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Tejocote Hawthorn Atole (Seasonal Mexican Hot Drink)

Name: Tejocote Hawthorn Atole (Seasonal Mexican Hot Drink)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 100 g Piloncillo; 2 rajas Cinnamon sticks; 500 g Tejocotes (Mexican hawthorn); 3 tbsp Cornflour

45 min (15 prep + 30 cook) Easy 6 servings Centro

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Winter atole of Mexican tejocotes with piloncillo and cinnamon. Day of the Dead tradition.

About this recipe

Seasonal atole made with tejocotes (Mexican wild hawthorn), piloncillo and cinnamon. Perfect winter drink for Day of the Dead and Christmas posadas.

History & Origin

Tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) is a Mexican wild fruit with over 3,000 years of history in Mesoamerica. The Aztecs used it as food and in traditional medicine, valued for its astringent properties and high vitamin C and natural pectin content. Its Nahuatl name, "texócotl", means "sour stone" for its characteristic sweet-sour flavour. Tejocote atole is a deeply seasonal drink in Mexican culture. It appears on Day of the Dead altars alongside the deceased's favourite foods, then reappears at Christmas posadas as part of warm fruit ponche. This ritual seasonality gives the drink an almost sacred character. The natural pectin of the tejocote gives the atole a silky, slightly gelatinous texture that distinguishes it from other atoles. Piloncillo and cinnamon complement the natural acidity of the fruit, creating a perfectly Mexican balance of flavours.

Estimated cost

£2.80

Total cost

£0.47

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

165

Calories

Protein

40g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

25mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Wash 500g tejocotes well. In a saucepan, cover with water and cook for 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain and reserve the cooking water.
💡 The tejocotes are ready when the skin peels off easily.
2
Carefully peel the cooked tejocotes. Cut them open, remove the stone and seeds. Blend the pulp with 200ml cooking water.
3
Strain the tejocote purée. Dissolve 3 tablespoons cornflour in ½ cup cold water.
💡 Cornflour is optional; tejocote has natural pectin that thickens on its own.
4
In a saucepan, heat 1 litre of the cooking water with 100g grated piloncillo and 2 cinnamon sticks. Add the tejocote purée and dissolved cornflour. Mix well.
5
Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly for 12-15 minutes until thickened. Adjust sweetness with more piloncillo. Serve hot.
💡 Garnish with a small cinnamon stick when serving.