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Filipinos love their corn desserts. They are delicious, affordable, and very filling. And for this Filipino-American, they are the epitome of sweet comfort food!
Corn desserts are usually sweetened with condensed milk or sugar. Some are flavored with coconut milk, pandan leaves, or other ingredients.
There are various types of corn dessert recipes from the Philippines. The most common ones include corn pudding, corn cake, and corn fritters.
Why Are Corn Desserts So Good?
The combination of corn and dessert sounds strange to anyone that is not familiar with this concept.
But regardless of what you think, there are plenty of desserts with corn in them that are absolutely delicious. So, what are some of the reasons that these desserts are so popular? Let's take a look.
They Are Cheap And Easy To Make
As the main ingredient, corn is very affordable all year round. Even during off-season or in areas where the crop isn't grown, frozen corn and canned corn are easily attainable. Whichever form you get it, corn can be incorporated into desserts effortlessly.
They Are Delicious
The subtle sweetness of the corn lends itself well to flavors like coconut, vanilla, and pandan without overpowering them like other stone fruits or berries.
They Are Very Filling
Most of these recipes contain more than 50% of your daily calories. This is good news if you want to eat less but still feel satisfied.
They Are Simple To Cook
Most of these dishes require minimal preparation time, as additional cooking is not required with corn. You only need to cook the dessert itself and the corn kernels cook along with it. Some recipes even are just fine with corn kernels straight from the can!
Corn-based Filipino desserts are amazing, but don't take my word for it. Check out the recipes below and try one out for yourself!
I've scoured the interwebs to find ten of the most incredible corn-based Filipino desserts out there. Some are traditional with a twist while others are new and inspired by Filipino flavors. Let's take a look at them now.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links below. I may receive commissions on purchases made through the links in this post; however, do not let that sway your opinion, as they are all products I highly recommend. I have personally used and stand behind the quality of each product I share in this blog post
If you are looking for an especially delicious dessert that originated in the Philippines and includes corn, you need to try this coconut rice pudding. It has a nice creamy texture thanks to the half and half that get incorporated from the traditional recipe.
The recipe by Kitchen Confidante should make six servings of this delightful dessert. The best part about this particular recipe is the fact that it only takes about thirty-five minutes from start to finish.
But what ingredients will you need to make this dessert? Below is a short list of everything you will need:
Granulated Sugar
Half and Half Cream
Rice
To be clear, this sweet treat is very similar to the traditional Ginataan Mais in the next section. Why not try both variations to compare! If you want to make this treat from home you can visit Kitchen Confidante's website and follow along as she cooks up this recipe from the modern Filipino cookbook Quintessential Filipino Cooking, by Liza Agbanlog.
Next up we have another recipe that features corn as one of its main ingredients. Ginataang Mais is a popular dish in the Philippines, and my #1 comfort food! On those rare cold and rainy California days, my mom would whip up this dish for me when I was in grade school. Having it now, it reminds me of those simpler days as a kid, relishing that sweet corn and rice porridge.
The recipe by Panlasang Pinoy only takes about thirty-five minutes to execute, so you can make a delicious treat quite quickly if you have thirty-five minutes in your day. This recipe makes enough for six servings.
This recipe contains the following ingredients:
Granulated Sugar
Rice
If you like this recipe and would like to make it from home, make sure to check out Panlasang Pinoy's website where you can follow along.
In simple terms, Mais Con Yelo is corn-flavored shaved ice. If you want a deliciously layered dessert you should certainly give this delicacy a try.
Overall, this dessert takes about five minutes to make and will serve one person. Obviously, you can make more servings.
If you want to make this dessert at home, or you're just wondering what is in Mais Con Yelo, check out our list of ingredients below:
Shaved Ice
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Evaporated Milk
Corn Flakes
Corn Ice Cream
If you are curious about this sweet treat you can easily make it at home by following along with The Little Epicurean's recipe on their website.
While Buko Pandan may be a well-known dessert in the Philippines, many people do not know the versatility of this delicious dessert. The dessert is a cold, milky fruit salad that is flavored with pandan (screwpine leaves) and is certainly something you just gotta try out if you are interested in eating Filipino desserts with sweet corn.
It only takes twenty minutes to make, and one batch should make enough for four servings.
Check out the list of ingredients below:
All-Purpose Cream
Confectioners Sugar
Coconut
The recipe by Yummy is super easy to follow so if you want to make a delicious batch of Buko Pandan with corn you should check out their website where you can access the recipe.
Flans are very common in Spain, but they are also very popular in other parts of the world including the Spanish-influenced Philippines. This particular flan has been called “the best” with corn, and it is definitely worth trying out!
This recipe may take a while to get done so make sure that you have a good chunk of time set aside to watch over your delectable corn flan.
If you would like to know what ingredients are in this dessert make sure to take a look at the list of ingredients below:
Evaporated Milk
Vanilla
Cream Cheese
Condensed Milk
If you are interested in making this dessert from scratch make sure to check out El Restaurante's website where you can reference their recipe for this dessert.
This dessert is truly amazing to behold. If you are a fan of delicious and sweet desserts with the subtle taste of sweet corn you will love this corn and cheese puto.
The recipe by Yummy makes enough for twelve servings and should take only twenty-five minutes from start to finish.
The ingredients in this delightful dessert are listed list below:
Sugar
Baking Powder
Salt
Milk
Powdered Milk
Eggs
Salted Butter
Grated Cheese
Make sure to visit Yummy's website where they can better guide you on how to make this delightful sweet treat.
In addition to cornbread being served alongside traditional dishes in the Philippines, there are also some interesting variations of cornbread that can be found across the country. One such variation is Bibinka cornbread.
A recipe by Salu-Salo makes enough to serve twelve people and should only take you an hour and five minutes.
If you are curious to find out what ingredients are included in this dessert, make sure to reference the list below:
Yellow
Cornmeal
Salt
Baking Powder
Eggs
Sugar
Unsalted Butter
If you would like to make this recipe at home for yourself, make sure to check out Salu-Salo's recipe and follow along.
White pudding is usually made with bread or rice flour, eggs, milk, butter, salt, baking powder, sugar, and spices. This particular version of white pudding comes with a little twist though. Instead of using bread or rice flour, this version uses coconut milk instead.
This recipe should only take just under thirty minutes to prepare, and it makes enough for five servings.
The ingredients for this dessert are as follows:
White Sugar
Evaporated Milk
Corn Starch
Milk
If you want to learn more about this dessert make sure to browse through Petit Chef's blog for additional information.
One of the most popular desserts in the Philippines is the coconut milk rice pudding with corn. It is a very simple dish but one that has been around since the country was formed.
Foxy Folksy has created her own unique version of this classic dessert which she calls Coconut Milk Rice Pudding with corn. Their recipe makes enough for six servings and takes a total of twenty-five minutes to make.
The ingredients for this dessert are as follows:
Rice
Granulated Sugar
Vanilla Essence
If you would like to make this dessert for yourself so that you can try it out, make sure to check out Foxy Folksy's website where you can access the recipe.
River Ten Kitchen specializes in creating Asian fusion recipes and their Maja Blanca with cream-style corn is no exception. As their name suggests, this dessert combines two great tastes together – Mexican food and Filipino food.
Their recipe makes enough for twelve servings and should only take about twenty minutes to complete. The ingredients include:
Milk
Condensed Milk
Salt
White Sugar
Cornstarch
Water
If you would like to give this dessert a try and make it yourself, make sure to visit River Ten Kitchen's website and follow along with their recipe.
Final Thoughts
These are just ten of the many variations of corn desserts that Filipinos enjoy as merienda. Merienda is like a cross between a snack and a meal. Derived from Spain where they traditionally take a mini meal in the late afternoon before dinner, merienda in the Filipino culture is any snack taken between meals throughout the day. With corn desserts typically being paired with rice and coconut, they make the perfect calorie dense and tasty merienda!
Also, for those who are looking to eat something sweet after lunch or dinner, these corn desserts will definitely satisfy your cravings quickly. I hope that you enjoyed my list of corn desserts, try a couple out in your kitchen!
Below is a bonus video from Foodie Pinoy, sharing their easy recipe for the most commonly made version of Maja Blanca. Enjoy these recipes and the CORNicopia of sweet flavor!!
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