Name: Tembleque (Puerto Rican Coconut Pudding)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 195 min
Ingredients: 2 cans coconut milk (full-fat) (13.5 oz each); 1/2 cup sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cinnamon sticks; 1/8 tsp salt; 3/4 cup cornstarch; lime peel (3 inches); ground cinnamon (for garnish); coconut flakes (for garnish, optional); Cooking spray (for mold)

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Tembleque is Puerto Rican coconut pudding or custard. Tembleque literally means shaky in Spanish, which refers to the jiggly texture of this pudding. This Puerto Rican dessert is popular during Christmas time and can be found at the holiday table along with other favorites like coquito y budin de pan.

What is tembleque?

Tembleque is coconut pudding, a traditional Puerto Rican dessert, made with coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. This coconut pudding is quite popular during Christmas, but is enjoyed all year-round. It has a creamy, jiggly texture, similar to jello, with delicate notes of cinnamon and vanilla.

I also make a coffee-infused tembleque, perfect for coffee-lovers. If café con leche is your vibe, check out my tembleque de café recipe.

Tembleque ingredients:

Leche de coco
Sugar
Vainilla
Cinnamon sticks
Sal
Cornstarch
Lime

Find the full recipe below! You can also click the Jump to Recipe button at the top of this page.

How to make tembleque?

Combine ingredients

Place a large pot on the stove but keep the heat off. Add all of the dry ingredients and whisk together. (Sugar, salt, cornstarch). Gradually add the coconut milk and vanilla extract while whisking. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Add cinnamon sticks.

Cook on the stove

Place the pot over medium heat. Whisk the mixture frequently until it begins to simmer. Once small bubbles form, whisk constantly, but not too vigorously or you will create bubbles in the tembleque. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it thickens. Remove the pot from the heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks and allow the tembleque to cool slightly.

Spray the molds with a little cooking spray. The oil will help the tembleque release more easily later, especially if you are using a silicone mold. Alternatively, you could just add a bit of water to the mold, which can also help the custard release.

Fill the molds

Fill each individual mold. If you’re making dessert for a crowd, pour all of the tembleque mixture into an 8×8, 9×9, or 10-inch mold. Gently tap the bottom of the mold against the countertop to release any bubbles that may be trapped inside.

I get about 8 servings using 3-inch (3-oz capacity) molds. You could also use 3-oz sized ramekins. If you use 4-oz ramekins, you would get about 6 slightly larger servings.

You can shop the silicone molds I use aquí. Another similar mold can be found aquí.

Chill in the refrigerator

Press a layer of plastic wrap onto the surface of the tembleque and refrigerate until completely chilled. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours depending on the size of your molds. You can also refrigerate overnight, if you want to make this dessert in advance.

Once the tembleque has set, gently pull the custard from the silicone mold or run a thin, sharp knife between the tembleque and the mold. Invert the mold over a plate and allow gravity to release the custard from the mold. If it’s not releasing on its own, gently tap the mold. If you are using a silicone mold, try carefully pulling the sides away from the tembleque to help it release. Silicone molds can be tricky to use but practice makes perfect.

Sprinkle the tembleque with ground cinnamon and toasted coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!

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Tembleque (Puerto Rican Coconut Pudding)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Additional Time 3

Total Time 3 15

Servings 6 people

Equipo

Non-stick silicone molds linked in recipe notes below

Ingredientes

2 cans coconut milk (full-fat) 13.5 oz each
1/2 taza sugar
1 tsp vainilla
2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 tsp sal
3/4 taza cornstarch
lime peel (3 inches)
canela para adornar
coconut flakes for garnish, optional
Cooking spray for mold

Intrucciones

Combine dry ingredients

Place a large pot on the stove but keep the heat off.
Add all of the dry ingredients and whisk together. (Sugar, salt, cornstarch).

Add wet ingredients

Gradually add the coconut milk and vanilla extract while whisking. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
Add cinnamon sticks and lime peel.

Cook the tembleque

Place the pot over medium heat. Whisk the mixture frequently until it begins to simmer. Once small bubbles form, whisk constantly, but not too vigorously or you will create bubbles in the tembleque.
Cook the tembleque for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it thickens.
Remove the pot from the heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks and lime peel and allow the tembleque to cool slightly while you rinse the molds.

Prepare the molds

Spray the mold with a little cooking spray. The oil will help the tembleque release more easily later, especially if you are using a silicone mold. Alternatively, you could just add a bit of water to the mold, which can also help the tembleque release.

Fill the molds

For individual molds, fill each mold using a ladle. If you’re making dessert for a crowd, pour all of the tembleque mixture into an 8×8, 9×9, or 10-inch mold.
Gently tap the bottom of the mold against the countertop to release any bubbles that may be trapped in the tembleque.

Chill the tembleque

Press a layer of plastic wrap onto the surface of the tembleque and refrigerate until completely chilled. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours depending on the size of your molds. You can also refrigerate overnight, if you want to make this dessert in advance.
Once the tembleque has set, gently pull the custard from the silicone mold or run a thin, sharp knife between the tembleque and the mold. Invert the mold over a plate and allow gravity to release the custard from the mold. It should release easily.
Sprinkle the tembleque with ground cinnamon and toasted coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!

Notas

I get about 8 servings using 3-inch (3-oz capacity) molds. You could also use 3-oz sized ramekins. If you use 4-oz ramekins, you would get about 6 slightly larger servings.

You can shop the silicone molds I use aquí.

Keyword coconut custard, Puerto Rican dessert, Puerto Rican recipes, tembleque