This Champurrado recipe is made with Mexican chocolate, masa harina, milk, water, cinnamon, and vanilla. Thick and creamy, this cozy drink is best enjoyed on a cold winter night during the holiday season.
This Champurrado recipe is warm and comforting, and sure to fill you up this winter season! Just like Mexican atole, champurrado is made with masa harina but has the fun addition of Mexican chocolate.
This chocolate-based atole is prepared with milk, Mexican chocolate, and cinnamon. Sweetened with a little piloncillo and vanilla extract, every sip is creamy, thick, and satisfying and will warm you up from the inside out!
Enjoy a mug of champurrado with some Mexican buñuelos for a festive dessert or some chicken tamales for a filling meal!
What is Champurrado?
Champurrado is a warm Mexican drink made by heating milk, Mexican chocolate, piloncillo, and Mexican cinnamon together. It’s then thickened with a mixture of water and masa harina. When it’s ready, champurrado is smooth, thick, chocolatey, and creamy!
It’s a seasonal drink you can enjoy on a chilly evening, for breakfast, or around the holidays. Because of its thick texture, champurrado is filling, satisfying, and can be used as a nutritious meal replacement.
What’s the Difference between Atole and Champurrado?
Champurrado is a type of atole that’s made with Mexican chocolate, whereas the basic atole recipe does not include chocolate.
Both atole and champurrado recipes are made with masa harina, piloncillo, vanilla extract, cinnamon, milk and water.
Champurrado Ingredients
- Milk: I like using whole milk for the thickest and creamiest texture and flavor. You can use 2% or even almond milk if you prefer.
- Piloncillo: This whole cane sugar has an earthy and caramel-like taste and is a staple in Mexican baking. (Learn more about piloncillo.)
- Mexican chocolate: Mexican chocolate is a paste made from cacao nibs, sugar, and cinnamon. It has a rougher texture than milk chocolate and is usually not intended to be eaten on its own. My favorite brand is Abuelita, which you can usually find in grocery stores or ethnic markets. (Learn more about Mexican chocolate.)
- Masa harina: This Mexican staple is a necessary ingredient when making corn tortillas and is the masa used for tamales. It is made from dried maize corn and you can usually find masa harina in large grocery stores or your local Hispanic store.
- Warm water: This is mixed with the masa harina to thicken the champurrado.
- Cinnamon stick, vanilla extract, and salt: For flavor!
How to Make Champurrado
- Heat the milk and chocolate mixture: Add the milk, piloncillo, Mexican chocolate, and cinnamon stick to a medium saucepan. Heat on the stove until the piloncillo and chocolate has dissolved. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
- Combine the water and masa harina: Whisk together warm water and masa harina until it’s a smooth mixture. Then add the masa harina mixture, vanilla extract, and salt to the saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Heat it up and serve: Bring it up to a simmer, then lower the heat. Cook and whisk until the champurrado is thick, creamy, and smooth. Pour a large mug full of the finished champurrado and top it with a touch of cinnamon!
Tips and Substitutions
- Don’t have piloncillo? You can use 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar instead.
- Can’t find Mexican chocolate? Look for it in the Hispanic food aisle at your local grocery store or go to a specialty Hispanic grocery store. If you still can’t find it, you can get it online.
- Is your champurrado grainy? Put in some elbow grease and keep whisking! Whisk vigorously throughout the whole cooking process to get the smoothest champurrado possible. This mimics the traditional Mexican molinillo tool that’s used to froth atoles. You’ll want it velvety smooth for the best texture. You could also use an immersion blender to make this process super easy.
- Want to make it dairy-free? Use almond milk instead of dairy milk.
- To make this completely vegan, use a vegan Mexican chocolate brand like Taza or Ibarra.
Storing and Reheating
To store, keep the finished and cooled champurrado in the fridge for up to 4 days. The longer it sits, the thicker it will become.
To reheat, mix in a little more water or milk into the drink first. Give it a good stir, then heat it up in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More Mexican Recipes
Champurrado Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk
- 2 ounces piloncillo, plus more to taste
- 2 (3-ounce) discs Mexican chocolate (I used Abuelita brand)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- ½ cup masa harina
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Add milk, piloncillo, Mexican chocolate, and cinnamon stick to a medium saucepan or pot. Heat over low-medium heat until the piloncillo and chocolate have completely dissolved. Stir frequently to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, using a strainer if it has broken into pieces.
- In a small bowl, add warm water and masa harina. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the masa harina mixture, vanilla extract, and salt to the saucepan. Whisk to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook, whisking frequently, for 25-30 minutes until thick, creamy, velvety, and smooth. The champurrado should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Serve and garnish with a touch of ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick.
Notes
- Milk: Using whole milk is best since it provides a thicker and creamier texture and flavor, but you can use 2% if you prefer. You can also use almond milk to make it dairy free.
- Don’t have piloncillo? You can use 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar instead.
- Don’t forget to whisk! Make sure to whisk vigorously throughout the whole process to help get the drink as smooth and velvety smooth as possible. The champurrado should be completely smooth and not grainy. If it’s still a little grainy, continue whisking until it becomes smooth. You could also use an immersion blender if you have one.
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