Horchata Latte Recipe
Make Horchata Latte Recipe at home: creamy cinnamon-rice lattes for two, ready after soaking and a quick froth.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs mostly clear
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches / 7.5 cm)
- 4 cups (960 ml) filtered water, divided
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) prepared horchata base, well stirred and chilled or at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, cold (or unsweetened oat milk for a dairy-free version)
- 4 shots (120 ml) freshly brewed espresso, very hot (or 1 cup / 240 ml very strong brewed coffee, hot)
- Ground cinnamon, for garnish (optional)
- 2 small cinnamon sticks, for stirring and garnish (optional)
Instructions
Step 1: Rinse and Soak the Rice
Place the long-grain rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water, stirring with your fingers until the water runs mostly clear; this removes excess starch so the final horchata won’t feel gummy. Transfer the rinsed rice to a medium ceramic bowl, add a single cinnamon stick and three cups of filtered water, cover, and let it sit at room temperature for at least eight hours (up to 12). After soaking the rice will look plump, the water milky and fragrant with cinnamon — an obvious visual shift from dry grains to swollen, opaque soaking liquid.
Step 2: Blend and Strain to a Smooth Base
Discard the cinnamon stick and pour the soaked rice plus all soaking liquid into a blender; add the remaining cup of water and blitz on high until the rice is very finely ground and the mixture is creamy and opaque. Pour the blended slurry through a fine-mesh strainer lined with double-layered cheesecloth over a large glass pitcher, let it drip, then gather the cloth and squeeze firmly to extract every last drop. The resulting liquid should be thin-milk textured with a subtle beige tone and a whisper of fine sediment; the dry rice pulp sits in the cloth, pale and fibrous.
Step 3: Sweeten, Flavor, and Chill the Horchata Base
To the strained liquid whisk in the granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of fine sea salt until completely dissolved and the surface looks silky and uniform. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Transfer the finished horchata base to a clean glass pitcher, cover and chill for at least an hour—chilling rounds the flavors and lets tiny suspended particles settle so the drink looks evenly pale and smooth when used. Keep the pitcher refrigerated until ready.
Step 4: Measure and Prepare the Latte Base
When it’s time for lattes, measure one cup of the well-stirred horchata base into a small stainless saucepan and add one cup of cold whole milk (or oat milk). Stir gently so the pale horchata and milk unify into a single creamy, slightly ivory liquid; this is the working latte base that will be gently heated and frothed. Keep the reserved horchata pitcher chilled for future use.
Step 5: Warm and Froth the Horchata-Milk Mixture
Warm the horchata-milk over medium-low heat until steaming and small wisps of steam appear — you’re aiming for a gentle 150–160°F feel without boiling. Remove from heat and create a light foam: use a milk frother, a French press plunger pumped briskly, or whisk vigorously until a thin velvety foam forms on top. The visual milestone here is a steaming, pale latte liquid with a fine, glossy microfoam layer ready to meet hot espresso.
Step 6: Brew, Assemble, Garnish, and Serve
Brew four shots of espresso (or a strong cup of coffee) and divide them evenly between two pre-warmed 12-oz mugs. Slowly pour the hot horchata-milk over the espresso, holding back foam with a spoon and finishing by spooning a delicate foam cap. Lightly dust each surface with ground cinnamon and tuck a small cinnamon stick into each mug for stirring. The final presentation should show the warm, aromatic horchata latte with a thin foam crown, cinnamon dusting, and a single stick garnish — piping hot and ready to sip.
Notes
- Rinse rice until water runs clear to avoid a gummy texture.
- Chill the horchata base for at least 1 hour to let flavors meld and particles settle.
- Use a double-layered cheesecloth or nut milk bag to strain thoroughly for a silky drink.
- For dairy-free lattes, use unsweetened oat milk and adjust sweetness to taste.
- Warm the latte over medium-low heat and avoid boiling to prevent scalding the milk.