{"id":39654,"date":"2023-10-26T21:07:24","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T21:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/?p=39654"},"modified":"2025-09-28T14:00:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T14:00:59","slug":"how-to-make-champurrado-or-chocolate-atole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/es\/how-to-make-champurrado-or-chocolate-atole\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00f3mo hacer champurrado o atole de chocolate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Champurrado is a soul- and belly-warming atole or masa harina-based drink made with chocolate, milk, cinnamon and sugar. It\u2019s often called Mexican hot chocolate, although Mexican hot chocolate<\/a> is its own very different thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Champurrado uses masa harina, flour made from dried and finely ground field corn that has gone through a process called nixtamalization<\/a>. (Learn more in this Familia Kitchen ultimate guide to corn flour,<\/a> where we go deep into its product types, uses, and history in Mexican and Latino cuisine.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what you call it, we love sipping champurrado on a chilly day. It gives us the cozy we crave. Especially as part of Day of the Dead celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Champurrado, like calabaza en tacha<\/a> and bu\u00f1uelos, has long been associated with Day of the Dead celebrations. Atole drinks made with masa harina and chocolate go all the way back to ancient Mexico. More than 3,000 years ago,<\/a> the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec civilization began cultivating the cacao tree\u2019s fruit. They learned to roast its beans and use the resulting cacao paste as a prized ingredient in their festivities. These beans were so prized by the Spanish conquistadores, they took the chocolate beans as treasure back to Europe to much fanfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dThis is a simple hot drink we have during fall and winter and reminds me of family gatherings,\u201d says Vivi Abeja, one of our favorite Mexican cooks. As a special tribute to Day of the Dead this year, Familia Kitchen asked Vivi to choose three of her favorite recipes as ofrendas to her beloved Abuelita, who passed away this year at age 92.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Vivi
During COVID, Vivi Abeja and her Abuelita Elisa Abeja sold traditional Mexican treats like champurrado, uchepos and cafe de olla on the streets of their neighborhood Little Village in Chicago.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Vivi chose this champurrado as one of the must-make family recetas. The other two were equally special and remind her of her grandmother: Calabaza en tacha or sweet pumpkin cooked in piloncillo syrup, and crispy bu\u00f1uelos sprinkled with sugar<\/a> and cinnamon.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Day of the Dead Champurrado for Vivi\u2019s Abuelita<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Born in Michoacan, Mexico, Elisa Abeja died February 25, 2023 at the age of 92 in Chicago, and this is the first altar Vivi is making that includes ofrendas to her beloved grandmother. The two were extremely close, and Vivi cites her grandmother\u2019s love of feeding her family as a guiding reason why she chose to make cooking her own life\u2019s work and passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Vivi looked ahead to Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2,  she started building a beautiful Dia de los Muertos altar. \u201dIt\u2019s been a very emotional experience for me,\u201d she says. After carefully arranging photos, candles, marigold flowers, and special pieces of traditional cloth, Vivi placed a cup of steamy champurrado to honor and celebrate her Abuelita\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"chocolate
Mexican chocolate tastes and looks different from U.S. chocolate bars. Note the shape.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Like most of her cooking memories, making champurrado is linked to her grandmother\u2019s guiding influence. \u201cI first was taught how to make this when I was very young \u2014 about 8 years old \u2014 at a church function,\u201d Vivi remembers. \u201dMy grandparents would take us with them to our church\u2019s Circulo de Oraci\u00f3n [prayer circle], where churchgoers would pray and read the Bible together. My grandfather was one of the leaders of that group and my grandmother was one of the people in the kitchen helping make Mexican hot chocolate and champurrado in the church\u2019s kitchen. I would either be with the kids running around the gym or in the back kitchen helping with the snacks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that she is the one making this recipe as an adult in her own kitchen, has she make any changes to her grandmother\u2019s recipe for champurrado? She pretty much sticks to the original recipe, says Vivi, with one exception. \u201dI\u2019ve recently started loving the flavor of cloves more and more, so I added more cloves to this recipe than I usually do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How often does she make this champurrado and for who? So far, she says, \u201dI\u2019ve only made this in the fall. I\u2019ve made it by request for churches and family members, and it was briefly an item I sold outside my grandmothers house\u201d during the early days of COVID, when Vivi started making Mexican traditional dishes and drinks for sale on the streets of Little Village, her Chicago neighborhood know for its Mexican heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One last pro tip: When making champurrado, be sure to use Mexican chocolate tablets.  They taste different than U.S. chocolate bars. Available at most grocery stores, the most popular Mexican chocolate brands  are Ibarra<\/a>, which is produced in  Jalisco, Mexico, and the aptly named Abuelita<\/a>, which was founded in Veracruz and is now owned by Nestle. Unlike American chocolate, Mexican chocolate mixes the cacao with cinnamon, sugar and even vanilla. You can tell it\u2019s Mexican by its round, thick shape marked with distinctive octagonal lines, ready to be broken off into pie-shaped chunks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to Make Mexican Champurrado for Your Family Feast?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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How to Make Champurrado or Chocolate Atole <\/h2>\n\n
\n \t\t \t\t\tRecipe by Vivi Abeja<\/span>\n \t\t\n
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  • <\/li><\/ul>5.0<\/small> from<\/small> 2<\/small> votes<\/small><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <\/div>\n\t\t
    \n Cuisine: Mexican<\/mark><\/span> <\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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    <\/span>Servings<\/span>

    8<\/p>servings<\/span><\/div>

    <\/span>Prep time<\/span>

    10<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div>

    <\/span>Cooking time<\/span>

    30<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Ingredients<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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      1<\/span> cup<\/span> masa harina<\/span><\/p><\/li>

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      5 1\/2<\/span> cups<\/span> water, divided <\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      2<\/span> cones<\/span> piloncillo, large <\/span><\/p><\/li>

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      2<\/span> sticks<\/span> cinnamon <\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      8<\/span> cloves<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1<\/span> pinch<\/span> salt<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      2<\/span> tablets<\/span> Mexican chocolate<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      64<\/span> oz<\/span> whole milk (1\/2 gallon)<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      12<\/span> oz<\/span> evaporated milk (1 can)<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1<\/span> Tbsp<\/span> Mexican vanilla extract<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ul>\n \t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

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      Directions<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
      • In a pot over medium heat, toast the masa harina until fragrant and it turns a golden color. <\/li>
      • Add 3 1\/2 cups water, piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, cloves and salt in a pot, set to medium heat. Bring to a simmer until the piloncillo cones thoroughly dissolve in the water. <\/li>
      • Add the Mexican chocolate tablets. Simmer until the chocolate melts.<\/li>
      • While waiting for the piloncillo and chocolate to thoroughly dissolve int the liquid, make the masa. Add 2 cups water to the toasted masa harina and whisk until well combined and smooth, set aside.<\/li>
      • Once the chocolate has melted, add milk, evaporated milk and vanilla extract. Let the mixture heat up, continuously whisking so that your champurrado doesn\u2019t stick to the bottom of the pot. <\/li>
      • Once all ingredients are well combined and heated, remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks.<\/li>
      • Add the masa harina mixture, whisking continuously while you\u2019re pouring it into the pot. <\/li>
      • Continue to heat and whisk for 10 minutes or until you reach your desired consistency. Serve and enjoy hot! <\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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        Notes<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
        • For masa harina, Vivi uses the widely available Maseca tortillas brand, found in most mainstream grocery stories.<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n \n\t\n\t\t\t