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Craving that sweet, spiced flavor from Starbucks’ new Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso? This Horchata Coffee Syrup is your ticket to recreating those cozy cinnamon-vanilla vibes at home. Made with white rice, cinnamon sticks, and a splash of vanilla, this homemade horchata syrup is naturally dairy-free, vegan, and endlessly versatile. Stir it into cold brew, lattes, or even drizzle it over oatmeal or pancakes for a sweet, spiced flavor you’ll want on everything.
If you’ve seen Starbucks’ 2025 summer drinks lineup, you’ve probably spotted their new Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and just might be looking for a Starbucks copycat horchata syrup so you can make your own at home. After just one sip of the Starbucks version, I knew I had to recreate those cozy horchata vibes at home in a way that’s easy, vegan, and perfect for everyday coffee routines.
This homemade horchata coffee syrup is my answer. It’s inspired by Starbucks’ horchata syrup, but made with whole food ingredients and a nod to traditional horchata flavors, rather than artificial ones. It’s warm, sweet, and spiced, making any cup of coffee (hot or iced!) into something a little magical.
What Is Horchata?
Horchata is a traditional, creamy beverage with roots in Spain and Latin America. The most well-known version in the U.S. is Mexican horchata, made with soaked white rice, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar, sometimes blended with almonds for richness.
In Spain, horchata is typically made with tiger nuts, but the essence is the same: cool, sweet, and refreshing, with a strong cinnamon flavor and just enough creaminess to feel indulgent. This syrup draws on the Mexican version’s flavor profile and transforms it into a delicious, multipurpose syrup you’ll want to use in everything. It’s one of my favorite drinks, and turning it into syrup form is just so tasty – I hope you’ll try it so you’ll love it as much as I do.
Why You’ll Love This Horchata Syrup
- Made with real rice, cinnamon, and vanilla
- Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free
- Naturally inspired by traditional horchata recipes
- Cheaper and cleaner than store-bought or Starbucks
- Easy to customize — make it low sugar, nut-free, or rich and creamy! See the variations section below.
How to make Horchata Coffee Syrup
Start by toasting the rice in a dry pan until fragrant. If using the almonds, you can toast them along with the rice. Mine were already toasted, which is why you don’t see me toasting them with the rice in the photos!
Add in the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and let cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before straining the mixture through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve. Stir in the vanilla extract and transfer to a clean bottle for storage. Keep in the fridge and enjoy!
How to Use Horchata Syrup
This vegan horchata syrup is perfect for:
- Iced lattes & cold brew coffee
- Oatmilk shaken espresso at home
- Chai or matcha lattes
- Drizzled on pancakes, waffles, and oatmeal
- Stirred into plant-based milk for a quick horchata-inspired drink
Tips & Variations
Make it low-sugar:
Use ¾ cup sugar or substitute with allulose, monk fruit, or a maple syrup blend for a lighter option. Allulose won’t thicken the syrup as much but works well if you’re watching sugar or calories.
Nut-free version:
Skip the almonds for a more classic rice-based syrup — still super creamy and flavorful.
Amp up the flavor:
Toast the almonds before adding them for extra depth, or use a splash of almond extract alongside the vanilla if skipping nuts entirely.
Want it creamier?
Blend the mixture before straining to make a thick, almost horchata concentrate you can stir into iced milk or coffee for an ultra-rich finish.
Want more coffee syrup recipes?
How To Make Homemade Apple Syrup
Follow these easy instructions to make delicious apple syrup at home. It’s perfect for mixing into drinks, drizzling on pancakes and waffles, or adding to oatmeal! Made with just 2 simple ingredients (with some options for extra flavor) it’s easy and quick to make on the stovetop in a saucepan.
Homemade Coconut Syrup
This Homemade Coconut Syrup recipe is perfect for flavoring your homemade lattes, iced coffees, and cocktails! It’s easy to make and because it’s made with coconut sugar, it’s refined sugar-free.
Raspberry Syrup Recipe (For Coffee, Cocktails, & More)
This homemade raspberry syrup is a bright, fruity, and naturally sweetened syrup perfect for coffee drinks, sparkling water, mocktails, cocktails, or even brunch classics like waffles and pancakes. It’s made with simple ingredients, refined sugar-free, and ready in just 15 minutes!
Horchata Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar or sweetener of choice; see notes
- ¾ cup uncooked white rice
- 6 cinnamon sticks or 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- Generous pinch of salt
- Optional: ¼ cup raw almonds, soaked overnight and drained
Instructions
- In a medium pan, add the rice (and almonds, if using) and toast for 2 minutes over a medium to low heat. Add in the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and salt.2 ¼ cups water, 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar or sweetener of choice; see notes, ¾ cup uncooked white rice, 6 cinnamon sticks or 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, Optional: ¼ cup raw almonds, Generous pinch of salt
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes to allow the rice, almonds, and cinnamon to infuse and the syrup to thicken a little.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag to be left with a smooth syrup.
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- Let cool completely, then store in a clean bottle or jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Reduce the amount to ¾ cup sugar or substitute with allulose, monk fruit, or a maple syrup blend for a lighter option. Allulose won’t thicken the syrup as much but works well if you’re watching sugar or calories. You can also replace the sugar with another sweetener, like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar. If using a liquid sweetener, reduce the amount of water accordingly.
Phenomenal. Bought a horchata candle yesterday and decided I needed horchata coffee syrup. This is SO good! I chose the option to blend it at the end prior to straining and I probably won’t do that again solely due to the difficulty of straining it, but the flavor is spot on!
Yay I love this so much! A horchata candle sounds so fantastic. Thank you for sharing your review!