Cachapas Venezolanas: Three Easy Ways to Make Venezuelan Corn Pancakes

Cachapas venezolanas are the reason I have opinions about sweetcorn.

Cachapas can be filled with whatever you like, but cheese and butter is the classic, and it is still my favourite, especially when you can get hold of queso de mano to make it properly. A cachapa is a Venezuelan corn pancake, thick and a little sweet. The whole point is the sweet corn meeting the salty cheese, and once you have had that combination it is hard to be satisfied by a plain pancake again.

Most recipes assume you can buy tender fresh corn, the jojoto Venezuelans grind straight from the cob. Outside Venezuela that is not always easy to come by, which is why the tinned versions matter. Three cachapa recipes I saved from Instagram have stuck with me because each takes a different road to the same plate: one with fresh corn and almost nothing else, one with tinned corn and cream, and one built on cottage cheese for a lighter cachapa.

Why make cachapas at home

They are quick. The batter is a blender job and the pan does the rest, so a cachapa is realistic on a weeknight in a way that a lot of Venezuelan cooking is not.

They are also forgiving about ingredients. Fresh or tinned corn both work, and the cheese can be the proper Venezuelan one or a decent stand-in. You can make a good cachapa with what is in the cupboard and one trip to the supermarket.

Big or small is up to you

Cachapas do not come in a set size. Like pancakes, you decide how you feel: one large cachapa folded over plenty of cheese, or a stack of small ones for sharing. The recipe cards below leave the number of servings open for that reason.

Cachapas with fresh corn (the simplest one)

This one comes from @lacocinitadenieves and it is the purest of the three. Fresh corn cut from the cob, a little sugar and salt, a splash of milk, all blended together. There is no egg and no flour, so the corn itself holds the batter together.

Blend it a little at a time so you do not strain the blender, because the mixture is thick. Then spread it in a pan over low heat and leave it alone. The cue to watch for is bubbles and small holes appearing while the underside turns golden, at which point the top starts to dry out and it is ready to turn. Butter goes on when it comes out, then the cheese, and the cachapa folds in half.

This is the version to make when corn is in season and you want the flavour of the corn to be the loudest thing on the plate.

Cachapas with tinned corn and cream (the rich one)

The second recipe is from Andres Cooking and it solves the problem of not having fresh corn. Two tins of sweetcorn go in the blender with heavy cream, two eggs, pre-cooked cornmeal, sugar and salt. The trick is to blend in short pulses so you keep whole kernels, which gives you little bursts of corn in every bite.

The cooking is unhurried. Plenty of butter in the pan, low heat, and ten minutes on each side. It sounds long, but the batter is thick and needs the time. It is finished with queso de mano and a little more butter on top.

The cream and butter make this the most indulgent of the three, and the eggs and pre-cooked cornmeal give the batter more structure than corn alone.

Cachapas con queso cottage (the lighter one)

The third is the lighter one, from @themarimethod. One tin of sweetcorn, half a cup of cottage cheese, one egg and two tablespoons of cornmeal, all in the blender. There is no cream and no added sugar, and the cottage cheese does the job that cream does in the richer version, keeping the batter soft.

Two things from her method matter. Blend for as short a time as you can get away with, so the texture of the corn stays. And cook it thoroughly on the first side, because a cachapa that is properly set is far easier to turn. If the batter looks watery, add a little more cornmeal. Finish with queso blanco.

The recipe says harina de maíz, which in Venezuelan cooking usually means pre-cooked cornmeal like Harina P.A.N. In the UK, cornflour is cornstarch, so it is a different ingredient and should not be swapped in here.

Which one should you make?

Fresh corn is the one for late summer, when you can find good sweetcorn on the cob and want it to taste of itself. The tinned corn and cream version is the one for a treat, or for when you want a cachapa that behaves well in the pan. The cottage cheese version is the everyday one, quickest to blend and easiest on the shopping list.

Choosing the cheese

Queso de mano is the classic, a soft, fresh white cheese from Venezuela that is a little salty and a little tangy. Queso telita is another fresh white cheese used the same way. Neither is easy to find in the UK. Enrile Moine, writing for readers outside Venezuela, says fresh mozzarella is a good stand-in, though queso de mano is saltier and more tart. Any soft, mild white cheese that melts a little will do the job.

Tips for better cachapas

Keep the heat low. The two recipes that give a temperature both cook on low, and the batter is thick enough that the middle needs the time.

Do not flip early. Wait for bubbles and small holes on the surface, and for the underside to turn golden.

Blend in short bursts, or a little at a time, depending on the recipe. Over-blending turns the batter smooth and loses the pieces of corn that make a cachapa worth eating.

Fold the cachapa over the cheese while it is still hot, so the cheese softens and the butter melts into it.

Frequently asked questions

What is a cachapa?

A cachapa is a Venezuelan pancake made from sweet corn, cooked on a griddle or in a pan and folded over cheese. It is sweet and savoury at once.

Can I use tinned or frozen sweetcorn?

Yes. Two of these three recipes use tinned corn, and it is what makes them practical outside Venezuela. Drain tinned corn well so the batter is not watery, and add a little pre-cooked cornmeal if it still looks loose.

Are cachapas gluten free?

The fresh corn recipe has no flour at all. The other two use pre-cooked cornmeal, which is made from corn, but if you need to avoid gluten check the label on your brand for cross-contamination.

Why does my cachapa fall apart when I flip it?

Usually it has not cooked long enough on the first side, or the batter is too wet. Cook it until the top looks set, and stir in a little more pre-cooked cornmeal if the mixture is runny.

What can I fill a cachapa with?

Cheese is the classic, and butter goes with it. The creator of the tinned corn recipe mentions that some people eat theirs with chorizo or fried pork, though he prefers plain butter and cheese.

Recipe credits

All three recipes come from creators I follow, and I have rewritten each method in my own words here. Please go and watch the originals, because the videos show things a written recipe cannot: @lacocinitadenieves for the fresh corn cachapas, Andres Cooking for the tinned corn and cream version, and @themarimethod for the cottage cheese cachapas. The point about fresh mozzarella comes from Enrile Moine’s Venezuelan cachapas with queso de mano.

If you make one of these, tag @caramba.crafts and tell me which road you took with the corn. I want to see the cheese pull.