Mexican Hot Chocolate & Champurrado

I never heard of Champurrado growing up, as far as I knew the only thing we had was just plain Mexican hot chocolate, sometimes spiced with a bit of cinnamon. And it was always always served on Christmas Eve, steaming hot from the stove with piles of sweet buñuelos.

Champurrado is basically Mexican hot chocolate that is thickened with masa, but it is still plenty thin enough to pour and sip. It's so satisfying and will fill you up in a jiffy- great for cold mornings when you need something soothing.

Even though I hadn't heard of Champurrado as a kid I know its something my family has made. Just this past weekend my mom and I were talking a little about Christmas traditions and hot chocolate came up. Mom told the story of how, after her grandmother's passing, her grandfather had wanted to make a big pot of hot chocolate. He added an egg in what I assume was an attempt to thicken the drink, but of course the egg scrambled in the hot liquid, and suffice it to say he never added an egg again!

After hearing that I figured our family's Champurrado recipe may have been lost with my great grandmother so I devised my own version of this popular drink, hopefully it comes close to what she would have made and served to the family. Read on for how to make both variations of this delicious Christmas drink.


Mexican Hot Chocolate
(printable recipe)

1 oz. mexican chocolate (Ibarra or Abuelita brand)
1 c whole milk
cinnamon stick

Bring the milk and cinnamon stick to a low simmer, add the chocolate and stir until melted.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and froth with a molinillo. (you can also shake individual portions in a jar with a tight fitting lid to froth the chocolate). Serve hot with an extra dash of cinnamon if you like.


Champurrado
(printable recipe)

1/4 c masa harina
2 c milk
scant 1/4 c dark brown sugar or an equal amount piloncillo
1 cinnamon stick
3.5 oz mexican chocolate (Ibarra or Abuelita brand)

Whisk the masa with 1 c water over low heat until blended. Turn the heat up to medium and continue whisking to remove any lumps. Add the milk, sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to come to a low simmer. Reduce the heat and continue to stir and simmer until the chocolate is thoroughly blended and the mixture is thick. Add milk to thin if necessary.
Remove the cinnamon stick and froth with a molinillo. (you can also shake individual portions in a jar with a tight fitting lid to froth the chocolate). Serve hot with an extra dash of cinnamon if you like.