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Horchata de Cempasúchil

This stunning Día de Muertos horchata infuses traditional rice-based horchata with food-grade cempasúchil petals and Mexican cinnamon for a floral, creamy, golden drink that’s as meaningful as it is beautiful. Blended with evaporated and condensed milk until creamy and velvety, it’s the perfect way to honor the season with something homemade and super special.
Prep Time20 minutes
Soaking time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 20 minutes
Course: Beverage, Drinks, holiday
Cuisine: Latin American, latin-inspired, Mexican
Keyword: beverages, cempasuchil, dia de los muertos, drinks, easy, easy recipes, holiday, Horchata, marigold
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Horchata:

  • 2 cups long grain white rice rinsed
  • 1½ cups fresh or dried food-grade cempasúchil petals properly cleaned
  • 3 Mexican cinnamon sticks
  • 5 cups warm water for soaking
  • 1 can 12 oz evaporated milk
  • 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • ¼ cup sugar or agave or to taste
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 –3 cups cold water for adjusting consistency

For Serving:

  • Ice
  • Extra cempasúchil petals for garnish

Instructions

  • Combine the rinsed rice, cempasúchil petals, and cinnamon sticks in a large bowl. Pour the warm water over the top and stir to combine. Cover and let soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.
  • Transfer the soaked rice, cinnamon sticks and cempasúchil petals along with all the soaking water to a blender and blend on high for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth. Add the evaporated milk, condensed milk, sugar and vanilla extract and blend for another 30 seconds until completely combined.
  • Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large pitcher pressing firmly on the solids to extract every last drop. Discard the solids. Add the cold water 1 cup at a time and stir until you reach your preferred consistency and sweetness level. Taste and adjust.
  • Refrigerate until completely cold before serving, at least 1 hour. Stir well before pouring. Serve over ice garnished with a few fresh cempasúchil petals.

Notes

  • Look for fresh cempasúchil at Latin markets during October specifically for Día de los Muertos. Always confirm they are untreated and food-safe before using. If you cannot confirm the flowers are food-grade, dried cempasúchil petals sold specifically for culinary use are an equally beautiful and completely safe substitute and are widely available online and at some Latin markets year-round.
  • Cleaning fresh cempasúchil petals thoroughly before soaking is completely non-negotiable. Always use petals from flowers that have not been treated with pesticides or chemicals. Never use flowers from a florist or nursery.
  • Pulling only the fresh petals away from the green base is important, the green parts are bitter and will make the horchata taste unpleasant if included.
  • Soaking overnight gives the most deeply developed flavor and the most vivid golden color. 4 hours is the minimum but overnight makes a very noticeable difference.
  • Straining thoroughly gives you a significantly smoother and more silky final texture. Pressing firmly on the solids extracts the most concentrated flavor and color.
  • This horchata settles quickly so always stir or shake well before pouring each glass.