Cuban recipe

Cuban Soursop Champola

Name: Cuban Soursop Champola
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 large ripe soursop (about 700 g of clean pulp, without seeds or skin); 3 cups cold milk; ½ cup sugar, or to taste; 2 cups ice

Creamy, thick soursop champola made with cold milk, sugar and ice. The Cuban homemade drink that is blended without crushing the seeds.

CiberCubaNovember 8, 2026

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Preparation20 min
Total time50 min
Servings4 glasses
DifficultyEasy

Champola is one of those Cuban home drinks made when there is ripe soursop and hot weather. Unlike soursop refresco, which is made with water, champola uses cold milk and is blended until thick, creamy and ivory white.

The secret is to separate the pulp by hand, free of skin and black seeds, and to blend just enough so it does not turn bitter. Serve it very cold in a tall glass; it is perfect for an afternoon snack or to get through a summer day.

Ingredients

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1 large ripe soursop (about 700 g of clean pulp, without seeds or skin)
3 cups cold milk
½ cup sugar, or to taste
2 cups ice

Method

Wash the soursop, cut it open with a knife and scoop out the pulp with a spoon, discarding the skin and the fibrous core.
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Separate the pulp from the black seeds by hand, one by one, and place it in a bowl. Check that no seeds remain.
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Put the clean pulp, the cold milk and the sugar in the blender.
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Blend briefly, about 20 to 30 seconds, only until combined. Do not over-blend, so you do not crush any leftover bits of seed.
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Taste and adjust the sugar. Strain if you want a finer texture and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
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Serve in tall glasses with ice and drink very cold, freshly made.

Tips and variations

Storage: keep it in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If it separates, stir before serving. It is best enjoyed the same day, with the freshly made foam.

Where to find soursop in the US: look for fresh fruit in Latin and Caribbean markets, or buy frozen soursop pulp with no added sugar (sold in packs at Latin supermarkets). Thaw it in the refrigerator before using and check that it has no seeds.

Variations: you can replace part of the milk with evaporated milk for a richer champola, or use lactose-free milk. Adjust the sugar to taste: depending on how ripe the fruit is, it may need less.

Important: always remove the seeds before using the blender, both with soursop and with other fruits that have hard or bitter seeds, such as star apple (caimito), sapodilla (níspero), sugar apple (anón) or Spanish lime (mamoncillo).