Vegan Horchata (Horchata de Chufa)
Horchata de Chufa is a creamy, sweet, refreshing drink native to Valencia, made from earthy, naturally sweet tiger nuts, water, and a touch of cinnamon. This traditional version is naturally vegan — no dairy, eggs, or animal products are ever used — delivering a smooth, milky texture, delicate nutty flavour, and warm spice. It is perfect served ice‑cold on hot days, and pairs beautifully with fartons or pastries.
Shared by lorenz
Time
10 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- #Main Ingredients;
- 200 g dried tiger nuts (chufa) – look for clean, unpeeled quality
- 1 litre cold filtered water
- 100–120 g caster sugar or coconut sugar (adjust to taste; tiger nuts have natural sweetness)
- 1 large cinnamon stick,, 1 tsp ground cinnamon (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional),, A pinch of salt (enhances sweetness)
- #Optional;
- A strip of fresh lemon zest (no white pith)
- Extra ice cubes for serving
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Soak: Rinse tiger nuts thoroughly under cold water. Place in a bowl, cover generously with cold water, and soak for 8–12 hours (or overnight) — they will swell and soften. Drain and rinse well again.
- 2
Blend: Put soaked tiger nuts, cinnamon stick, lemon zest (if using), and half the fresh water into a high‑speed blender. Blend on high for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth and milky.
- 3
Strain: Pour the mixture through a fine‑mesh sieve or nut milk bag into a large jug, squeezing firmly to extract all the liquid. Discard the dry pulp.
- 4
Sweeten: Stir in the remaining water, sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt. Mix until sugar dissolves completely. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
- 5
Chill & Serve: Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until very cold. Stir well before pouring over ice, dust with ground cinnamon, and enjoy cold.