I have been a huge fan of Mexican food ever since I spent several years living down in Houston. Whether it is classic Tex-Mex like fajitas or something a bit more unique like this Mexican chocolate dipping sauce, I have come to appreciate the bold flavors of Mexican food. With Cinco de Mayo coming up soon, I decided to try making a homemade Mexican chocolate dipping sauce to pair with some fresh strawberries that are in season this month from Florida. If you are not familiar with Mexican chocolate, the flavor is truly unique and there are several variations on how to serve it that you may not be familiar with.
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What is Mexican Chocolate?
Basically, Mexican chocolate is a chocolate that is prepared with certain spices for a unique flavor. The texture is slightly different than traditional chocolate but it really gives an amazing flavor to this chocolate recipe!
It is a great dipping sauce for churros and has many other delicious uses, as well. Cacao (the earliest and simplest form of chocolate) was first cultivated by the indigenous people of Mexico. It is truly one of the most ‘Mexican’ foods you can possibly serve at your Cinco de Mayo fiesta!
How to Make Mexican Chocolate Sauce
I will include the actual recipe I used below but wanted to give you a basic formula so you could create your own variations if you wanted to. Basically, to make this chocolate dip, follow these simple steps:
Melt the chocolate: I find that using a double boiler is the easiest way to prevent burning.
Stir in the flavorings: The most common ones are cinnamon, coffee liqueur, and sugar.
Pour into a serving dish and enjoy! Serve with slices of fruit or homemade churros for a delicious Mexican dessert recipe.
If you have leftover sauce, store it in a tightly-covered glass container in the refrigerator. Use it within a week or so and make sure you reheat before using.
Variations on this Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce
While the ‘classic’ Mexican chocolate sauce might be delicious, there are many variations that you can make to give it your own personal style. Here are a few unique Mexican chocolate dipping sauce suggestions.
Add heat: Not all Mexican recipes are spicy, including this chocolate sauce. If you want to kick up the heat, start with 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or chipotle pepper powder and work your way up a little at a time. Do not use chili powder! It has cumin and an assortment of other flavors that don’t belong in your chocolate sauce.
Change the sweetener: Use dark brown sugar or grated piloncillo (brown sugar cane)instead of white sugar
Add a Mexican liqueur: Try not only Kahlua but other liqueurs like Agavero or Kalani Coconut Liqueur.
Swap out the cinnamon: There are many ‘warm’ spices that you could replace the cinnamon with like cloves or nutmeg.
Use real Mexican chocolate: Some Mexican dipping sauce recipes call for dark chocolate while others use traditional Mexican chocolate, which already has some added spices. While dark chocolate makes a fine Mexican chocolate substitute, it isn’t completely authentic.Try swapping out the chocolate that you use but make sure to modify the amounts of spices used if you do.
What To Do with Mexican Chocolate Sauce
Whether you are looking for a churro dipping sauce recipe or a Mexican chocolate sauce for ice cream, they are really all the same sauce. There are SO many uses for this chocolate dipping sauce but I thought I would give you just a few serving suggestions:
Pour your delicious chocolate sauce over homemade pound cake, crepes, bread pudding, ice cream, or even your morning oatmeal!
Use it as a dipping sauce for slices of fruit, homemade churros, or even homemade pretzels.
Add it to milk, smoothies, or coffee for a super fabulous Mexican chocolate beverage!
I paired it with fresh strawberries since they were seasonal this month but everything tastes better dipped in chocolate, right? The flavor of cinnamon and the heat from the hot chilies in the Mexican chocolate are a wonderful pairing for fresh fruit! This chocolate recipe is truly unique and one I think you will really enjoy!
Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce with Fresh Strawberries
This Mexican chocolate dipping sauce tastes wonderful with fresh strawberries!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Ingredients
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.
3 ounces Mexican chocolate or dark chocolate, chopped.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (can use Kahlua instead)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional for a thicker chocolate)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (if desired. More or less to taste)
strawberries for dipping
Instructions
Place cream in a double boiler and heat until small bubbles form around the edges. Stir occasionally.
Add in the remaining ingredients, except vanilla.
Heat while stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture has thickened slightly.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Let cool slightly, stirring occasionally.
Serve slightly warm or cool with fresh strawberries
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire and has worked in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging and freelance writing to share this knowledge with others. Learn more about her HERE.
