Some recipes are really about what happens around the cup, not just what’s in it. That’s the spirit behind Cooking Con Claudia’s Mexican Hot Chocolate video — a recipe she’s making with the hope that her own kids carry the tradition forward, with plenty of room to adjust it to your own family’s taste. Here’s the full recipe to follow along with the video below.
About the recipe
Mexican hot chocolate gets its signature flavor from a few ingredients that set it apart from a standard cocoa mix: piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), whole cinnamon and cloves simmered right into the liquid, and pressed chocolate disks — most commonly the Abuelita or Ibarra brands — which come pre-blended with cinnamon and sugar. It’s a close cousin to champurrado, the corn-thickened version of the same drink, which Claudia has also covered on her channel.
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 piloncillo (cone of unrefined cane sugar)
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 10 whole cloves
- 2 Mexican chocolate disks (Abuelita or Ibarra brand)
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 8 cups milk
- 1 serving of love 💕
Instructions
- Simmer the spices. Combine the water, piloncillo, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the piloncillo has fully dissolved and the water is fragrant with cinnamon and clove.
- Add the chocolate. Add the Mexican chocolate disks to the pot and let them soften and melt into the liquid.
- Blend for smoothness. For the silkiest texture, transfer the chocolate mixture to a blender and blend until fully smooth, then return it to the pot. This step dissolves any remaining chocolate grit and gives the drink its signature velvety consistency.
- Add the milk. Pour in the evaporated milk and the 8 cups of milk. Warm everything through over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
- Watch your heat. Keep the mixture at a gentle simmer — don’t let it come to a hard boil. Boiling too aggressively can cause a skin or film to form on top from the milk’s proteins and fats reacting to the heat. It’s completely safe to eat if it happens, just not the smooth presentation you’re going for.
- Serve hot, and enjoy the tradition as much as Claudia’s family does.
Get in touch with Cooking Con Claudia
- Business inquiries: cl****************@***il.com
- TikTok: @cooking.con.claud
- Instagram: cooking_con_claudia
- Facebook: CookingConClaudia
Looking for more of her recipes? Search “Cooking Con Claudia” plus the dish name on YouTube — if she’s made it, it’ll usually be the first result. If not, she takes requests in the comments.
