Mexican hot chocolate
Rich Mexican hot chocolate with real chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of cayenne, whisked until frothy. Made from scratch in 10 minutes.
33% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 5 min
- Cooking
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 335
- Protein
- 9 g
- Per serving
- $1.20
Why this recipe works
Mexican hot chocolate is spiced with cinnamon and often a little chile, and whisked until foamy. This version uses chocolate from any grocery store instead of the traditional tablets, so you control the sweetness and spice.
- Real chopped chocolate plus a little cocoa gives a deep chocolate flavor and a silky body that cocoa powder alone can't.
- Simmering a cinnamon stick in the milk infuses a warm, rounded spice flavor instead of a gritty dusting on top.
- Whisking hard at the end (the job of a traditional wooden molinillo) makes the airy foam the drink is known for.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk or immersion blender
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Infuse the milk
Warm the milk and cinnamon stick in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, until steaming with small bubbles at the edge. Don't let it boil.
Melt in the chocolate
Remove the cinnamon stick. Whisk in the chopped chocolate, cocoa, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, cayenne and salt, and keep whisking over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Froth
Off the heat, stir in the vanilla. Whisk hard for 30 seconds, or blend briefly with an immersion blender, until a thick layer of foam forms on top.
Serve
Taste and add more sugar or cayenne if you like. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and a little cinnamon.
Cook's notes
- Start with ⅛ teaspoon cayenne: the heat builds as you drink. Add more at the end if you want a real kick.
- Chop the chocolate finely so it melts quickly and smoothly, before the milk scorches.
- If you have Mexican chocolate tablets, use 1 tablet (about 3 oz) in place of the chocolate, cocoa and sugar, and skip the ground cinnamon.
Nutrition per serving
335 calories
$1.20 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 10% of calories | 9 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 47% of calories | 42 g |
| Fat | 43% of calories | 17 g |
| Fiber | 3 g | |
| Sodium | 150 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
What makes hot chocolate 'Mexican'?
Mexican hot chocolate is spiced with cinnamon, often with a little chile, and is whisked until frothy. The traditional version uses grainy tablets of chocolate already mixed with sugar and cinnamon.
Is Mexican hot chocolate spicy?
Only gently. A pinch of cayenne gives a slow warmth rather than real heat, and you can leave it out completely.
What kind of chocolate is best?
A good semisweet or bittersweet bar melts more smoothly than chips, which contain stabilizers. Mexican chocolate tablets work too and give a more rustic, grainy texture.
