This weekend we needed a hot drink to warm us up after playing in the snow. I wasn’t in the mood for chocolate, so cocoa was out. But I had all the ingredients for a Vegan Warm Horchata.
What is Horchata?
All horchata is spiced up with cinnamon and has a base of homemade rice and almond milk. I add in some oats to the mixture to make it thicker.
Typically you soak the grains with cinnamon sticks overnight. You can either use or discard the soaking liquid. Discard the cinnamon sticks and blend well in a high-speed blender.
But Isn’t Horchata a Cold Drink?
I have an oatchata recipe that I make in the summer, and this Warm Horchata is made very similarly. It’s refreshing cold, but it’s so amazing warm too.
What Do I Need to Know About Making Warm Horchata?
Because I use oats in this recipe in addition to brown rice and almonds, you need to be mindful when you’re heating the mixture up on the stove.
The oats will begin to thicken, so you will need to stir constantly while cooking.
If you get distracted, a few lumps may form in the heated mixture. Just blend it up in your blender before you serve it to fix that. It makes it thick and creamy!
More Recipes to Try
- 5 Coffeehouse Slow Cooker Recipes
- Pumpkin Cranberry Dog Cookies
- Orange Flower, Pistachio, and Date Oatmeal
- Vegan Carrot Koftas in Easy Blender Coconut Indian Sauce
Vegan Warm Cinnamon Horchata with Whole Grains and Almonds
Ingredients
Overnight Soak Ingredients:
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 cup long grain brown rice
- 1/4 cup steel cut oats or an additional 1/4 cup brown rice
- 3 cinnamon sticks
Heating Ingredients:
- sweetener of choice to taste (I used 1/4 cup raw sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt optional
Instructions
- Add the water, almonds, brown rice, oats, and cinnamon sticks to your blender and soak overnight or up to 12 hours.
- Transfer the cinnamon sticks to a medium saucepan, then blend the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag into the saucepan.
- Add the sweetener, vanilla, and pinch of salt, if using, then heat over low heat, stirring constantly to keep the oat milk from forming small lumps until it’s just hot.
- If there are some lumps, just pop it back into the blender and it will come out creamy.
Bethery says
Recipe sounds really good, but oh my, Max is adorable!
Kathy Hester says
Thank you on both accounts!
Aibreàn says
Hi Kathy,
First and foremost thank you so very much for adopting instead of shopping. Max will eventually get used to the snow, just be careful on taking him for walks where they have thrown salt or other chemicals on the sidewalls as the pads of his feet will burn, split and bleed which is extremely painful. Use cat litter after shoveling, it is biodegradable as it is clay and will not hurt any animal.
Now to the recipe. Is it possible to use another type of oat instead of steel cut oats? Thank you.
Kathy Hester says
You can use rolled or Scottish oats too. They do not need to be soaked as long.
Max stays nice and warm in front of the fireplace most of the winter and only goes on the deck or in out backyard when it snows. It doesn’t know that much here so it usually is only a day or two. He thanks you for thinking of him though!
Nancy Potvin says
I’m allergic to almonds. Can I sub it?
Linda says
Can this sit in a slow cooker all day instead?
Kathy Hester says
It should work.
JoAnn M Lakes says
Max needs ski pants!!! He looks like he could really enjoy the snow if he was warm. I understand that completely. I hate being cold!!!!
Kathy Hester says
Lol! He has heavier sweaters and more hair this year too!
Kelly D Patton says
Is the rice cooked before soaking it or raw? Thanks.
Kathy Hester says
The rice is raw.