Horchata Syrup (Starbucks Copycat)

Add some Latin American pizzazz to your morning with my deliciously simple copycat recipe for Starbucks Horchata Syrup! This warmly spiced cinnamon-rice infused simple syrup is a snap whip up and makes every sip of your coffee feel like a personal fiesta. 🎉💃

While I’m a fan of all aguas frescas, my favorite is without a doubt horchata—this horchata simple syrup brings all that cinnamon-rice flavor to my cup with greater potency and less time. If you’ve yet to try the simultaneously warmly spiced, creamy, but perplexingly refreshing Mexican drink, this is a fun Starbucks-y way to give it a shot.

Starbucks recently released their newest summer menu—I was especially pumped about the iced horchata oatmilk shaken espresso. What better way to combine two of my loves? It’s rich without being heavy, cozy but still cold and caffeinated. Yum! But, at the heart of this fantastically frosty, spectacularly spiced drink is this (homemade) horchata coffee syrup.   

Love cinnamon-flavored iced coffee drinks? Try my cinnamon crumble oatmilk frappuccino, cinnamon caramel cream cold brew, or iced cinnamon dolce latte next!

Jump to:

• What does it taste like?
• Why You’ll Love This Coffee Syrup Recipe
• Ingredients Needed
• Substitutions
• How To Make Starbucks Horchata Syrup
• Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe Success Tips
• FAQs
• DIY Horchata Syrup Nutrition
• Other Coffee Syrup Recipes
• Horchata Syrup (Starbucks Copycat)

What does it taste like?

First things first: what the heck is horchata? Authentic horchata is a beloved Latin American drink made with rice, canela (Mexican cinnamon), sugar, and water. It’s basically rice milk, but with a sweet and spicy twist! This easy horchata syrup recipe distills all that toasty rice and aromatic cinnamon goodness into a drizzle-able sweetener so you can add big time flavor to all your favorite drinks, desserts, and breakfasts in a flash! 

Why You’ll Love This Coffee Syrup Recipe

• Quick & Easy - Just 5 ingredients and about 5 minutes of active work are all that stands between you and a coffee syrup that’ll make you want to say “olé!”
• Budget-Friendly - This DIY Starbucks dupe is made with inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients like long grain white rice, white sugar, and cinnamon. You can make a batch that’ll yield 10 glorious Starbucks horchata shaken espressos for less than the price of a single drink at the café.
• Versatile - Don’t feel limited to making the Starbucks menu—this spicy little number is ready to dress up everything from whipped cream to oatmeal. Read on for more ideas!

Ingredients Needed

• Long Grain White Rice - You’re welcome to use any variety you like! I used plain ol’ rice, but feel free to experiment with aromatic varieties like jasmine or basmati to add perfumed complexity.
• Granulated Sugar - Plain white sugar has no taste other than “sweet,” meaning the cinnamon, vanilla and rice can truly sing.
• Water - If possible, start with filtered water for the best results. 
• Ground Cinnamon - While any variety will do, I love the softer, sweeter flavor of Mexican cinnamon here. 
• Vanilla Extract - This warming flavor extract adds depth, somehow making it taste even sweeter and yummier.

Substitutions

• Long Grain White Rice - Medium grain white rice, or medium/long grain brown rice also work!
• Granulated Sugar - For more of a caramelly undertone, try swapping in brown sugar or, better yet, grated piloncillo.
• Ground Cinnamon - This warming spice is an essential component of horchata, but you’re welcome to use a stick of cinnamon for each teaspoon of ground if you need! (Note that this will make your horchata syrup clearer, but it will be equally delicious.)
• Vanilla Extract - You can use an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder. Alternatively, try using a 50/50 split of almond extract for a fun twist.

How To Make Starbucks Horchata Syrup

Step 1: Add rice, sugar, water, and cinnamon to a small saucepan. Set over medium heat to bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Step 2: Reduce heat and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes to infuse the syrup.

Step 3: Strain the rice from the horchata syrup using a mesh strainer. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Step 4: Transfer the syrup to a mason jar, syrup bottle, or other storage container to cool, then store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments

• Sugar-Free Syrup - To reduce the carb and calorie load (and to make it diabetic-friendly), swap in your favorite cup-for-cup sweetener.
• Rich Horchata Syrup - Want to increase the shelf life of your simple syrup? Just double the amount of sugar you use and leave the remaining ingredients the same. Sugar is a natural preservative, so this version will keep for 6 months in the fridge or a year in the freezer.

Serving Suggestions

While I mostly use this horchata syrup for coffee drinks like my horchata oat milk iced shaken espresso, it’s no one-trick pony. Here are some other ways to put this Mexican-inspired magic to use:

• Speedy Agua Fresca - Add a drizzle of syrup to your favorite rice milk and serve over ice for a near-instant glass of horchata. My kiddos love this!
• Horchata Shaved Ice - Blitz some ice cubes (or coffee ice cubes?!?) in a high powered blender until light and fluffy. Scoop into a bowl and drizzle with syrup for a fantastic summer treat!
• Horchata Breakfast - Use this syrup to sweeten your favorite breakfasts like my high-protein cinnamon overnight oats or as an alternative to maple syrup on chocolate chip waffles.
• Horchata Cocktails - Try making a rum-spiked horchata (which is excellent with a shot of French press espresso) or a horchata margarita.

Recipe Success Tips

• Waste Not, Want Not - Once the syrup is done infusing, don’t toss the rice! Get more from your groceries and use it to make horchata rice pudding.
• Don’t Rush It - Infused simple syrup is an exercise in patience. It takes a solid 15 minutes of simmering to get all that yummy flavor ready!
• Smart Storage - Anyone with a toddler knows how icky sticky countertops are. Save yourself the headache and store your horchata syrup in a bottle with a pour spout so you can pour as much as you want exactly where you want it. P.S. A good funnel is key.

FAQs

DIY Horchata Syrup Nutrition

As with all simple syrups, this horchata-flavored version is basically just sugar water. As such, each 2 tablespoon serving is 82 calories. All these calories are from carbs—21 to be exact, with 20 coming from sugar. (The other gram comes from the rice starch.) If you are concerned about sugar intake, make the sugar-free version listed above.

That said, this cinnamon-packed syrup does get some crossover benefits from the spice, including anti-inflammatory antioxidants and the potential for improved insulin resistance. But, don’t forget—sugar itself is inflammatory and can affect your insulin, so take this information with a grain of salt. 

All in all, this horchata syrup is an all natural sweetener, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about enjoying it on occasion. Just make sure not to overdo it—use it in moderation, and if possible, pair your drink with a high-fiber snack to keep your blood sugar more level. Then, make healthy, low- or no-added sugar choices for the rest of your day!

Total nutritional content per serving is:

• Calories: 82 calories
• Total Fat: 0 grams
• Protein: 0 grams
• Sodium: 0 mg
• Carbohydrates: 21 grams
• Sugar: 20 grams

*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

Other Coffee Syrup Recipes

xoxo Megan