Mexican Hot Chocolate (aka Aztec Cocoa) | Slow Cooker + Stovetop Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you use a Mexican hot chocolate maker? ›

To use it is very simple. After making your pot of chocolate, you take the molinillo, place it between both palms and vigorously roll it back and forth. The rings on the bottom of the molinillo twirl around whipping the beverage into a foam.

This is the gist of Aztec hot chocolate: mix cocoa powder with chili powder and cinnamon and you've got a mug that's sure to warm you up in more way than one. By the way, we think the best base for this drink is hot milk, not water. (It's one of our favorite winter drinks if you happen to like dipping cookies, too.)

Mexican hot chocolate contains spices like cinnamon and chili and chopped bittersweet chocolate to create a very rich but less sweet flavor. Whereas traditional American hot chocolate is usually made with a combination of cocoa powder and/or chocolate and tends to be more on the sweet side.

The Aztecs used a Molinillo, which is a Mexican wooden whisk, to froth hot chocolate and other drinks such as atoles. It's a very old kitchen tool and very little historical records exist prior to the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores to Mexico.

And it's often whisked by hand, on the stovetop, with a molinillo. The nearly foot-long wooden whisk has been used for centuries in Central America to make perfect hot cocoa.

For the Aztecs, cacao beans were not just ingredients for a sacred beverage but a currency that fueled an empire. Cacao beans were traded for goods and services, a tangible measure of wealth and power. In this context, chocolate symbolizes economic and social status. It was a luxury, a privilege of the affluent.

First, the best cacao beans were selected and dried. They may also have been fermented or toasted. Then, the beans were ground on grinding stones called metates, which look a bit like a flattened-out mortar and pestle. Similar stones are used in stone-ground Taza chocolate, following ancient Mexican traditions.

The Mayans called the drink “chocolhaa” (“bitter water”) and Aztecs called it “Xocolatl.” From those words eventually evolved the word “chocolate.” Cacao was used in special celebrations such as those for funeral rituals, war, or harvests.

The most significant difference is in the ingredients. Mexican hot chocolate uses various spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and ancho chili pepper.

Mexican chocolate should taste intense and have a rustic texture. Its flavor is due to the fact that the cacao beans are simply roasted and ground into a liquor, whereas a lot of European-style chocolate takes things a step further, using a conching machine to aerate the chocolate liquor and mellow out its flavor.

What is the most popular hot chocolate in Mexico? ›

The two most common brands are Ibarra (made by a company in Jalisco, Mexico) and Abuelita (a Nestlé product), but they are far from the only ones.

It has a noticeably grainy texture because it's processed only to the “liquor” stage, before it's poured into the disk-shaped molds to cool and harden. Classically, it's flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. To make the drink, this solid chocolate is broken into pieces, then just melted into a pot of hot milk.

For generations, Nestlé Abuelita Authentic Mexican Style Hot Chocolate Mix has been an essential part of the Hispanic kitchen.

Pour 220ml of milk (or water or a milk-alternative) into the machine, then sprinkle in the hot chocolate flakes and press the button to start. And ta-dah! In just two-and-a-half minutes, you'll have a rich, luxurious hot chocolate ready to drink.

You simply roll the shaft between your palms to churn, mix, and foam the chocolate. The molinillo is also great for muddling fruits and herbs in homemade co*cktails! It's a pleasure to use or gift - and it's a guaranteed attention-grabber.

Place 9-10 chocolate buttons in a jug and cover with hot water from the kettle. Leave to soften for 10 seconds and carefully pour away the water. Add 250ml of hot milk or water and whisk until melted. Serve and enjoy!