South American Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Mote con Huesillo
A refreshing Chilean summer drink of dried peaches stewed in cinnamon syrup over chewy cooked wheat berries.
Contains common allergens
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Instructions
5 steps- 1
Soak the dried peaches in cold water overnight, then drain to rehydrate and soften them before cooking.
- 2
In a large pot, combine the 6 cups water, brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves into a fragrant syrup.
- 3
Add the soaked peaches and simmer over medium-low heat for 40 minutes until they are plump and tender and the syrup has darkened and lightly thickened.
- 4
Remove from heat, discard the cinnamon sticks, and chill the peaches and syrup completely in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- 5
To serve, spoon a few tablespoons of cooked wheat berries into the bottom of a tall glass, top with one or two peaches, and fill with the cold sweet syrup, eaten with a spoon.
Listahan Family Score™
69/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving695
Calories
6 g
Protein
178 g
Carbs
2 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Mote con huesillo is closely tied to Chilean summer, especially the tall glasses sold from street carts and market stands when the weather turns hot. It sits somewhere between a drink, a spoon dessert, and a snack: cold cinnamon-peach syrup for sipping, soft dried peaches for eating, and chewy mote at the bottom.
Listahan note
This version keeps the home method straightforward by using brown sugar for a deep syrup and cooked wheat berries so the final assembly is easy. The main priority is giving the peaches enough soaking, simmering, and chilling time so the glass tastes rounded instead of rushed.
Technique cues
- Soaking the dried peaches overnight matters because the simmer is meant to plump and flavor them, not fight through hard fruit.
- The syrup should darken and lightly thicken, but it should still pour easily when cold. If it reduces too far, the drink becomes heavy instead of refreshing.
- Serve it in a tall glass with a spoon. The contrast between cold syrup, soft peach, and chewy mote is the point of the dish.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Cook and chill the mote while the peaches simmer, then both parts can go into the refrigerator together.
- Make-ahead
- Make the peaches and syrup a day ahead; the fruit absorbs more cinnamon-peach flavor as it rests cold.
- Leftover move
- Spoon extra mote and syrup into a bowl with chopped peach for a quick cold dessert.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Rinse the pot soon after transferring the syrup so the sugar does not dry onto the sides.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Dried peaches (huesillos)
Fruit base
Purpose: They give the drink its deep peach flavor and the soft, spoonable fruit at the center of the glass.
Handling: Soak overnight in cold water, then drain before simmering so they cook evenly.
Adaptation: Dried apricots make a smaller, tangier version, but the flavor will be less traditionally peach-forward.
Cooked husked wheat berries (mote)
Chewy grain
Purpose: Mote gives the drink its satisfying bite and turns the syrup into something you eat as much as drink.
Handling: Use fully cooked, tender wheat berries and chill them before serving so they do not warm the syrup.
Adaptation: Cooked barley gives a similar chew, while cooked farro is nuttier and more assertive.
Packed brown sugar
Syrup sweetener
Purpose: Brown sugar gives the liquid a darker, more caramel-like sweetness that works well with cinnamon and dried fruit.
Handling: Stir it into the boiling water until fully dissolved before adding the peaches.
Adaptation: Piloncillo or chancaca gives a deeper molasses note if you have it; white sugar makes a cleaner but flatter syrup.
Cinnamon sticks
Warm spice
Purpose: Whole cinnamon perfumes the syrup without leaving powdery sediment in the glass.
Handling: Simmer the sticks with the syrup and remove them before chilling.
Adaptation: A small pinch of ground cinnamon can work, but the syrup will look cloudier and taste sharper.
Technique notes
- Keep the simmer gentle once the peaches go in. A hard boil can tear the fruit before the centers fully soften.
- Taste the syrup only after it has cooled a little; hot sugar syrup can seem less sweet than it will when chilled.
- Assemble each glass just before serving so the mote stays distinct at the bottom instead of swelling too much in the syrup.
Ingredient swaps
- Grain texture shift
- Use cooked barley for a softer chew or cooked farro for a nuttier bite; both will change the traditional mote texture.
- Deeper syrup path
- Replace some or all of the brown sugar with chancaca or piloncillo for a darker, more mineral sweetness.
- Faster chill
- Cool the pot in a shallow container before refrigerating, then serve over a few ice cubes if the syrup needs extra coldness.
Serve alongside
- Empanadas de pino
- Pastel de choclo
- Humitas
- Marraqueta with palta
- Cold mineral water
- Unsweetened iced tea
- Sparkling water with lemon
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Keep the peaches and syrup chilled in a sealed container, with the mote stored separately if you want the grains to stay springy.
- This is served cold, so no reheating is needed; stir the syrup before pouring if the sugar settles slightly.
- Freeze the peach syrup without the mote, then thaw in the refrigerator and add freshly chilled cooked wheat berries.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Long spoon
- Tall glasses
- Ladle
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