Mexican Champurrado Recipe
Published April 26, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious Mexican Champurrado Recipe is a thick Mexican hot chocolate drink made with masa, piloncillo, and cinnamon for the perfect cold-weather drink. You will never want a regular hot chocolate again after you try this.
I’m a massive fan of Mexican food. From the bold, robust flavors to the rich history of their classical recipes, check out my Birria Quesa Tacos or my Chilaquiles if you are in the same boat.
Champurrado
Champurrado is a winter-time creamy chocolatey drink thickened with masa harina and cooked over low heat with cinnamon, piloncillo, and Mexican chocolate. This authentic hot drink would be known as atole, another name for a thick hot beverage in Mexico.
While this drink is classically made with water, I believe the addition of milk helps add richness to the drink and makes it much more flavorful. You can also add vanilla, orange peel, or cloves to enhance the taste.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Water – You will need plain tap water.
- Milk – I prefer to use whole milk. However, you can use 1%, 2%, or even skim milk.
- Cinnamon – A few cinnamon sticks will add wonderful flavors to the champurrado.
- Piloncillo is unrefined sugar in the shape of a cone and can be purchased at any local Latin grocery store. Light brown sugar is an excellent substitute if you cannot find this.
- Vanilla – I like the addition of vanilla extract to the drink.
- Masa – You will need some fine ground masa harina used to thicken the drink.
- Chocolate – Use Mexican Abuelita chocolate discs which can be found at just about any grocery store.
How to Make a Champurrado
- Add the milk and cinnamon sticks to a medium-size pot and heat over high and bring to a boil.
- Blend the masa and water together until smooth and combined.
- Strain the masa-water mixture into the pot with the milk and cinnamon to remove any lumps.
- Whisk the mixture and heat until boiling and thick.
- Reduce the heat and add in the chocolate, piloncillo, and vanilla while occasionally stirring until it is mixed in and combined.
- Strain the mixture one more time through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer and serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 30 minutes ahead of time. Keep it warm in a pot over low heat until it’s ready to be served.
How to Store: Cover and keep this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will not freeze well.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of the champurrado drink to a medium-sized pot and heat over low heat while whisking until hot. You may need to add a ½ to 1 cup of milk or water to slightly thin it out.
Chef Notes + Tips
Abuelita is Mexican chocolate consisting of dark cocoa, sugar, and cinnamon that is formed into 3.1-ounce round discs.
More Mexican Recipes
Video
Mexican Champurrado Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ cup masa harina
- 3 cups water
- 2 Mexican chocolate tablets, 6.2 ounces
- 1 8- ounce piloncillo cone or 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the milk and cinnamon sticks to a medium-size pot and heat over high and bring to a boil.
- In the meantime, blend the masa and water together until smooth and combined.
- Strain the masa-water mixture into the pot with the milk and cinnamon to remove any lumps.
- Whisk the mixture and heat until boiling and thick.
- Reduce the heat and add in the chocolate, piloncillo, and vanilla while occasionally stirring until it is mixed in and combined.
- Strain the mixture one more time through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer and serve.
Love it!
Many thanks!
Love hot chocolate all year long with some coffee added to it. This recipe was outstanding w an added touch of coffee. It is well worth the time to make if you love hot chocolate!
Another awesome Chef Billy Parisi recipe!
I had a friend in elementary school whose mom was from Mexico, and made us champurrado. I didn’t know its name at the time, but I loved it. For 20 or so years I had tried to remember exactly what she put in that drink. I finally found a champurrado recipe a few years ago and made it a few times.
Not wanting to hunt for my written recipe tonight, I looked online and found that my favorite chef even has a recipe for this!
I just made it and it’s delicious!!!
😁😋have choc oh holicks in this family thank you Chef Billy boys will devour this 😁😋👋
Love love love this champurrado, easy to make and very delish. I don’t use chocolate abuelita, instead I use chocolate Popular which is also a Mexican chocolate-not to sweet.
We love this drink at my house. My mother is Mexican and I grew up drinking it. My mom always toasted the masa in the oven until it got a little brown and then put it all together. That step really makes a difference in the taste. Try it like that once with the masa toasted for a little bit in the oven. Great drink Billy, especially on cold days or while we are making Tamales….
so good!!