Spanish Hot Chocolate with Coconut Churros | Many moons ago when I had cable, I was watching some show on the Cooking Channel about living in Spain. I was immediately glued to the television. I love anything Spain! My biggest dream is to go back and visit Spain or what I affectionately call “The Mother Land.”
I remember the show! From Spain with Love!
The episode was all about Spain’s obsession with chocolate. It all started back in the 16th century when it was discovered in the regions of Mesoamerica and brought back to Spain. With time chocolate became a very popular drink in Spain and served to the Spanish monarchy. It was said that “chocolate is to the Spanish what tea is to the English.”
But, it wasn’t like the hot chocolate that we drink here in the U.S. It’s made with bittersweet chocolate and served as a rich thick and creamy drink. Thick enough that it coats and holds on to your churro when it’s dipped, but still thin enough to drink.
During the episode, they sat down for cups of thick hot chocolate and a side of crispy fried churros. I immediately knew that I had to make this for myself! Seriously what could be better!?
There are all kinds of happiness going on! Hot chocolate, sugar, cinnamon covered crispy churros and for the heck of it, I added a few teaspoons of coconut extract to the churros. Because coconut and chocolate are BFFs.
Someday I will go to Spain and sit at the counter of a chocolateria and have an authentic Spanish hot chocolate with churros. In the meantime, I have these to hold me over.
more chocolate love!
- chocolate and coffee flancocho
- chocolate truffles with hazelnut ganache
- raspberry crumb brownie bars
Spanish Hot Chocolate with Coconut Churros
Hot chocolate made with bittersweet chocolate served as a thick and creamy drink. It coats your churros when it's dipped, but still thin enough to drink.
Ingredients
Churros
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 whole eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Hot Chocolate
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate (at least 58% cacao), chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Churros
- Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy, high-sided pot over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 360 degrees. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon on a plate and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pot combine 1 cup of water with the butter, extract and salt, bring to a boil over high heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Reduce the heat to low and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove the dough from the heat and, while stirring constantly, gradually beat the eggs into the dough.
- Transfer the churro dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Squeeze a coil of dough into the hot oil. Cut the dough from the tip using a knife or kitchen shears. Repeat, frying 1 or 2 coils at a time. You can also fry them in strips and do 3 to 4 at a time. Fry the churros, turning them once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked churros to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- When the churros are just cool enough to handle, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar (in Spain churros are simply rolled in sugar.)
Hot Chocolate
- In a large heavy saucepan combine chocolate, sugar, milk and 2 cups of water. Heat the chocolate over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the chocolate is melted.
- Stir cornstarch into 1 cup of cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the chocolate. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until chocolate mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat and cook for 2 minutes, whisking, until thick.
- Remove chocolate from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Serve in large cups with churros.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 453Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 233mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 4gSugar: 19gProtein: 10g
I am a little confused when comparing the ingredients of the hot chocolate with the instructions on how to make it. In the instructions it says to add 2 cups of water, whereas in the ingredient list there is no water mentioned.
Is it 2 cups of milk, plus 2 cups of water, or is there a typo?
Thanks!
No this is correct. I normally do not list water in the ingredient list as water isn’t an item that normally needs to be purchased. You will use both water and milk in the recipe for the hot chocolate.
I love your site. I am hooked and saved too many in 1 night. I have seen your hot chocolate in a magazine before, but it was called chocolate gravy…intetesting huh?Maybe you could add that note as to clarify how it is supposed to be thick. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes.
1/4 cup? This has to be a mistake. That is a huge amount of cornstarch especially when I haven’t seen a recipe that calls for over 2 teaspoons.
It’s not a mistake. This hot chocolate comes out very thick. Almost like a thin pudding.
These sound amazing. My partner loves churros so I think I will have to make some of these.
Oh my. That hot chocolate looks so rich and creamy! I bet it is perfect with just about anything dunked into it. Yum!
Hey Meseidy, you´re spot on the thick chocolate, qué recuerdos de invierno! However, the churros in Spain are only made with flour, sal and water… much easier recipe but dificult to master (I have never dared to do them at home…) it looks tempting, no matter what the churro dough was made of 😉
I’ve had this hot chocolate in Barcelona at the Chocolate Museum and its out of this world! It’s very thick almost like they melted a chocolate bar and poured into tiny cups — delicious but so rich I couldn’t drink all of it. Yes, you have to go to Bacelona and try this — the Chocolate Museum is wonderful to see also and right around the corner from the Picasso museum.
Ha! What Brenda said. I never ever ever go to Chicago with out stopping at XOCO for churros and warm chocolate!! Yours looks pretty darn close…might need to make this for my sons birthday treat!
Some pictures of the process before it is done would be very helpful! 🙂
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The first time I had hot chocolate and churros was this past October in Madrid. What an experience! There’s truly nothing like it.
I will put this on my to do list and will be in Madrid in January and will think of you. I know this show and I remember this segment. May I take this time to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Looks gorgeous 🙂
Ahhh, to live in Spain 😉
Watching the Cooking Channel is dangerous because not only does it make us want to make churros & hot chocolate, but it also makes us want to travel more!
Oh. My. This post is pure heaven. Beautiful!! (If you’re ever in Chicago, XOCO by Rick Bayless serves some pretty awesome fresh churros with hot chocolate…worth the wait in line!)
I will totally keep that in mind! I love Chicago!
Get me to Spain! fabulous!
What great recipes !! I wondered when you started talking about the thickness of the chocolate if it was not more like homemade cornstarch custard, and it was as I read the recipe a thinner custard like we used to make and pour over Chocolate Chiffon Cake (was vanilla custard there)
I love reading your blog and will be glad to get back to it on a regular basis, very soon! Trouble is now I am hungry! LOL
It’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still drinkable.