Desserts

Majarete

Name: Majarete
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Ingredients: 1 cup cornmeal; 2 cans (13.5 oz) coconut milk; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Pinch of salt; Ground cinnamon for topping

Warm corn and coconut pudding — humble, comforting, and dusted with cinnamon.

30 minutes Easy

By Josh Ortiz·August 2026·5 min read

Majarete is a warm corn and coconut pudding — the humble, comforting dessert that every Puerto Rican grandmother made. It's simpler than tembleque but equally beloved. While tembleque gets all the glory as the coconut pudding of Puerto Rico, majarete has been quietly sitting in abuela's kitchen for generations, made with nothing more than cornmeal, coconut milk, sugar, and a dusting of cinnamon. It's the kind of dessert that doesn't need to impress anyone. It just tastes like home. Thick, creamy, subtly sweet, and fragrant with coconut — majarete is comfort food in its purest form. You eat it warm from the pot or chilled from the fridge, either way, it's perfect.

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What is Majarete?

Majarete is a traditional Puerto Rican pudding made from cornmeal and coconut milk. Unlike tembleque, which uses cornstarch and is set firm enough to unmold, majarete is made with cornmeal, which gives it a slightly grainy, porridge-like texture. It's cooked on the stovetop until thick, then poured into individual cups or a large dish and chilled. The result is a pudding that's denser and more textured than tembleque, with a warm, toasty corn flavor that pairs beautifully with the coconut.

Majarete is a year-round dessert in Puerto Rico, but it shows up especially at family gatherings and holiday tables. Some people serve it warm straight from the pot — almost like a porridge — while others prefer it chilled and firm. Either way, the cinnamon-dusted top is non-negotiable. It's a dessert with roots in the island's indigenous Taíno heritage, where corn was a dietary staple long before the Spanish arrived.

Ingredients

Scale recipe:

6 servings

Serves 6:

1 cup cornmeal — fine or medium grind. Not coarse polenta — you want it smooth.
2 cans (13.5 oz each) coconut milk — full-fat for the richest flavor. Split into 1 can for mixing and 1 can for the pot.
1/2 cup sugar — adjust to taste. Some like it sweeter, others keep it subtle.
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon — infused into the pudding itself.
Pinch of salt — brings out the coconut and corn flavors.
Ground cinnamon for topping — the finishing touch. Don't skip it.

Mainland Swaps

No cornmeal? You can use cornstarch, but the texture will be smoother and more like tembleque. The cornmeal gives majarete its distinctive slightly grainy character.
Light coconut milk? It works, but the pudding will be less rich and creamy. Full-fat coconut milk is worth it for this recipe.
Want it extra smooth? Blend the cornmeal mixture after mixing for a silkier result. Traditional majarete has a slight graininess that most people love.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Mix the cornmeal. In a bowl, whisk the cornmeal with 1 can of coconut milk until completely smooth. No lumps — take your time here. This slurry is what prevents clumps when you add it to the hot liquid.

Heat the coconut milk. Pour the remaining can of coconut milk into a medium pot. Add sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Heat over medium until it starts to steam and the sugar dissolves.

Combine and cook. Slowly pour the cornmeal slurry into the hot coconut milk, whisking constantly. Keep whisking as the mixture begins to thicken — this happens fast once the cornmeal hits the heat.

Cook 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. The majarete will get very thick — it should pull away from the sides of the pot. Don't stop stirring or it will stick and burn on the bottom.

Pour and chill. Spoon the hot majarete into 6 individual cups or a single dish. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set.

Dust with cinnamon. Before serving, dust the tops generously with ground cinnamon. Serve chilled — or eat it warm right from the pot. Both ways are traditional.

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Tips for Perfect Majarete

Mix the cornmeal cold. Always mix cornmeal with cold or room-temperature liquid first. Adding dry cornmeal directly to hot liquid creates impossible lumps.
Stir constantly. Cornmeal settles and sticks fast. Don't walk away from the pot — keep stirring for those 10-15 minutes.
It thickens more as it cools. The majarete will seem slightly looser than you want when you pour it. Trust the process — it firms up significantly in the fridge.
Don't skip the cinnamon dusting. It's not just decoration. The cinnamon on top adds aroma and flavor that completes the dessert.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Technically yes, but then you're essentially making tembleque — which is a different dessert. Cornstarch produces a smooth, gel-like pudding, while cornmeal gives majarete its characteristic slightly grainy, porridge-like texture. If you want majarete, stick with cornmeal. If you want tembleque, use cornstarch and check that recipe instead.

Both are traditional. Warm majarete is more like a porridge — creamy, comforting, and perfect for cooler mornings. Chilled majarete is firmer and more dessert-like, with a texture closer to pudding. Most families serve it chilled at gatherings, but eating it warm straight from the pot is an abuela-approved move.

Yes — raisins are a common addition in some families. Stir in 1/4 cup raisins during the last few minutes of cooking. Some people also add a splash of rum or a handful of shredded coconut for extra texture. The plain version is classic, but additions are common and delicious.