Mexican Horchata Drink with SPLENDA® Naturals

A homemade version of Mexican Horchata. The sweetened rice milk drink that’s delicious over ice on a warm summer day. This vegan horchata recipe is also made healthier with less sugar compared to the traditional version. Grab your glass for this sweet and refreshing chilled drink.

I received free samples of SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by SPLENDA® Sweeteners and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Not ready to say goodbye to summer? There is still time to mix up another drink.

Let’s enjoy one last refreshing drink before switching over to warmer fall beverages (hello, PSL flavored latte season).  A drink I’ve had my eye on for a while is the Mexican drink horchata.

Homemade horchata

Horchata is a drink made from rice and flavored with cinnamon and sugar. The ingredients are all blended, given time to soaked together before being strained. Creating a smooth and creamy drink that tastes similar to a combination of sweetened rice and almond milk.

Homemade versions of this drink usually have ⅔ to an entire cup of added sugar for sweetness. That’s at about 500 Calories, with 128 gram of sugar, in an entire recipe. Not my ideal drink.

Luckily, this recipe contest with SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend came just in time for one last cold beverage. Who am I kidding I’m definitely sneaking in a few more of these before next Summer.

A sweeter solution

Just like in my last post—where I made a healthier Sweet and Spicy (Yerushalmi) Noodle Kugel—we’ll be using SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend to make a Mexican horchata drink. Using this unique blend means we can significantly cut down the amount of added sugar without compromising the drink’s sweetness. 

SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend  is made from two non-GMO ingredients, stevia & cane sugar. There are no artificial ingredients, added flavors or bitter aftertaste. Its unique sweetness comes from Reb D, one of the tastiest parts of the stevia leaf. Use it anywhere you would normally use sugar. Since it has a sweeter taste, you’ll use less of it. Plus is has 50% fewer calories than sugar.

Mexican Horchata Drink

Yield: 7 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes

A healthier version of Mexican Horchata. Made with 60% less sugar than traditional recipes and without compromising the sweetness of this refreshing drink.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 cups warm tap water
• ¼ cup SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-2 cups cold water

Instructions

1. Place rice, almonds and cinnamon stick onto a baking sheet. Toast in a preheated 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.
2. Transfer to a blender. Pour in warm water, making sure to leave enough room to blend the ingredients without an explosion. Allow to cool slightly. Vent the lid and cover with a kitchen towel before blending. Process until all the ingredients have been broken down.
3. Add SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend, vanilla and any remaining water to the mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight to 24 hours.
5. Place a nut milk bag into a pitcher or other large container. Remove the blender from the refrigerator. Stir before pouring into the bag to strain. Add 1-2 cups of additional water, to taste.
6. Chill and stir before serving over ice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 7 Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 79Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g

*includes discard

Did you make this recipe?

Let us know how in the comments below or share on Instagram and tag @perspectiveportions, we'd love to see it.

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