This gave me memories of spending time at my Abue's house. We used a tablet of chocolate abuelita whisked into foaming hot milk with a molinillo. And we'd sing "bate bate chocolate". The song is crucial...without it, it's just not the same.

Abuelita hot chocolate tablets are the truth

@Sabrina Chaney no le hagas ni caso, con ese nombre tiene pinta de ser troll.

@Mister Nobody Indeed, people from Mexico exist and they pass on traditions to their grandchildren. I pity that you find that so hard to believe. You missed out, amigo.

Okay, now this is one of the more wholesome hot chocolate stories I've had the privilege to know about.

Few notes from a spanish person! In Spain, our churros are very different than those you see! Generally we don't add any sugar to them if they are going to be eaten with chocolate, because that would make them way too sweet! Our churros only have 2 main ingredients: Water and Flour. Then, only a pinch of salt and fried exclusively on sunflower oil. This is what you will find about everywhere around here. Also, we don't really add cornstarch when making this hot chocolate. We just add more chocolate if you want it more or less thick. It is possible to use a blend of intense chocolate for the main flavour and less strong chocolate for the thickness and getting the taste right. I should feel much closer to a pumpkin cream than a soup, in terms of how liquid it should be. In any case, your version seems to work fantastic. I can't recall how many times I had this for breakfast during winter!

No, this is Spansih hot chocolate, as in you could get this in Madrid. Frankly any chocolate drink that features milk is ultimately Spanish in origin.

I feel like some chocolate you would get at a cafeteria, I'm thinking like Paladin, definitely has a thickener.

@Peter Gray I get where you’re coming from, but this is definitely not champurrado. It doesnt use the slightly spicier mexican chocolate, masa harina or even piloncillo.

@Peter Gray Ah, I thought it was champurrado, but couldn't be sure...

This recipe is more properly known as a Mexican-style Chocolate Atole AKA Champurrado. Atoles come in other flavors, but always use a starch based thickener from maize or Mesquite beans (atole de pechita). Edit: John's use of the adjective "Spanish" is a bit misleading (not his fault). Traditionally recipes in the USA originating from Latin America (most usually Mexico) have received this moniker as a neutral adjective. Hence "Spanish Rice" (which is from Mexico) or "Spanish Sauce" (a mild red pepper seasoned sauce from Mexico) or in this case "Spanish Hot Chocolate" (You guessed it..... from Mexico).

I first had this in Paris, many many years ago. I couldn’t understand why it tasted so different to the powder version which was all I knew. So in my broken French I asked the waiter, he took me to the kitchen and I saw the chef breaking the chocolate into hot milk as he whisked. I can still remember the taste. Oh Paris so beautiful then. Family owned small cafes with slow cooked food. 😋

@Peter Hopson correct I forgot to mention that 💕

The French don't use the starch though. After adding the chocolate, strain, clean the pot and return it to very low heat until it is the consistency desired.

One of my unforgettable childhood memories is having one cup of hot chocolate, also with bread, but with a dollop of fresh Palmita cheese on top. All these on a freezing evening. Excellent video, Chef John, as always.👍🙂

Since I was a kid, hot Mexican cocoa served with buttered toast. Yum yes, sourdough is even better. 6:23

This took me back to my childhood in Trinidad in the early sixties. My mom and I went to the next door neighbor's farm where he had a few Holstein cows that were ready for a photo shoot...beautiful with full udders. The morning was bright and the thick green tropical grass was saturated with dew and there were several cashew trees in a row along the fence line. He had one of the largest sows I have ever seen with several piglets suckling. The air was a mix of wet grass, corn feed, citrus blossoms with a blend of manure and pig excrements....wonderful! I got to choose the cow Mr Captain milked then poured it into the three Black and White Scotch Whiskey bottles mom brought along. When we got home she poured some into a saucepan and brought it up to a slow boil then grated pure coco into it. That thing had an oil slick and required a couple spoonful of pure cane sugar to make it tasty. Pure coco is absolutely not something you would just consume. Along with the coco was fresh bread and Fernleaf butter slabbed on like cheese. This memory has stayed with me ever since and although it was an every day routine for mom, I believe it was the first time it was just the two of us without anyone else in the family.

@Mister Nobody My earliest memory goes back to looking up in my crib at a ceiling light in the house where I was born. My mother said we moved from the house by the time I was six months old...so there is that. President Biden recently said that while his father was dropping him off at high school he saw two men kissing. When he asked his father what was that, he responded that it was ok...they love each other. Let's make that circa 1957. THAT is made up! When I grew up our parents did not sit us in front of a TV...we did not have one. Our brain cells were not wasted on nonsense. When I was eleven, I could fill out everything on the periodic table...they gave out a sheet of paper with the boxes and said fill it out. That accounted for just 25 points on the test.

This reminds me of when we had Aztec-style cacao in Social Studies. Thanks Chef John, for all your beautiful work in the kitchen.

makes sense because that drink is an atole (thickened with masa harina) and the cornstarch in this recipe i would imagine gives it a similar texture!

@Venator Longstride Lmao. I recently visited Chichen Itza and they told us all about that stuff!

@Steven Rodriguez me and the rest of the middle schoolers thought we were jaguar warriors

Oh wow, this really makes me want to go back to Spain

dang! that's a LOT easier than EVERY other version of the recipe i've ever seen. i will definitely make this!

I had a friend that once, in the middle of winter, made this hot chocolate...sometimes I remember, and I wanna cry, because I'm diabetic so I really can't drink that anymore 🤣 It's summer in Argentina at the moment but I do wish to drink a really creamy hot chocolate. Thanks for the content, Chef John!

@Ron Labhart But you're reducing the fat content by adding water. Then you're upping the fat content by adding butter..... You could just add less water.... And BTW, butter has over 1600 calories per cup. So adding water to reduce the calories in heavy cream by adding butter.......

@Robert Pruitt because a cup of heavy cream is 821 calories. A bit rich.

@Ron Labhart Then why do you thin down the heavy cream with water?

@Robert Pruitt no, it's because milk contains 12g of carbs per cup and heavy cream doesn't. If I weren't trying to limit the carbs as much as possible, I'd just use milk.

@Ron Labhart Umm, the entire reason you have to add water to the heavy cream, is because it contains too much fat. So you're over-thinning, and then adding butter to get the fat content back high enough. You could just add less water..... But to be honest, the butter makes it taste better.

I think the cornstarch might also help with emulsifying it. I've made it without cornstarch a few times, and it ends up with this texture where the chocolate doesn't dissolve completely, but instead stays as these tiny blobs suspended in hot milk. Though that's only a problem when using chocolate, not cocoa powder.

ooooh! I think you're right! That has happened to me, too.

This is how I make my hot chocolate, except for the corn starch. I just let it cook in low for a few minutes and it thickens beautifully.

@Nyx That's like questioning if I would fall if I stepped over the edge of a canyon. No need to try something I already know the result for. You wouldn't tell me to "try it" when I doubt if 2+2=5. No need to get a bunch of beads and recount

@Zari A We don't live in war times. Use fresh products. You wouldn't pick canned peaches over fresh ones.

@Matt S would evaporated milk from a can be better instead of condensed milk?

@Nyx You're imagining things. Sorry but reducing the water content from lets say 100ml to 90ml won't make it noticeably thicker to you. Even going down to 25ml won't suddenly give you "cream" in texture. That's chemically impossible with something like milk which is mostly water.

We use a 50-50 mix of Trader Joe’s Belgian Dark Chocolate, Ghirardelli 100% Majestic powdered cocoa, and whole milk whipped in a saucepan until an infrared thermometer measures 160 degrees F. And we found a non-stick saucepan at Sur la Table with pour spouts — perfect! Except they no longer carry it. Optional extra: mini marshmallows rolled in cinnamon.

Thanks so much Chef John, I love the hot chocolate from Spain but never new how to make it.

This looks great and EASY!! I had Mexican hot chocolate at a restaurant here in the Cleveland, Ohio area that was life changing and it had a hint of cinnamon too. I’ll try it your way boss! 🍫☕️

The name of the textbook in my high school Spanish class in the mid 80’s was “Churros y Chocolate.” I think learning about that treat was my biggest takeaway from high school Spanish. That and learning that farm animals sound different in Spanish than English. Crazy.

We had that book too! Finally ate it in Salamanca Spain during college —one of my favorite foods ever

The aroma of Spanish hot chocolate reminds me of my grandmas kitchen , I remember sometimes helping her make hot chocolate, I remember opening the kitchen drawer where she would store the hard as rock chocolate (abuelita brand) can't recall exactly how she would break the round- 1inch thick bar whenever she would make a small batch.

Perfect spanish style chocolate!!! This is very common in spain as breakfast on winter weekends with churros or toasted bread... thank you for this beautiful recipe

Love love ❤️ you and your channel and how you help single moms shine…..my daughters love the recipes and the funny things you say that help ease my nerves as a home cook.

Wait! We DON’T want a liquified chocolate bar?! 🤯 Well, this looks very close…Now I’ll go make those churros. 🥰but, I just finished cooking a loaf of sourdough, so…

Chef John: we don't want this to be a melted chocolate bar Also Chef John: ok let's dump in all this chocolate to melt...

Thanks Chef for delivering yet another winner! I made this for breakfast today with buttered toast and it is truly the breakfast of champions!! I can see what you mean about the cornstarch. It’s like drinking chocolate silk. I didn’t think I’d like the cayenne but just a wee bit adds a slightly different kind warmth that takes it up another level. The bonus was that it’s super easy to make!!

Hey Chef John, I've just been thinking about making hot chocolate today n lo and behold, you upload. What a joy!

This reminds me of your Italian dessert for Valintines Day from years ago. Always wanted to try it in this form

Thank you Chef John. Definitely, artisan sourdough toast with hot chocolate.

I love this, Thank you Chef John 🤩💞

Love the videos. Keep up the good work. As someone recently retire from the television industry I know how difficult it is to be a one-man show and do it all. You do it well. Kudos!

Retired not retire. Roger, Louisville

I'm not into sweet drinks at all, but I'm only here for chef Jhon 💜

That's a nice idea. But for the spring diet rather not. 😉😉 In my childhood, there were slices of bread with butter and thin chocolate bars for underweight children. This is in a comparable league.❤

I enjoy all your videos. I cooked my way through school in restaurants that allowed experimentation and had a commitment to quality. Listening to you is like listening to my musician friends. It’s contagious. Gonna make this chocolate for my grandchildren and give you the credit.

I just shared this with my family! Thanks I love coffee and some chocolate. 😊

Love this recipe Chef John.

I've been thinking about that for a while now but in this video I am just convinced that Chef John is at the beach in Hawaii and only making voice overs while someone else cooks🙈.

Been waiting on this since you made the churros!!!

I lived in Spain and I loved their chocolate. Two things I have to mention: #1) their cups of hot chocolate were VERY, VERY thick, so I am sure they used more cornstarch. #2) The churros in Spain (where they originated!!) are NOT dusted with sugar. So when you dunk them in the chocolate, the ONLY sweetness is from the chocolate.

I had a similar version of this in Sestriere, Italy - was delicious 😊

Oh my heck that looks delicious!

Chef John, this looks good but the problem with me breaking up the chocolate. Very little of it would make it to the plate/drink! Lol! Thanks anyway for the recipe.

I had hot chocolate multiple times in Mexico City last year and haven't been able to get it off my mind!!! It was a life-changing experience, and I have scoured the internet for recipes that said they were for "Mexican hot chocolate," but i have yet to find one that emulated that RICH, CREAMY, CHOCOLATEY, INCREDIBLE beverage that I remember. Super duper excited to try this, Chef John!! It looks spot-on!

If you ever happen to be around Santa Fe, NM- check out Kakawa Chocolate House. I was so impressed with their varieties!!

If you do try it and decide it’s like what you remember from Mexico City pls post a follow up 😀

Well done! This is the genuine Spanish style hot chocolate! We have it on Reyes Eve ( January 6th) with roscón de reyes. Delish!!!!

After all Chef John, you are the crème brûlée of your choc au lait! 😎

This is just the thing I need this morning. I have just a little bit of sourdough left.

A great rich, bold, and delicious hot chocolate from 🇪🇸.

I love to visit Mexico City. The Museums and interesting places are amazing. Because of the climate there, the street vendors make wonderful hot chocolate. They use a tool to whisk the hot chocolate called a "cochillo" (?!?). I bought one on one of the trips, and use it when I make my hot chocolate here in the States. Add some cinnamon 🤤

I just use milk, unsweetened cocoa, and chili powder, but I'll need to try adding corn starch and a bit of salt. Perfect antidote to a cold day outside.

I love Colombian style chocolate with cheese inside! Much much much better! I remember trying it the first time in Bogota in cafe La Puerta Falsa - The false door.

Nice video. Have you tried honey instead of sugar in hot chocolate? 😊👍🏻👍🏻

Chef John I am literally sprinting to the store!

Life pro tip, if you use a double boiler type setup (I just put the pan in a water bath), cleanup will be way easier!

omg, looks so good. i am making some tomorrow :)

Food wish complete! Thanks Chef!

I had this style of hot chocolate, with more cornstarch I’d guess, in Lisbon. It was so delicious. I was a bit disappointed years later when I discovered it’s just from adding cornstarch.

Cornstarch is powdered magic. From thickening sauces to making a killer poster glue

You might enjoy using Chocolate Cortés it’s really really good

A few times when I was a kid, my grandmother made hot chocolate, but she didn't use the powdered mixes. She used regular Hershey's cocoa powder and milk. I'm sure she didn't add corn starch for hers (American), and I don't think she added sugar or honey. It was simple, just the two ingredients, as I recall. -- But I'd love to try this Spanish hot cocoa recipe. -- A good dark chocolate cocoa powder might work, or dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips. But Chef John's cooking instincts of course go for the bar cooking chocolate, which is probably best. Hmm... variations with a little peanut butter chips or butterscotch or white chocolate in with the dark or semi-sweet cocoa chocolate... could be very interesting too.

Hot cocoa is made with the powdered chocolate and hot chocolate is by melting pieces of chocolate into milk. Both are delicious but the hot chocolate is richer tasting.

I'm told a little cinnamon in hot chocolate is a typical Latino thing, and it does taste good!

Hot chocolate with loaf of bread, cheese, butter and swedish "svennes" kaviar on is just amazing too dip and eat while having hot chocolate combine

Perfect. Just got upgraded to a Winter storm warning for up to a foot of snow. If I promise to make this for my husband, do you think I can get out of shoveling?

Absolutely worst case put it into a thermos LoL

Looks delicious. I love chocolate but hate being lactosis intolerant and diabetic 😭.

Fast acting Lactaid (or the generic from Sam's Club) is heaven sent for lactose intolerant folks.

Ohh we eat that with churros ❤️ (the original spanish style) an afternoon treat institution in Spain!!

@AnitaNiniel un besito! Me encanta Escocia!

@Jose Antonio Fernandez ;) saludos desde Escocia! Jajaja Españoles por el mundo!!

@AnitaNiniel pensaba que eras una guiri que había estado en España! Jajaja yo también soy español. Un saludo desde Chicago!

@Jose Antonio Fernandez anywhere in Spain, really... I am from Madrid but northern family.

I am glad you enjoyed them! in Madrid maybe?

Jon, i make hot cocoa with sugar and powdered cocoa 1:1, then add boiling water from a kettle directly into a glass mug. Then, in a capped mason jar, I combine heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract and give it a few really good shakes until i get a thick sweat cream. I take a spoon and lay it just over the surface of the hot cocoa horizontally (might have to bend an old spoon) and gently glide the cream over it. It's quick and absolutely fantastic. The viscosity of the hot cocoa depends on the cocoa to water ratio, which i like on the richer side; but i read you shouldn't consume over 4 to 6 teaspoons of cocoa powder a day. A nice demitasse cup is perfect for this.

Better if you skip water and just use milk+ heavy cream that you boil. That and cocoapowder and sugar will taste amazing.

Yummy 😋😋😋

Great recipe Chef Juan.

Made me remember the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life. A Puerto Rican family friend made me coffee with just milk and coffee. Omgosh, theee best. I need to find out how the Wife made it. Still to this day I can’t get anything more rich. I bet chef John knows how though.

This looks great. I’m gonna make this tonight. Probably minus the cayenne though, I got little kids.

I heat the milk in a pyrex measuring cup, in the microwave. Then mix in a cold cornstarch slurry. Stir until thickened, returning to microwave for another 30 seconds, stirring again. Then break some chocolate in a cup, add a bit of thickened hot milk, stir until melted. Top with rest of hot milk, keep stirring. Add sugar, cinnamon, rum or brandy, vanilla in any combo, to taste. A tiny pinch of salt. I want to try this with an espresso. I like you idea of cayenne, too, Chef John. Love your vids, thank you!

It's so cold and rainy and windy here in the Bay Area today. Mmmm...this would be just the thing!

I'd have probably gone for powdered sugar and adding half and half, rather than corn starch, but I suppose you pick your calorie source yeah? Good stuff.

I do pretty much exactly this recipe but I put dried red pepper flakes in, just a few, with the chocolate.

Merci beaucoup pour le chocolat chaud, il a l’air délicieux et très onctueux.

Now wait a minute! Liquified chocolate bar sounds mighty good to me....

Delicious for dipping in some churros!

You caught my attention with “Mexican style” hot chocolate. However, one of the main ingredients in Mexican hot chocolate is cinnamon. Correction "Spanish" 😉🤣

@julia c lol exactly... What part of it is Spanish?

its spanish, not mexican

My mom always bought Carnation chocolate milk mix when i was a kid...sometimes Ovaltine. When we had hot chocolate, she used warm milk (from our own cows) and the Carnation. When instant hot chocolate mixes became a thing, I was not and am still not very impressed with them. No matter the chocolate you use, you gotta have milk! I now enjoy pumpkin pie spices or at the very least, nutmeg in my hot chocolate.AND CAYENNE!

I fell in love with European style hot choc when I lived in Germany for 3 yrs

Chef John, please make a recipe for chocolate sauce, the type that solidifies when you pour it over ice cream. NO ONE HAS DONE THAT.

I think you need to look into chocolate tempering

The corn starch can be added after removing from heat, mixed with a couple tablespoons of cool milk.

Ah sadly winter just finished for us! We turned the air conditioner on for the first time this year. Also, is this possible to replicate with less dairy or with dairy substitutes? My bf has a horrible intolerance. Edit: I'm thinking since the thickness is from corn starch, oat milk would work ok

This is the perfect texture for drinkable hot chocolate.

Shoutout to Chocolate Abuelita 🤗 … Mexican will know 😊

Could you serve this in a boudin’s sourdough bread bowl? It would be a change of pace from the usual clam chowder.

You are in for a big treat. That's what he said.

I do this in the microwave. Directly in the serving mugs. It comes out perfect, and there's less to clean up. One thing to watch out for is that it goes very quickly from thick to overboiling.

This looks wonderful! And I'm not a fan of Chocolate! I'm surprised, no vanilla?

Ok i think there's something wrong with my corn starch... I followed the recipe to the letter but i have to use like two tablespoons of starch to get it to thicken even a tiny bit

i would totally sip the thick version though, these days, i prefer my creamy chocolate drinks chilled too

Yumm. My abue used to make chocolate with a abuelita chocolate tablet and froth it w the molinillo ❤

Hi, chef John! Could I use oat milk instead? I am a little lactose intolerant

Ghirardelli chocolate and Boudin sourdough would be a great Bay Area duo!

YUMMM 😋

Good video, as always. However, if you wanted to spike this, what liquor would you choose?

Yess this reminds me of the hot cocoa that my Cuban friend made me.

You can do this with cocoa powder just as well (no, not the powdered milk mix). That's what the chocolate bars are in the first place.

Get the Dutch processed stuff, it's so much better

True, Cocoa powder, sugar, Milk and some heavy cream makes for a hell of a nice cup of chocolate.

Mess with your quality ingredients all you want, but single most important factor in fancy hot chocolate is as you mentioned, the cornstarch.

Churros are Esther dipped in chocolate or in sugar, both are definetly way too sweet

You should make a Royal Navy Pusser's "kai" hot chocolate drink. Butter, evaporated milk, unsweetened dark chocolate and a spoon had to stand up in it... A Block of unsweetened dark chocolate should be scraped with a dagger, never mind the dirt, into only enough water to melt it. Add sweetened condensed milk from a can and lots of sugar, add a big dollop of butter and stir. The spoon should stand up in it on its own. I also read you are not to use water from the fire main. Excellent when keeping first watch in the North Atlantic in winter.

This is how I make Hot Chocolate. The cooking process is the same, but the recipe is slightly different. The result is drinkable consistency without corn starch. I think thickening agent that comes with chocolate bar is enough. ------ 50g - Dark chocolate (70% cacao) 250ml - Milk 1tsp - Honey (or Sugar if you're allergic) 1 - Cinnamon stick 1 - Pinch of salt 1 - Few shakes of red hot pepper (or leave out) Few small Marshmallows to garnish on top. ------ ☕

@Samantha Fox I know my stuff. 😉

ooooh, marshmallow topping - now that sounds yummy...

RVL .. I trust you guys .. this is top notch 👌 yall are talented. Following from South Africa

The spanish cup of chocolate is the classic chocolate dip around the rest of the world

I'm too lazy for this but thankfully Abuelitas hot chocolate exists.

Amazing!

After all you are the one who is Loco over your Spanish style hot cocoa.🤪