Majarete de Maíz (Puerto Rican Corn and Coconut Pudding)
Majarete de maíz is a dessert to make before you need it. The cooking happens in one saucepan, but a few hours in the refrigerator turn the warm mixture into a softly set pudding, ready to serve with a light dusting of cinnamon.
What appeals to me about this version is the combination of coconut richness and delicate cornmeal texture. It doesn’t need caramel, frosting, or a separate sauce. The corn, coconut, cinnamon, and vanilla give each small bowl enough flavor on their own.
The words de maíz matter here: this recipe uses fine yellow cornmeal. Majarete has different preparations across the Caribbean, including rice-flour versions in Puerto Rico, so the name identifies the particular pudding you’re making.
Creamy, with a little texture
This isn’t meant to be a perfectly smooth custard. Fine cornmeal leaves a delicate grain, but it should become completely tender during cooking. There’s a difference between that gentle texture and the hard, gritty feel of undercooked cornmeal.
Start by whisking the cornmeal into cold water in the unheated saucepan. It won’t dissolve, but dispersing it before adding heat helps prevent lumps. Then mix in the coconut milk, evaporated milk, sweetened cream of coconut, cinnamon stick, and salt.
Two of those ingredients have similar names but different jobs. Unsweetened coconut milk supplies liquid and richness, while sweetened cream of coconut provides the sweetness as well as more coconut flavor. Unsweetened coconut cream isn’t a direct replacement for cream of coconut; this recipe contains no separate addition of sugar.
Use finely ground yellow cornmeal, too. Coarse polenta, grits, masa harina, and precooked arepa flour won’t behave the same way with these quantities and cooking times.
Once the mixture is steaming and gently bubbling, lower the heat and keep stirring, reaching into the bottom and corners of the pan. As it thickens, a flexible spatula makes it easier to sweep those areas clean.
Thickness alone doesn’t tell you the pudding is ready. Cool a small spoonful before tasting it. The cornmeal should have no hard center, and the mixture should fall from the spatula in thick ribbons that slowly settle back into the pan.
If it still tastes gritty, continue cooking in short, two-minute intervals. Should it become too stiff before the grains soften, add hot water a tablespoon at a time, using only enough to keep it workable. Avoid turning up the heat to hurry it along, which can scorch the bottom.
Have the serving dishes ready
Set out eight small bowls or ramekins before cooking. Once the pudding is ready, remove the cinnamon stick, stir in the vanilla, and divide it among the dishes while it is still warm and easy to spoon.
Let the portions cool for about 20 minutes, then cover loosely and refrigerate for at least three hours. Cover securely once they are no longer warm. The pudding continues to thicken as it chills, so there’s no need to cook it until it holds a firm shape in the saucepan.
Serve directly from the dishes rather than trying to unmold it. A light dusting of cinnamon just before serving finishes the surface without overpowering the coconut.
If the cornmeal flavor reminds you of breakfast, Puerto Rican crema de maíz is another way to enjoy it, served warm. For a different coconut dessert, try chewy besitos de coco or frozen limber de coco.
The individual portions make this convenient to prepare the day before a meal. Keep them covered in the refrigerator and enjoy within three to four days, adding the cinnamon when you’re ready to bring them to the table.
Majarete de Maíz
Equipment
- Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Whisk
- Flexible silicone spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Eight small dessert bowls or ramekins, at least 6-ounce capacity
- Tray
- Food-safe covers or plastic wrap
Ingredients
PUDDING
- ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal 80 g
- 1 cup cold water 240 ml
- 1 can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk 13.5 fl oz / approximately 400 ml
- 1 can evaporated milk 12 fl oz / approximately 355 ml
- ½ cup sweetened cream of coconut approximately 170 g, stirred before measuring
- 1 cinnamon stick approximately 3 inches (8 cm) long
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
TOPPING
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon divided among the servings
Instructions
PREPARE THE MIXTURE
- Arrange eight small dessert dishes on a tray.
- In the unheated saucepan, whisk the fine cornmeal with the cold water until evenly dispersed. Cornmeal will not dissolve completely.
- Whisk in the coconut milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened cream of coconut. Include any thick coconut cream from the coconut-milk can. Add the cinnamon stick and salt.
COOK THE PUDDING
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook for approximately 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins steaming and bubbling gently.
- Reduce the heat to low. Cook for approximately 15–18 minutes, stirring almost continuously and scraping the bottom and corners with a silicone spatula. Maintain a gentle bubble rather than a vigorous boil.
- Check the texture by cooling a small spoonful before tasting. The cornmeal should be tender, with no hard or gritty center. The pudding should fall from the spatula in thick ribbons and slowly settle back into the pan.
- If the cornmeal is still gritty, continue cooking in 2-minute increments. If it becomes too stiff before the grains soften, stir in hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, only as needed.
- Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, then stir in the vanilla.
PORTION AND CHILL
- Immediately divide the pudding evenly among the eight dishes, approximately ½ cup each. Smooth the surfaces gently.
- Let cool for 20 minutes. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until thoroughly cold. Once no longer warm, cover securely.
SERVE
- Divide the ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon among the eight portions, dusting lightly just before serving.
- Serve chilled directly from the dishes. The pudding should be softly set and spoonable.
Notes
Use finely ground yellow cornmeal. Coarse cornmeal needs more cooking and produces a different texture. Do not substitute cornstarch, rice flour, masa harina, or precooked arepa flour in the same quantity. COCONUT PRODUCTS
Coconut milk is unsweetened. Cream of coconut is sweetened and supplies the sugar in this recipe. Unsweetened coconut cream is not a direct substitute for cream of coconut. SWEETNESS
No additional sugar is included. Sweetness varies by cream-of-coconut brand. The listed amount produces a moderately sweet dessert. TEXTURE
This pudding has a delicate cornmeal texture. It should be tender, not gritty, and will thicken further in the refrigerator. It is intended to be eaten from a bowl rather than unmolded. SALT
Use only the small amount listed to balance sweetness. FAMILY VARIATIONS
Puerto Rican majarete also has rice-flour versions. Those require their own ingredient ratios and should be identified as majarete de arroz. STORAGE
Cover and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3–4 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours of preparation, or within 1 hour if the surroundings exceed 90°F (32°C). Do not leave on the counter until completely cold. FREEZING
Freezing is not recommended for best texture because the pudding may separate after thawing. ALLERGENS
Contains milk and coconut. Check cornmeal and other ingredient labels when cooking for someone who needs certified gluten-free food.
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