Tembleque de Café (Coffee Coconut Pudding)
Tembleque de café is Puerto Rican coffee-flavored coconut pudding or custard. 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!
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 8x8, 9x9, 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!