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Cozy Mexican Champurrado: The Best Homemade Chocolate Masa Drink

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This isn’t just hot chocolate. Champurrado is a traditional Mexican drink that gets its signature thickness and earthy flavor from masa harina (corn flour). It’s like a warm hug in a mug, and once you make it at home, you’ll wonder why you ever settled for the powdered stuff.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup masa harina
  • 1/2 cup piloncillo, chopped
  • 2 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Mix the masa slurry. In a small bowl, combine the 1/3 cup of masa harina with the 1/2 cup of water. Whisk vigorously until completely smooth, with no lumps. Let it sit for a minute while you start the milk.
  2. Warm the milk and spices. In your medium saucepan, combine the 4 cups of milk, the chopped piloncillo, and the cinnamon stick. Place it over medium heat. Stir occasionally with your wooden spoon until the piloncillo has completely dissolved and the milk is hot but not boiling. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Temper the masa. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the masa slurry and whisk it in. This warms the masa up slowly, preventing it from shocking when it hits the hot pot.
  4. Add the masa to the pot. Pour the masa slurry into the saucepan with the rest of the milk. Whisk constantly as you add it. Keep whisking for about 2-3 minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken. It should look like a thin pudding at this point.
  5. Add the chocolate. Drop in the chopped Mexican chocolate and the pinch of salt. Continue whisking over medium heat until the chocolate is completely melted and the drink is smooth and velvety. This takes another 3-4 minutes. Don’t stop whisking!
  6. Finish and serve. Once the chocolate is melted and the drink has thickened to your liking (it should coat the back of a spoon), remove the pot from the heat. Fish out the cinnamon stick. Stir in the 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Give it one last good whisk.
  7. Pour and enjoy. Ladle the champurrado into your favorite mugs. It’s best served piping hot. The texture will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.

Notes

Keep the heat at medium, not high. High heat can cause the milk to scorch and the masa to clump. Patience is your friend here. Champurrado actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together. Just store it in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove, whisking to bring it back to life.

Nutrition

Keywords: champurrado, Mexican hot chocolate, masa harina, piloncillo, Mexican chocolate, cozy drink, traditional Mexican drink

Find it online: https://dinadishes.com/cozy-mexican-champurrado-the-best-homemade-chocolate-masa-drink/