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Recipe

North America →
Guatemala → Sacatepéquez (Antigua)
🥤 DRINK

Atol de Elote

A warm, creamy Guatemalan drink of fresh sweet corn blended smooth and simmered with milk, cinnamon, and a little sugar, thick enough to spoon.
Guatemalan · easy · serves 4
prep 10 min · cook 20 min
~329 cal · 9g protein · 66g carbs · 6g fat · 4g fiber · 37g sugars · 2g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Atol de elote is a warm, creamy corn drink ladled from big pots in Guatemalan markets, so thick that people often eat it with a spoon. Like a cross between horchata and corn chowder, it is comfort in a cup, and it warms the chilliest hands in the Central American highlands for about the price of a coin.
Fresh sweet corn is pulverised on a grinding stone (or, at home, in a blender), then simmered with milk or water, sugar, and cinnamon or vanilla, and a pinch of salt to lift the corn's own sweetness. It must be stirred constantly as it thickens, or the starch sinks and scorches on the bottom.
Corn was sacred to the ancient Maya, and their descendants keep that reverence in drinks like this one, served alongside tamales at festivals and on cold highland evenings. Made on water rather than milk, or with oat milk, it is just as good and fully plant-based.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian and gluten-, egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
Serves 4
3 cups (from about 4 cobs) fresh sweet corn kernels
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1/2 cup, or to taste sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch salt
Instructions
1
Blend the corn kernels with the water until as smooth as possible.
✎ Chef’s note
For a silkier atol, strain out the corn hulls after blending; leave them in for a more rustic, textured drink.
2
Pour the corn mixture into a pot with the milk, sugar, and cinnamon.
3
Bring to a gentle boil, then add the pinch of salt.
4
Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes, so it does not stick or scorch.
5
Ladle hot into mugs with a little extra cinnamon on top.
Sacatepéquez market tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Sacatepéquez (Antigua). Pepian is named for its thickener. Pepitoria is toasted pumpkin and sesame seed, ground down with dried chillies to give the stew both its body and its colour, and Guatemala listed the dish as national intangible cultural heritage in 2007 alongside kak'ik, jocon and platanos en mole.
🗺️
Guatemala. Guatemalan food rests on Maya foundations, corn tortillas, black beans, and rich stews called recados like pepián and jocón. Chiles, tomatoes, and pumpkin seeds thicken a deeply Indigenous, comforting table.
🌍
North America. The most consequential technique on this continent is nixtamalisation, cooking maize with lime or wood ash. It loosens the skins, makes the dough that becomes tortillas and tamales, and frees up niacin the body cannot otherwise absorb, which is why maize spread around the world without the technique and took pellagra with it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Guatemala
Pepián de PolloChicken in a deep, toasty sauce of charred tomatoes, chiles, and ground seeds, Guatemala’s Mayan-rooted national stew.
Desayuno ChapínThe full Guatemalan breakfast plate: eggs, soupy black beans, fried sweet plantain, fresh cream, and warm corn tortillas.
Tostadas GuatemaltecasCrisp fried tortillas topped three ways, with guacamole, tomato salsa, or black beans, a light Guatemalan street lunch.
Browse all Guatemala recipes →

Good to know

You’ll need: Pot or saucepan, Blender.
Storing it: Keep chilled and covered, and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.

Make it a Guatemala meal

Kak'ik (Q'eqchi' Turkey Soup)Dinner
Rellenitos de PlátanoDessert

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Frequently asked questions

What is Atol de Elote?

A warm, creamy Guatemalan drink of fresh sweet corn blended smooth and simmered with milk, cinnamon, and a little sugar, thick enough to spoon.

Where does Atol de Elote come from?

Atol de Elote is a Guatemalan dish from Sacatepéquez (Antigua), Guatemala.

Can Atol de Elote be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

This Atol de Elote recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.

Is Atol de Elote safe for people with food allergies?

Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.

How long does Atol de Elote take to make?

About 30 minutes total (10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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