Authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon and Chili Kick
Make rich, cozy Mexican hot chocolate using traditional spices like cinnamon and a hint of chili. This recipe creates a comforting, frothy beverage perfect for cold nights.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces Mexican chocolate tablet (or 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and cinnamon stick. Heat over medium heat until the milk is steaming but not boiling. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the Mexican chocolate (or chips) to the warm milk. Continue heating, stirring constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated into the milk.
- Remove the cinnamon stick from the saucepan. Stir in the ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and cayenne pepper, if you are using it.
- To achieve the traditional froth, transfer the mixture to a blender (working in batches if necessary) or use a traditional molinillo or whisk. Blend or whisk vigorously until the surface is foamy and bubbly.
- Pour the hot chocolate into mugs immediately. Serve warm.
Notes
- For a thicker texture similar to Champurrado, whisk in 1 tablespoon of masa harina with a small amount of cold milk before adding it to the hot milk mixture.
- Use high-quality dark chocolate for the best flavor depth.
- If you do not have Mexican chocolate, use good quality dark chocolate and increase the ground cinnamon slightly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 110
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 35