Agua Dulce Recipe (Costa Rica)

By Published On: July 6th, 2022

This hot drink, literally translating to sweet water, combines tapa de dulce (Costa Rican brown sugar) and boiling water for a delightful treat.

About Costa Rican Agua Dulce

Costa Rica has a long-standing tradition of delicious hot drinks- just think about the amazing coffee ritual that happens multiple times a day.

And while it’s not uncommon for younger children to drink coffee in Costa Rica, many times adults will give their kids either hot tea or agua dulce until they are old enough to drink coffee.

Agua dulce is not just a kid’s drink, though. It literally translates to “sweet water” which is a pretty accurate description of the drink. Combining just hot water and sugar, the drink is the perfect antidote to a rainy day or winter afternoon.

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It’s made from tapa de dulce, which is a brown-sugar like substance made from ground and boiled sugar cane. You can read more about the entire process of making tapa de dulce in the article I have about the trapiche tour.

In the US, the tapa de dulce is similar to a Mexican brown sugar cone that is called piloncillo. It is virtually impossible to purchase the tapa de dulce in the States, and so using piloncillo in place of the tapa de dulce in this recipe works just great.

Related post: Traditional Costa Rican Coffee Recipe

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Costa Rican Agua Dulce Recipe

Printable recipe below

Agua Dulce (Costa Rica) Ingredients

  • hot water
  • tapa de dulce

Instructions

In a saucepan, place the tapa de dulce and hot water. Boil until just bubbling. Stir to combine. Serve in a coffee mug.

Note: You will most likely need to break apart a large tapa de dulce if that is what you have. I usually do this with a large knife and a kitchen hammer or rubber mallet.

Related post: Costa Rican Drink Recipes

Substitutions

If you are not in Costa Rica you may not be able to get tapa de dulce. In that case, you can use Mexican piloncillo and it will taste very similar.

You can also use 1/2 cup dark brown sugar in place of the tapa de dulce or piloncillo.

Variations

Add a shot of rum and a teaspoon of butter for a hot buttered rum cocktail.

You could drink this cold, in the form of Agua de Sapo, where you also add lime and ginger to this recipe.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe is awesome with Costa Rican breakfast (gallo pinto, eggs, homemade tortillas and fresh fruit.) During the afternoon coffee ritual you can also drink agua dulce with fresh sweet empanadas, savory empanadas, homemade Costa Rican bread or really any baked good under the sun.

Printable Recipe

Yield: 4 cups

Agua Dulce Recipe Costa Rica

Agua Dulce Recipe Costa Rica

This hot drink, literally translating to sweet water, combines tapa de dulce (Costa Rican brown sugar) and boiling water for a delightful treat.

Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons tapa de dulce (piloncillo) or dark brown sugar

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, boil the tapa de dulce and water.
  2. Once boiling, stir to combine.
  3. Serve in a mug, preferably with your favorite people.

6 Comments

  1. Nicole February 22, 2024 at 9:28 am - Reply

    Hi Christa! I just came back from Costa Rica and have been looking everywhere online for those small tin cups with the painted floral detail, but am having no luck. Any tips on where to find them? We didn’t have time to explore outside of the souvenir shops on our short trip, and could only find cups that said “Costa Rica” (which were nice, but looking for more authentic cups for my home to use for coffee rather than to display as a decoration).

    • Christa Jimenez February 23, 2024 at 1:15 pm - Reply

      Hi Nicole!

      I have not seem them with the flowers outside of Costa Rica. I hate to tell you that! But it’s true. ❤️

      Christa

    • Fernanda June 24, 2024 at 7:00 pm - Reply

      Hello Nicole, if one day you return to Costa Rica, you can get the jarros de loza (that’s what those cups are called in spanish), you can get them at the ‘El Rey’ store, at the Mercado Central de San José or at the Mercado de Cartago; there are tourist centers that also sell jarros de loza as souvenirs. It can be a little difficult to find it with floral designs like the one in the photo, those designs were available more in the past, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still available.

      I hope I have helped you, and sorry if something doesn’t make sense, I wrote this answer with the help of the translator. Pura Vida

    • Dyan Kennedy De Vega September 11, 2024 at 4:01 pm - Reply

      Hola!
      I don’t know where you can buy them wherever you are, but, if you ever come back to CR, Pequeno Mundo and El Rey stores have them

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Meet Christa

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I’m Christa and I help families plan stress-free, culturally immersive trips to Costa Rica. As a home chef, I also share my passion for Costa Rican food through authentic recipes. My mission is to help your family fall in love with Costa Rica through practical advice, unforgettable experiences, and delicious meals.

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