Atole is a sweet, creamy, and traditional Mexican drink. It is usually made with Masa Harina, milk, cinnamon stick, and vanilla essence, and sweetened with Piloncillo (dark brown cane sugar). The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make Atole with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe to make the cooking process visually clear. This Mexican Atole is one of the best healthy drinks that's great for breakfast, after-dinner snacks, or for comforting yourself on cold winter days.
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What is Atole?
Atole is a thick, sweet, and creamy Mexican drink loaded with flavors of cinnamon and vanilla. It is usually made with Masa Harina nothing but corn flour, milk, cinnamon stick, and vanilla essence, and sweetened with Piloncillo (dark brown cane sugar). It usually looks like porridge and appears similar to the cream of wheat in texture and consistency. This Mexican Atole is usually served as breakfast, after-dinner snacks, or as a comforting drink on winter days.
The Authentic Atole is also enjoyed traditionally during Mexican celebrations like the Day of the Dead or Día de Los Muertos”, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. You can also find it as one of the common drinks, in Mexican street foods stores.
Not only that but this Atole is also one of the comforting drinks enjoyed for decades in the Mexican community. Apart from the traditional days, people also consume it as a regular breakfast similar to oatmeal or cream of wheat.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Atole are basic pantry elements and it should easily be available in most Latin or gourmet markets nearby. So let's see what are they below.
- Masa Harina - It is the main ingredient to make this Atole. It is nothing but dried maize flour. It is also one of the main ingredients to make corn tortillas. Make sure not to confuse it with corn meal. Usually, corn meals are grainy and coarse in texture while Masa Harina is fine and flour in texture
- Piloncillo - It is a loaf-like or cone-like dark brown cane sugar that delivers a caramel-like sweetness and earthy and smoky flavor
- Milk - Delivers a rich, creamier, and thick Atole
- Cinnamon Stick and Powder - For warm, and mildly sweet flavor. I recommend using a Mexican cinnamon stick to make this drink authentic. But if you cannot find the Mexican one, feel free to use the regular Ceylon cinnamon variety to achieve the similar results
- Vanilla Essence - For enhancing the flavor of the drink
For the detailed ingredients list please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Mexican Atole?
The recipe I have shared here is a popular and traditional Mexican drink Atole. It also got other names Atole De Masa or Atole De Vainilla in the traditional language. Even though I have used milk to achieve a richer and creamier texture, you can also use non-dairy products to make it vegan friendly.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this drink but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video, please check out the recipe card below.
- Add - In a glass bowl, add the Masa Harina and pour ¾ cup of warm water
- Whisk - Whisk it well without any lumps and reserve it for later use
- Add - In a saucepan with medium heat, pour the milk and add cinnamon stick, Piloncillo, salt, and vanilla essence
- Heat - Stir and heat the milk for 3 to 5 minutes or until the Piloncillo melts. Make sure to remove the cinnamon stick from the milk before adding the Masa Harina
- Whisk - Now add the whisked Masa Harina to the milk mixture
- Simmer and cook - Simmer the heat, whisk and cook the mixture for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it turns slightly thick, creamy, and smooth consistency (Note: Whisk continuously to avoid burning the mixture at the bottom)
- Remove - Remove this Mexican Atole from the heat and pour it into a serving cup and sprinkle it with cinnamon powder
- Serve - Serve this creamy Atole for breakfast, as after dinner snack, or to warm up yourself on a cold winter day
Tips
- Masa Harina - It is a dried corn dough also called corn flour. It is one of the main ingredients for making this Atole. Make sure not to use corn meal which is usually coarse in texture. Masa Harina is very fine and looks like light yellow colored flour
- Sweetener - Usually authentic Mexican Atole Piloncillo (dark brown sugar) is used to sweeten the beverage. But if that is not handy feel free to substitute it with palm sugar, or jaggery. You can also substitute it with regular brown sugar
- Whisking the Masa - Usually, Masa Harina is quickly whisked into the hot milk without forming lumps. But to make the process easy for beginners, I diluted the Masa Harina in warm water first then added it to the hot milk. This will avoid creating lumps in the milk and also helps to cook the masa evenly
- Stirring - Stirring or whisking the Masa milk mixture throughout the process will help to avoid burning it at the bottom
- Vegan Version - If you are looking for a vegan-friendly option then feel free to substitute the milk with almond milk, oat milk, or other non-other dairy milk of your choice
Calories
This Mexican Atole that I have shared here contains 256 calories per serving and it is an estimation by the nutrition calculator. The calorie count may change if you have extra add-ins. You could also find detailed nutritional information in the recipe card below.
Storage Suggestions
The leftover Atole stays good in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a closed container. But the drink may get thicker as it cools down, so feel free to add some milk to thin out it while reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy and healthy Mexican Atole for a filling breakfast, or as an after-dinner snack. You can also enjoy it on cold winter days to keep yourself warm and cozy.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar Mexican drinks recipes and winter drinks recipes below and more at healthy drinks recipes.
- Horchata
- Cafe De Olla
- Mexican Hot Chocolate
- Agua De Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea)
- Agua Frescas
- Chai Tea Latte
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Hot Cocoa
Mexican Atole Recipe video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Mexican Atole Recipe below that I hope will help you to make a comforting drink at home. You could also find this recipe in a story format.
📖 Recipe
Atole
Ingredients
- ½ cup Masa Harina
- 4 cups Milk
- ¼ cup Piloncillo, dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
- 1 Cinnamon Sticks
- Cinnamon Powder, to sprinkle
- ¾ cup Warm Water
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
To make Mexican Atole
- In a glass bowl, add the Masa Harina and pour ¾ cup of warm water
- Whisk it well without any lumps and reserve it for later use
- In a saucepan with medium heat, pour milk, and add cinnamon stick, Piloncillo, salt, and vanilla essence
- Stir and heat the milk for 3 to 5 minutes or until the Piloncillo melts. Once it is done remove the cinnamon stick from the milk
- Now add the whisked Masa Harina to the milk mixture
- Simmer the heat, whisk and cook the mixture for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it turns slightly thick, creamy, and smooth consistency (Note: Whisk continuously to avoid burning the mixture at the bottom)
- Remove the Mexican Atole from the heat and pour it into a serving cup and sprinkle it with cinnamon powder
Video
Notes
- Masa Harina - It is a dried corn dough also called corn flour. It is one of the main ingredients for making this Atole. Make sure not to use corn meal which is usually coarse in texture. Masa Harina is very fine and looks like light yellow colored flour
- Sweetener - Usually authentic Mexican Atole Piloncillo (dark brown sugar) is used to sweeten the beverage. But if that is not handy feel free to substitute it with palm sugar, or jaggery. You can also substitute it with regular brown sugar
- Whisking the Masa - Usually, Masa Harina is quickly whisked into the hot milk without forming lumps. But to make the process easy for beginners, I diluted the Masa Harina in warm water first then added it to the hot milk. This will avoid creating lumps in the milk and masa also cooks evenly
- Stirring - Stirring or whisking the Masa milk mixture throughout the process will help to avoid burning the mixture at the bottom
- Vegan Version - If you are looking for a vegan-friendly option then feel free to substitute the milk with almond milk, oat milk, or other non-other dairy milk of your choice
Nutrition
FAQ
Atole is a thick, sweet and creamy Mexican drink. It is usually made with Masa Harina nothing but corn flour, milk, cinnamon stick, vanilla essence, and Piloncillo (dark brown cane sugar). It usually looks like porridge and appears similar to cream of wheat in texture and consistency. This Mexican Atole is usually served as breakfast, after-dinner snacks, or as a comforting drink on winter days.
Piloncillo also called Panela is nothing but an unrefined whole cane sugar that usually comes in a thick loaf-like shape. The term piloncillo means "little loaf", because of the traditional shape. It usually tastes caramel-like sweet and filled with smoky and earthy flavors. It is commonly used in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Similar stuff is also called Jaggery in India and other parts of the world.
Yes, you can make this drink without milk. Actually, the authentic recipe in ancient days was made using only water as a liquid base. But eventually, milk was introduced to make the drink richer and creamier. So you can feel free to use water alone or you can also substitute milk with non-dairy milk products to achieve similar results.
This Mexican Atole that I have shared here contains 256 calories per serving and it is an estimation by the nutrition calculator. The calorie count may change if you have extra add-ins. You could also find detailed nutritional information in the recipe card above.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you about how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Enjoy!
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