Agua de avena is one of those drinks that’s creamy without being heavy, lightly sweet with just a touch of cinnamon, and honestly so easy to make that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it sooner.
Some people call it horchata de avena (oat horchata), but whatever name you prefer, it’s basically the perfect agua fresca to have chilling in your fridge.
The flavor is cozy from the cinnamon, but still super refreshing. Think of it like the lighter, more laid-back cousin of the classic Mexican horchata made with rice.
And the best part? You don’t need fancy equipment or special skills. I’m sharing a quick video too, so you can see exactly how it comes together. It’s truly as simple as it looks.
Ingredients
- Oats: Use rolled or old-fashioned oats, soak at least 30 minutes (overnight is even better).
- Cinnamon: A stick works best, but 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon also do the trick.
- Vanilla: Adds a lovely, fragrant touch.
- Brown sugar: Or swap for your favorite sweetener.
- Water: About 10 cups total, including the soaking water.
As you see, you don’t need too many ingredients to make this easy and delicious agua de avena, now, let’s check out how to prepare it!
Easy Agua de Avena Recipe
Grab a bowl, toss in your oats, and pour in 2 cups of water. Plop the cinnamon stick in there too.
Give it a little mix, it’s like the oats are taking a bath with cinnamon.
Let them relax for at least 30 minutes, or if you have more time, let them hang out overnight in the fridge. (They’ll get super soft and blend really nicely!)
When they’re ready, pour the oats, their soaking water, and the cinnamon stick right into the blender. Blend until it looks smooth and creamy, like on the photo below.
Now strain the mixture into a big pitcher. (Think of it like giving the oats a haircut, you’re keeping the smooth, delicious part and tossing the leftover bits.)
Add in the vanilla extract and the brown sugar. Stir, stir, stir until the sugar disappears.
Pour in the remaining 8 cups of water and mix again. Taste it, if you want it sweeter, add a little more sugar.
To serve, fill your glass with ice, pour in the agua de avena, and sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top.
Take a sip. It’s creamy, refreshing, and tastes like a cozy hug from cinnamon.
My Tips & Notes
- Always use room temperature water because cold water makes sugar grumpy and hard to dissolve.
- Sweetness is totally up to you! Add more sugar if you like it dessert-sweet, or less if you’re in the mood for something lighter.
- Don’t toss ice cubes into the whole pitcher unless you’re serving it right away, they’ll melt and water down all that cinnamon-y goodness.
- Play around with sweeteners! White sugar, honey, stevia, monk fruit… whatever makes you happy works here.
- Or you can make it sugar-free and it will still taste delicious thanks to cinnamon and vanilla.
- For a creamier twist, swap 2 cups of water for almond milk or coconut milk. It turns into the dreamiest, velvety version of this avena horchata drink.
How to Store Agua de Avena
This creamy drink will stay fresh in the fridge for about 3 days. Just pop it into a big container with a lid so it doesn’t pick up random fridge smells (nobody wants cinnamon oat water that tastes like last night’s leftovers!).
Another trick: you can make a little “oat concentrate”. Just blend the soaked oats with cinnamon and some water like in the recipe, then freeze that mixture in a container for up to 3 months.
When you’re craving it, just thaw, add water and sweetener, and you’re good to go!
Similar Recipes
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Video
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Agua de Avena
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 10 cups water (room temperature)
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup brown sugar (or more, to taste)
For serving
- ice
- cinnamon powder
Instructions
- Place old fashioned oats in a bowl and pour 2 cups of water.
- Add the cinnamon stick and mix well.
- Leave it to soak for 30 minutes or even better, overnight.
- Transfer oats, soaking water, and cinnamon stick to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Strain the oats mixture into a large pitcher.
- Add vanilla extract and brown sugar, then mix well to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the remaining 8 cups of water to the pitcher and mix.
- Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking.
- Serve in glasses with crushed ice and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon powder on top.
Notes
- Oats are a superfood packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals besides being naturally gluten-free, so perfect for people with specific dietary needs.
- Replace 2 cups of water with 2 cups of almond or coconut milk for a creamier version.
- This oat drink keeps nicely in the fridge for up to 3 days, just make sure to store it in a large container with a tight lid to prevent it from absorbing other smells.
The sugar pictured here isn’t traditional brown sugar (like you use in cookies). Is this cane sugar pictured? What type of “brown sugar” do you actually use?
That’s the brown sugar I can find where I live (Italy).
Loved, so refreshing and easy to make.