Oaxacan Mexican Hot Chocolate

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Mexican Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

This homemade Mexican hot chocolate is a perfect blend of creamy, chocolatey, spicy and sweet.  A subtle hint of sea salt brings balance to the fat and sweetness and accentuates the spice and chocolate.  Who doesn’t have wonderful memories of drinking hot cocoa snuggled up during the snowy winter months? There is nothing more cozy and decadent.  That is until you turn it into Mexican hot chocolate.  The spices add that extra special touch and make this drink purely luxurious.  I highly recommend giving this homemade Mexican hot chocolate a try, it is simple and easy to make and the rewards are sky high. 

Spiced Mexican hot chocolate utilizes cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne pepper and sometimes ground cloves.  The spices are used sparingly since they all pack a punch and any one of them used in excess could easily become overwhelming.  If you’re looking for a more traditional Mexican hot chocolate, this is a great recipe for you – it is homemade and not from a mix or package – the simplicity of ingredients makes for a more authentic Mexican drinking chocolate.   Similar to Mexican chocolate milk, this recipe is served warm and has a little bit richer flavor, spice and thicker consistency. 

Traditionally, you would use a molinillo whisk to stir the ingredients together, but I just used a standard metal whisk.   If you’re looking for Mexican hot chocolate mix – this is not a package or powder hot cocoa experience.  It is much more luxurious and complex. 

This Mexican cocoa is the perfect autumnal evening drink.  You could drink it as the recipe calls or you could make a boozy Mexican hot chocolate, by adding your favorite alcohol.  Some boozy additions that would be tasty are kahula, baileys, or tequila.  All would be great, but I would probably go with tequila to make this a spiked Mexican hot chocolate. The tequila has a spicy bite that would compliment this drink. 

Mexican spiced hot chocolate can be as spicy and earthy as you want ranging from a subtle hint of spice to very spicy.  If you want a more spicy hot chocolate mix, specifically add in additional cayenne.  Go with just a little sprinkling each time and increase incrementally, you can always add more but you can’t take back the amount of spice after it is added.  Less is more when taste testing for the perfect amount of spice!

This particular recipe was made to be a vegan Mexican hot chocolate but you can use real dairy if that is your preference.  We are a dairy-free house so I always use a cream alternative by the brand Nut Pod’s, which is made from almond and coconut cream.  I use this df cream for all recipes that call for milk or cream and it tastes just as good.  If you want to add a dollop of whipped cream on top of your hot coco, I recommend the dairy free coco-whip by So Delicious.  If you want to add marshmallows to the top – I know that they have a vegan version of those also. 

Serve this as a Mexican hot chocolate pot – If you have a large group or party this would be a great drink to serve communally in a large bowl with a ladle.  If you are making this for a party or special event you could keep it warmed all day long using a crock pot. This recipe works well as a Mexican hot chocolate crockpot recipe as the ingredients won’t separate or curdle. 

Making Abuelita Chocolate

Servings: 4

Ingredients for Mexican hot chocolate:

• 2 cups cream
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups chopped or chips of Taza Mexican chocolate or regular dark chocolate
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup or cane sugar
• If using regular dark chocolate: 3 full dashes cayenne, 1/8 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a pot and put on medium-high.
2. As chocolate starts to melt, whisk ingredients together until fully melted and all ingredients are fully incorporated.  
3. Adjust spices to desired level and salt to taste.
4. Pour into a mug and enjoy!

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Notes:

A variation on this drink is to use horchata(Mexican rice drink) to make a horchata hot chocolate.  You simply replace the cream and water for horchata.  Mix horchata, chocolate, cocoa, sugar and spices. 

If you do use the Taza Mexican chocolate, you do not need to add the individual spices because the chocolate is already mixed with them.  If you would like to make it more spicy or elevate the cinnamon then you can add in a small amount to adjust the spice levels. 

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FAQ: Can you make this as a sugar free drink?

Yes, you can make a  sugar free abuelita chocolate by adding a natural sweetener such as stevia or xylitol. If you can tolerate a natural sugar such as maple syrup or date syrup those are also great options. 

Can I turn my powder cocoa mix into a Mexican chocolate drink?

Yes, certainly you can add the spices individually to make a Mexican hot chocolate cocoa powder.

What are the most traditional spices in Mexican hot chocolate ?

The traditional spices used in authentic hot chocolate are chili powder, cayenne and cinnamon. 

What spices do you recommend to use to just add spicy heat and nothing else?

Cayenne hot chocolate is used to add purely the spice and nothing else. 

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Related Recipes:

• Mexican hot chocolate truffles
• Mexican hot chocolate cookies
• Mexican hot chocolate brownies
• Mexican hot chocolate cake
• Mexican hot chocolate cheese cake
• Mexican hot chocolate macarons

Looking to make an adult version of this? Try making a tequila Mexican hot chocolate or a Kaluha spiked abuelita chocolate. 

If I do say so myself, this is the best Mexican hot chocolate I have had.  If you like this recipe you might also enjoy a frozen version of this recipe in the form of Mexican chocolate fudsigles – they are so good!

This is a great recipe to try if you’re a fan of hot chocolate and Mexican spices. If you do try this homemade Mexican hot chocolate please rate it or comment below. If you made any alterations and want to let me in on your ideas on this recipe, I would love to hear about it!  If you would like to share or pin on Pinterest I am always thankful.  Check out my food journey on Pinterest at Molé in the Wall.

Next time you are craving a warm comforting drink to sip on mid winter, remember this Mexican cocoa drink!

Tags: South American hot chocolate, Mexican chocolate for hot chocolate, Chocolate abuelita origin, Mexican hot chocolate powder, abuelita hot chocolate powder, Ibarra hot chocolate, Nestle abuelita hot chocolate, Hot chocolate chili pepper, abuelita instant cocoa