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    My Colombian Recipes » Recipes » Breakfast and Brunch » Aguapanela (sugar Cane Drink)

    Aguapanela (Sugar Cane Drink)

    Oct 17, 2017 · Modified: Sep 1, 2022 by Erica Dinho · 53 Comments

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    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 recetaPin

    Aguapanela or Agua de Panela tanslates to "panela water" and is a traditional and popular Colombian drink. It can be served hot or cold. 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.

    Aguapanela receta en españolPin

    Aguapanela (Sugar Cane Drink)

    Erica Dinho
    5 from 53 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course drink
    Cuisine Colombian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 418 kcal

    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 30 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 108gProtein: 0.1gSodium: 46mgPotassium: 146mgSugar: 107gCalcium: 100mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword aguapanela. colombian drinks
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @mycolombianrecipes and tag #mycolombianrecipes!
    PanelaPin

    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.

    AguapanelaPin

    More Drinks Recipes

    Canelazo (Sugar Cane And Cinnamon Hot Drink)Limonada De Coco (Coconut Limeade)Limonada De Piña (Pineapple Limeade)Colombian Tree Tomato Juice (Jugo De Tomate De Arbol En Leche)Chocolate Caliente Con Agua (Hot Chocolate With Water)
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    About Erica Dinho

    My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

    Author Page →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah Naveen

      June 08, 2010 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      I used to have this when i was a kid, during mother marys feast in church in India....
      Memories!!!!looks so yummy!!!
      I think Kerala food have a lot in common with ur food...

      Reply
      • Rajnish Tyagi

        January 28, 2021 at 12:31 am

        5 stars
        I grew up in Delhi. As a child, me and my siblings use to enjoy this drink with lemon. In a way it becomes hot Shikanji.

        Reply
    2. girlichef

      June 08, 2010 at 10:20 am

      5 stars
      Piloncillo is one of my favorite sugar-y type things to use. I've never tried it like this. But sugar-water has to be good...it's on my to-try list 🙂

      Reply
    3. Carla

      June 08, 2010 at 10:27 am

      5 stars
      I bet that would be fabulous with your beautiful Pastle Gloria's.

      Reply
    4. Rachana

      June 08, 2010 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      In India we get a similar product and is called gud or jaggery! The drink looks yummm!!!!!

      Reply
    5. Jeannie

      June 08, 2010 at 12:11 pm

      5 stars
      We do have something similar in Malaysia...it's called gula melaka here:)

      Reply
    6. Lyndsey

      June 08, 2010 at 5:19 pm

      5 stars
      I have seen the panela in our store and I always wanted to try it, but wasn't sure what to do with it. So I'm thrilled that you posted this. I'll have to buy some tomorrow. Maybe when I see something unfamiliar to me, next time I'll just ask you what to do with it 😀

      Reply
    7. zerrin

      June 08, 2010 at 6:05 pm

      5 stars
      I used to see panela at fields in the village as a child, but never seen it since then. The drinks sounds like a great refreshing beverage for summer days.

      Reply
    8. Sandra G.

      June 08, 2010 at 7:49 pm

      5 stars
      Me recuerda el agua de azucar que tomaba cuando chiquita!

      Reply
    9. Kim

      June 08, 2010 at 8:47 pm

      5 stars
      I bet the panela smells wonderful! This has got to be one tasty drink.

      Reply
    10. Joy

      June 08, 2010 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      I want to try it!

      Reply
    11. Juliana

      June 08, 2010 at 9:06 pm

      5 stars
      I never had sugar cane this way...it really sounds interesting 🙂

      Reply
    12. Erica

      June 08, 2010 at 9:10 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you guys for the comments!

      Reply
    13. rebecca subbiah

      June 08, 2010 at 10:44 pm

      5 stars
      looks great I think we had this in Costa Rica we even ground the sugar cane!

      Reply
    14. Devon

      June 08, 2010 at 10:58 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds so tasty as a base for coffee.

      Reply
    15. 5 Star Foodie

      June 08, 2010 at 11:03 pm

      5 stars
      I have the piloncillo right now and would love to try to make this drink, very neat!

      Reply
    16. Ivy

      June 08, 2010 at 11:41 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for introducing us to this product. I can imagine it must taste great in desserts.

      Reply
    17. grace

      June 09, 2010 at 6:27 am

      5 stars
      i'll tell ya, erica, you're just full of useful and new info! thanks for the education and for introducing me to panela and this drink. 🙂

      Reply
    18. Diana@Spain in Iowa

      June 09, 2010 at 9:47 am

      5 stars
      Erica, this sounds so sweet and yummy! I'll have to give this a try 😀

      Reply
    19. norma

      June 09, 2010 at 10:31 am

      5 stars
      We also had this when we were kids in Venezuela.

      Reply
    20. Francijoe

      June 09, 2010 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      We just had this for lunch yesterday... Do you have one where you can make juice from the sugar cane it self. In my home town the have a sugar cane field. I love to make this for my family....:)

      Reply
    21. girlichef

      June 09, 2010 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      Erica! Funny how things happen...last night I was in the kitchen talking to my husband about piloncillo. He told me about this drink his mom used to make with water and piloncillo...hmmmm. I told him how I'd just read about the same drink from a gal in Columbia!! Such a small world...I'll be making this soon =) Thanks Erica!

      Reply
    22. Oysterculture

      June 09, 2010 at 6:58 pm

      5 stars
      Oh now you are speaking to me, a sugar cane drink - sounds so yummy. Dare I share this with the nieces and nephews? Will their parents thank me?

      Reply
      • Erica

        June 09, 2010 at 7:03 pm

        5 stars
        Oysterculture-Yes!

        Reply
    23. Christine @ Fresh Local and Best

      June 09, 2010 at 10:08 pm

      5 stars
      I used to drink this, and love it.

      Reply
    24. Erica

      June 10, 2010 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you guys!

      Reply
    25. tasteofbeirut

      June 11, 2010 at 6:47 pm

      5 stars
      how interesting! I did not know it was made into a drink like this! must try!

      Reply
    26. Soma

      June 16, 2010 at 6:29 pm

      5 stars
      I desperately miss the fresh squeezed sugar cane juice from back home in India. it is a popular street food esp. during the summer months and is served with lime (as u mentioned) and salt and sugar.

      What you call Panella, we call Gur/jaggery and use it a lot for indian desserts, even to make rice pudding. love the flavor it imparts and cannot be substituted with anything else in the world.

      Reply
    27. Regina B

      July 06, 2010 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      I do this and add fresh lemon juice for a coulmbian lemonade. My favorite comlubian cafe let me in on the secret to thier awsome lemonade. Muy bueno!!

      Reply
    28. Esther W

      September 21, 2010 at 12:55 pm

      5 stars
      Friends who had an Argentinian restaurant used to feed me this this when pregnant 30 years ago. It was so delicious, warmed up with a hint of cinnamon. Enjoy!

      Reply
    29. Sonia

      October 12, 2010 at 12:29 am

      5 stars
      Mi grandma use to make this but instead of water she used milk, soooo delicious, this replace your coffee in the morning

      Reply
    30. Oscar

      February 05, 2011 at 12:33 am

      5 stars
      Great drink. When my mom made the hot version, she would usually add cheese but omitting the lemon (and vice versa), and on the cold versions she always added lemon.

      Btw, for those of you looking for fresh sugar cane juice, you can try looking for places that serve "Guarapo". I lived in Miami before (I live in Houston, TX now), so the only places that I knew of that served guarapo were cuban and colombian, so I've really no idea what other types of businesses might serve it.

      Reply
    31. Tania

      May 19, 2011 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      My husband is Colombian, and when I had morning sickness during my pregnancies, he would make me agua panela con limon, and it worked like a charm. I used to fill my water bottles with it and take it to work, sipping from it when I got nauseated. I just recommended it to a pregnant friend, and it worked for her, too. We also drink it in the summer, always iced. I've described it to Americans as "brown sugar lemonade."

      I've visited Peru many times (my father is Peruvian), and I never saw it there, so it was interesting to learn that it is available there, too. I live in Miami now, and you can get guarapo all over the place, but it's different from agua panela. I recently saw a bottled version of agua panela (looked like a Snapple at first). Wonder if it will take off.

      Reply
    32. Dougy EL Paisa

      September 08, 2011 at 2:47 pm

      5 stars
      Just drank aguapanela at work, that I made this moring. Can not wait not have more later in the day.

      Reply
    33. Eli

      April 05, 2012 at 4:46 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy!! Just a tip, in Chile it's called chancaca, too 🙂

      Reply
    34. Cheryl

      April 20, 2012 at 10:29 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    35. Patty

      September 18, 2012 at 10:44 pm

      5 stars
      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!!

      Reply
    36. Emily Renate

      December 04, 2012 at 1:33 am

      5 stars
      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...

      Reply
      • Erica

        December 04, 2012 at 7:22 am

        5 stars
        Queso blanco or mozzarela cheese.

        Reply
        • Emily Renate

          December 04, 2012 at 10:16 pm

          5 stars
          Thank you so much! I'm going to try queso blanco.

          Reply
    37. dee

      January 04, 2015 at 6:54 pm

      5 stars
      My mom used to add milk and pack it for snack at school.

      Reply
    38. Anonymous

      August 23, 2015 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    39. Alia

      October 17, 2017 at 3:16 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    40. Tracey Shiley

      October 17, 2017 at 5:12 pm

      5 stars
      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?

      Reply
    41. Jane Christensen

      October 17, 2017 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    42. daniel

      March 22, 2019 at 11:03 pm

      5 stars
      hollywood and crenshaw farmers market in los angeles, california sells it fresh or mixed

      Reply
    43. Cossette

      May 24, 2019 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      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 🙂

      Reply

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    Erica Dinho Author | My Colombian Recipes

    Hola and welcome to My Colombian Recipes. My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

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