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Horchata Coffee: Iced Recipe, Calories and Caffeine

Horchata coffee combines chilled rice-and-cinnamon horchata with espresso over ice. The prepared horchata supplies sweetness and a soft, spiced base, while espresso adds a roasted contrast.

By Mara EllisonReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished 5 min read
Dark espresso swirling through a pale drink and ice in a clear glass, with cinnamon beside it
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Drink Snapshot

Caffeine
About 75 mg referenceGeneric USDA espresso, 36 gCoffee and extraction affect caffeine.
Calories
Estimated 130 kcalNamed rice drink and espresso referenceUses DREAM Ricemilk Horchata Traditional. Homemade horchata and other cartons can differ substantially.
Serving, sugar and sources
Serving
180 ml (6.1 US fl oz) prepared rice horchata + 36 g espresso + 100 g (3.5 oz) ice; no additional milk or sugar
Made with
Prepared rice-and-cinnamon horchata and espresso
Sugar
Estimated 17.3 g total. From the sweetened horchata in this example. No extra sugar is added during assembly.
Preparation
About 5 minutes with chilled horchata and espresso equipment ready

Ingredient calculation using the DREAM label and USDA espresso reference, checked 26 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.

Key Takeaways
  • Taste the prepared horchata before adding sweetener; its sweetness and spice do much of the work in this drink.
  • Choose rice-and-cinnamon horchata for this recipe, then adjust the coffee to keep that flavor recognizable.
  • Stir the prepared horchata before measuring so each serving has the same rice-and-spice balance.
On This Page9 Sections

Iced Horchata Coffee Recipe

Makes one drink in a 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz) glass. The glass size leaves room for ice and stirring; it is not the measured liquid yield. Have the horchata cold and the espresso machine ready before starting.

Recipe

Iced Horchata Coffee

Makes:
1 drink
Time:
5 minutes; chilled horchata and espresso machine ready

Ingredients

  • 180 ml (6.1 US fl oz) chilled prepared rice horchata; reference: DREAM Ricemilk Horchata Traditional
  • 18 g coffee beans, ground for espresso, to yield 36 g prepared espresso
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) ice cubes

Equipment

  • Espresso machine
  • Tamper
  • Grinder
  • Scale
  • Liquid measure
  • Small heatproof espresso cup
  • Spoon
  • 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz) heatproof glass

Method

  1. Stir the chilled horchata, then measure 180 ml (6.1 US fl oz). Put 100 g (3.5 oz) ice in a 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz) heatproof glass and add the horchata.
  2. Using an espresso machine ready to brew, extract 36 g espresso from 18 g ground coffee into a small cup.
  3. Pour the espresso over the horchata and ice. Stir gently and serve promptly.

Estimated nutrition: 130 kcal · 17.3 g total sugar. Per drink, using DREAM Ricemilk Horchata Traditional.

The espresso brewing guide explains grinding and extraction. Here, 18 g is the dry coffee dose; 36 g is the collected espresso.

Prepared rice horchata stirred and combined with ice, then finished with espresso and mixed to an even color.
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Stir the prepared horchata before measuring, then mix it with espresso over ice.

Which Horchata Should You Use?

Choose a prepared rice-and-cinnamon horchata for this version. Read the ingredient list before adding coffee: some bases include dairy, almonds or extra flavorings. Plain rice milk with no cinnamon or sweetener will make a different drink.

The nutrition example uses DREAM Ricemilk Horchata Traditional, a ready-to-drink rice beverage with cane sugar, cinnamon and vanilla flavor. If using a powder or concentrate, prepare it according to its own directions before measuring the 180 ml (6.1 US fl oz) portion.

Goya's Mexican-style version uses rice, almonds and cinnamon, with the blended solids strained out. In Valencia, horchata is made from chufas, or tiger nuts. A tiger-nut drink can also be combined with coffee, but its flavor and nutrition are not interchangeable with this rice-based example.

Can You Use Homemade Horchata?

Yes. Prepare and chill a complete horchata recipe first, then measure the finished drink. The linked Goya recipe is one documented option; it contains almonds. Its soaking and chilling happen before this coffee recipe begins.

Do not calculate a strained homemade drink by assuming that every gram of dry rice and almond ends up in the glass. Some material is discarded.

What Does Horchata Coffee Taste Like?

Made with DREAM rice horchata, this coffee starts sweet, cold and lightly creamy, with cinnamon and vanilla in the aroma. Espresso adds a roasted, slightly bitter counterpoint, so the finish has more coffee bite than a plain glass of horchata. A cocoa-led espresso sits comfortably with the cinnamon; a very dark roast can make the contrast sharper.

Strained homemade horchata can retain a little grainy texture, while a prepared bottled base may feel more even. Stirring the espresso through the chilled horchata gives the whole glass the same coffee-and-spice flavor. I prefer adjusting the espresso before adding more milk, because I want coffee bitterness to stand against the sweet rice-and-cinnamon base.

Horchata Coffee Calories, Sugar and Caffeine

This defined serving has an estimated 130 kcal, 17.3 g total sugar and 75 mg reference caffeine. The horchata supplies the sweetness, while the espresso supplies the caffeine. Its named DREAM label counts all the sugar as added sugar, so the horchata portion supplies 17.3 g added sugar even though this recipe adds no extra syrup.

Nutrition for the named horchata coffee servingScrollable table
Nutrition for the named horchata coffee serving
ComponentEstimated caloriesEstimated total sugarCaffeine reference
180 ml (6.1 US fl oz) DREAM horchata128 kcal17.3 g0 mg
36 g prepared espresso3 kcal0 g75 mg
Whole drink130 kcal17.3 g75 mg
Serving assumptions and calculation

The DREAM label gives 170 kcal and 23 g total sugar per 240 ml. Multiplying by 180 ÷ 240 gives 127.5 kcal and 17.25 g sugar. The ingredient list has no coffee, tea or cocoa.

USDA prepared espresso, NDB 14210, gives 9 kcal and 212 mg caffeine per 100 g. For 36 g, that is 3.24 kcal and 76.32 mg caffeine. The combined energy estimate is 130.74 kcal. Headline values are rounded; they are not measured results for a particular espresso extraction.

This calculation counts the whole serving and excludes additional milk, syrup or garnish.

What Changes When You Use Less Horchata?

Holding the same 36 g espresso fixed makes the rice-drink portion the main change in calories and sugar:

Changing the named horchata portion with the same espressoScrollable table
Changing the named horchata portion with the same espresso
Horchata portionEstimated whole-drink caloriesEstimated total sugar
120 ml (4.1 US fl oz)90 kcal11.5 g
180 ml (6.1 US fl oz): this recipe130 kcal17.3 g
240 ml (8.1 US fl oz)175 kcal23 g

Using 60 ml (2 US fl oz) less of this horchata removes an estimated 43 kcal and 5.8 g sugar while keeping the coffee dose unchanged. It also makes a smaller, more coffee-forward drink. The figures use the named horchata label.

How to Make Smooth Horchata Coffee

How to Make Smooth Horchata CoffeeScrollable table
How to Make Smooth Horchata Coffee
ProblemLikely preparation issuePractical adjustment
First glass tastes different from the lastRice or cinnamon sediment has settledStir the prepared base before each measurement
Drink is grittyHomemade base was not strained finely enoughImprove the straining before adding espresso; stirring cannot remove coarse particles
Coffee disappears under sweetnessLarge or very sweet horchata portionTry 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) of the same base with the same espresso before adding another shot
Drink becomes watery quicklyWarm horchata or a large volume of hot coffeeChill the base first and keep the hot coffee portion small

Stirring redistributes fine sediment in a prepared rice drink; strain a homemade base more finely if large particles remain. The coffee swirls will mix together naturally.

Horchata Coffee vs. Other Coffee Drinks

Espresso gives this version a small, concentrated coffee addition. Without an espresso machine, start with 36 g (1.3 oz) prepared moka-pot coffee with 180 ml (6.1 US fl oz) chilled horchata and 100 g (3.5 oz) ice in a 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz) glass. Brew the pot normally before measuring the coffee, then adjust the horchata to taste. The espresso caffeine reference does not apply to this variation.

For an instant-coffee approach, Starbucks at Home publishes an instant coffee horchata recipe. It uses rice and milk and needs advance chilling.

An iced latte uses espresso and milk; this version uses prepared horchata as the main liquid. A cinnamon latte shares a spice flavor but does not require rice horchata. Café de olla is another distinct coffee preparation, not another name for this drink.

Common Questions

Does horchata coffee contain dairy?
This named rice-drink version adds no dairy milk. Other horchata recipes use milk or condensed milk, and some include almonds. Check the actual base and any café additions.
Is ordinary horchata caffeinated?
A plain rice, cinnamon and sugar horchata has no coffee-derived caffeine. This coffee version adds espresso; tea, cocoa or flavored mixes would need their own checks.
Can I make it hot?
Use 180 ml (6.1 US fl oz) horchata suitable for heating, warm it gently according to its product guidance, and combine it with 36 g espresso without ice.
Is horchata coffee sugar-free without extra syrup?
No. The chosen horchata is already sweetened. The serving’s estimated total sugar is 17.3 g.
Can I make it ahead?
Keep the prepared horchata refrigerated according to its label or recipe. Assemble with coffee and ice when ready to drink so dilution does not build up while it waits.

For bases that require refrigeration, the FDA recommends 4°C/40°F or below. Follow the product's storage and use-after-opening directions rather than assigning all horchatas the same shelf life.

Editor's Take

Sources and Further Reading

View 7 references