Homemade Atole De Maizena is a classic Mexican hot drink perfect for a cold day. Skip the premade stuff and make this with cornstarch, milk, sugar and cinnamon. Top with cinnamon powder or a dollop of whipped cream.
Maizena Atole Drink
Friends, it is so incredibly easy to make Atole De Maizena. Put down that powdery packet! Throw a handful of real ingredients into a saucepan and you will have homemade Atole in minutes! It’s simple, delicious, and so much more satisfying than the store-bought stuff.
Atole is a dense drink of pre-Hispanic origin consumed in Mexico, Guatemala and other Central American countries.
It is one of the most popular drinks throughout Mexico. Each region has its own version with different ingredients, lending many different flavors of atoles! In some cases it is sweetened with sugar, piloncillo or honey and the base can be water and/or milk. Then it comes the ingredient that makes the atole unique: either a type of flour, grain, nut or fruit.
Today’s version is made with cornstarch or “fecula de maiz” in Spanish. The Maizena name comes from the brand Maizena which is the most popular brand in Mexico (and other countries) so the name stuck to this drink.
Ingredients
There’s just four ingredients in this recipe! In my opinion, the best atole is simple to make, with just a few quality ingredients.
- Milk – You can use dairy or dairy-free milk, including cashew milk, almond milk, or oat milk. The creamier the better! And since this recipe has sugar in it, I’d choose unsweetened store-bought milks.
- Maizena brand corn starch. Make sure it’s fresh and not expired.
- Cinnamon stick – this gives so much flavor!
- The sweetener – Use white or brown sugar. It is also popular to use condensed milk which lends a silky texture to this drink.
- Vanilla extract
***Make sure to scroll all the way down to the recipe card to get the full ingredient list and written recipe.
How To Make Atole De Maizena
In a cup or bowl combine ½ cup milk and 3 tablespoons maizena. Using a fork or a whisk, mix well until all the lumps have disappeared.
- In a medium saucepan add the rest of the milk and the cinnamon stick. Heat milk over medium heat.
Once the milk is warm, add the maizena mixture and mix everything together with a cooking spoon or a whisk. Keep stirring the mixture to avoid the milk to sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the sugar and vanilla. Increase heat to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Serve while hot and sprinkle cinnamon or a dollop of whipped cream (optional).
The consistency will be thick like a light gravy or heavy cream.
Ways to enjoy Atole
Atole always goes perfect with something sweet like empanaditas, churros, marranitos, or your favorite pan dulce.
It also goes great with:
- tamales (these two go together like peanut butter and jelly!)
- pambazos
- chicken tinga
- or your favorite Mexican dish!
Chef’s Tips and Notes
How to store:
Pour into airtight glass jars, and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. It may separate, but that’s fine if it does, as it will recombine when you reheat it.
How to reheat Atole:
- Stovetop – Reheat in a saucepan over low heat until warm, stirring frequently.
- Slow Cooker – When serving at a party, we love to keep Atole warm in a slow cooker on the low heat setting.
Enjoy…
More Warm Drinks
I hope you liked this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe
Atole De Maizena
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk (1 liter) your favorite kind
- 4 tablespoons maizena (corn starch)
- 2 cinnamon sticks broken up a little bit
- 3 tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a cup or bowl combine ½ cup milk and 4 tablespoons maizena. Using a fork or a whisk, mix well until all the lumps have disappeared.
- In a medium saucepan add the rest of the milk and the cinnamon sticks. Heat milk over medium heat.
- Once the milk is warm, add the maizena mixture and mix everything together with a cooking spoon or a whisk. Add the sugar and vanilla and keep stirring to avoid the milk to sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Important! Stir often to avoid the milk to sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Increase heat to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Serve while hot and sprinkle cinnamon or a dollop of whipped cream (optional).
Muy Delish Notes:
How to store:
Pour into airtight glass jars, and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. It may separate, but that’s fine if it does, as it will recombine when you reheat it.How to reheat Atole:
- Stovetop – Reheat in a saucepan over low heat until warm, stirring frequently.
- Slow Cooker – When serving at a party, we love to keep Atole warm in a slow cooker on the low heat setting.
Add Your Own Private Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
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Este atole es igualito al de mi abuela! Le hechabamos fresas molidas tambien. Gracias!