Creamy Horchata Chia Pudding – Easy & Dairy-Free Recipe

There’s something special about traveling with family—seeing a place through their eyes, sharing new experiences, and creating memories together. I recently took my mom to Mexico, and it was her first time on the eastern side of the country. The moment she saw the turquoise waters, she turned to me and said, This is paradise! Seeing her so happy made the trip even more special.

Another thing I loved about our time there? The endless variety of refreshing drinks. With almost every meal, we had fresh fruit juices or aguas frescas, like jamaica and horchata—our favorites. But while I love horchata, I’ve always found it just a little too sweet for my taste. So, when I got home, I started experimenting with my own version, tweaking the sweetness to my liking. The result? More horchata than I could possibly drink—which led me to this horchata chia pudding.

Horchata is a refreshing, creamy, and lightly spiced drink that originates from Spain and Latin America. Depending on the region, it’s made with different ingredients. The most common version in Mexico is made by soaking white rice, cinnamon, and sometimes almonds in water, then blending and straining the mixture. It’s lightly sweetened and served chilled, sometimes with a touch of vanilla.

This recipe is creamy, lightly spiced, and just sweet enough. If you love sweet breakfasts, it’s perfect for starting the day. But for me? I love it as a cozy, satisfying dessert.

i used (for 2 servings):

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 1/4 cup horchata
• toppings: honey, banana, coconut flakes, ground cinnamon

horchata:

• 1 cup white rice
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 ceylon cinnamon stick
• 4-6 large medjool dates
• 5 cups water
• salt
• optional: splash of vanilla extract

to make horchata chia pudding:

• first, make the horchata by combining white rice, almonds, and cinnamon stick in a large bowl and covering it with 2.5 cups of water, let this soak overnight in the fridge
• add everything to a blender along with dates and a pinch of salt, blend on high until smooth. adjust sweetness to taste
• dilute with another 2.5 cups of water and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve — you now have your horchata!
• then, combine chia seeds and horchata, and mix well with a spoon. let set in a fridge for 2-3 hours, ideally overnight
• if the consistency is too thick, dilute with a tablespoons or so of water
• divide amongst two glasses and top with desired toppings

other recipes you might like:

• nan gua bing (chinese pan-fried pumpkin cake) – a mochi-like pumpkin cake made with kabocha squash and glutinous rice flour, optionally filled with red bean paste.
• black sesame buns with peanut caramel – soft, fluffy buns infused with nutty black sesame and filled with gooey peanut caramel.
• mango sago – a refreshing dessert featuring layers of blended mango and coconut milk with chewy tapioca pearls.