Mexican hot chocolate isn’t meant to be subtle. It’s bold, spiced, textured, and deeply grounding. And champurrado, the thick, corn-based version traditionally enjoyed in the mornings or late evenings, isn’t just a drink. It’s a ritual. The kind that warms your hands, slows your pace, and makes you feel fed in more ways than one.

This version takes inspiration from champurrado without trying to replicate it exactly. Instead, it borrows the soul of the drink with warm spices, deep chocolate, and gentle thickness and adapts it for a modern, plant-based pantry using JOI.

What Makes Champurrado Different from Regular Hot Chocolate

If regular hot chocolate is dessert, champurrado is sustenance.

Traditionally, champurrado is made with masa harina (corn flour), Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and milk. The masa gives it body and a subtle earthiness, turning it into something closer to a drinkable porridge than a cocoa.

What we’re keeping:

 - Warming spices

 - Deep, slightly bitter chocolate

 - A thicker, more filling texture

What we’re modernizing:

 - No dairy

 - No heavy corn base

 - No hours at the stove

Instead, we’re using plant milk powder and cocoa to create that signature comfort minus the heaviness.

Why This Version Works

The key to a champurrado-inspired drink isn’t corn; it’s structure.

You want:

 - Thickness that coats the mouth

 - Chocolate that’s rich, not sugary

 - Spices that feel warm, not sharp

JOI’s plant milk powders help build that structure without gums or starches. Because they’re concentrated and clean-label, you can control the texture instead of relying on fillers.

This makes the drink:

 - Easier to digest

 - Faster to make

 - More adaptable to everyday routines

Ingredients You’ll Need

For one cozy, grounding mug:

 - 1 cup hot water

 - 1 packet or scoop of JOI Oat Milk Creamer or JOI Cashew Base

 - 1 tablespoon cocoa powder or chopped dark chocolate

 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

 - Pinch of chili powder or cayenne (optional, but encouraged)

 - 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup or piloncillo-style sugar

 - Tiny pinch of salt

Optional additions: vanilla extract, orange zest, nutmeg

How to Make Champurrado-Inspired Mexican Hot Chocolate

Step 1: Bloom the spices

In a saucepan or heat-safe mug, whisk cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and cocoa with a splash of hot water. This wakes up the spices and prevents gritty texture later.

Step 2: Add the chocolate

Stir in the remaining hot water and whisk until the chocolate is fully dissolved. The mixture should look glossy and smell rich not sugary.

Step 3: Add JOI

Prepare JOI with hot water, using a slightly more concentrated ratio than usual. Pour it into the chocolate mixture and stir slowly.

This is where the drink transforms, from hot cocoa to something thicker, smoother, and more grounding.

Step 4: Sweeten intentionally

Add your sweetener last. Champurrado isn’t meant to be dessert-sweet. Start small and adjust.

Step 5: Heat gently & serve

Warm everything together briefly if needed, then pour into your favorite mug. No toppings required, this drink stands on its own.

Texture Tips (This Is the Whole Point)

 - Want it thicker? Add a touch more JOI or whisk longer.

 - Want it lighter? Use less powder and skip the cashew base.

 - Want it extra cozy? Let it sit for 1–2 minutes before sipping; it thickens naturally as it rests.

This is a drink meant to be sipped slowly, not rushed.

Make It Yours

 - Morning version: Add a shot of espresso for a Mexican mocha moment

 - Extra warming: Add ginger or black pepper

 - Dessert-leaning: Finish with a small square of dark chocolate stirred in

 - Iced (unexpected but good): Chill and serve over ice with cinnamon foam

Why This Belongs in Your Winter Rotation

This champurrado-inspired hot chocolate isn’t about nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s about bringing intention back to everyday drinks; choosing warmth, texture, and nourishment over sugar and shortcuts.

With JOI in your pantry, it’s also incredibly accessible. No cartons. No stabilizers. No special equipment. Just real ingredients, built thoughtfully.

One mug, a few minutes, and suddenly you’re not just drinking hot chocolate, you’re taking a pause. And honestly, that might be the best part.