Champorado sa Gata (Filipino Chocolate Rice Porridge with Coconut Milk)

This way to chocolate heaven!

Champorado is a Filipino rice porridge made with sweet rice, coconut milk, chocolate, and sugar. This simple dessert can be made in less than 30 minutes and is an indulgent option for breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Our recipe is as simple as A-B-C, and guarantees that your chocolate cravings get fulfilled. Read on for the recipe!

History of Champorado

Filipino champorado has origins rooted in Spanish influence.

During the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines (1565-1898), galleon trade between Mexico and the Philippines led to the introduction of Mexican champurrado, a chocolate dish comprised of chocolate and masa.

Over time, Filipinos began using their own, more readily available ingredients to make this dish. Filipinos replaced the masa with malagkit (sweet glutinous rice), and instead of chocolate, they used tableya (pure cocoa in the form of a tablet).

To add a savory element to this sweet dish, champorado is commonly eaten with tuyo – a type of salted dried fish.

Champorado in Filipino American Culture

Champorado is a beautiful example of how Filipino Americans have adapted traditional recipes to their surrounding environment.

While Elijah was growing up in Alabama and Boston, his Mom would always make champorado out of oatmeal and Nesquik since those were ingredients available to her.

This childhood memory is what inspired us to create our own champorado recipe for the blog!

In our champorado recipe, we added gata (coconut milk) to enhance the creaminess of the dish, and substituted tableya with unsweetened cocoa powder. We still used glutinous rice as we felt this kept the texture familiar, comforting, and delicious.

Side Note: because we used coconut milk, this recipe may also be named ginataang champorado. The word ginataan refers to the technique of cooking something in coconut milk.

When we visited the Bay this Thanksgiving, we served this to Noelle’s family and got the seal of approval! We hope to someday make some for Elijah’s parents on the East Coast.

As with many Filipino recipes, this is an age-old dish that is constantly evolving. It’s really mind-blowing to think that for hundreds of years, Filipinos have been making champorado in one way or another!

What to Pair with Champorado

There are multiple ways to serve and pair champorado. It is commonly paired with savory tuyo, a salty dried fish. For the sweet tooths out there, champorado can also be topped with condensed milk, evaporated milk, or cream.

Personally, we love pairing warm champorado with a splash of cold milk to get a temperature contrast.

We also had some chocolate cookies on hand which we used to add a nice crunchy texture between bites of porridge.

Serve champorado as breakfast, merienda, or dessert!

Champorado Ingredients

• 2⅓ cups water
• 1½ cups coconut milk (13.5 fl oz)
• 1 cup glutinous rice
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup sugar

Topping options

We suggest the following toppings for your champorado, but feel free to experiment and add your own!

• condensed milk
• evaporated milk
• dairy-free milk
• tuyo (Filipino dried fish)
• chocolate cookies

Champorado Recipe

1. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water and coconut milk to a boil

2. In a separate bowl, mix together cocoa powder with about 1/3 cup water. The powder will become a thick chocolate sauce, which will allow for easier mixing into the rice. Set aside.
3. Add rice then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 20 min, stirring throughout so the rice doesn’t get stuck on the bottom.

4. Once the rice is done cooking, turn the heat off. Add in chocolate sauce and sugar. Mix well until you get an even mixture.

5. To serve, fill a small bowl and add toppings of your choice.

Tips on Making Champorado

• You may use any type of cocoa powder, but we recommend using unsweetened cocoa because champorado is typically very chocolatey and not too sweet. Afterward, you can always add sweetness to the dish by adding sweet toppings like cookies or condensed milk.
• To prevent burning and overflowing, stir constantly and do not cover the saucepan with a lid. Trust us, we learned this the hard way!

Looking for similar recipes?

This sweet Classic Ginataan Bilo-Bilo (Filipino Sticky Rice Balls in Coconut Milk) recipe also uses coconut milk.

If you’re looking for a coconut milk dish that is more savory, check out Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk (Adobong Manok sa Gata).

For another on-the-go breakfast option, try our quick and easy Pandesal recipe!

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re looking for a hearty breakfast or a satisfying dessert, our bowl of champorado is the ultimate comfort food that will leave you feeling warm, happy, and satisfied. Treat yourself to a little indulgence and taste the difference in our homemade champorado recipe.

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References & Further Reading

https://www.ikot.ph/saan-galing-yon-the-origin-of-champorado/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champorado

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Philippines_(1565%E2%80%931898)

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Editor’s note: This post was originally published on December 3, 2021. It has been updated with content and images on May 11, 2023.