Gluten-Free Almond Milk Horchata

The creamy, spiced delight of this authentic almond milk horchata, a refreshing beverage with hints of cinnamon and vanilla. Its smooth texture and subtly sweet flavor make it the perfect dairy-free treat.

Prep: 8 min Cook: 20 min Total: 28 min Serves: 2

At a glance: This easy drinks and smoothies recipe yields 2 servings in about 28 minutes (8 min prep, 20 min cook). It uses 6 ingredients — including raw almonds, water, sugar or other sweetener — and walks through 5 steps. Updated October 19, 2026. Browse more drinks and smoothies recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Shop links in the ingredient list are affiliate links and do not change the recipe.

Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Almond Milk Horchata: When preparing this drinks and smoothies recipe, while this recipe is inherently gluten-free, always ensure that all packaged ingredients, such as sweeteners or spices, are gluten-free to prevent cross-contamination. Be mindful of shared equipment if preparing in a kitchen that also handles gluten. In a shared kitchen, avoid porous materials — wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and scratched non-stick pans can harbor gluten proteins even after washing. Prefer glass, metal, or silicone tools.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Almond Milk Horchata: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, relying on simple, whole-food ingredients. Always ensure any added sweeteners or spices are free from cross-contamination with gluten-containing grains.

Scale Recipe:

servings

Ingredient amounts update automatically

Ingredients

Shop links on this page are for raw almonds, soaked overnight, sugar or other sweetener, ground cinnamon. Buy the package that says gluten-free. A shared production line is the usual risk with these pantry items. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Confirm the product is labeled gluten-free before you buy.

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight Shop
4 cups water
0.5 cup sugar or other sweetener Shop
1 tsp ground cinnamon Shop
0.5 tsp pure vanilla extract Shop
1 cup ice cubes

Instructions

1 Drain and rinse the soaked raw almonds thoroughly. Place the rinsed almonds into a high-speed blender along with 4 cups of fresh water. Blend on high speed for about 2-3 minutes, until the almonds are completely pulverized and the mixture is milky.
2 Strain the almond milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible, discarding the almond pulp. You should have a smooth, creamy liquid.
3 Return the strained almond milk to the clean blender. Add the sugar (or your preferred sweetener), ground cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract. Blend for another 30-60 seconds until the sugar is dissolved and the flavors are well combined.
4 Add the ice cubes to the blender and pulse a few times until the horchata is chilled and has a slightly slushy consistency, about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to over-blend, which can dilute the flavor.
5 Taste the horchata and adjust sweetness or cinnamon if desired. Pour the chilled horchata into glasses, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.

Nutrition (per serving)

180

Calories

Protein

24g

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

30mg

Sodium

Tips & Notes

Scrape a real vanilla bean pod into the batter and steep the pod in warm milk for 10 minutes for intense flavor.
Ceylon cinnamon is milder and sweeter; Cassia (the common kind) is more pungent — both work here.
Blend smoothies from frozen fruit for a thicker, colder result without diluting with ice.

Common questions

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Almond Milk Horchata?

Check raw almonds, soaked overnight, water, sugar or other sweetener before they go into Gluten-Free Almond Milk Horchata. While this recipe is inherently gluten-free, always ensure that all packaged ingredients, such as sweeteners or spices, are gluten-free to prevent cross-contamination. Be mindful of shared equipment if preparing in a kitchen that also handles gluten. In a shared kitchen, avoid porous materials — wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and scratched non-stick pans can harbor gluten proteins even after washing. Prefer glass, metal, or silicone tools.

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