Champurrado (Chocolate Atole)

Traditional Chocolate Atole

Champurrado is the chocolate version of atole, a hot Mexican drink that dates back to the Aztecs in pre-Hispanic times. Thickened with masa (dough) or corn flour, this rich chocolate drink is served during Day of the Dead celebrations and Christmas posadas in Mexico. But you can make it any day you like. We’ll teach you how.

What to Expect from This Recipe

This authentic champurrado recipe is made with water, Mexican chocolate, masa or corn flour, cinnamon and piloncillo—a sweet, smoky sugar made from crushed sugar cane. The masa is mixed with water to add thickness to the drink, and all ingredients are then heated on the stove top for a delicious chocolatey drink in less than 30 minutes.

Shopping for Ingredients

Most ingredients in this recipe can be found in your local grocery store or a Mexican grocery. Popular brands of Mexican chocolate include Ibarra and Abuelita, while Maseca is a favorite brand of masa harina. This is the same kind of flour used to make corn tortillas and tamales.

Learn How to Make Champurrado

Ingredients

• 8 cups of water
• 2 ozs. piloncillo or ½ cup of sugar (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 Mexican chocolate tablets (6 ½ ozs.)
• 1 ⅓ cup of masa (or substitute ¾ cups corn flour)

Prepare the Masa Mixture

A mixture of water and masa gives champurrado its thick consistency. If you don’t have masa, you can substitute masa harina (dough flour), or corn flour. Place the masa in a large bowl and cover with 2 cups of warm water.

With a fork, mash the masa and then begin whisking the mixture until the masa is dissolved and the liquid is smooth, not grainy. This should take about 10 minutes by hand.

If you have a blender, you can speed up this step by blending on high speed for about 30 seconds. Much faster!

Pour the masa mixture back in the bowl if using a blender, and reserve.

Heat the Chocolate

Pour six cups of water into a pot and add the piloncillo. If you don’t have piloncillo, you can use sugar or brown sugar instead.

Add the cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low.

Using a whisk or molinillo, a Mexican wooden whisk, stir until the piloncillo has melted—about 10 minutes. If you’re using granulated or brown sugar, it will dissolve faster.

Once the piloncillo has dissolved,  add the chocolate tablets to the pot.

Mix until the chocolate melts.

Next, pour the masa mixture into the pot.

Increase the temperature to high heat and stir constantly for about 5 minutes.

And, your champurrado is ready! This looks perfect, but if you’d like a thicker drink, simply add more masa mixture. Keep in mind that the drink will thicken as it cools.

Serving Champurrado

This decadent chocolate drink is typically served with tamales, but it’s also served as a main breakfast dish in many Mexican homes, as it’s quite filling and satisfying. Ladle into mugs and serve hot alongside pan dulce, pan de muerto, churros or any of your favorite Mexican food.

English – Spanish Recipe Dictionary

• Cinnamon Stick – Palito de Canela
• Corn – Maiz
• Corn Flour – Harina de Maiz
• Chocolate – Chocolate (pronounced choh-koh-lah-teh)
• Dough – Masa
• Dough Flour – Masa Harina
• Molinillo – Whisk
• Sugar – Azucar
• Water – Agua

Why not whip up a batch of champurrado today?

More Mexican Beverages

• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Mexican Kahlua Hot Chocolate
• Horchata with Piloncillo