Tembleque de café is Puerto Rican coffee-flavored 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 but is enjoyed all year-round. This coffee-infused version does not disappoint. If you love the taste of café con leche with a coconut twist, you will love this tembleque de café recipe!
What is tembleque made of?
Tembleque is made with coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and cornstarch. It has a jiggly texture similar to Jello, but it’s also creamy like a custard.
What does tembleque mean in English?
Tembleque comes from the Spanish word temblar, which means to shake. The jiggly texture of this dessert makes it shake. This is how tembleque got its name. Tembleque has a rich history in Puerto Rican culture, with roots dating back to colonial times when coconut was widely used in coastal regions.
Tembleque de café ingredients:
- Coconut milk (full-fat)
- Kahlúa
- Espresso
- Instant coffee
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon sticks
- Salt
- Cornstarch
*Find the full recipe below at the bottom of this article! You can also press the Jump to Recipe button at the top of this page.
How to make tembleque de café?
Tembleque de café is made just like traditional tembleque but with the addition of espresso, instant coffee, and Kahlúa. After several practice runs making this recipe, I found that adding a bit of cooking spray to the mold helps the coconut pudding unmold more easily once set, especially if you are using silicone molds. I like to use olive oil spray.
Combine ingredients
Place a large pot on the stove but keep the heat off. Add all of the dry ingredients and whisk together. Gradually add the coconut milk, Kahlúa, espresso, and vanilla extract while whisking. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Add cinnamon sticks.
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 allow the tembleque to cool slightly.
Spray the mold with olive oil cooking spray. The oil will help the tembleque release more easily later, especially if you are using a silicone mold.
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 in the tembleque.
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 here. Another similar mold can be found here.
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. Sprinkle the tembleque with ground cinnamon and toasted coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!
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Tembleque de Café (Coffee Coconut Pudding)
Equipment
- Non-stick silicone molds linked in recipe notes below
Ingredients
- Cooking spray for mold
- 2 cans coconut milk (full-fat) 13.5 oz each
- 4 oz Kahlúa
- 1/2 cup freshly-brewed espresso
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- coconut flakes for garnish, optional
- ground cinnamon for garnish, optional
Instructions
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, instant coffee, and cornstarch.
Add wet ingredients
- Gradually add the coconut milk, Kahlúa, espresso, and vanilla extract while whisking. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
- Add cinnamon sticks.
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 to a creamy consistency, similar to yogurt.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks 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
- Fill individual molds. 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.
- Sprinkle the tembleque with ground cinnamon and toasted coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!
Check out my other sweet recipes!
Pink Guava Margarita (Margarita de Guayaba)
English 
Spanish 
