This Vegan Filipino Champorado is extra rich, creamy, and chocolatey rice porridge, made from cocoa and sweet rice served with milk. A great dairy-free dish for breakfast or for those late night dinners.
Try more of my Filipino recipes that taste great: Pancit Bihon, Fried Rice, and Pinakbet.
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What is Champorado?
- Champorado is taken from the Spanish dessert called Champurrado.
- It is cooked by boiling sticky rice until soft and cooked, then adding in the traditional tablea, milk, and sugar. Some even put coconut milk for the flavor.
- It's widely known in the Philippines to be a breakfast food and also as a snack, especially during cold, rainy days.
What type of rice is used in Champorado?
Sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice, is traditionally used in cooking champorado. However, if you are unable to get sticky rice, white long-grain or short-grain rice will suffice.
What types of chocolate are used in Champorado?
Champorado is traditionally made with tablea chocolate (this works too if you can't find Filipino Tablea) or dark chocolate made from cacao beans. But feel free to use:
- chocolate chips
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- instant chocolate powder (hot chocolate mix)
- chocolate fudge syrup
Substitutions
- For different kind of sweetness, you can use coconut sugar instead of regular brown sugar. Organic cane sugar works as well.
- Sticky rice is essential for a classic Champorado, but you can use regular white rice (jasmine rice) if necessary. The texture will be different, but still tasty.
- Try using coconut milk or any non-dairy milk in place of almond milk. It will add more creaminess to the champorado.
Variations
- For a superfood-level champorado, you can top it with chia seeds or a pinch of nutmeg before serving. Delicious and packed with nutrients!
- Some filipino homes drizzle their tsampurado with condense milk or evaporated milk. You can use a non-dairy one.
- Make this into an ube champorado recipe by adding ube halaya.
Storage
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Since Champorado tends to thicken when it cools, you may need to add a splash of water or almond milk when reheating to return it to the desired consistency.
Top Tips
- If you want to save time cooking the sticky rice, you can soak it ahead in water for at least 30 minutes before boiling it. Sticky rice is harder and longer to cook than regular white rice.
- For a creamier champorado, keep stirring the champorado while cooking, lifting the ladle in an upward motion. Just be careful you don't spill and burn yourself. The repetitive upward stirring makes the champorado more sticky and creamier when cooked.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you will need:
- water
- sticky rice
- carob powder
- brown sugar
- salt
- cinnamon
- almond milk
Instructions
In a small pot, add water and bring it to a boil. Add sticky white rice and stir slightly:
Cover with a lid. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and continue to cook for about 10–12 minutes. Periodically check the rice if it’s cooked because it can be easily burned:
Once sticky rice is cooked, add carob powder:
Then add brown sugar:
Add the salt:
Add the cinnamon:
Finally, add the almond milk and mix:
The sticky rice would then be fluffy and soft once it is cooked. You will also notice that the mixture will be sticky:
Allow it to cool, then serve. You can add more almond milk or more sugar if you prefer a creamier and sweeter champorado. 🙂
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
More Delicious Authentic Filipino Food Recipes:
Vegan Filipino Champorado
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups of water
- ½ cup sticky rice
- ¼ cup carob powder*
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup almond milk
Instructions
- In a pot, add water and bring to a boil. Add sticky rice, cover with a lid and when it starts to boil, reduce the heat and continue cook for about 10-12. Periodically check the rice if it’s cooked because it can be easily burned.
- Once sticky rice is cooked, add carob powder, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, almond milk and mixed until combined.
- Allow it to cool then serve.
Notes
Alice says
Incomplete recipe. It doesn't specify how much brown sugar to use.
Lainey says
Hi Alice,
Thank you for the heads up! I used 1/4 cup of brown sugar but you can add more if you want a sweeter champorado. Please see my updated recipe card above. I'm sorry for the late response. I hope you will love this recipe!
Claire M says
Leftover frozen rice would also work well for this recipe.:)