I ate this for dessert at a restaurant called Tin Box in Vieques, Puerto Rico and fell in love! Tembleque is a classic Puerto Rican dessert that is naturally vegan and very lightly sweetened. It combines coconut milk and cornstarch along with some other flavorings to create a pudding-like consistency. These are all ingredients that you likely have in your kitchen, so give it a try!
Ingredient Highlight
Cornstarch! is a carbohydrate derived from corn by extracting the endosperm of a corn kernel. It is composed mostly of carbohydrates with very little vitamins or minerals, but is a great gluten-free alternative for thickening soups, stews, sauces, etc…When replacing cornstarch with tapioca starch, you will usually need to use double the amount of tapioca.
Servings 6 People
10 minutes Total Time 10 minutes Ingredients
- 2 13.5 oz cans unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- Zest from 1 lime + 1 tbsp lime juice(optional)
- 1 tbsp grated ginger (optional)**
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup cornstarch
- Topping ideas: ground cinnamon, chopped or pureed mango, Chai Spiced Nut and Seed Clusters, toasted coconut, berries, cocoa powder, cacao nibs.
- Coconut sugar will work, but it will be more of a brown color. For the classic white appearance, use cane sugar. This recipe is very mildly sweet, for a sweeter version, increase to ½ cup sugar.
- I wanted to go with a ginger lime flavor, but for a more classic and simple tembleque, skip the ginger and lime and add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and then sprinkle cinnamon on top before serving. A simple tembleque is also delicious topped with a tropical fruit puree (like mango or guava!).
- You can replace cornstarch with tapioca starch. After doing research, you should use double the amount of tapioca (1 cup).
- Note: whether the tembleque is going to set perfectly and slip out of the container/mold is a gamble. Regardless, it will taste delicious and you can always just eat it straight out of the jar.
Instructions
- Add a splash of cold water to 4 ramekins or small jars and swirl it around (making them wet will help the tembleque release once inverted). This is how it’s typically served, but if you want to make it easy on yourself and eat it straight out of the ramekin or jar, then don’t bother!
- In a medium pot, add the coconut milk, sugar, lime zest (if using), ginger (if using), salt, and vanilla. If your coconut milk is lumpy, turn the heat on just for a little bit and whisk until it’s smooth. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cornstarch, sprinkling a little bit at a time and whisking thoroughly each time you add more. Once it’s all mixed in, whisk vigorously for a minute or so to really make sure there aren’t any clumps.
- Place the pot over medium-low heat, stir in the lime juice (if using), and use a wood spoon or rubber spatula to constantly stir the mixture for about 7-10 minutes or until it thickens up to the consistency of a thick aioli/mayonnaise. Make sure you are scraping the edges of the pot to make sure nothing is getting stuck down there. After 5 minutes, you should start to see it thicken up. If it starts bubbling, turn your heat down. You want to cook it over a gentle heat slowly.
- Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins or jars. Let sit for 10 minutes on the counter to cool, then cover them and transfer to the fridge to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- To release them from the jars, rub a knife along the sides and then invert it onto a plate. Shake and tap until you see/hear it release. If it’s not releasing easily or didn’t set enough, just eat it out of the jar.
- Serve topped with desired toppings!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make the tembleque ahead so it can solidify overnight.
Substitutions:
- See recipe notes.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Mix up the toppings! I love it simply topped with cinnamon and some cacao nibs or slathered in mango puree or chopped mango and topped with toasted walnuts or coconut.
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