Homemade Horchata Iced Coffee Recipe

Some summer days, you want a tall glass of iced coffee in the morning. Other days, you want something a bit sweeter, and this homemade horchata iced coffee recipe perfectly lands on the middle ground between those desires. 

The nutty, sweet taste of traditional Mexican horchata has won itself fans all over the world. When combined with iced coffee and brown sugar in our homemade iced coffee and horchata mashup, it becomes a full-bodied drink that feels perfectly spicy and sweet at the same time that it hits all the right marks for creaminess. In this cool and sophisticated latte mashup, you'll welcome the balance of sweet horchata with the slight bitterness of coffee.

According to Ksenia Prints of My Mocktail Forest, the key to getting this horchata to be as flavorful as possible is the long steeping process, which gives the drink its customary texture. "The overnight steeping process allows the rice to release its starchy goodness, creating that signature silky texture that pairs surprisingly well with coffee," she says. The result of the 12-hour wait is worth it, for a drink that is equal parts creamy and refreshing.  

To make this horchata iced coffee combo, you will need long-grain white rice — though, of course, you can splurge for the best rice for homemade horchata, Morelos rice — cinnamon sticks, and a vanilla bean for the horchata base. For the iced coffee component, you'll need brown sugar, heavy cream, cold-brew coffee concentrate, and almond extract.

Toast the rice and cinnamon in a dry pan until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Cool completely.

Blend the rice-cinnamon mixture with 4 cups filtered water until the grain breaks down.

Transfer the liquid to a large jar and add the vanilla bean.

Steep for 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Strain the liquid twice through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and discard the solids.

Transfer the liquid to a saucepan over low heat, and whisk in the sugar until dissolved.

Add the cream, coffee concentrate, and almond extract.

When ready to serve, strain again, if needed, and pour over clear ice into chilled glasses.

To serve, sprinkle with microplaned cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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If not drunk immediately, any leftover horchata is best transferred to a jar with a tight-fitting lid that can be hermetically sealed. The jar can then be kept in a cold part of the fridge, ideally alongside your milk, and it will maintain its ideal freshness for up to 5 days. As the jar sits in the fridge, you may notice some sediment starts to settle down and the drink separates slightly. This is perfectly normal and can be solved by giving the jar a good, thorough shake every time before serving. 

If you're looking to make this drink ahead of time or make a bigger batch than you can drink in a week, you can even freeze horchata iced coffee. The best way to do this is to pour it into ice cube trays and freeze for up to three months. That way, you can either blend them straight from the freezer for a slushy-type drink or just let the desired number of cubes thaw in the fridge overnight.

Most know that horchata is an iconic Mexican beverage that is made from a combination of rice, water, cinnamon, and sugar. But horchata has many different origin stories, spanning from Mexico all the way to Spain and even ancient Rome and Egypt. In ancient Greece and Egypt, cool and honey-sweetened barley water was considered a remedy, while in Valencia in southern Spain, it was made out of tiger nuts and drunk as far back as the times of the Roman Empire. The origin of the name horchata comes from the Latin term "hordeata," from the word "hordeum," which means barley. In Egypt, where it was consumed since 2400 B.C., horchata was known as "chufa."

So, how did this drink make its way to Mexico and become associated with Mexican culture? This was due to the arrival of the conquistadors in Mexico, who brought variations of the drink everywhere they went throughout Latin America. The drink is now common in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and even Ecuador. 

As for when to serve horchata, the good news is that you can drink it any time you are in need of a cooling beverage. It's great with spicy food, and especially at midday, when temperatures are at their peak. In Mexico, it's typically considered an agua fresca and is served for various celebrations. There's really no right or wrong time to enjoy it.

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