Champurrado Is My New Favorite Hot Cocoa That Only Requires Four Ingredients.
Champurrado is a thick, creamy hot drink whose main flavor and thickener is masa harina, nixtamalized corn flour. This Mexican staple is sweet, indulgent, completely filling, and relatively easy to make with just a few ingredients and a whisk. If you haven’t tried it yet, let me introduce you to this winter drink that drinks like a meal.
What is champurrado?
Champurrado is also called atole, which is any masa-based drink, but champurrado is especially eaten sweetened with sugar and flavored with chocolate, cinnamon or other seasonings. You might think that, as with other types of hot chocolate, cocoa would be the flavor diva in this drink, but masa harina is the unexpected star here. It’s fairly well known as a special type of finely ground cornmeal used to make dough for recipes like tortillas, pupusas, or tamales, but is perhaps less commonly touted for its role in making a hearty hot drink.
Unlike wheat flour, masa harina does not contain gluten, so mixing it with water or milk does not create elastic strands or lumps of gluten. Cornmeal disperses easily – that doesn’t mean you won’t end up with lumps, but more tips on how to avoid that are below. Starches absorb available liquid and, when heated, create a thick, pudding-like consistency (which can be controlled by adding more or less water). The drink boasts a nutty and earthy corn flavor, and once you add sugar and chocolate to it, you’ve got yourself an undeniable morning treat.
How to cook champurrado
This Mexican dish only requires four ingredients, but you can get a little creative with flavor by adding a pinch of salt, a pinch of cinnamon, or a dash of anise. I really recommend using chopped panela, also called piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), as a sweetener because it tastes so good, but you can use brown sugar if you have it. Likewise, Mexican chocolate has its own slightly spicy flavor, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute a broken semisweet chocolate bar, or leave it out and just make cinnamon atole.
To ensure the smoothest possible consistency, be sure to whisk frequently, especially at the beginning when the mixture thickens quickly. You can also run the mixture through an immersion blender at the end, which has two benefits: aerating and smoothing out lumps.
Take a second and taste the champurrado before serving. I’m using Abuelita chocolate here, which has sugar in it, so depending on the chocolate you’re using, you may want to add more or less panela than I did. The same can be said for adjusting the thickness to suit your personal preferences. I prefer to drink it thin, but if it’s a nice day and I have some cookies on hand (like today), I like to dip it in the thicker champurrado.
Champurrado Recipe
Ingredients:
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¼ cup masa harina
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2 cups water (or milk substitute)
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¾ tablet Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate, chopped
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1 tablespoon crushed panela sugar
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1 cinnamon stick (optional)
1. Place masa harina in a medium saucepan and slowly pour in 1 cup water, whisking thoroughly. Add the cinnamon stick (if using), chocolate and sugar and turn heat to medium-low. Continue whisking. The mixture will begin to thicken in a minute or two.
2. Continue whisking and pour in the rest of the water. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cooks over the next five to eight minutes. Taste the champurrado and, if necessary, adjust the thickness by adding more water and the sweetness with sugar.
3. Run the mixture through an immersion blender to lightly beat (or beat vigorously) and serve immediately.