EspañolCoffee horchata agua fresca, a delicious variation of the classic Mexican horchata, tastes as good as it sounds. Sweet and refreshing, relaxing and awakening, learn how to make it with this step by step recipe and video.
We love classic Mexican horchata, if we allowed ourselves we would drink it by the gallon. So when my family and I saw this variation at one of our favorite Mexican grocery stores in LA, we knew we needed to learn how to make it at home.
After a few tries, here is the recipe. It's simple to make, but complex in flavor. It's sweet, but with just a hint of bitterness from the coffee, and it is absolutely satisfying.
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Soaking the Rice
In my opinion, and unless you use rice flour as we did with our easy Mexican strawberry horchata recipe, I suggest soaking the rice for a long time, overnight is best.
This will make the rice softer and easier to blend. Plus, it will help achieve that horchata characteristic creaminess. Oh, and please soak it with the cinnamon.
About the Cinnamon
I suggest using big cinnamon sticks. I like to make a note of this because here in the United States the stores sometimes sell two different types.
If you look for the cinnamon sticks in the spice section of your supermarket, probably you will find it in glass jars. This cinnamon, in my experience, is very tough to break and has less flavor. It looks great as a garnish though.
Instead, visit the Hispanic food aisle, or the produce department, and look for the Hispanic spices. There, you hopefully will find the big, easy to break, and oh so aromatic cinnamon.
It may be sold in a bag or per pound. Choose the one you like. I suggest getting a few because you will want to use it to make milk gelatin, atole, or rice pudding with it as well.
You may be able to find this cinnamon at Amazon as well, just make sure to buy the ones that you can see have a lot of layers (not just one).
About the Coffee
I recommend using the best freshly ground coffee you can find. It really makes a difference.
Of course, you will need a coffee maker or a french press, but if you don't own any, just mix the grounded coffee with hot water in a pot.
If you are a coffee lover you are going to like this satisfying agua fresca, but as with everything, you may like it with more or less coffee. I recommend trying my recipe as it is and then adjust if necessary.
Now let's make it!
Coffee Horchata Agua Fresca
8 cups
Prep time 12 hr – Active time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup rice
- 8 cups water, divided
- 1 big Mexican cinnamon stick
- 3-4 tablespoons ground coffee
- 1 can condensed milk
Utensils
Rinse the rice twice until water runs clear. Strain and place in a medium bowl.
Add the cinnamon stick and two cups of very hot water. The water should cover the rice completely. Cover with a lid or kitchen towel and let it rest overnight (around 12 hours).
The next day, mix one cup of very hot water with the ground coffee. You can use a coffee maker, french press, or you can combine them in a pot.
Strain and set aside.
Place the soaked rice with the water and cinnamon stick in a blender or food processor and mix until completely integrated.
Strain mixture into a pitcher. Return the strained rice paste to the blender, add two cups of water and mix again.
Strain this mixture into the pitcher, this time pushing the paste against the strainer to get as much liquid out as possible. Discard the rice-cinnamon paste.
Pour condensed milk, coffee and the rest of the water into the pitcher. Mix well.
Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the rice sediments to drop to the bottom. If you skip this step you will end with a “sandy” feeling in your mouth.
Serve very cold. Enjoy!
Print the Coffee Horchata Recipe
Coffee Horchata Agua Fresca
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup rice
- 8 cups water divided
- 1 big Mexican cinnamon stick
- 3-4 tablespoons ground coffee
- 1 can condensed milk
Utensilios
- Sieve or strainer
- Medium-size bowl
- Coffee maker or French press
- BlenderPitcher
Instructions
- Rinse the rice twice until water runs clear. Strain and place in a medium bowl.
- Add the cinnamon stick and two cups of very hot water. The water should cover the rice completely. Cover with a lid or kitchen towel and let it rest overnight (around 8 hours).
- The next day, mix one cup of very hot water with the ground coffee. You can use a coffee maker, french press, or you can combine them in a pot.
- Strain and set aside.
- Place the soaked rice with the water and cinnamon stick in a blender or food processor and mix until completely integrated.
- Strain mixture into a pitcher. Return the strained rice paste to the blender, add two cups of water and mix again.
- Strain this mixture into the pitcher, this time pushing the paste against the strainer to get as much liquid out as possible. Discard the rice-cinnamon paste.
- Pour condensed milk, coffee and the rest of the water into the pitcher. Mix well.
- Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the rice sediments to drop to the bottom. If you skip this step you will end with a “sandy” feeling in your mouth.
- Serve very cold. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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