This Horchata Syrup is packed with cinnamon and vanilla flavors and is so easy to make with just a few ingredients. Stir it into coffee, cold brew, or milk and you can have that cozy horchata flavor whenever you want it!
Jump to:
I fell down the horchata rabbit hole a while back when I was recreating a couple of Starbucks drinks and I quickly realized how versatile the syrup is. And addictive.
If you haven't had it before, horchata is a traditional Mexican drink made from rice, cinnamon, and sugar with a creamy, cinnamon toast kind of flavor. This syrup takes all of that and bottles it up so you can add it to whatever you like!
It's the same syrup I use in my
It's an incredibly easy syrup to make, but does involve one extra step that most of my simple syrups don't have. And trust me, the rice soak is what takes this from cinnamon sugar to full-blown horchata.
❤️ Why this recipe works
Cold steeping the rice is the key to the flavor: letting the rice sit in water in the fridge pulls out the signature starchy, nutty horchata base without any cooking involved. It's an extra step, but easy and so, so worth it.
Uses a cinnamon stick instead of ground cinnamon: steeping a cinnamon stick in the warm syrup gives you clean, deep cinnamon flavor without any grittiness or a muddy color.
It uses all pantry ingredients: this syrup uses just 5 ingredients (with one being water!) and it's very likely you already have them in your pantry.
It has so many uses: one batch of syrup keeps fresh in your fridge fo about a month and can be used to flavor coffee, cold brew, lattes, cocktails, and even oatmeal or pancakes.
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this horchata syrup (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Water
- Long-grain white rice: don't rinse the rice first as you want it to retain the starchiness. If you only have basmati or jasmine rice, those will work, too.
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon stick
- Vanilla extract
🥣 Recipe tips
- Be sure to give the rice plenty of steeping time. Four hours is the minimum, but overnight in the fridge will give you the fullest flavor.
- Stir the rice and water before it goes in the fridge so the rice doesn't just clump at the bottom.
- Once it's done steeping, strain the liquid slowly through a fine mesh sieve. You want the cloudy rice water and none of the grains.
- When simmering with the sugar, watch closely. It should take about 10 minutes for the sugar to dissolve and the syrup to thicken, but remember the syrup will keep thickening as it cool.
- Leave the cinnamon stick in for at least 4 hours once the syrup is off the heat. This will help the cinnamon flavor really develop.
- I like to store my simple syrups in mason jars (these 8 oz ones are perfect) and this horchata syrup will stay fresh in your fridge for about a month when stored properly.
And trust me, you're going to want a jar of this in your fridge at all times. You might even be tempted to dip a spoon in it to take a taste. Or two or three.
The sweet cinnamon and vanilla flavors will automatically bring horchata to mind.
☕️ How to use
There are so many fun ways to use this horchata syrup. Here are some of my favorites:
📧 Email Me This Recipe
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
- Turn it into a horchata drink: you can make a traditional horchata by mixing this syrup into milk or a milk-and-water mix with plenty of ice. Any milk works, but oat milk or a rice/almond blend will keep it dairy-free and make it closer to classic horchata.
- Starbucks Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso: you can easily make this
Starbucks drink at home with this syrup and a few other ingredients.
- Starbucks Horchata Frappuccino: And if the Horchata Frappuccino is more your speed, that's so easy to make, too!
- Coffee addition: you can add a splash of the syrup to lattes, iced coffee, or cold brew for a sweet cinnamon flavor that turns your coffee into horchata with ease.
- Horchata cocktails: this syrup works really well in cocktails, especially those made with rum or coffee liqueur.
- Tea addition: It's also a delicious addition to hot black tea, iced green tea, or most herbal teas.
- Pancake, waffle, and french toast topping: horchata syrup is also perfect for brunch dishes and adds some sweet cinnamon flavor. Delicious on pancakes or my Hawaiian roll french toast.
- Yogurt or oatmeal drizzle: swirl a spoonful of syrup into Greek yogurt bowls, overnight oats, or baked oatmeal.
- Ice cream topping: it works on pretty much any ice cream flavor, but I especially like it on vanilla.
🎉 Flavor variations
I honestly don't like to make many changes to this recipe because I love that it lets true horchata flavor shine.
But there are several things you could do to put your own fun twist on the syrup. Here are some ideas:
- Add a splash of almond extract for a fun touch.
- Swap some or all of the granulated sugar for brown sugar for a deeper, molasses-y note that is delicious in coffee and cold brew.
- Stir in a little coconut or steep some toasted coconut with the rice for a tropical spin that is perfect for drinks over ice.
- Make a chocolate horchata (champurrado) by whisking a spoonful of cocoa powder into the warm syrup.
- In the fall, add a pinch of pumpkin pie spice or a few chai spices while it simmers.
- During the holidays, add in a couple of whole cloves or a strip of orange peel while it simmers.
⏲️ How to store
Store your horchata syrup in a mason jar or other airtight container in the fridge. It should stay fresh for about a month when stored properly.
Give it a quick shake or stir before using, since a little natural settling is normal.
🛍️ Where to purchase
Horchata syrup is actually tougher to find than you may think. Which is one great reason to make your own at home! But if you really would prefer to purchase, here are some options:
- Wild Desert horchata syrup
- Starbucks horchata syrup
- Amoretti horchata compound (concentrated paste)
Once you have a jar of this horchata syrup in your fridge, coffee will never be the same again!
It's easy, stays fresh, and it turns everyday drinks into something that feels like a treat.
📖 Recipe
Horchata Syrup
📧 Email Me This Recipe
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water divided
- ½ cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup water and white rice in a bowl and stir to combine. Cover and let steep in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
- Strain the rice mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a separate bowl, leaving rice behind. You can either discard the rice or save it for another use.
- Put rice water, additional ½ cup water, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower heat and let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until syrup has thickened (note that it will continue to thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour syrup into a mason jar or bowl and place in fridge to cool completely before using. Keep cinnamon stick in syrup for at least 4 hours for full cinnamon flavor.
- Horchata syrup should stay fresh for about a month when stored properly in the fridge.
Comments
No Comments