This classic tembleque recipe is an authentic Puerto Rican dessert made with canned coconut milk, cornstarch and cinnamon. Served chilled, it’s an ultra creamy and refreshing tropical treat that only takes 15 minutes of work!
Why You’ll Love This Tembleque Recipe
Tembleque is a Puerto Rican tradition almost as popular as coquito! Whether you’re a fan of creamy coconut, or looking for a new vegan dessert, this coconut pudding recipe offers a lot to love!
- Authentic: This is exactly how my Abuela taught us to make Tembleque! Made with two cans of coconut milk, you’ll adore the lusciously creamy and tropical taste.
- So Easy: This budget friendly dessert uses just 5 simple ingredients and only needs 15 minutes of effort. If you can whisk ingredients together, you have all the skills you need!
- Ultra Creamy: With a rich, creamy and silky texture and tropical coconut flavor, this dairy free coconut dessert is served chilled for a refreshing treat.
- Fun Presentation: Use various kinds of molds to make this dessert in pretty shapes, from cute individual servings to a decorative bundt pan shape.
Looking for more Latin desserts? Try this addictive arroz con leche, sweet dulce de leche cake, creamy queso flan or soft homemade Mallorca!
What Is the Meaning of Tembleque?
So how did tembleque (pronounced “tem-BLEH-keh”) get its name? The word “tembleque” basically means “trembling,” which is very appropriate for this wobbly, pudding-like treat. Sort of like a creamy jello, this homemade coconut milk pudding can be molded into different shapes. The light, sweet and tropical pudding is served chilled for a super refreshing treat!
What You Will Need
One of the best things about tembleque is that it’s so incredibly simple with just five ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Coconut Milk: Make sure to use full fat coconut milk.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the dessert and helps it set.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar works perfectly.
- Salt: Just a pinch to bring out the other flavors.
- Cinnamon: Perfect garnish for sprinkling on top when serving.
- Extracts: While optional, we always add a little coconut and vanilla extracts to boost the flavor!
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How to Make Tembleque
If you’ve never made a cornstarch pudding mixture, you will love this quick technique! It’s a no-fail recipe – just whisk, whisk, whisk. Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions.
- Cook: Cook the cornstarch, coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in extracts, if using.
- Molds: Pour into prepared molds, or a bundt cake pan, then use a spatula to smooth out the top.
- Chill: Let the molds cool for an hour at room temperature, and then cover and chill for 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.
- Serve: Unmold the tembleque on a serving dish or plate. Dust with a little cinnamon and shredded coconut, if desired, and serve immediately!
Chef’s Tips & Variations
Here are a few tips to ensure your tembleque turns out perfect:
- Whisk, Whisk, Whisk: Make sure you are stirring the pudding constantly as it simmers, scraping all the way to the bottom and edges of the pot. If you don’t, you will end up with clumpy pudding.
- Cinnamon: Usually the ground cinnamon is added as a garnish, but you can add up to 2 teaspoons directly to the pudding mixture as well.
- Unmolding Tembleque: If you grease your pan well, or use silicone molds, it should unmold easily. If it doesn’t, dip the molds in hot water for a few seconds at a time. Be sure to not get water in the dessert, just warm the outside of the pan.
- Extra Coconut: Serve tembleque topped with shredded coconut or toasted shredded coconut flakes. for added texture, you can also stir in 1 cup of shredded coconut into the pudding.
- Orange: Add orange rind to the saucepan with all ingredients, then discard before pouring the pudding into the mold. For even more orange flavor, add 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest.
How to Store Coconut Pudding
Tembleque is best stored in the mold. However if already un-molded, cover it tightly with plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding. This will prevent the outside from hardening.
- Fridge: Store tembleque in the refrigerator, for up to 7 days.
- Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing, because the texture of the custard can separate and the texture will not be as pleasant to eat after freezing and thawing.
Tembleque
Ingredients
- 2 (13.5 oz) cans coconut milk
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract, optional
- ground cinnamon, for garnish
- shredded coconut, or toasted coconut, optional garnish
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Instructions
- Spray individual mini silicone bundt cake molds or a traditional bundt pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Add the coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon and salt to a medium size pot over medium heat and whisk to combine.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until mixture becomes thick. Remove from the heat and stir in extracts if using.
- Pour the mixture into the bundt pan or individual molds. It will be very thick, so use a spatula or back of a spoon to spread into an even layer.
- Let them cool for 1 hour on the counter, then cover and chill for 3 to 4 hours (or up to overnight) in the fridge.
- Once they have chilled completely and you are ready to serve, remove them from the fridge and turn the tembleques out onto a plate or a serving platter. Dust them with a bit of ground cinnamon and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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