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Arepas de Choclo con Quesito (Colombian Corn Cakes with Fresh Cheese)

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This post is also available in Spanish

Arepas de Choclo Colombianas

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.

Arepa de Chocolo con Quesito Or Colombian Corn Arepa)

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 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.

Buen provecho!

Reta de Arepas Colombianas

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Ingredients

(4 arepas)

  • 5 cups fresh corn kernels
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed
  • Queso fresco or white cheese to serve

Recetas de Comida Colombiana

Directions

  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until a thick batter is just formed.
  2. Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet or griddle, over medium heat.

    3. Arepa de Choclo batter

  3. Keeping the skillet at medium heat, ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet, to make an arepa.

    4. Arepa de Chocolo Cooking

  4. Cook, until the undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook about 2 minutes more on the second side.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

    7. Recetas Colombianas

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Comments

  1. I tried making these once using a recipe that called for pre-cooked white corn meal. I don’t like how they came out. I’ll have to try your recipe with the fresh corn, it looks much more delicious!

    Reply

  2. Hi! About how many ears of corn make 5 cups of kernels? I assume the butter is melted. Am I right? Thank you!

    Reply

  10. Hey Erica, arepas are so good! The remind me of American Indian corn pone. Your arepas look so good. I need to make something like this soon…

    Reply

  12. Oh my god arepas de choclo are one of my favorite things ever, and my friends and I have been talking on and off about trying to make them but no one ever seemed to really know how they were made (only where to buy them, which is unhelpful given how many 1000s of miles we are away from there). Thanks a lot for posting this, we’ll definitely be trying your recipe!

    Reply

  13. I too have only tried these made the”American” way with flour or a binder of some sort, they were terrible. Must give these a try real soon while we have an abundance of fresh corn here.
    Thanks.

    Reply

  18. These are beautiful and seem easy to make. I can’t believe there is no flour in this recipe. Thanks for another beautiful and delicious recipe Erica.

    Reply

  20. We make something similar, Erica. I love them. Ours does not have cheese, which is a great addition. And with our wonderful corn right now this recipe is yummy!

    Reply

  23. I can never have enough of corn cakes. This sounds like a savory bread we make with corn flour in the skillet. I am wondering how it is going to turn out if I add jalapenos in this. Sweet and spicy and perfect as a side dish too.

    Reply

  24. Definitely bookmarking this recipe. My son would love this recipe, with the cheese and without. Looks delicious and great for all that fresh corn available.

    Reply

  27. corn cakes are so tasty–great recipe. i’m trying to figure out what shape the cheese has been formed into–i think the one on the right looks like a hand. 🙂

    Reply

  30. I tried to make these but I blended my corn too long by accident! The batter got so watery, it happens sooo fast! I tried to make one to see how it would work but it never really formed. So I added some cornflour like the other arepas and it turned out good!

    But now I have an excuse to make them again!

    Reply

    • Heather- These arepas are hard to make, but you can try again. It tried this recipe at least 10 times before I got it right.

      Reply

  31. Hola Erica,

    I’m going to try to make these this weekend but I had a question. The directions say to place all ingredients in the blender. Does that include the butter as well? Or is the butter only used for cooking the arepas?

    Reply

  32. Oh my gosh Erica, I don’t know what we did wrong but these did not turn out well at all. LOL. The flavor was perfect but the batter was way too runny and it never had the right consistency. After a couple of hours of trying I added some cornstarch (Maizena) and baking powder and nothing. So at the last minute my mom added some regular arepa flour (Areparina) and ended up making regular arepas with a touch of chocolo flavor. So 3 hours and tons of bickering later, my husband and I are giving up. =(

    Reply

  34. 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!!!

    Reply

  39. 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 :/

    Reply

  40. 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.

    Reply

  41. 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.

    Reply

  42. 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.

    Reply

  43. I wonder if i can make them using frozen corn or canned corn.

    Will I have a similar result?

    I miss them so much!!!

    Reply

  44. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  46. 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.

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

      • 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.

        Reply

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