This Champurrado Recipe uses four ingredients: corn flour, water, chocolate and sugar.
This recipe is for the classic water-based Champurrado, but you can also make it using milk, and add some cloves or orange peel for extra flavor. Whichever way this popular drink is prepared, I'm sure you'll enjoy sharing it with your loved ones this holiday season.
I am currently doing Mexican cooking school at the Escuela de Gastronomia Mexicana in Mexico City. They taught us all about Mexican agriculture and what they used at the time to make these delicious recipes. Cacao was a delicacy back then.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Iced Chai Latte and my Pumpkin Spice Latte. Or, try it with our Rice Krispie Chocolate Squares.
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What is Mexican champurrano?
Champurrado is a typical Mexican atole preparation, made from crushed corn dough, dark chocolate and water with chocolate, boiled until thick. It is usually served with another typical Mexican dish, tamales. This recipe is a derivative of atole, an Aztec drink of pre-Hispanic origin, consumed in Mexico and some Central American countries and consumed in different flavors, consisting of a mixture of corn and water served hot and used as a sacred drink in some rituals and ceremonies.
What is the difference between atole and champurrano?
You actually need to make atole to make champurrano for this recipe. In Mexico, atole is a base for many foods. Lucky for us, atole, which is a mixture of corn flour and water, is also used to make champurrado. Did you know that cacao in Mesoamerican Spanish actually means bitter? If you try cacao by itself, it is extremely bitter. It isn't until you add sugar that you make something amazing called chocolate. Champurrano is sort of a Mexican hot chocolate, using atole as its base.
Why you will love this recipe
Full of flavor: Creating atole from scratch and using Mexican chocolate and sugar will give this drink so much flavor.
Kid Friendly: I grew up drinking this during the winter months in Mexico. This is as authentic as it can get.
Great for cold weather: I loved drinking this in the winter months when it is cold outside.
Serves a crowd: It is easy to make a huge batch of this to give out in your next dinner party.
Champurrado Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Masa
- Water
- Mexican chocolate
- Sugar
See recipe card for quantities for this Champurrado Authentic Recipe.
How to make Champurrado
Bring about 6 cups of water to boil in a large pot.
Separately make atole blanco. To do this you need a bowl. Add the flour and about two cups of water, and mix with your hands until most of the flour has completely dissolved.
When the water starts boiling, put a strainer above pot and pour the flour mixture through the bowl into the pot of boiling water.
Mix and boil for 5 minutes, frequently stirring. Add the chocolate and sugar.
Keep mixing until the chocolate and sugar has completely disolved. Enjoy.
Substitutions
Corn flour: This is traditionally used with fresh corn flour. In the US, it is difficult to get corn flour. You can buy Maseca, which will work perfectly.
Chocolate: I used Mexican chocolate for this, because it is more bitter and will work better. You can use chocolate chips as well. Try to use dark chocolate or something more on the bitter side, since we will be adding sugar.
Sugar: I used granulated sugar for this although you can use brown sugar or cane sugar.
Champurrado Recipe Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - feel free to add some whole peppers in and remove it. It will add a little spicy kick.
- Deluxe - add a cinnamon stick and cloves in with the boiling water. Remove before drinking.
- Kid friendly - I grew up drinking this and I am sure your kids will love it too.
Try this Champurrado recipe with my Homemade Mexican Buñuelos.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality.
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
This Champurrado Authentic Recipe ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Keep stirring until the chocolate and sugar has completely dissolved, and the mixture becomes thick.
Authentic Champurrado Recipe
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
Description
This authentic Champurrado recipe uses four ingredients: corn flour, water, chocolate and sugar.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dried corn flour, or 2 cups fresh corn flour
- 2 tablets mexican chocolate (250 grams)
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- Bring about 6 cups of water to boil in a large pot.
- Separately make atole blanco. To do this you need a bowl. Add the flour and about two cups of water, and mix with your hands until most of the flour has completely dissolved. When the water starts boiling, put a strainer above pot and pour the flour mixture through the bowl into the pot of boiling water. Mix and boil for 5 minutes, frequently stirring.
- Add the chocolate and sugar. Keep mixing until the chocolate and sugar has completely disolved. Enjoy.
- Prep Time: 10 minuts
- Cook Time: 10 minuts
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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