Regular horchata is delicious, creamy, and sweet, but what happens when you add chocolate to it? There’s no way that chocolate, rice milk, and cinnamon can be bad, and this chocolate horchata is an amazing twist on horchata. It’s super easy to make, and you can even be fancy and use Nutella!

Here’s how to make chocolate horchata at home!

What is Horchata?

Horchata is a sweet, nut-based drink originating from Spain. But did you know that it’s evolved since then? Originally made with chufa (aka tiger nuts), this drink was introduced to Mexico by Spaniards in the 16th century. People swapped chufa nuts for white rice, adapting to local produce, which is what we know as Mexican horchata or agua de horchata!

Living in California, I am most familiar with Mexican horchata, which is a rice rendition of the Spanish version. It’s made by blending white long-grain rice, water, and cinnamon together, then sweetening it with condensed milk. You can also add evaporated and whole milk to it for creaminess. It’s sometimes sickeningly sweet, but delicious.

It’s a staple drink in Mexico and Spain, where horchata originated! In the States, you’ll find Mexican horchata at nearly every Mexican restaurant and taco stand. Sometimes you’ll even find different flavors like strawberry or chocolate!

Does Chocolate Horchata Taste Good?

Chocolate horchata is sooooo good, it’s probably my preferred flavor of horchata! The cocoa adds a nice subtle bitterness that balances the sweetness and cinnamon of regular horchata. Plus, it’s hard to find a creamy drink that tastes bad with chocolate!

I use both cocoa powder and Nutella in this recipe, but it’s also common to use Abuelita or Ibarra, which are chocolate tablets popular in Mexican culture for making hot chocolate. Some say they have a vanilla or cinnamon flavor, but I’ve looked at the packaging and it doesn’t have those ingredients listed…

What Rice to Use

For Mexican horchata, long-grain white rice is the standard, but you can use any white rice as long as it’s uncooked. Since I live in an Asian household, Jasmine white rice is readily available, so that’s what I used for this recipe. But you can use brown, short-grain, basmati, etc. It might change the flavor slightly, but you’ll still end up with a creamy and delicious horchata.

I recently did some research, and apparently, you can also use rice flour instead of blending rice! No need for blending, just combine rice flour with water, the three milks, and cinnamon. I’ve never tried this method, but I’m all for ways to make this recipe more accessible and easier.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s super easy and requires no special equipment other than a blender.
• Learn how to make your own Mexican horchata at home!
• Easy to customize the sweetness.
• Perfect for parties or large groups, and you need a sweet and delicious beverage.

Chocolate Horchata: What You’ll Need

Equipment:

• A blender or non-dairy milk maker
• A large jug or container
• Large and long spoon or ladle to mix OR a whisk

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups uncooked white rice, jasmine or long grain
• 5½ cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ¾ (7 oz) can condensed milk (use half for less sweet)
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
• 1½ cups extra creamy oat milk or whole milk
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Nutella

Chocolate Horchata Recipe

If Using a Milk Maker:

1. Blend the Base: Add rice, cinnamon, and water to the milk maker. Blend until smooth. Remove the rice grains and rinse the basket.

If Using a Blender:

1. Blend Rice & Cinnamon: Add rice, cinnamon, and 2 cups of water to your blender. Blend until the rice is broken into small pieces that resemble large pieces of sand, around 10 – 15 seconds.
2. Add More Water: Pour in the remaining water and blend until well incorporated, about 5 – 10 seconds.
3. Strain: Strain the mixture once or twice to remove all grains and pulp.

1. Mix in Milks: Add evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk to the rice milk. Stir until fully combined and smooth.
2. Add Chocolate: Add cocoa powder and Nutella to the horchata, then whisk until fully combined. Make sure all the cocoa powder is whisked in and there are no clumps.
3. Assemble: Rim a glass with Nutella and coat with ground cinnamon, then add ice, ground cinnamon, and top up with Nutella horchata.
4. Mix and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Horchata

• Melt Nutella in Milk: If you’re having a hard time blending the Nutella into the horchata, you can first mix it with some hot milk before adding it. This makes it super easy to mix with the drink since it’s already liquid. Liquid loves liquid!
• Strain Again: If you’re blending the rice and the liquid has a gritty texture, try straining it again with a finer sieve or mesh cloth. This will give you a really clean and smooth texture.
• Add a Pinch of Salt: A little salt always balances out anything sweet! It really gives the flavor a nice boost; even if you don’t taste it, it’s there.
• Add Vanilla: Same as the salt! It’s a nice flavor enhancer that gives it a nice vanilla aroma while being very subtle.
• Don’t Overblend Rice: Overblending the rice will make your horchata gummy and thick. You only want to blend the rice until the water becomes milky and opaque, but not super thick.

Substitutions

• Chocolate Substitutions: This is where you can experiment and play around a lot! You could melt and use regular chocolate, dark chocolate, or chocolate syrup, and you’d get a delicious chocolate horchata. Depending on what you use, though, you should add less condensed milk to adjust for sweetness.
• Evaporated Milk: No evaporated milk? You can make it! Just simmer some milk in a pot on the stove until about 60% of the water evaporates. You’ll need to stir it occasionally so that the bottom doesn’t burn, but it’s easy to do!
• Condensed Milk: You can also make this at home with some milk! It takes a very long time, though, up to an hour or an hour and a half! You could omit this, but it gives the horchata its signature creaminess and sweetness. This is a hard ingredient to substitute, tbh!

Making Vegan Chocolate Horchata

Can you make this vegan? Yes! Swap out all the milks for the vegan alternatives. I’ve seen oat and coconut condensed and evaporated milk! For the dairy milk, use your favorite plant-based milk. My personal favorite is oat milk, which gives horchata an incredibly creamy texture and flavor.

For the chocolate flavor, you can use solely cocoa powder; just add an extra tablespoon to get the same intensity. You can also use vegan Nutella, chocolate, or chocolate syrup!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Abuelita chocolate?

Yes! It’s actually a really common combination to add Abuelita (or Ibarra) chocolate to horchata to make chocolate horchata. You should mix it into some hot milk before adding it to the horchata, or else it will be really hard to mix.

Can I make horchata without a blender?

Yes! Traditionally, horchata is made with a mortar and pestle, which involves a lot of grinding and straining. It’s quite labor-intensive, so to save your time (and arms), you can also use rice flour! I’m not sure about the ratio of flour to water, but you add the same aromatics and milks to it!

What are the two types of horchata?

You have the traditional Spanish horchata made from chufa (or tiger nut) and the more recent Mexican horchata made from white rice, cinnamon, and water. The Spanish version is not as sweet and has a nutty and mild flavor, similar to soymilk. The Mexican version is much sweeter and has cinnamon and vanilla flavoring added.

What do I do with the leftover rice bits?

I like to compost the rice grains leftover from blending! But the real hack is to make arroz con leche or rice pudding with the leftovers! It’s perfectly flavored with the cinnamon, and you can use the rice without any waste!

Other Horchata Flavors to Try

If you love horchata, then you’ll love experimenting with flavors with it! You can also use horchata as a base for so many delicious drinks. Here are some drinks to try next:

• Strawberry Horchata (My Favorite!)
• Chai Horchata
• Ube Horchata
• Matcha Horchata Latte