Arepas de Choclo Colombianas are made with sweet corn. This a traditional Colombian dish that you can find in fancy restaurants menus, is a popular street food and they are also made at home. They can be eaten as a snack or breakfast with butter and cheese.
Arepas de Choclo or Chócolo are absolutely my favorite arepas. I would eat them every day if I could. These traditional and popular Arepas from the Andean region of Colombia are the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack served with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate.
Ingredients You'll Need
The printable recipe card with exact amounts and cooking directions to make these arepas de chocolate is below.
Corn: You need fresh corn to make this recipe.
Butter: To cook and serve the arepas.
Sugar: Add a lithe sweetness to these corn arepas.
Salt: Balance the corn flavor and sugar.
Cooking Tips
These Arepas de Choclo or Chócolo can be a little tricky to make but I have a tip that can help make the preparation relatively easy, and of course the more you make them the better you become at getting them just right. I like to start cooking them on top of the stove and finish them in the oven, this will help prevent them from breaking up. And, it is very important to use very fresh corn for this recipe.
If the batter is too thin just add a couple of tablespoons of corn meal or masarepa.
If you decide to do the whole process on the stove top, be sure the pan it is well heated. Since the arepas are pretty delicate, you have to be careful when turning them. Serve them with Colombian Quesito or Queso Fresco.
How to Serve
Areaps de Chocolo are usually served with butter and Colombian quesito. Here in the United States you can use Queso fresco or white cheese
How to Make Arepas de Chocolo
Place all the ingredients in a blender, except the butter and blend until a thick batter is just formed.
- Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet or griddle, over medium heat.
- Keeping the skillet at medium heat, ladle about ¼ cup of the batter onto the skillet, to make an arepa.
- Cook, until the undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook about 3 minutes more on the second side.
- If you want to finish in the oven: Cook, until the undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly brown.
- Serve immediately or transfer to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the skillet as needed. Serve with butter and white cheese on top.
More Colombian Arepas Recipes
Arepas Boyacense (From the Boyaca Department)
Arepa de Huevo (Stuffed with Egg)
Arepas de Choclo Recipe (Colombian Corn Cakes)
Ingredients
- 5 cups fresh corn kernels
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more as needed
- Queso fresco or white cheese to serve
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a blender, except the butter and blend until a thick batter is just formed.
- Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet or griddle, over medium heat.
- Keeping the skillet at medium heat, ladle about ¼ cup of the batter onto the skillet, to make an arepa.
- Cook, until the undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook about 3 minutes more on the second side.
- If you want to finish in the oven: Cook, until the undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly brown.
- Serve immediately or transfer to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the skillet as needed. Serve with butter and white cheese on top.
Aileen
What happens if you use canned corn?
Veronica
Am I boiling this corn first? Or just shuck and blend?
Jeremiah
Erica, we tried and it didin't work.They taste great but do not have the shape at all. Ji, ji. No big deal. We are going to do them again until we learn.
Martha
NO SE COMO ARMASTE ESTAS AREPAS,PERO ES IMPOSIBLE DE HACER SI NO LE PONES HARINA PARA HACER AREPAS. CREO QUE DEBERIAS RETIFICAR LA RECETA PORQUE NO ES CORRECTO QUE LAS PERSONAS GASTEN SUS INGREDIENTES EN ALGO QUE NO ESTA CORRECTO
Erica Dinho
Hola Martha,
Eso depende de la clase de chocolo que usas y si le sacas suficiente liquido. Yo nunca tengo problemas armandolas y en Colombia las hacen sin harina. Les puedes agregar harina de maíz si no las puedes armar.
Sara
This may be a silly question, but do you cook the corn before you blend it?
Erica Dinho
No.
Laura Villarroel
Erica,
I love your Blog!I tried making arepas de choclo this morning and it was a disaster! I didn't have 5 cups of fresh corn, just 4 cups. Put it in my Vitamix blender with butter, salt and sugar. It made a pretty runny batter for me. I put the batter on the cast iron skillet and they just didn't cook. They remained too liquidy and I was never able to flip it. It just fell apart. What could I have done wrong? I love arepas de choclo and am determined to make them! Thank you!
Erica Dinho
Laura, these arepas are hard to flip.You can start cooking them on top of the stove and finish in the oven, if you use an oven proof pan. That way works better for me.
*Next time you can add a couple tablespoons of corn flour if you want.
Alfonso
I wonder if i can make them using frozen corn or canned corn.
Will I have a similar result?
I miss them so much!!!
Erica Dinho
I don't know! I always use fresh corn.....Try it with frozen corn and let me know if you like them!
Alfonso
Thanks for your quick answer!!! 🙂 I will try them next week and let you know!!! 🙂
melodi
When I lived in Venezuela in the late 1970's (where these are called Cachapas) I used to love to go to the mountains around Caracas where you could buy these fresh from vendors who would have them pre-cooked but then re-heat them on a griddle folded over with the cheese melted inside.
They are still my favorite thing to make, though I often "cheat" and use a tiny bit of wheat flour to hold them together, sometimes I add a tich of baking powder too, my cousin's grandmother that showed me how to make them (over a wood stove) used only fresh corn and cooked them completely on top of the stove.
I shall have to try the oven trick and is may make the need for the flour redundant as it is mostly to keep them from falling apart.
Love your site, also amazed how many foods now seem to be both in Colombia and Venezuela.
Claudia Bustamante
Hola, me gusta tu pag web, yo soy colombiana tambien y me gusta cocinar.Intente con las arepas con uan receta de maizen que le agregaban crema de leche y polvo de hornear pero no me quedo bien la consitencia.Algun truco gracias.
Astrid
Hola,
Mira he intentado hacer esta receta con maiz enlatado que es el que consigo donde vivo pero me queda muy aguada, tienes alguna sugerencia?
Me encanta tu blog, felicitaciones.
Sandra Milena
Do not use canned corn. Will not come out the same. Also try adding a bit more sugar and corn meal..it will bind it more and will be less likely to fall apart. I learned the hard way :/
sammi
Is the corn supposed to be boiled before blending? or just cut it from the husk and blend?
MARGARITA
Can I use canned or frozen corn??? Thanks!
Erica
I always use fresh corn, bu you can try it with frozen.
Danny
I eat so many of these when I visit Colombia!!!!
sami
Hi,
could I use canned corn?
thanks
Carolina
Erica,
As always, you saved my life!! Literally!!! It is easy to find arepas the choclo in Miami, but I was craving a home-made!!
I love your blog and although I don't comment, trust me, I visit you regularly...I'm from Barranquilla, I have the bible of the comida coste~a, Cartagena de Indias en la olla...but I can't find all the recipes that I want all the ingredients...your blog is perfect because you tell us where to buy things or a good equivalent here in the States.
Gracias!!!
Eliana
arepas