I had not heard of Horchata until I heard the Vampire Weekend song, Horchata. I always wondered what this beverage was and what it would taste like.
Sunday mornings while I drink my morning coffee, I usually watch The Food Network or The Home and Garden channel. This past Sunday, I ended up watching Mexican Made Easy (and am I ever glad I did)! On this particular episode the hostess, Marcela Valladolid, made Sweet Cinnamon Flavoured Oatmeal Drink (“Horchata”).
Traditional Horchata is made with rice and almonds but this recipe is nut-free, takes less time to prepare, and is so simple to make. Also, when Marcela announced that this was a great dairy-free drink, I was hooked! Since my daughter has an anaphylaxis dairy allergy, I’m always looking for dairy-free recipes for her.
Within minutes we were in the kitchen whipping up a batch of this beverage and what can I say… it was delicious! Even more importantly, my daughter loved it!
We made our first batch with sugar and the batch we made today was made with agave nectar. I especially loved the agave nectar version. I wouldn’t serve Horchata to my daughter too much because it doesn’t have as many nutrients as her regular dairy-free beverages but it is a tasty alternative to her usual rice or soy beverages.
Did I mention that I loved it too? It’s truly a refreshing summer drink and it really is best when served over ice.
Here’s the song that made me curious about this beverage in the first place!
Try out this recipe if you have a chance. I would love to hear what you think of it!
