Champurrado is a rich Mexican hot chocolate thickened with masa, sweetened with piloncillo (or brown sugar) and spiced with cinnamon. It is considered a chocolate atole and is a traditional drink enjoyed around the Mexican winter holidays, specifically Day of the Dead and Christmas.
The nice thing about atoles and champurrado is you can make them using less processed ingredients, and you can sweeten them to your own preference. The creamy richness of the Mexican chocolate doesn’t really require much additional sugar.
Jump to: RECIPE | Champurrado vs Atole | Ingredients & Substitutions | How to Serve
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Champurrado or Atole?
A Mexican atole is a warm drink made with masa harina (the corn flour used to make tortillas. It goes way back to traditions from the Aztecs and Mayans, and has been a popular breakfast and cold-weather drink in Mexico for hundreds of years.
Champurrado is basically a chocolate version of a Mexican atole, and is most often enjoyed during the winter holiday season. It is often referred to in the U.S. as Mexican hot chocolate.
In addition to chocolate atole (champurrado), there are many different versions of atoles, from fruit flavors like blackberry and pineapple, to nut flavors, to spicy chile flavors.
Ingredients & Substitutions
The following photo shows you all the ingredients you will need for this recipe. For details on measurements, see the recipe below.
Substitutions
Corn flour: The masa you want to use for atoles is a finely ground corn flour, known as masa harina. Masa harina is a flour made from nixtamalized corn that rehydrates instantly in water. Maseca is a common brand found in most grocery stores now. Do not use corn starch! It will not taste good and the texture will be awful.
Sugar: Atoles are traditionally sweetened with piloncillo, a caramelized cane sugar molded into a cone shape. If you don’t have a Mexican market nearby you can use dark brown sugar.
Chocolate: Mexican chocolate come in round discs and is made with cacao, sugar and cinnamon. It has a grainier texture than other types of chocolate, often referred to as a “rustic” texture. Ibarra or Abeulita are common brands of Mexican chocolate
If you cannot find Mexican chocolate you can use an equal amount of semisweet chocolate and add 1/2 teaspoon ground. You could also add one drop of almond extract for every ounce of chocolate.
Liquid: Whole milk makes the richest version of champurrado, but you can mix milk and water to cut some of the richness. For vegan cooks, almond milk can be used.
Spice: Spicy chile peppers are not traditionally added to champurrado, but I love the addition of something spicy paired with the creamy chocolate and the warm cinnamon. I used ground arbol peppers, which are fairly spicy, but flavor it to your own preference
How to Serve
Champurrado is always served hot and is most often enjoyed around the winter holidays. Typically it is served with tamales, but it is also enjoyed as a main breakfast dish, as it is so filling.
Once it cools down it will become thick like a pudding and will have a skin on top. It’s easy to remedy this however. Just heat it up on the stovetop with a little added liquid (water or milk) and use a whisk to stir it up.
In Mexico, it is common to froth the drink a little with a wooden whisk known as a molinillo. If you don’t have one of these, just stir it vigorously with a wire whisk.
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Champurrado (Chocolate Atole): Healthy Mexican Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- mallet optional (can use a heavy jar instead)
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 2 whole star anise
- 2 whole allspice berries
- 2 whole cloves
- ¼ cup brown sugar (or piloncillo) piloncillo if you can find it
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 discs Mexican chocolate Abuelita or Ibarra
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cups masa harina Maseca brand if available
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Fill a pot with 4 cups water and add the star anise, allspice and cloves. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot turn off the heat and let the spices infuse into the water for 10-15 minutes.While the spices are infusing, pound the chocolate discs into smaller pieces with a mallet or heavy jar so they will dissolve quicker.2 whole star anise, 2 whole allspice berries, 2 whole cloves, 4 cups water
- Remove the whole spices with a mesh spoon or strainer and turn the water back up to medium. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla and chocolate and stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted.When chocolate is dissolved, add the milk and vanilla and return mixture to a simmer.At this point you can add a little powdered hot pepper if desired. It is not traditional, but it is tasty.1/4 cup brown sugar (or piloncillo), 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 discs Mexican chocolate, 4 cups whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- While the pot is simmering over low heat, add the masa and 2 cups of cold water to a blender and blend until very smooth.Reduce the heat of the chocolate mixture to medium low and slowly pour in the masa, stirring with a wire whisk continuously to avoid lumps.Simmer the mixture over low heat 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. If it is thicker than you like, add more water. If it is too thin, add more masa. Just know that it will thicken more after cooling.3/4 cups masa harina, 2 cups water
- Ladle champurrado into cups and serve hot. Garnish with shaved chocolate or a chile pepper or a cinnamon stick if desired.To reheat, add some milk or water and heat up on the stovetop or in the microwave. Whisk somewhat vigorously to get rid of any lumps, as the champurrado thickens to a pudding texture upon cooling.
Dorothy Stainbrook says: 
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