilled when I blended it, and some got spilled when I transferred it to a recipient to place in the fridge. It is now sitting in the fridge. I will go to work now and make the rest this evening.
So thrilled to try this! Thanks so much!
Love from the Netherlands
PS: I'll rate the recipe after I finished it and tasted it...
Faith says
Ah, I'm sorry that the recipes doesn't work in your blender! But it sounds like you were able to get creative and make it work. I hope making it in two batches still works out and that it tastes as it should. Let me know how it works out! I'm sure others would like to know if this recipe can be made in two batches as well. Thanks!!
Lia de Ruiter says
Hi Faith,
Thanks for your quick reply. I just finished straining the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. It is amazing how much pulp is left. I wonder, could I cook that rice? I'll try anyway and make some sort of rice pudding with the pulp. I also wondered: should the rice be cooked? I used raw rice... The mixture smells great and I tasted it without the sweetener (which I am about to add). Tastes very much like cinnamon, which is no wonder :-).
I'll head into the kitchen now and will let you know later.
Lia de Ruiter says
Here I am again with my first cup of horchata. The entire batch yielded about 6 cups. The horchata tastes great, but although I am very fond of cinnamon, it could do with less cinnamon. I used almond milk as plant based milk. Note: I am very fond of honey (therefore I could never be entirely vegan) and I always keep the empty jars with little bits of honey left in them which I can't scrape out. I filled 6 of those jars with the horchata, to sweeten it more and placed them in the fridge. I'll take a cup with me tomorrow when I go to work! Thanks so much again for the recipe!
The pulp is now in a pan on the stove, cooking with some water, almond milk, some palm sugar and raisins. I'll tell you what that became 🙂
Love from the Netherlands
Faith says
Thanks so much for sharing the details of your experience Lia (is that your first name?) And you can definitely use less cinnamon the next time you make it so that it’s more to your liking! I’m glad you found a way to use up the little bits of honey left over in your honey jars. You’re so resourceful! The next time I make this horchata I’m definitely going to use the leftover rice to make rice pudding. I didn’t get to do that last time, but I thought it would be a great use of the leftovers. Thanks again! I’m glad you like the horchata!
Faith says
Yes! I’m sure the leftover rice pulp would make a tasty rice pudding! Would love to know how that turns out once you give it a try!
Lia de Ruiter says
Hi Faith,
Yes, Lia is my first name. Actually it is Celia, but my parents shortened it to Lia.
The rice pudding is quite tasty, but I think it would be even better with some more plant based milk in it. Next time I'll add more "milk" when I make the rice pudding.
I don't have much money, so I can't afford to waste food. Also, it is against my principles to throw away food, so I have to be resourceful.
I very much enjoy your blogs and I love the good ideas you give me. Thanks again!
Faith says
Beautiful name Lia! I love how resourceful you are. I wish more people were like that! Thanks so much for sharing your results for the horchata and rice pudding. I'm even more excited now to make it again!