Tiger Nut Horchata (Nut-Free and Dairy-Free!)

OK, OK, I know a lot of you are wondering why this tiger nut recipe is labeled “nut-free,” but surprise—tiger nuts are not actually nuts, despite the name! They are starchy and fibrous root vegetables that taste like a cross between a nut and a sweet potato (at least that was my thought when I first tried them). They are high in fiber, magnesium, and potassium and are a great alternative for flour and milk if you are doing a gluten-free, dairy-free, or nut-free diet. When I was learning more about them initially, I read that tiger nut milk is the base for a Spanish-style horchata (as opposed to the rice milk version that I’m familiar with) and since I love horchata, I knew I had to try making it and it did not disappoint. I’ll show you how I made my version:Tiger Nut Horchata, serves one

For the tiger nut milk (makes about 3 cups of milk):

1 cup tiger nuts (I use this peeled version)
3 cups water (filtered water is best)

For the horchata:

1 cup tiger nut milk
1 teaspoon maple syrup or simple syrup to taste
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

First, you’ll need to make your tiger nut milk. Ideally, you would take your cup of tiger nuts and soak them in enough water to cover them overnight (or up to 24 hours), but I’ve made it a lot where I put them in hot water (freshly boiled) and let them sit 2-3 hours before blending. That’s a quick way to do it if you didn’t remember the night before.

Once your tiger nuts are soaked, rinse the soaking water and add them to a blender with 3 cups of water. Blend on high for several minutes until creamy looking. Spread a thin cotton tea towel or a nut milk bag over a bowl and pour in your mixture to strain out the milk. Keep squeezing until all the liquid has passed through and you have a relatively dry pulp left over.

Side note: You can make tiger nut flour with the leftover pulp by simply spreading it out on a baking sheet and putting it in your oven on the lowest setting for a few hours (or letting it dry on your counter even), stirring it every so often. Once dry, add it to a food processor or blender and blend until it’s a fine powder. Store in an airtight container and now you can use it for baked goods as a flour replacement!

Once your milk is strained, add 1 cup of your milk to a glass and mix in your maple syrup or simple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Feel free to add a little more or less of whichever you’d like! Stir together and pour into a glass with a cinnamon stick as a garnish. I wouldn’t keep this in the fridge too long, so make the horchata the same day you want to drink it. But I find the regular tiger nut milk lasts 4 days or so in the fridge (although you’ll want to make sure to shake it occasionally and before drinking, as it tends to settle a bit to the bottom). It’s so good! If you don’t feel like a cold drink, you can also heat this up for a delicious vanilla steamer and it’s a lovely way to wake up or wind down on a cold winter day as well. The milk is super creamy and has a distinct subtle sweetness unlike any other milk I’ve tried, so it’s definitely a treat to try if you haven’t already! xo. Laura

5 from 1 vote

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Tiger Nut Horchata

Classic horchata drink made from tiger nuts

Course Drinks

Cuisine spanish

Keyword dairy free, horchata, tiger nut

Prep Time 20 minutes

Soak time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Servings 1 person

Author Laura Gummerman

Ingredients

For the tiger nut milk (makes about 3 cups of milk):

• 1 cup tiger nuts I use this peeled version
• 3 cups water filtered water is best

For the horchata:

• 1 cup tiger nut milk
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or simple syrup to taste
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. First, you’ll need to make your tiger nut milk. Ideally, you would take your cup of tiger nuts and soak them in enough water to cover them overnight (or up to 24 hours), but I’ve made it a lot where I put them in hot water (freshly boiled) and let them sit 2-3 hours before blending. That’s a quick way to do it if you didn’t remember the night before.

2. Once your tiger nuts are soaked, rinse the soaking water and add them to a blender with 3 cups of water. Blend on high for several minutes until creamy looking. Spread a thin cotton tea towel or a nut milk bag over a bowl and pour in your mixture to strain out the milk. Keep squeezing until all the liquid has passed through and you have a relatively dry pulp left over.
   

3. Side note: You can make tiger nut flour with the leftover pulp by simply spreading it out on a baking sheet and putting it in your oven on the lowest setting for a few hours (or letting it dry on your counter even), stirring it every so often. Once dry, add it to a food processor or blender and blend until it’s a fine powder. Store in an airtight container and now you can use it for baked goods as a flour replacement!

4. Once your milk is strained, add 1 cup of your milk to a glass and mix in your maple syrup or simple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Feel free to add a little more or less of whichever you’d like!

5. Stir together and pour into a glass with a cinnamon stick as a garnish. I wouldn’t keep this in the fridge too long, so make the horchata the same day you want to drink it. But I find the regular tiger nut milk lasts 4 days or so in the fridge (although you’ll want to make sure to shake it occasionally and before drinking as it tends to settle a bit to the bottom).

Recipe Notes

You’ll want to make sure to shake the horchata before drinking, as it tends to settle a bit to the bottom.

Credits//Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.