About this oats and almonds horchata
This easy, delicious, and authentic Mexican vegan horchata, made with oats and almonds, is perfect served over ice as agua fresca, alongside coffee, or with tea.
What is horchata?
Horchata is a traditional Mexican drink, a Mexican agua fresca that can be found all over Mexico in taquerías, restaurants, and ice cream parlors, also known as paleterías. The original Mexican horchata is made with white rice, sugar, and cinnamon. It tastes delicious, but it doesn’t offer a wealth of nutritional benefits. There are even some horchata recipes that incorporate condensed milk.
Mexican horchata originates from the Spanish horchata beverage, which is made with Chufas (tiger nuts). In other places, horchata is made with barley, sesame, cantaloupe seeds, and many more. As you know, I am a BIG FAN of flavor and nutritional benefits. So, I decided to give this dairy-free drink a try and make it healthier by adding oats and almonds.
Is horchata vegan?
The authentic Mexican recipe is not vegan; it has milk, and some people even add condensed milk. I developed this recipe for vegan horchata to make it healthy and perfect, following a dairy-free diet.
How to make a healthy horchata recipe?
- Soak the almonds and cinnamon sticks in a large bowl with 2 to 3 cups of water for 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Rinse and blend with the oats and a sweetener with fresh water.
- Strain with a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, an old kitchen towel, or a fine-mesh strainer.
- Enjoy; pour into a glass with ice and sprinkle some ground cinnamon.
How difficult is it to make dairy-free horchata at home?
TRUTH? I’m going to tell you the truth: it’s straightforward to prepare, but you have to strain it to achieve the perfect creaminess. This is the only “difficult” part of this recipe.
However, beyond that, all the other steps for making this vegan and healthy horchata recipe are extremely easy.
Which sweetener is best?
We like to sweeten this agua fresca with dates, agave syrup, or sugar cane in my household. My children prefer it with cane sugar to dates.
However, if you plan to use sugar, consider purchasing the highest quality you can. I always purchase vegan, organic sugar. Yes, not all cane sugar is vegan.
Tips for making the best oats horchata
- Is horchata healthy? It all depends on the recipe you follow; if you make this one, it will be.
- It is essential to soak them for at least three hours. This step will make your drink creamier.
- Use whole rolled oats or regular oats. Do not use instant oats for an oat drink.
- You could or not soak the oats; if you decide to wash them, do not soak them for more than three hours.
- When blending, blend the almonds and cinnamon first; you don’t want to over-blend the oats. They will become slimy.
- You can prepare this oat drink in batches if you don’t have a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix.
This is an authentic vegan Mexican recipe that pairs well with other Mexican dishes such as sopes, crispy potato tacos, chorizo tostadas, guacamole, and chips.
Oats Almond Horchata (a twist on a classic Mexican agua Fresca)
Equipment
- old kitchen towel, a very fine sieve, or a nut milk bag
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup of agave or 3 dates pitted
- 3 cups of water + 2 cups of water
Instructions
- To make almond milk, first soak the almonds and cinnamon in water for at least three hours or overnight. Once they are ready, drain them and blend with oats and three cups of water. If you’re using dates, add them now.
- After blending everything, strain the mixture with an old kitchen towel, a very fine sieve, or a nut milk bag. Pour the mixture into a pitcher and add 2 more cups of water. Sweeten with agave or your preferred sweetener if you're not using dates.
Notes
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- About the Author
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I’m Ale Graf, a Mexican living in Texas and the creator of AleCooks and Piloncillo&Vainilla. I share easy, family-friendly recipes—some Mexican, mostly plant-based—that can be enjoyed all day, every day. My focus is on recipes that bring people together around the table, making mealtime simple, delicious and meaningful. I’m also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino, and my recipes have been featured in numerous online magazines and publications.
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