Atole & Champurrado | Recipe

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I’ve been confused about the difference between atole and champurrado since forever. And would you believe that it’s been this week, yep…just this week, that I’ve actually taken time to learn about the difference?

And apparently they’re pretty similar. The difference is that champurrado has chocolate. Simple.

This is a corn based drink, that is thick, creamy, and sweet. Atole dates back to Mesoamerican times, and today is common to have this drink during the colder months in the holiday season, but can also be a traditional breakfast drink. In Mexico you’ll see vendors selling tamales with atole/champurrado in the mornings as people head to the bus stops for work. The last time I was in Puebla, I stopped at one of these corners and bought atole and tamales for breakfast, and it was delicious.

I know that the winter season is halfway over, and most of the holidays have passed, but with Dia de la Calendaria come up in a few weeks, I still feel like we’re still in cozy drinks and dessert mode. So I’m sharing the basic recipe with you. There are so many variations that you can make by adding things like vanilla, fruit, and nuts.

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Gather Ingredients

1/2 cup Masa

1 cups Water

3 1/2 cups Milk

1 small piece of Piloncillo (or brown sugar) about 1.5 oz.

2 Cinnamon Sticks

For Champurrdo:

also include 1 disk of Mexican Chocolate

*serves 2-4.

Note: The measurements I used will give it the consistency and sweetness I prefer. I don’t like atole super thick, but slightly less thick than a smoothie or milkshake. I also like a noticable cinnamon flavor to add to the sweetness. Feel free to add a little more masa or another tablet of piloncillo to thicken or sweeten it up.

Now what?

  1. Put milk, piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, over medium heat until piloncillo is dissolved. If you’re making champurrado, this is where you can add the disk of chocolate.

  2. In a separate saucer, put water and masa. Whisk until dissolved.

  3. Add the thickened masa to the milk mixture. (Be sure to take out the cinnamon sticks first.)

  4. Whisk together for about 5 minutes.

  5. Let cool. It will thicken as it cools.

  6. Enjoy!

    *I personally like this consistency. I don’t like atole too thick. Add masa for a thicker drink, but please note that it thickens as it cools. You can also save leftovers for the next day, and add a little bit of milk as you warm it.

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FoodKarina MettsComment