Horchata Ice Cream

All the flavors of the refreshing cinnamon-scented Horchata drink frozen into a rich and creamy homemade Horchata Ice Cream.  

What is Horchata?

Horchata (pronounced or-CHAH-tah) is a popular Mexican drink made of rice, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Every Cinco de Mayo celebration should include a glass of ice-cold Horchata!

Just imagine all of those wonderful flavors blended into ultra-rich ice cream. Yep!  It’s amazing.  If you’re a fan of my Lemon Curd or Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, you’re going to love this Horchata flavor.  It’s just as smooth, rich, and creamy.  

Ingredients Horchata Ice Cream

For this festive ice cream, you will need milk, heavy cream, long-grain white rice (or jasmine rice), 5 egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon sticks.

How to Make Horchata Ice Cream

• Begin by steeping the rice flavor into the milk and cream.  In a medium-size saucepan, heat the milk and cream until it is warm to the touch.  Pour the milk mixture into a blender container, add the rice and blend at medium speed until the rice grain has been broken up into small pieces.  Don’t over-blend because you will be straining the milk to remove the rice.  The goal is to enhance the milk mixture with the rice flavor.  
• Return the milk, cream, and rice mixture to the saucepan and heat until the mixture begins to steam. Do not bring to a boil!  Cover the pan and let the mixture sit for 1 hour.
• Pour the milk mixture through a cloth, nut bag strainer, or several layers of cheesecloth.   Twist and squeeze the remaining rice solids to release the milk from the rice.  Return the milk back into the saucepan.

Cooking the Ice Cream Custard

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1. Add steeped rice milk mixture, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Stir over low heat.
2. While the cream mixture is heating, beat 5 egg yolks in a large mixing bowl.  Slowly mix in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
3. Once the milk begins to steam a bit, add the hot cream mixture to the egg yolks one ladle full at a time. Continue until at least 1/2 of the cream mixture had been incorporated into the egg yolk mixture.  This will temper the yolks so they don’t turn into scrambled eggs in your ice cream.
4. Slowly pour the egg/cream mixture back into the remaining hot cream.
5. Continue to cook over low heat. using a wooden spoon to stir constantly. Do not boil.
6. Cook custard just until the mixture coats the spoon. Approximately 160℉ 

• Strain hot mixture through a mesh strainer to catch any lumps. ALWAYS strain your custard.  Sometimes there are bits of cooked egg in the custard.  Straining will make a very smooth ice cream base.
• Pour into a bowl and cover.  Add 2 cinnamon sticks and push them into the cooked custard.  Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churning the Ice Cream

• Remove ice cream custard from the refrigerator. Just look how thick and rich the custard is!  Carefully lift the plastic wrap and scrape off any custard that may have stuck to the wrap.  Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Pour vanilla ice cream custard into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
• Ice cream will be thick smooth and creamy when the ice cream has finished churning.  Remove from the maker into a separate container.  I like to freeze the container before I start churning the ice cream.  An ice-cold container will help the ice cream from melting before transferring to the freezer.  It’s a good idea.

Churning Tips

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations for churning.  As stated above for the frozen bowl ice cream maker.  
• Make sure your custard is very cold.  I like to chill my custard overnight.  In a pinch, I will put the bowl of cooked custard in an ice bath and stir until it is cold, then chill for another 2 hours.  
• Don’t overfill the bowl of the ice cream maker.  I think I have overfilled every type of ice cream maker.  It can be a mess and just doesn’t completely freeze and churn the ice cream.
• The center of every churn has a dasher.  That churns the custard mixture.  Most are plastic.  Make sure you remove the dasher and lick it clean.  I remember, as a child, fighting over who got to lick the dasher clean.  It’s the best!
• Don’t freeze the ice cream in the bowl of the ice cream maker.  It will freeze rock solid and will take a jackhammer to get it out!  Always transfer the ice cream to a separate container.   Preferably a chilled container.

Serve Horchata ice cream with freshly grated cinnamon or ground cinnamon. ❤️

5 from 2 votes

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Horchata Ice Cream

All the flavors of the refreshing cinnamon-scented Horchata drink frozen into a rich and creamy homemade Horchata Ice Cream.  

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword cinco de mayo, Horchata, Horchata Ice Cream, Mexican Horchata

Servings 6 servings

Calories 368 kcal

Author Janet Barton

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk 2% milk
• 1 cup rice white long grain or Jasmine rice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• cinnamon fresh grated preferred

Instructions

Steeping Rice and Milk

1. Begin by steeping the rice flavor into the milk and cream. In a medium-size saucepan, heat the milk and cream until it is warm to the touch. Pour the milk mixture into a blender container, add the rice and blend at medium speed until the rice grain has been broken up into small pieces. Don’t over-blend because you will be straining the milk to remove the rice. The goal is to enhance the milk mixture with the rice flavor.
2. Return the milk, cream, and rice mixture to the saucepan and heat until the mixture begins to steam. Do not bring to a boil! Cover the pan and let the mixture sit for 1 hour.
3. Pour the milk mixture through a cloth, nut bag strainer, or several layers of cheesecloth. Twist and squeeze the remaining rice solids to release the milk from the rice. Return the milk back into the saucepan.

Making the Custard

1. Add steeped rice milk mixture, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir over low heat.
2. While the cream mixture is heating, beat 5 egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Slowly mix in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
3. Once the milk begins to steam a bit, add the hot cream mixture to the egg yolks one ladle full at a time. Continue until at least 1/2 of the cream mixture had been incorporated into the egg yolk mixture. This will temper the yolks so they don’t turn into scrambled eggs in your ice cream.
4. Slowly pour the egg/cream mixture back into the remaining hot cream.
5. Continue to cook over low heat. using a wooden spoon to stir constantly. Do not boil.
6. Cook custard just until the mixture coats the spoon. Approximately 160℉
7. Strain hot mixture through a mesh strainer to catch any lumps. ALWAYS strain your custard. Sometimes there are bits of cooked egg in the custard. Straining will make a very smooth ice cream base.
8. Pour into a bowl and cover. Add 2 cinnamon sticks and push them into the cooked custard. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churning

1. Remove ice cream custard from the refrigerator. Just look how thick and rich the custard is! Carefully life the plastic wrap and scrape off any custard that may have stuck to the wrap. Remove the 2 cinnamon sticks and discard. Stir in the vanilla extract.
2. Pour vanilla ice cream custard into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
3. Ice cream will be thick smooth and creamy when the ice cream has finished churning. Remove from the maker into a separate container. I like to freeze the container before I start churning the ice cream. An ice-cold container will help the ice cream from melting before transferring to the freezer. It’s a good idea.

Recipe Notes

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations for churning.  As stated above for the frozen bowl ice cream maker.  
• Make sure your custard is very cold.  I like to chill my custard overnight.  In a pinch, I will put the bowl of cooked custard in an ice bath and stir until it is cold, then chill for another 2 hours.  
• Don’t overfill the bowl of the ice cream maker.  I think I have overfilled every type of ice cream maker.  It can be a mess and just doesn’t completely freeze and churn the ice cream.
• The center of every churn has a dasher.  That churns the custard mixture.  Most are plastic.  Make sure you remove the dasher and lick it clean.  I remember, as a child, fighting over who got to lick the dasher clean.  It’s the best!
• Don’t freeze the ice cream in the bowl of the ice cream maker.  It will freeze rock solid and will take a jackhammer to get it out!  Always transfer the ice cream to a separate container.   Preferably a chilled container.

Nutrition Facts

Horchata Ice Cream

Amount Per Serving (43 servings)

Calories 368 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 19g95%

Cholesterol 113mg38%

Sodium 145mg6%

Potassium 120mg3%

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 19g21%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 1236IU25%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 110mg11%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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