Aguapanela or Agua de Panela is a traditional Colombian drink. It's made with sugar cane and it can be served cold or warm.
Aguapanela or Agua de Panela tanslates to "panela water" and is a traditional and popular Colombian drink. It can be served hot or cold.
In Colombian Aguapanela is used as a base for coffee, hot chocolate and mixed with lime juice as medicine for the flu 🙂 Cold Aguapanela with lime juice is great for hot summer days.
Ingredients You'll Need
The printable recipe card with exact amounts and cooking directions is below.
Panela is a product that is made with sugarcane, it is sweet and brown, is sold in blocks or grated and the flavor is similar to that of brown sugar. Panela is also popular in other countries and is known by many different names. In Central America it is known as papelón, in Mexico as piloncillo, and in Ecuador, Perú and Bolivia as chancaca.
Water: To dissolve the panela.
How to Make Agua de Panela
Place the water and panela in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
More Drink Recipes
Sabajón (Colombian Style Eggnog
Avena (Colombian Style Oats Drink)
Aguapanela (Sugar Cane Drink) Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups water or to your taste
- 2 cups or 16 oz panela grated or in chunks
Instructions
- Place the water and panela in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Cossette
My hubby is Columbian and I'm from Wisconsin... Clearly was confused about the idea of sugar water and cheese! His mom came over and made me agua panella after our first was born, to help with breastfeeding. I've slowly come to enjoy it, now! And I had the flu yesterday and I couldn't move. My husband brought me a big cup of hot aqua panella with lime. (We found the panella at our Publix in the Hispanic asleep!) I ended up sweating like crazy through the night but woke up feeling a million times better! Still sick, but I feel human again 🙂
daniel
hollywood and crenshaw farmers market in los angeles, california sells it fresh or mixed
Jane Christensen
oh my goodness ...... we used to have frothy hot chocolate made with panela and a battatilla (not sure how to spell) and arepa every morning for breakfast when we lived in Amaga Colombia for over 3 years and that was many, many years ago. I can still close my eyes and taste the deliciousness of it all. Will have to find out where I can buy panela here in Canada and then look for the pot and battatilla so I can enjoy it all again.
Tracey Shiley
I thought the aguapanela I drank in Manizales many years ago also had cocoa powder in it. Is that another way it isn't prepared as well?
Alia
Hola! My Mom would make Agua Panela when j was sick but being Colombians in St. Louis a long time ago, she used brown sugar and lemon! It always hit the spot! Now that I live in the Middle East I can find jaggerty but never tried it. I still use brown sugar and lemon for my kids! Now, they are long gone to universities! Gracias!
Anonymous
My grandmother used to make me this every time I would come over. I miss her and now I make it to feel her close again. Her lengua recipe was phenomenal.
dee
My mom used to add milk and pack it for snack at school.
Emily Renate
Hey Erica- When I was at my husband's family home in colombia we had the aguapanela served with a large chunk of cheese. I am wondering if you know what kind of cheese I could use for that? I found colombian sugarcane and would like to surprise him...
Erica
Queso blanco or mozzarela cheese.
Emily Renate
Thank you so much! I'm going to try queso blanco.
Patty
Hello Erica, I love your blog! You have so many wonderful recipes. I found this one of aguapanela that I was looking for, I used to enjoy this when I was little, I'll make it now for my daughters.
Have you ever made aplanchados? If you have, could you please post the recipe?
Tkx!!
Cheryl
I just found your blog, and am anticipating many happy memories and remembrances reading it! 🙂
Had to run and make myself a mug of agua de panela as soon as I saw this post! 🙂 I found out by experimenting that I can make agua de panela with the Sucanat I always have on hand (just evaporated cane juice I buy @ my local health food store). Piloncillo around here is made with corn syrup. 🙁
Funny story: the first time I ever had this drink, we were at a retreat outside Bogotá. They served us pitcher after pitcher of agua de panela and te de manzanilla but gave us "sandwiches" for breakfast . . . because they'd heard that Americans liked sandwiches! lol Personally, I would have MUCH preferred a good Chocolate Santafereño!
Eli
Yummy!! Just a tip, in Chile it's called chancaca, too 🙂