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A small bowl of "atol de elote", a type of corn porridge cinnamon sticks and corn kernels in the background.
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Easy Atol de Elote

A comforting and traditional gluten-free Mesoamerican hot drink made from corn, milk, cinnamon, and sugar, perfect for warming the soul.
Prep Time16 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time38 minutes
Course: Dessert, Drinks, Side Dish
Cuisine: Salvadoran
Keyword: atol, atol de elote, cinnamon, comforting warm drink, corn, elote, salvadorian, warm drink
Servings: 6
Calories: 268kcal
Author: Josué

Equipment

  • 1 Blender
  • 1 Nut Milk Bag or Thin White Kitchen Towel
  • 1 Pot
  • 1 Bowl

Ingredients

  • 5 Cups Organic Whole Milk
  • 568 grams Organic Yellow Corn
  • 2 Sticks Cinnamon
  • 4.5 Tbsp Sugar Result is not too sweet. Adjust to your liking.
  • 1 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt This salt is not that salty, use less with other salts.
  • 5 Tbsp Organic Cornstarch Thickening ingredient

Instructions

Add to a Blender

  • 1.5 cups of milk
    Adding milk to a blender
  • 568 grams of organic corn
    Pouring frozen corn into a blender
  • Blend thoroughly
    Blended corn and milk in a blender.

Corn Liquid/Milk

  • Pour the blended corn into a nut milk bag and close it. If you are using a thin white kitchen towel instead, place it over a bowl first and then pour the liquid into the towel while its edges are still outside the bowl. Wrap the towel into a sort of knot at the top.
    Pouring contents of blender into a nut bag in a metal bowl.
  • Squeeze out every last bit of liquid. This can take a few minutes.
    Squeezing with hands the contents of the nut bag over a metal bowl.
  • Once you are done, you will be left with just the dry part of the corn. Set the liquid aside.
    Opened nut bag reveals the result of squeezing out the liquid a top a metal bowl.

Simmer Milk

  • To a large pot, add 3 cups of milk and cook at a medium high heat.
    A pot with three cups of milk added to it
  • Add two cinnamon sticks to the milk.
    A pot of milk with two cinnamon sticks added to it
  • While the milk is warming up, prepare the cornstarch mixture in a separate container by using the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and 5 tablespoons of cornstarch.
    Adding corn starch to a cup
  • Mix very well to avoid having clumps form when you add it to the hot milk. Put aside for now.
    Mixing corn starch and milk in a cup

Putting It All Together

  • Keep stirring the milk consistently.
    Pot with milk and cinnamon sticks being heated
  • Add the corn milk liquid immediately after the milk starts to simmer.
    Pouring blended corn into pot with milk
  • Keep stirring and add 4.5 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt (or 1 tsp of Diamond Kosher salt).
    Adding sugar to pot with corn mixture
  • Keep stirring and add the cornstarch milk mixture previously prepared. You'll notice that the Atol starts to have a thicker consistency.
    Adding corn starch mixture to pot with blended corn mixture
  • Keep stirring constantly until the Atol comes to a gentle simmer.
    Stirring mixture in pot
  • Sample some once it's come to a gentle simmer.
    Ladle with "Atol de Elote" from pot below and a ramekin on the other hand
  • Serve immediately and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon powder if you like. Be careful sipping it!
    Board with a bowl of "Atol de Elote" that's being sprinkled with cinnamon

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