Atole de Elote Recipe
A warm mug of atole de elote takes me right back home—creamy corn, milk, and cinnamon coming together in the most comforting, nostalgic way.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 stick cinnamon, (canela)
- 6 ears of corn
- 4 cups whole milk, divided
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- ½ cup milk powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup sugar, or to taste
Additional
- Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
Infuse the Water
- In a large pot, combine the water and cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let it cook until the water is infused with cinnamon, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep the pot on the stove.
Prepare the Corn Mixture
- Cut the kernels from 6 ears of corn. Transfer the kernels from 4 ears (about 1 lb 2 oz) to a blender. Set aside the kernels from the remaining 2 ears (about 1 ½ cups) for later use.
- Add 2 cups of whole milk to the blender— enough to cover the kernels—and blend until completely smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and set aside.
Make the Milk Base
- Rinse the blender. Add 2 cups whole milk, evaporated milk, milk powder, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until smooth and fully combined.
Combine and Cook
- Turn the heat back on to medium and bring the cinnamon-infused water to a gentle simmer. Stir in the sugar until fully dissolved.
- Add the strained corn mixture and the reserved 1 ½ cups of whole kernels. Slowly pour the blended milk mixture into the pot, stirring constantly with a spatula.
- Once the mixture begins to release steam or reaches a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Do not let it boil.
- Cook for 10–15 minutes, until the atole thickens slightly, looks glossy, the cornstarch flavor has cooked off, and the corn kernels are tender. Taste and adjust sugar if needed, then remove from the heat.
Serve
- Remove the cinnamon stick. Ladle the atole into mugs and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. The atole will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
Notes
- Once the milk is on the heat, do not let it boil. Stir constantly to prevent scorching.
- A gentle simmer can be tricky to spot while stirring; once you see steam, lower the heat to maintain temperature.
- Add sugar to taste. Start with half the suggested amount, then adjust toward the end.
- For a thicker atole, add more cornstarch. Dissolve it first in a small amount of milk to create a smooth slurry, then slowly stir it into the hot mixture to prevent lumps.
- Atole will continue to thicken as it cools, so plan for a slightly looser consistency while it’s hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 15gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 277mgPotassium: 806mgFiber: 2gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 669IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 456mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and intended as an approximation only.