Add Horchata To Iced Coffee For A Decadent New Morning Drink

If you've been to Coffee Bean recently, you've likely seen a few new tasty offerings. Its spring 2024 menu boasts a wide array of horchata-infused beverages, such as the Horchata Iced Latte, Cold Brew Coffee, Cream Cold Brew, and Iced Blended Drink. They're inspired by horchata flavors like rice milk, cinnamon, and vanilla, which are blended in with the java of choice (espresso or cold brew).

But for an easier way to drink these flavors in your cup of joe at home, you can simply add Mexican horchata right into your iced coffee. We already know that cinnamon and vanilla work beautifully in iced coffee, but the inclusion of rice milk amps your java up a bit more. There's already a little sweetness in rice milk thanks to the grains involved — plus, horchata also includes a sugary ingredient like granulated sugar or maple syrup. So even if you only combine these two ingredients (iced coffee and horchata) you'll end up with a sweet, flavorful drink. While you technically can include the Mexican beverage in a hot cup of joe (like Coffee Bean does in its Horchata Latte), horchata is traditionally served cold, creating a natural marriage with iced coffee.

Feel free to buy or make your horchata before adding it to your iced coffee. If you go with the latter, you can control the ingredients and avoid potential additives. Plus, a batch can last three days in the fridge. If you want to make your recipe even easier, use sweetened condensed milk, which will blend into the liquid more smoothly than granulated sugar. If you go with store-bought options you can find slight variations on the traditional drink — like an almond milk version, or even a spiked one for a boozy coffee beverage.

Start by pouring as much horchata into your iced coffee as you would with any other milk. But although this makes a tasty combo, you don't have to stop there. Top off your cup with a cinnamon or vanilla cold foam (plus a sprinkle of cinnamon), or incorporate flavors that pair well with the Mexican drink. A cup lined or topped with chocolate sauce will create a tasty mocha upgrade, a splash of banana cream will add richness, and syrups like caramel, brown sugar, hazelnut, pumpkin, and apple would all taste delicious here. And if you stick to traditional horchata but still want an alcoholic beverage, include a dash of rum, whisky, Kahlúa, Bailey's, or almond liqueur.