A brief history

Hot chocolate has been much loved in Mexico for hundreds of years. Traditionally, the Maya believed that cocoa was a sacred drink and used it in many religious ceremonies. They brewed it with a number of pungent spices – vanilla beans, cloves and cinnamon – and drank it unsweetened. Today, Mexicans enjoy hot chocolate at any time of day, but especially breakfast, where it is still infused with spices to give it an aromatic kick.

Mexican hot chocolate

While there are many Mexican hot chocolate recipes, here's a simple one that mixes chocolate with cinnamon. Alternatively, look out for bars of Mexican drinking chocolate, that include all the spices, and simply need to be heated with milk or water.

Serves 2

  • 2 cups milk
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Break up the chocolate and place in a bowl. Heat the milk and the cinnamon stick in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick, pour the hot milk over the chocolate and whisk to combine. Keep whisking until a small plume of bubbles forms on top of the milk, then pour into cups. Serve immediately while the chocolate is still frothy and hot.

Note: for a truly authentic touch, invest in a molinillo – a Mexican chocolate whisk – to get your milk extra frothy.

For more information, check out our Chocolate recipes collection.