Puerto Rican Tembleque (Coconut Pudding)
Tembleque (“wobbly” in spanish) is a classic Puerto Rican Coconut Pudding made with coconut milk, cornstarch, cinnamon and sugar. It’s appropriately named for its jiggly appearance and deliciously smooth texture. For best results, chill the dessert in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
Recipes like this coconut spiced Coquito cocktail and this creamy spiced Arroz con Dulce are staples in Puerto Rican cuisine, known for their similar flavor profiles.
This coconut pudding has everything you love about pudding (that creamy, smooth texture) paired with classic sweet Puerto Rican flavor thanks to the coconut and warming spices.
It’s the perfect dessert to prep the day before and flip just before serving dusted with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
How to Make Tembleque
Picking the Right Molds
When it comes to picking your molds, you really can’t go wrong as long as you’re using a glass or silicone container of sorts.
The more traditional tembleque molds are usually small, dome shaped glass containers but I like using silicone bundt molds.
I’ve found that the silicone makes it easier to push the coconut pudding out of the mold. Use what you have and don’t feel the need to buy something new.
You can even use a large pyrex dish or silicone mold and slice it before serving.
Buen Provecho,
Puerto Rican Tembleque (Coconut Pudding)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: Latin, Puerto Rican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Tembleque (“wobbly” in spanish) is a classic Puerto Rican Coconut Pudding made with coconut milk, cornstarch, cinnamon and sugar. It’s appropriately named for its jiggly appearance and deliciously smooth texture. For best results, chill the dessert in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 cloves
- 2 star anise
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 2/3 cup cornstarch
- 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cinnamon to garnish
Instructions
- Make the spice tea: Heat the water and spices in a pot over medium heat. Simmer until the color begins to turn brown and the spices become fragrant. Cool before straining out the spices.
- Mix the coconut and cornstarch: Whisk the coconut milk with the cornstarch in a pot (off the stovetop) until creamy smooth*. Whisk in sugar, salt, vanilla, and the cooled spice tea.
- Cook the tembleque: Transfer the coconut mixture to the stovetop over low heat and continue to whisk while it heats and thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon.
- Set the tembleque: Pour the liquid into your mold/molds, and gently smooth out the top with a spoon. Allow the tembleque to cool before covering and chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until it appears firm and jiggly.
- Flip the tembleque: Using a knife, loosen the edges around the molds before flipping upside down on a plate and topping with cinnamon.
Notes
*If your coconut milk is clumpy when it comes out of the can, take extra time to make sure it is smooth and creamy before heating. You can use a blender or immersion blender if necessary to gain that smooth consistency.