How to make Mexican hot chocolate – plus five other takes on the classic winter warmer
If you thought you knew hot chocolate – a simple blend of cocoa, milk and sugar, right? – think again. Just as the pumpkin spice latte rears its divisive head every autumn, cafés are now serving a whole range of jazzy hot chocolates – marshmallow hot chocolate, chai hot chocolate and, yes, pumpkin spice hot chocolate.
But, if TikTok is anything to go by, a Latin import is quickly becoming a Gen Z favourite. Laced with spices, Mexican hot chocolate is all the rage. Otherwise known as champurrado, Mexican hot chocolate is an altogether different beast to the Americanised beverage widely consumed today.
With roots in the Aztec and Mayan civilisations, who consumed a drink called xocolatl made from cacao bean, corn and water, champurrado has a rich, thick, full-bodied flavour. It is often accented with cinnamon, chilli or cloves and has an unmistakable creamy consistency.
The type of chocolate that goes into champurrado is important. Mexican “table chocolate” is made with cacao, granulated sugar and cinnamon, giving it a distinctive grainy texture. It’s not meant to be eaten quite like an elevenses Twirl; rather, it’s made to be heated and liquidised.
Nestlé describes its own version, Abuelita, which is hugely popular in Mexico, as having an “exquisite ‘calor de hogar’ taste” - translating to “heat of home”. Indeed, champurrado is ideal for stove-top cooking, best foamed and frothed using a molinillo, a traditional Latin American wooden whisk.
How to make Mexican hot chocolate at home
In a pan, bring water to the boil with Mexican chocolate, piloncillo (a raw cane sugar) and cinnamon sticks - leave for 15 minutes. Once the chocolate is melted, add your milk. Separately, blend milk and masa harina and add to the chocolate mixture while stirring and frothing with your molinillo.
Making champurrado is relatively simple, your hardest task most likely lies in locating the ingredients. The result is a festive beverage with an elegant and intricate flavour, and you’ll thank yourself for the extra effort.
It goes without saying that the more you substitute, the less authentic your champurrado will be. However, if you’re just looking to diversify your drinking chocolate menu, cornflour can replace masa harina, brown sugar for piloncillo and dark chocolate in place of the table chocolate. A standard whisk will also suffice.
The notion of a spiced hot chocolate may also have influenced emerging popular recipes. Trendy chocolatiers Italian Bear Chocolate in Soho, London, give customers the option to customise their drink with cinnamon, ginger, chilli, cardamom and black pepper. Likewise, Islington-based Paul A Young’s Aztec-inspired hot chocolate draws on the flavours of Mexico.
Champurrado in mind, here are some more venturous takes on the classic winter warmer to easily try at home, or out and about.
Hot hot chocolate
Complement a sleek dark chocolate with a chilli twist. Find a go-to hot chocolate recipe that works for you and simply add and substitute these ingredients when prompted. Cayenne spice works well because it won’t overpower the beverage, but if you wish to amp up the heat, combine it with some chilli powder. Alternatively, if this is too piquant for your liking, balance with cinnamon.
Chocolate chai
Elevate the above dark-chilli recipe to make a beautifully fragrant chai hot chocolate, guaranteed to boost your mood as the season turns. Combine cardamom, cloves and fresh ginger with cayenne and cinnamon and add to your hot chocolate recipe. Pret has its own version with a chocolate chai on their autumn menu.
Lavender lullaby
Ditch the chamomile, forget the Horlicks. This lavender-infused hot chocolate will help you unwind and peacefully drift off. You can substitute milk or dark chocolate for white to bring out the lavender leaves’ aroma.
Boozy brew
Enjoy a grown-up hot chocolate as an after-dinner treat by adding a splash of your favourite spirit. Baileys is an obvious choice, others vouch for brandy, but expert chocolatier opinion says rum. Rabot 1745 in Borough Market, London, serves a plethora of hot chocolates with the option to add a shot of Saint Lucian rum.
Pumpkin spice
Omit the caffeine, up the sweetness and add pumpkin spice syrup to your hot chocolate. Autumn’s staple flavour shows no sign of waning popularity. Alternatively, combine with coconut milk for a dairy-free and unique flavour. This combination is available at most coffee shops – simply ask.
Have you tried Mexican hot chocolate? Tell us in the comments
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