Champurrado: Thick, Delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate

Champurrado – a thick and delicious Mexican hot chocolate made with Abuelita chocolate – is one of my very favorite cold weather drinks. Try the easy recipe yourself and I bet you’ll be as hooked as me!

I first tasted the Mexican hot chocolate called champurrado back in college when Pablo made it for me and several other friends. Pablo and I weren’t dating yet and he was just being nice by making us a hot drink, but I still like to think that he was secretly trying to impress me.

Whether he was trying or not, I was impressed and now we’re married and champurrado has been a regular part of my life every winter since. Haha.

Anyway, I very much enjoy a steaming mug of champurrado so today I wanted to finally share the recipe with you!

Now, in case you hear “Mexican hot chocolate” and think “spicy”, Pablo would like me to tell you, emphatically, that adding pepper to hot chocolate does not make it Mexican. I remember back in college that he was horrified when he bought a “Mexican hot chocolate” and found out it was basically just regular hot chocolate with the addition of cayenne pepper. Yuck!

So, just to be clear, champurrado does not have any pepper in it.

What’s the difference between champurrado and regular hot chocolate?

Champurrado is traditionally made with Mexican chocolate, masa harina or corn flour, piloncillo (a type of cane sugar), cinnamon, and water or milk. The masa or corn flour gives it a thicker consistency than regular hot chocolate. Champurrado is a type of atole (corn flour drink), so basically it’s a chocolate atole / chocolate-based atole.

Champurrado typically has a milder chocolate flavor than regular hot chocolate and in my experience is usually not quite as sweet.

Can you make champurrado without masa flour and piloncillo?

The short answer – yes! The champurrado recipe that I’m sharing today is my mother-law’s version and does not call for either. Along with the Mexican chocolate and cinnamon, her recipe just calls for regular sugar and uses corn starch for thickening instead of masa. This champurrado recipe uses whole milk instead of water as well which makes it extra creamy and delicious.

What kind of chocolate do you use in champurrado?

One of the popular brands of Mexican chocolate that I have always used and seen used by others is Abuelita. For making champurrado you’ll want to be sure to buy the Mexican chocolate tablets, not the powdered stuff.

Abuelita chocolate is available in most grocery stores and it’s the absolute best for champurrado in my opinion.

Note: I’ve also heard of Chocolate Ibarra as another authentic Mexican chocolate, but have not personally used it. 

A few notes before you make your own thick Mexican hot chocolate

First off, know that making champurrado with milk means that you’ll be doing a lot of stirring. (I suggest using a good wire whisk!) If you don’t, it will stick to the bottom of the pot and no one likes the taste of scalded milk. You’ll also want to keep the temperature at a nice medium heat while stirring instead of cranking it to high heat, again just to help avoid burning the milk. Patience is key. (Sometimes I’ll do medium-high heat if I’m able to be right there watching.)

When you first start stirring and the Abuelita chocolate melts into the milk you’ll notice that the milk mixture looks very speckled, like the chocolate is not dissolving well. Again, give it time. With a lot of patience and a good stir (and another, and another . . .) your chocolate will eventually dissolve and your champurrado will have a darker appearance.

Another thing to make note of is that when you add your corn starch, be sure to mix it with cold water, as hot water will make it clump immediately.

Finally, if you don’t have any cinnamon sticks a teaspoon of ground cinnamon will do just fine.

Champurrado has become my very favorite cold-weather drink. In fact, it’s sort of ruined regular hot chocolate for me to be honest. It’s just so thick and delicious and comforting. Try it yourself and I bet it will become your new favorite drink for cold days (and the holiday season too!)

Love trying new recipes? You may also be interested in: 75 Family Friendly Dinner Ideas

Does this easy champurrado recipe look good to you? Be sure to pin the image below to save it for later!