Natilla is a sweet custard that is traditionally served during Colombian Christmas gatherings. There are many variations of this dish throughout the country but this Natilla is my grandmother’s recipe and is very special to me.
I called my mom and one of my aunts for the recipe, but they didn’t have it because they don’t measure when they make it. So, I e-mailed my cousin Natalia in Colombia and asked her if she knew how to make it. Anyway, after calling her mom she got Mamita’s recipe after my aunt Consuelo figured out the correct measurements. Here is my grandmother’s Natilla, with my own twist, of course. I’ve omitted the white cheese and powdered milk that Mamita used in her recipe but the rest is the same. Thank you Natalia and Consuelo 
The difference between Mamita’s Natilla and other traditional recipes that you’ll find for it is that she did not use panela, a sweet brown product made from sugar cane, she used condensed milk instead. That is the reason this Natilla is special and delicious. Some people add aguardiente to their natillas, but it in our family we don’t.
Ingredients
(About 6 Servings)
3 cups whole milk
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup grated coconut
2 cinnamon sticks
1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar or to taste
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon butter
Cinnamon powder to taste
Directions
1. Place 1 cup of milk in a small bowl, add the cornstarch and stir to dissolve it, then set aside.
2. Place the coconut milk and grated coconut in the blender and blend until smooth and set aside.
3. Place the rest of the milk and cinnamon sticks in a medium pot and bring the mixture to boil over medium-low heat. When the milk is a little warm, but not boiling, add the coconut mixture.
4. When the milk starts boiling, add the condensed milk, sugar and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and cornstarch mixture and continue stirring constantly. Add the vanilla extract. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until the Natilla thickens, about 2- 4 minutes. Add the butter, stir and remove from the heat. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Ladle into a serving dish or individual custard cups. Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top and let it cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Related posts:
Simply Life
on Dec 6th, 2009
@ 2:54 PM:
Oh my gosh…this looks INCREDIBLE!
Natalie
on Dec 6th, 2009
@ 3:32 PM:
That looks amazing Erica…I am a fan of custards, flans, blamange…so this definitely is in that catagory of deserts I love…! Thanks for the recipe…
rebecca subbiah
on Dec 6th, 2009
@ 5:01 PM:
oh yummy Jasmine would love this so happy you got the recipe
Joy
on Dec 6th, 2009
@ 7:43 PM:
How exciting! Another delicious pudding different to anything I have had before! I look forward to trying this one!
Oysterculture
on Dec 6th, 2009
@ 8:14 PM:
Oh, this sounds delicious. I am curious about the Panela, is it a type of brown sugar?
Erica
on Dec 6th, 2009
@ 10:01 PM:
LouAnn- It is similar, but hard and comes in blocks. I am going to write a post about panela next week.
KennyT
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 1:05 AM:
Oh wow Erica pls send me some Natilla! Hahaha
Palidor
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 7:58 AM:
Coconut milk and condensed milk? Now that sounds incredible!
Adriana
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 9:17 AM:
For Oysterculture
You may find panela in some mexican food stores.
*******************
Erica, this recipe looks so gooood. I will try it for the novena in my house this year.
Erica
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 9:36 AM:
Adriana- Thank you so much for your comment! Let me know if you like mamita’s natilla
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 10:43 AM:
This sounds amazing, I love the coconut flavor of this pudding!
Ivy
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 11:29 AM:
I think rice pudding is the recipe made in almost all countries of the world. I love the addition of coconut in it and it sounds delicious.
Sunita
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 12:06 PM:
The pudding looks delicious, such an interesting recipe. Thanks for sharing.
karen
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 2:03 PM:
Oh, my… this sounds wonderful!
Sook
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 2:53 PM:
Looks beautiful!
MaryMoh
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 3:15 PM:
I know I will surely like this udding. You have my 2 favourite ingredients there….coconut milk ad condensed milk….mmmm. Thanks for sharing.
Erica
on Dec 7th, 2009
@ 4:15 PM:
Thank you all for visiting my blog and for the wonderful comments!
Danielle
on Dec 8th, 2009
@ 12:57 AM:
im not much of a pudding person but wow!! this looks fantastic! love the ingredients
VintageMixer
on Dec 8th, 2009
@ 11:24 AM:
We had a Santa Fe style Christmas one year and I made this but accidentally used cornmeal instead of cornstarch! Big oooppps! Ladies this doesn’t work with cornmeal:)
Pearlyn
on Dec 10th, 2009
@ 11:45 PM:
Me and my kids love sweet desserts and anything made with cinnamon and condensed milk and this pudding has all the ingredients we love…wonderful !
Chef E
on Dec 12th, 2009
@ 8:23 AM:
I have to say, coming over here in the morning makes me hungry! I love south american foods, and of course Indian too, but a special place in my heart since I am from Texas and have had many of these dishes
Happy Holidays Erica!
Melanie
on Dec 12th, 2009
@ 1:18 PM:
Erica–I love your recipes and share some of them regularly on my face book page.
Maria Elena
on Dec 12th, 2009
@ 4:24 PM:
Hi Erika
I was looking for this recipe because I forgot some ingredients, but your recipe looks delicious. I’m going to try it right now. Thanks and Feliz Navidad!!!
claudia
on Dec 13th, 2009
@ 3:29 PM:
HOLA ERIKA , SOY COLOMBIANA PERO VIVO EN ITALIA. HOY PREPARE UNOS BUNUELOS NO MUY BUENOS PORQUE POR ACA NO ENCUENTRO LAS HARINAS PARA HACERLOS. DE TODOS MODOS BUSCANDO UNA RECETA PARA HACER LA NATILLA ME ENCONTRE CON TU SITO Y ME SUSCRIBI INMEDIATAMENTE. PROBARE CON LA NATILLA , A PROPOSITO LA HARINA DE MAIZ NO SE ENCUENTRA , SABES SI PUEDO USAR LA DE TRIGO? Y LAS MEDIDAS “CUP” A QUE EQUIVALE EN GRAMOS? TE AGRADEZCO DE ANTEMANO LA AYUDA QUE ME DAS . GRACIAS Y FELIZ NAVIDAD PARA TI Y TODA TU FAMILIA !!!!
Erica
on Dec 13th, 2009
@ 6:43 PM:
Claudia- Para la natilla tienes que usar maizena (cornstarch). La harina de trigo no sirve para esta receta. Trato de darte las medidas en kilos más tarde.
Soma
on Dec 15th, 2009
@ 9:41 PM:
This is an heirloom recipe. Very interesting use of coconut here. Does it have a coconut flavor? Looks very festive.
Adriana
on Dec 18th, 2009
@ 10:23 AM:
Hola Erica…anoche fue la noche de la novena en mi casa y preparamos la Natilla sin embargo no “cuajó” como debería. Mejor dicho no cogió la consistencia que esperaba. De sabor…fue un exito! Creo que al reducir la temperatura de coción a bajo para que espece deberia ser por mas tiempo para lograr una mejor consistencia (Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until the Natilla thickens, about 2- 4 minutes. ). Sugerencias?
*****************
Para Claudia en Italia, Cup = Taza y el cornstarch como dice Erica es Maizena (Fecula de Maiz).
Erica
on Dec 18th, 2009
@ 3:22 PM:
Adriana – Siento mucho que la natilla no te cuajo. A mi me cuajo perfecto con ese tiempo, pero puedes tratar de dejarla mas tiempo en el fuego, pero ten cuidado de que no se espese mucho. Normalmente cuando se deja enfriar es cuando se vuelve mas dura. Si tratas de nuevo cuentame como te fue.
claudia
on Dec 19th, 2009
@ 5:56 AM:
GRACIAS POR LA SUGERENCIA DE LA MAIZENA HOY MISMO VOY A COMPRARLA PARA HACERLA EN NAVIDAD, ESPERO QUE ME QUEDE BIEN PORQUE SERIA LA PRIMERA VEZ QUE LA PREPARA A MIS HIJOS Y PARIENTES ACA EN ITALIA. VOY A USAR LA MITAD DE LOS INGREDIENTES … ESPERO QUE ME CUAJE. TE LO HARE SABER, CHAO ERICA.
liliana
on Dec 19th, 2009
@ 2:34 PM:
Panela is a brown sugar, but you can get it al the Mexican stores, they call Panela PILONCILLO
Gil
on Dec 23rd, 2009
@ 10:01 AM:
Maizena o fecula de maiz (1 cajita de 450 gramos) azucar morena dos tazas o pocillos, dos litros de leche, canela y clavos de olor al gusto, es todo lo que necesitas para una natilla estilo colombiano.
Mezclas todo en un recipiente, disolviendo bien la fecula de maiz, y colocas todo en una olla o recipiente que pondras a la estufa, a temperatura mediana. Tendras que estar revolviendo constantemente, para evitar que la mezcla se peqgue en el fondo del recipiente.
Toma mas o menos una hora, para que este lista. o espesa.
Para saber cuando esta lista, ( darle punto) al pasar el mecedor o espatula (con que estas revolviendo) por el fondo, debes verle el fondo a la olla.
Tambien puedes echar una cucharadita de natilla en un vaso con agua, y si no se disuelve, es que esta lista para vaciarla en recipientes, (platos) en donde se le deja enfriar. Despues de unas horas de estar fria, se puede partir en trozos o porciones para los invitados.
Algunos acostumbran a adicionarle a la mezcla (antes de poner al fuego) una copita de aguardiente. Es opcional.
Erica
on Dec 23rd, 2009
@ 1:22 PM:
Gil- Gracias por la receta.
Nats
on Dec 29th, 2009
@ 3:59 PM:
Is white Natilla the same as Manjar?
Well, I laughed so hard reading your story of how you got the recipe because I had a similar problem this december trying to get my mom’s recipes… she didn’t use actual measuring cups so your story was so familiar to me. =)
Olga
on Jan 5th, 2010
@ 1:06 PM:
I tried this a couple of weeks ago and the taste was great, but the texture and consistency was not as good as i would have liked. (kinda lumpy…more stirring maybe?) Can you post a recipe for postre de natas? Yum…. thanks for all your hard work, love the website!
Erica
on Jan 5th, 2010
@ 3:08 PM:
Olga- It is hard to get the right consistency in natilla, you have to check every second to get the right texture.
Yolanda
on Apr 14th, 2010
@ 6:46 PM:
Erika I would like to thank you for making such a phenomenal blog with such amazing recipes. I just made the natilla, omitting the sugar and butter to make it “healthier” and it is the most incredible pudding EVER. It tastes amazing right out of the pot still warm! I also made the tuna & shrimp cakes for lunch today and they were so so easy and delicious. I loved them! You do an excellent job I don’t even use cookbooks anymore. Whenever I want to make something delicious I just come here now.
Thanks again!
Food Glorious Food « Shades of Sarah
on Jul 23rd, 2010
@ 4:20 PM:
[...] also started helping cook, something I never did before. Actually, my mom is making some natilla and hojuelas as I write this, but you get my point. Granted, not actually Latin food, but homemade [...]