This simple horchata ice cream recipe is made with six ingredients, plus a delicious dulce de leche swirl. It is a great beginner homemade ice cream for anyone to try.
Why you'll love it
If you are looking for a creamy, sweet ice cream that is easy to make and has only a handful of ingredients, you'll love grabbing a scoop of this homemade horchata ice cream.The recipe uses minimal ingredients and doesn't include anything like egg yolks so you can share it with people who may have dietary sensitivities. It also uses a lot of common ingredients that you may already have at home except for the exception of perhaps the cinnamon stick and whole raw almonds, but you can substitute them easily!
You are going to love a big scoop of it on its own or paired with homemade churros to make a churro ice cream sandwich.
- This is a fun and refreshing twist on the classic drink
- Uses only a handful of easy to find ingredients
- Super easy for the beginner ice cream maker
What is horchata?
Horchata (pronounced or-CHAH-tah) is a popular sweetened plant-based milk drink that often includes rice, cinnamon, and almond. There are different versions that use different grains, nuts, and spices, It is a drink that originated in Spain, but the Mexican version is what is the most popular in the United States.
Ingredient overview
The ingredient list is short and each one plays an important role. Here is a brief look at them and any important notes.
- Rice - Short-grain or long - grain white rice will work. Toast the rice briefly on a skillet to enhance the flavor of the rice. It is an optional step, but the toasty notes really takes the flavor to another level.
- Almond - Raw almonds or especially blanched almonds are the best. If you don't have them available, you can use slivered or chopped almonds. Even almond flour would work. Like the rice, you want to enhance the nutty flavor by heating them on the skillet.
- Cinnamon - Cinnamon sticks are great to add deep cinnamon flavor, but you can also use ground cinnamon. I recommend adding a teaspoon and then adding more if needed to taste.
- Dulce de leche - Swirling the ice cream with dulce de leche adds a ton of depth, sweetness, and an incredible mouthfeel that will have you coming back for more. You can buy some, but if you want something that has a deep caramelized flavor, I recommend making your own.
Note: You can make your own dulce de leche by cooking sweetened condensed milk in its can for several hours, or in a small saucepan on the lowest temperature until it is thick and caramelized.
Instructions
- Prepare your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Blanch your almonds, if they aren't already. Toast your almonds and long-grain rice, then allow them to cool.
- Add your almonds, rice, whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, and cinnamon to a large saucepan.
- Heat on low to medium heat and stir constantly scraping the sides and bottom of the pot.
- Continue to cook until the rice mixture just coats the back of a spoon.
- Strain as much liquid as you can from the ice cream base into a bowl through a cheesecloth resting on a fine mesh strainer.
- Place the bowl into an ice bath ensuring none of the ice bath gets into the bowl. Stir until the mixture reaches room temperature.
- Store the strained liquid in the refrigerator until it has completely chilled, preferably overnight.
- Churn horchata ice cream the next day, and add in the dulce de leche the last minute of churning, or layer it manually when you transfer the ice cream into your airtight container.
- Store in the back of your freezer.
⭐Note! You can make this horchata ice cream recipe without an ice cream maker with these instructions
Amanda's expert tips
Keep an eye on the mixture as it is cooking. You do not want the rice to absorb all the liquid. The rice is meant to add flavor and thicken the base just enough that it will form a deliciously velvet texture when it is churned.
Take your time straining out the mixture. You don't want to leave any rice or bits of almond in the base because that will leave you with a very gritty and unpleasant scoop once it is done.
You can enhance the horchata flavor by adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract in while you are churning.
Equipment
While you can make ice cream without an ice cream maker, I think it is a worthwhile investment if you love homemade ice cream. They are great for churning other things such as sorbet and even some gelato recipes. This is the ice cream maker that I personally recommend.
Storage
It is worth investing in a proper ice cream container for your horchata ice cream. it will keep the ice cream frozen, but still scoopable and help prevent ice crystals forming.
Keep the ice cream in the back of your freezer for up to 2 months.
Recipe Card
Horchata Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- ⅓ cup long grain rice
- 1 - 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup dulce de leche
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the almonds and boil for about one minute. Drain the water and soak the almonds in cold water for a few seconds to cool. Drain again.
- Remove the skins from the almonds - you should be able to pinch the almonds and they will pop out of their skins.
- Place the almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for about 10 minutes until they are dry. Toast on a skillet until browned. Leave to cool.
- Put the rice through a blender and blend for about a minute.
- Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and heat on medium. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. You want it to be able to coat the back of your spoon and leave a trail when you run your finger down the spoon. If you keep cooking, the rice will absorb all the liquid. If that happens, add more milk and cream until it thins out.
- Put the ingredients in a blender and blend for about 1 - 2 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Get out as much of the milk and cream as possible. Place in a gallon freezer bag and chill in the refrigerator until very cold - at least 40 degrees F.
- Churn in an ice cream maker using manufactuer instructions.
- Place one third of the ice cream in a container, then swirl the dulce de leche. Repeat the layers until everything is used up. Store in the freezer.
Alisa Ewert says
Soon i have Competition in Cooking School and this is my final project, I am searching the best dish
Elizabeth Brooks says
Mine turned into a paste
Amanda says
Hi Elizabeth, I'd love to help you troubleshoot. How long did you let the mixture cook for in the saucepan? It should be just until you notice that the mixture is thickening as we don't want the rice to cook through too much and absorb all of the liquid. When you strained it through your cheesecloth, were you able to get any of the liquid out?
Sabrina says
Love this ice cream idea! Looks awesome!
Maryanne | the little epicurean says
This wins my heart! I love horchata in all forms- liquid, ice cream, popsicles, etc.
Plus, I can't believe it only took 15 minutes to churn. That's awesome 🙂
Amanda says
Yes, I was shocked! I didn't even get a chance to sit down before it was finished. Horchata is amazing. We need to horchata all the things more often.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Six ingredients to this deliciousness? So wonderful- love how you brought the flavors of horchata to ice cream, that's wild and wonderful 🙂
jackie @ supermancooks says
What a totally brilliant idea Amanda! I too, love horchata; I order it all the time at my favorite Mexican joints....but ICE CREAM? OMG. dying. Thanks for sharing!!
Hannah Hossack-Lodge (Domestic Gothess) says
I haven't had horchata since I was a teenager on a trip to spain, I can barely remember what it tastes like but I do know that it was good, I bet that horchata ice cream is even better!