Spanish-Style Tiger Nut Horchata Recipe

By
Lauren Rothman
Lauren Rothman is a contributing writer with Serious Eats.
Lauren Rothman
Lauren Rothman is a food and drinks writer raised in Brooklyn and based in Oaxaca, Mexico. A former professional chef, she develops recipes in addition to reporting on food.
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Updated Aug. 29, 2018
cup of Spanish horchata
Photograph: Lauren Rothman

You might be familiar with Mexican horchata, but do you know the delicious Spanish version made with tiger nuts? Spanish horchata is thick, creamy and sweet, like an amped-up almond milk.

Note: Tiger nuts can be found at African grocery stores or ordered online.

Recipe Facts

Active: 5 mins
Total: 24 hrs
Serves: 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup tiger nuts, covered with water by 2 inches and soaked for 24 hours at room temperature (see note)

  • 4 cups hot (not boiling) water

  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Ground cinnamon (for serving)

Directions

  1. Line a fine-meshed sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and set it over a deep bowl. Drain tiger nuts and add to blender. Add hot water and blend on high speed until homogenous and almost smooth, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour blended nuts through cheesecloth-lined sieve. Gather ends of cheesecloth together and squeeze out remaining liquid.

  2. Add sugar and salt to horchata and whisk together. Cool completely, then transfer to a bottle or container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Serve horchata over ice, sprinkled with cinnamon.

Special equipment

Blender, cheesecloth

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
169 Calories
10g Fat
20g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 169
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 137mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 114mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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