Puerto Rican horchata is a refreshing homemade drink made with toasted white sesame seeds, warm spices, honey, vanilla, and a secret ingredient: lemon!
This refreshing agua de ajonjoli (sesame seed milk) is made with just a few ingredients and is the perfect summer beverage! Also, if you're wondering, you can make this a no-milk recipe (more details below).
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What does horchata taste like?
This Puerto Rican horchata recipe, made with white sesame seeds, has a smooth, delicate, yet sweet texture.
The gentle sweetness of sesame seeds pairs well with the warm notes of cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla.
For a light twist, honey and lemon elevate the depth of flavor profile, and to make it creamy, evaporated milk and condensed milk transform this agua de ajonjoli into a decadent creamy horchata de ajonjoli.
The flavors of this drink remind me of my lemon flan recipe.
What is horchata made of?
At its base, horchata is a milk beverage made by soaking a nut, seed, or grain in water, blending it, and straining it to create a beverage.
This agua de ajonjoli in Puerto Rico is made with white sesame seeds. However, throughout Latin America, each region has its own authentic horchata recipe.
Ingredients
To make authentic Puerto Rican horchata, you must use white sesame seeds as its base. But what goes on in your kitchen is up to you, and you're free to change things!
These 10 ingredients are what I use to make the perfect Puerto Rican horchata de ajonjoli.
- White Sesame Seeds: Gently toast first to remove the bitterness of the sesame seeds. (If you can't find sesame seeds, use medium-grain rice.)
- Water: Use warm freshwater to soak the sesame seeds.
- Cinnamon Sticks: I used one in the soaking process and again for infusing milk. You can use ground cinnamon if that's what's available.
- Whole Cloves: A little goes a long way. For a more pronounced flavor, add ground cloves at the end.
- Evaporated Milk: Denser than whole milk, evaporated milk adds a rich flavor to the horchata. You can use whole milk, coconut milk, or almond milk instead.
- Vanilla Extract: I used Madagascar, but you can use Mexican or your favorite vanilla extract.
- Honey: Honey's sweetness surpasses that of sugar. It's just different. Honey also has a hint of floral taste and pairs well with white sesame seeds, making it the perfect addition to a cold horchata beverage.
- Lemon Rind: Valencians commonly use lemon in their horchata, and when I studied sesame seeds, I learned that white sesame seeds, honey, and lemon make the perfect trifecta-and they do!
- Trust me on the lemon! When serving, add a small garnish of either freshly grated lemon or a sliver of lemon rind to your cup and let it sit for a minute. The lemon's flavor is incredible! (Just don't let the lemon sit in the pitcher inside the fridge; if you do, it will overpower the horchata.)
- Sweetener: I love drinks on the sweeter side, so I did add some white granulated sugar, but this is optional. You can use brown sugar, maple syrup, stevia, etc.
- Condensed Milk: You're probably thinking that between the honey and the sugar, the horchata is sweet enough. But I assure you, adding some condensed milk (taste as you go) imbues a creamy sweetness with depth that sugar or honey alone cannot replicate!
Variations
Here are some variations for making your authentic horchata recipe.
- Base Ingredient: Horchata can be made with tiger nuts, morro seeds, jasmine rice, medium-grain rice, brown rice, sesame seeds, barley, or rolled oats. (Rice horchata is a national favorite here in the States!)
- Fruit: Add chunks of fresh fruit to make a fruity, creamy drink. Strawberry horchata tastes great, but also looks so pretty!
- Almonds: Toasted almonds are commonly found in rice horchata recipes.
- Powder Mixes: For an easy horchata recipe, grocery stores sell horchata mixes that can be used in place of soaking seeds or grains. You can also use ground oats, rice flour, etc.
- Fun add-ins: Switch things up by adding cocoa powder, chamomile, lavender, etc.
- Boozy: Add Kahlua, rum, or vodka to make a dirty horchata! (Add coconut and rum for a coquito twist.)
Note: I do not recommend using horchata powder mixes. I've tried horchata many times in different cities and states and can tell if someone uses the packaged stuff. Horchata is best made fresh.
How to make horchata de ajonjoli
- Toast sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring often until they reach a light golden color. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Add sesame seeds, fresh warm water, a cinnamon stick, and cloves to a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a lid) and soak for at least four hours or overnight at room temperature.
- Once the sesame seed mixture has soaked, add the whole water mixture (with cloves and cinnamon sticks) to the blender and mix for about 5 minutes.
- Next, strain the blended horchata mixture through a fine mesh sieve, nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or with a thin towel into a large pitcher or bowl. Remember to get everything out from the bottom of the blender (there's excellent flavor there).
- Add evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole cinnamon sticks, a few cloves, sugar, and honey to a medium pot and simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste for sweetness, and adjust honey, sugar, and condensed milk to your liking.
- Lower the heat to low and add lemon rind. Allow flavors to infuse for 3 more minutes before straining the milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the horchata mixture.
- Mix the sesame seed milk mixture and taste it before refrigerating or serving with ice.
Notes on serving horchata de ajonjoli
- For optimal results, chill horchata in the refrigerator overnight and serve it cold the next day.
- Adding a small chunk of fresh lemon rind or zest adds a vibrant flavor to this horchata de ajonjoli.
- When serving horchata, adding plenty of ice to the cup is common.
Storage Tips
Store your horchata in a pitcher with a lid (or cover with plastic wrap to keep it fresher and debris-free) and refrigerate for up to five days.
FAQ's
Blending grains with water causes horchata to thicken. This process releases starches from the grains, thickening the liquid when mixed with water.
Starches, sugar, and spices residues may settle at the bottom of your cup. Stir your drink to distribute these ingredients evenly throughout the liquid.
Blending seeds, rice, or grains can produce fine particles that contribute to a grainy texture if not filtered properly.
To achieve a smoother horchata, it's recommended to filter it using a two-step method. Begin by passing the mixture through a thin kitchen towel or tight cheesecloth. Next, strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve to ensure no grains escape into your pitcher.
Recipes I know you'll love
Enjoy these spring and summer recipes perfect with bacalaitos or agua de Jamaica!
Puerto Rican Horchata de ajonjoli: Sesame Seed Horchata Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for soaking sesame seeds
- ½ cup white sesame seeds
- 3 cups water (warm)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole cloves
Ingredients for Milk Infusion
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 10 oz condensed milk (adjust to your liking)
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
- 2 tablespoon white granulated sugar (optional)
- 2 inches lemon (rind)
Instructions
Toasting Sesame Seeds
- Heat small non-stick pan over medium heat and add raw white sesame seeds. Toast seeds, while stirring often, until it reaches a golden amber color. Remove seeds from pan once toasted.½ cup white sesame seeds
Soaking Sesame Seeds
- Add warm water, sesame seeds, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit, room temperature, for a minimum of four hours to soften.3 cups water, 2 whole cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks
Blend Softened Seeds
- Add all of the soaked seed mixture into a blender, and blend until smooth.
Strain Blended seeds
- Strain the blended mixture through a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth, or nut bag into a large bowl.
Infuse Milk
- Warm all the infused milk ingredients, except for the lemon rind, in a medium pot over medium heat for five minutes. After five minutes, add the lemon rind, and continue to simmer for 5 minutes longer.1 can evaporated milk, 10 oz condensed milk, 1 whole cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 pinch salt, 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
- Strain milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the large bowl with the strained sesame seed mixture.
- Mix horchata mixture well, taste for sweetness, adjust if desired. Pour the horchata into a pitcher and refrigerate overnight for best results.
Serve
- Serve over ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick and lemon zest or a smill amount of lemon rind.
Notes
Substitutions
Here are some simple ingredient substitutions you can use:- Sesame Seeds: White rice, oatmeal, barley, or tiger nuts.
- Cinnamon Sticks: 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in both soaking and milk mixture.
- Whole cloves: ⅛-1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. I would add this into the milk mixture. Taste and adjust to preference.
- Honey: Optional; Do not substitute.
- Evaporated milk: Whole milk, coconut milk, or any other preferred "milk."
- Condensed Milk: Coconut cream, or replace with more sugar. (Condensed milk elevates the horchata drink; I would not leave this out.)
- Lemon: Do not substitute. This is optional, but I promise it adds a great depth of flavor to this sesame horchata!
- Sugar: Use your favorite sugar substitute or brown sugar.
- Salt: Optional; It balances out the sweetness.
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