Drinks Nonalcoholic Drinks Champurrado Be the first to rate & review! This rich chocolate drink, redolent with cinnamon and sweetened with piloncillo, is the perfect treat for Day of the Dead. By Diana Perez Diana Perez A native New Yorker of Mexican heritage, Diana Perez has spent the last 17 years working across the culinary media landscape. A graduate of Syracuse University (cum laude), Diana first worked in fashion photography production before enrolling at The French Culinary Institute in New York. In addition to learning the fine art of French culinary technique, she also learned to bake artisan breads and pastries and joined the Italian Culinary Academy, attending ALMA Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana in Colorno, Italy, and staging at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Throughout her career, Diana has worked as a cook, culinary producer, recipe developer, tester, and editor, researcher, food stylist and educator. She is based in Birmingham, Alabama. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 14, 2024 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 8 Jump to recipe Champurrado is a type of atole, a thick, sweet drink made with a slurry of masa and flavored with aromatic Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and piloncillo. More fragrant than a classic hot chocolate thanks to the cinnamon and spices from the tablets of Mexican chocolate, champurrado is sweetened with piloncillo, a type of brown sugar used in Mexican sweets. Hearty enough to have on its own or accompanied with pan de muerto, champurrado is a real treat during Día de Muertos, greeting guests coming in from the chilly nights of the season. This recipe is from F&W Associate Food Editor Diana Perez, whose family would prepare champurrado each year for Día de Muertos. The Mexican hot chocolate is a favorite of her mother, Juana; the recipe was passed down from Juana’s mother, Guadalupe, and grandmother, Efigenia — three women who shaped Perez’s love of food and family. Frequently Asked Questions What is atole? Atole (pronounced “ah-toe-leh”), is a traditional Mexican drink thickened with masa (a dough made from ground, nixtamalized corn) and served hot. Sometimes fresh masa is used, although masa harina (dehydrated masa flour) is a good and more convenient option. Water and masa are added to a pot or saucepan and stirred constantly until the mixture is cooked and thickened. The result is considered the original atole, also called white atole, corn atole, or masa atole. When chocolate is added, the result is a champurrado. The word “atole” is derived from atl, meaning water, and toloa, which means eat or swallow in Nahuatl, an Uto-Aztecan language. What is a slurry? A slurry is a mixture of a starch — usually all-purpose flour, corn starch, arrowroot powder, or potato starch — with water, whisked together before adding to a dish during cooking to thicken, such as a sauce or soup. As with a roux, the starch must be fully cooked to thicken the preparation. In this recipe, masa harina is used to make a slurry that thickens the hot chocolate drink. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Allow the champurrado to cool completely to room temperature before storing. For more chocolate flavor, use three chocolate tablets and reduce the sugar by half. Make ahead Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 (5-inch) cinnamon stick 6 ounces piloncillo (about 3/4 cup) or 1 cup granulated sugar 8 cups water, divided 2 (3-ounce) tablets Mexican chocolate (such as Nestlé Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate) 1 cup masa harina (such as Maseca) Directions Stir together cinnamon, piloncillo, and 6 cups water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until piloncillo is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add chocolate tablets, and cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted, about 3 minutes. Whisk together masa harina and remaining 2 cups water in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour masa harina–water mixture into saucepan, and whisk until well combined. Bring mixture to a gentle boil over medium, and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Ladle champurrado into individual cups, and serve. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, November 2024 Rate It Print