Sweet, creamy, silky cinnamon rice milk is such a treat and this recipe for Healthy Homemade Instant Pot Horchata is making it easier and healthier than ever before! Read on for the tips and tricks!
For years I've been a “I'll just have water” kind of gal at restaurants. I eat out for the food, not for the drink.
But wow, Mexican restaurants put the true test on my self-control with all that creamy ice-cold Horchata on tap action goin' on!
Do you agree?
In case someone hasn't heard of it, let me quickly explain what Horchata is so we can all get super excited about this new recipe together!
WHAT IS HORCHATA
Horchata is a Mexican drink most commonly made with rice, cinnamon, and sugar. The rice is soaked for several hours, blended with water, cinnamon, and sugar, then strained to make a smooth, white drink that looks like milk. Variations of the drink include the addition or substitution of nuts and seeds for the rice.
Restaurant style Horchata is amazing, but is heavily sweetened with sugar, making it more of a treat, in my opinion, vs a refreshing drink to sip on 3 times a day (which is how we like it).
So naturally, I concluded that if I wanted to let my kids drink a quart of it daily, the recipe was going to need some tweaking.
MY HOMEMADE HORCHATA DISCOVERY
When we were newlyweds, I set out to impress my husband by making him his favorite Mexican drink. It turned into quite the ordeal. The rice had to be soaked overnight, my blender was too small and pathetic to break it down very well, and my sieve was not as fine mesh as it needed to be. Basically, we had Horchata so thick we could have eaten it with a spoon. Oh, it was gross.
It wasn't until my sis told me about a new appliance called the Almond Cow, that I got the inkling to give it another try.
You know I love a good kitchen appliance, my friends, and THIS, is a GOOD one – more on it in a sec!
I'm not new to making almond milk, in fact I use this Instant Pot/blender Almond Milk recipe often.
But you know what always sends me back to the store-bought almond milk? It was the darn Nut Milk Bag.
To be honest, it's not all that hard, but the straining, squeezing, and then cleaning of the bag was just an extra 15 minutes of cleanup that kept me saying, “I'll just put it on my grocery order.”
When I watched Cami make herself some cashew milk with the Almond Cow, I was immediately sold.
WHAT IS AN ALMOND COW?
The Almond Cow is an all-in-one plant-based milk maker that magically blends your nuts, coconut, or oats and separates the pulp from the milk too. When it's done blending, you're left with foamy, delicious milk in the base, and the pulp remains in the filter basket.
To enjoy, just pour your milk into mason jars and scoop the pulp into a container for another purpose (we'll talk about that in a sec). Rinsing out the basket takes about 10 seconds and YOU ARE DONE!
If you're interested in using the Almond Cow for Almond Milk, you can refer to my Instant Pot Almond Milk recipe or check out the Almond Cow website for their unique creations.
To order an Almond Cow at a discount, use the code MARCI at checkout and you will get $15 off your order.
ALMOND COW HORCHATA
I wanted to try something a little different with the Almond Cow and that's how this Instant Pot Horchata trick came to be.
With the Instant Pot, we can skip the overnight rice soak and get that done in less than 10 minutes with the magic of pressure cooking.
But I didn't stop there! I added cinnamon sticks and dates to the pot as well to really infuse the rice with as much flavor as possible, then added cashews to make the milk extra EXTRA creamy.
Pressure cooking the ingredients softens everything so well that it can easily be blended in the Almond Cow or a blender.
Note: I should add that to make nut milk with the Almond Cow, nuts don't HAVE to be softened or soaked, but in my experience, the milk is more flavorful if you do.
So what do you think? Are you curious? Do you want to give Homemade Horchata a try? I promise, YOU DO! Today!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT HORCHATA
- FASTER: 1 minute pressure cook time, 5 minute natural pressure release, and it is READY TO BLEND!
- HEALTHY! Sweetened with dates and thickened naturally with rice and nuts.
- THE COOL FACTOR: Not to brag, but my kids, husband, sister, and especially my Horchata lovin' brother in law talked for days about this recipe. And my kids felt super special that they got flavored milk for a change.
- SOOTHES THE SOUL: Sippin' slowly on Horchata is like sending peace right to your soul. I don't know what it is, but it's got superpowers.
HOW TO MAKE HORCHATA IN THE PRESSURE COOKER WITH THE ALMOND COW
- Everything goes in the pot
- Pressure cook for 1 minute until everything is soft
- Add water to the Almond Cow base
- Add half of the rice mixture into the filter basket
- Twist the filter basket into place
- Attach motor to the base
- Press the start button and let it go through 3 cycles of blending
- Open basket
- Scrape pulp into a container and add remaining rice mixture; blend again
- Set top motor aside
- Behold your creamy Horchata masterpiece!
- Whisk in vanilla extract for extra flavor
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
HOW TO MAKE HORCHATA IN A BLENDER
To do this in a blender, add all of the rice mixture into a high speed blender with the water and blend until very smooth. Pour through a nut milk bag and squeeze the bag to release the milk into a bowl (more details in the recipe card below).
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST HORCHATA
- WHITE RICE VS BROWN RICE: I really loved the nutty flavor of the brown rice, but my kids preferred the white. To use brown, cook the rice for 5 minutes instead of 1 and use 1 1/2 cups of water instead of 1 cup.
- USE RAW CASHEWS: Avoid roasted and salted cashews. I already made that mistake for you, yuck. If you don't like the idea of cooking the cashews to soften them, simply plan ahead and soak your cashews overnight instead.
- ALMONDS: Swap the cashews for almonds if you like. It's not quite as creamy, but it works!
- CINNAMON: If you can find Vietnamese cinnamon sticks, they are incredible! I order them in bulk on Amazon because I love them so much. Regular cinnamon sticks will do just fine, so don't stress it if that's what you have. I like a strong cinnamon flavor so I use 3 sticks. If you'd like it milder, go with 2. Ground cinnamon can also be used, but I had issues with it clumping together in the fridge. The cinnamon sticks did a great job of infusing flavor into the milk without the clumping.
- ON THE ROCKS: My preference is to serve Horchata over crushed ice, but my husband says that large ice cubes is the way to go. Regardless, just serve it ICE COLD!
HOW TO STORE HORCHATA
Homemade almond milk doesn't last as long as store-bought, and the same goes for Homemade Horchata. Store in a sealed container (I use mason jars) and enjoy within 3 – 5 days.
VARIATIONS OF HORCHATA
- SPICED HORCHATA: Go crazy with your favorite warm spices like cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and even cayenne.
- FRUITY HORCHATA: Add strawberries, raspberries, mangos, bananas, etc to the filter basket or blender to make a yummy fruity variation.
- CHOCOLATE HORCHATA: A scoop of cocoa powder or Crio Bru grounds makes this feel like a chocolate milkshake.
EXTRA TIDBITS
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER NUT MILK PULP
Don't waste the pulp! I'm guilty of tossing way to much almond pulp over the years for lack of knowing what to do with it. The Almond Cow website has recipes for cookies, cakes, cereal bars, “pulpmeal” (which is a play on oatmeal), and more. Go check it out!
Gone are the days of Horchata being an occasional treat! With the help of the Instant Pot and Almond Cow or blender, we can all indulge in this creamy, silky drink any day of the week. Are you excited? I've been drinking it for 3 months and I still get excited 🙂
Chances are you've got all the ingredients you need to make it sitting in the pantry. Whip some up soon and let me know what you think!
You can order an Almond Cow at a discount! Just use the code MARCI at checkout and you will get $15 off your order.
MORE INSTANT POT DRINK RECIPES
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT HORCHATA
PrintInstant Pot Horchata – Ultra Creamy and No Added Sugar
Fresh, creamy, healthy Homemade Horchata with the Instant Pot!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Instant Pot Horchata – Almond Cow Directions (see notes for blender directions)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup white rice
- 2 – 3 cinnamon sticks (depending on how strong you want the cinnamon flavor)
- 6 pitted dates
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup water
- 5 cups water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Instant Pot Horchata – Almond Cow Directions (see notes for blender directions)
- Add cashews, rice, cinnamon sticks, dates, salt, and 1 cup water to the pressure cooker pot and stir.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release for 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Stir the rice.
- Fill base of Almond Cow with 5 cups water (it should be at the minimum liquid line).
- Place half of the rice mixture in the filter basket (yes, even the cinnamon sticks). Attach the filter basket to the top of the Almond Cow and twist in the direction of the “close” arrow to secure (make sure it is on tight). Attach the top to the base.
- Plug in the Almond Cow and press the cow start button. It will go through 3 automatic blending stages so leave it alone until it finishes. When the green light stops flashing, it is done.
- Discard pulp from the filter basket (or save it and see note for how to repurpose it). Repeat with the other half of the rice mixture.
- The base of the Almond Cow is now filled with thick, creamy Homemade Horchata – no need to strain!
- Whisk vanilla extract into Horchata and pour into quart size mason jars and store in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days. Shake well before serving.
Notes
Instant Pot Horchata – Blender Directions
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup white rice
- 2 – 3 cinnamon sticks (depending on how strong you want the cinnamon flavor)
- 6 pitted dates
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup water
- 5 cups water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add cashews, rice, cinnamon sticks, dates, salt, and 1 cup water to the pressure cooker pot and stir.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release for 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
- Stir the rice, do not strain it.
- Pour rice mixture into a high speed blender. Add 5 cups water. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 ½ – 2 minutes.
- Place a nut milk bag inside a medium size bowl and pour milk into bag. Gently twist and squeeze the bag to release milk into the bowl. Discard leftover rice pulp (or see note for how to repurpose it).
- Whisk vanilla extract into Horchata.
- Pour strained Horchata into quart size mason jars and store in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days. Shake well before serving.
Notes
- Almonds can be used instead of cashews. It isn’t quite as creamy, but it’s still delicious.
- If you can find it, Vietnamese Cinnamon sticks are amazing!
- If you’re concerned about cooking the cashews to soften them, you can use them uncooked. The Horchata won’t be quite as smooth and creamy. If you plan ahead, you can soak the cashews overnight as well.
- I prefer using cinnamon sticks because the flavor infuses into the Horchata better. Ground Cinnamon tends to clump a bit. If you prefer to use the ground, use 2 teaspoons and make sure to shake the milk well before pouring it into glasses.
- There is a lot of nutrition left in the pulp! Here are several ways to use it.
Keywords: horchata, mexican drink, almond milk
I have multiple people in my family that are lactose intolerant or sensitive. This would be awesome to save on money and a mess. Cool product! Thanks for sharing – it’s definitely something I’ll have to look more into.
My family really enjoys Horchata but we seldom buy it since it can be expensive along with having no idea what ingredients the restaurants in our area put into it. I’ve never tried making Horchata at home because I thought it would be tedious, time consuming and possibly not taste as good as what we could buy but an Almond Cow would be the perfect tool to use along with my Instant Pot. My daughter is lactose intolerant (along with having to be gluten free) so the Almond Cow would be a fun tool for her to use with me in experimenting with different types of plant-based milks.
I’ve never heard of an almond cow and I’m intrigued!!! I’ve been trying for awhile to move away from regular milk (not intolerant just sensitive) and a new gadget like this might just be the trick to getting me to try almond and nut based milks more
I have just been exploring horchata recipes this year and would love to find an easier way to make it with the Almond Cow! I also love your recipe which uses dates! (If this comment comes thru as a second comment from me, I’m so sorry. I tried to post once but I must have missed a step because I can’t find it now. Sorry in advance!)
★★★★★
You’ve piqued my interest in something new! Both Horchata & the Almond Cow 🐄. My 3 Grandsons busy & go through gallons of 2% milk with ovaltine ( what I grew up on) & I would love to get them involved in the kitchen with me to make this delicious sounding alternative.
I would love to win an almond cow to make my own plant milk so I know exactly what’s in what I’m drinking!
I would love to win an almond cow because I am lactose intolerant, and have to drink plant based milk. I would love to be able to create my own so I know exactly what’s in it!
So excited to try this recipe!! I love Horchata!!! I grew up drinking it all the time…I’m excited to have a healthier version and I really want to try it with that Almond Cow!!