This colada de maizena (cornstarch pudding) is simple and very easy to make. The perfect afternoon snack or simple dessert.
What is Colada de Maizena?
It is a popular dish made with milk, maizena (cornstarch), vanilla, sugar and cinnamon. It's almost like a vanilla pudding without the eggs.
I e-mailed all of my cousins in Colombia trying to find this recipe. My grandmother made this often pudding when I was growing up as an afternoon snack and it's been a long time since I've had it. I don't know if it was the weather, but I've been craving colada for a while. I made it last week and it was so comforting and tasted just like Mamita's!
Ingredients You'll Need
The printable recipe card with exact amounts and cooking directions is below.
Corn Starch: You need to use this main ingredient to make the colada.
Milk: I recommend using whole milk to make this recipe.
Cinnamon: I like to use sticks for flavor.
Vanilla Bean: Adding de whole bean adds delicious vanilla flavor to the colada.
Sugar: I like to use organic sugar to my recipe
Tips to Make this Recipe
I like using a whole vanilla bean to make this recipe, but you can use vanilla extract if you prefer.
I recommend using whole milk when making colada de maizena, because I find that the texture is creamier with whole milk.
You can serve the colada warm or let it chill before serving it. If you refrigerate it, be sure to place plastic wrap over it.
How to make Colada de Maizena
- In a medium bowl, mix together the maizena or corn starch with 1 cup of the milk until the corn starch is dissolved and there are no lumps.
- Pour the rest of the milk, the sugar, cinnamon stick and the vanilla seeds into a medium pot, then gradually whisk in the corn starch mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the colada is thickened to the consistency of a thin pudding.
- Remove from heat, discard the cinnamon stick and serve hot.
You can also adjust the amount of milk to adjust the consistency of the pudding. The same applies to the amount of sugar and how sweet you want the colada. I like mine thick and sweet and I usually eat it with a spoon. This recipe is really easy to make and kids love it!
More Desserts to Try
Coffee Mousse (Esponjado de Café)
Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)
Colada de Maizena Recipe (Colombian Cornstarch Pudding)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup maizena corn starch
- 5 cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the maizena or corn starch with 1 cup of the milk until the corn starch is dissolved and there are no lumps.
- Pour the rest of the milk, the sugar, cinnamon stick and the vanilla seeds into a medium pot, then gradually whisk in the corn starch mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the colada is thickened to the consistency of a thin pudding.
- Remove from heat, discard the cinnamon stick and serve hot.
Gloria
Both my grandmother and my mother used to make this. They used to pour half out of the pan and then add a bar of (drinking) chocolate and melt it in with the heat by stirring it in. I'm not sure if they let it set a bit, but then they poured the chocolate mix on top and we had a great double layered treat. Love it.
IRIS
I had a friend in middle school who's mom would make this. She was from Columbia. It's been like 20 years and I randomly remembered it and after so much time trying to remember what it was I found your recipe! I had only remembered the yellow box that said Maizena.
I'm making it now with almond milk (I think soy would be better but I don't have any right now. I'm also out of sugar so I'm using Splenda naturals.
It's pretty good but I need to make it with the real stuff next time.
Thank you!
Anonymous
*Colombia
Claudia Lucia Easterling
OMG my parents are from Colombia, I use to have this as a child and I too craved this with my third pregnancy! So funny gotta love them Colombian roots! Glad I found you.
Sandra
Gracias por la receta. Yo solo le pondria menos agua y menos azucar, ya que la colada es mas espesa y mas simple. En Medellin solemos tomarla mezclada con galletas Saltin Noel en pedacitos. Saludos.
Laura cuellar
Yes there is something about pregnancy that makes this an extra special treat. This saved me in the first 2 months or so of breastfeeding at all ours of the night. I had no desireto eat something at such hours butneeding the calories all i had to do was heatup a cup from a batch made in the evening. Warm and sooo yummy comforting.
Anonymous
Tastes great! I use cinnimon and whole cloves, let them boil in water for a while. I like to dip buttered toast in it... so delish
Eva de Bulgaria
I love this recipe!!! Turns out perfect!!
Missy
I never heard of this recipe before. My daughter's future
mother-in-law introduced it her, and she inturn did the same to me. I enjoy it . It will be one of my comfort foods to end my evening.
Teri
Thanks for sharing this recipe, when I was stayed at the hospital in Costa Rica because of problems with my pregancy, I and all the other ladies with gestational diabetes were given this to drink in the evening as our snack to tide us over till breakfast. Now that I have a son who is allergic to corn and milk I wanted to make this recipe with his special formula -this should hide the taste of it- and cassava starch because hes also allergic to corn. I was not able to find the recipe anywhere till I found yours, it looks like what I had at the hospital, yum! again thanks for sharing!
Carolina
You're a lifesaver! I was craving this and I couldn't get a hold of my mom. Que rica que me quedo, gracias!
Maria C
I prepared my colada today, I'm pregnant and craving Colombian food every day. I'm going to check on other of your recipes to see what I would like to have tomorrow.
Great page.
Marcela
Que rico, en El Salvador tenemos un postre muy similar...quiero probar!!!
DowntownFoodie
I absolutely looove Maicena!! How cool that you guys add vanilla bean. Yum! Great recipe!
luzma
Hola Erica por casualidad tendras receta de las empanadas pastuzas con el aji de mani?
Nelly
Hey Erica!
This recipe is delicious. I made the colada with almond milk and mmmmmmm...great!.. Thanks for share you recipes.
God bless you 🙂
Caroll Buitrago-Long
Hola Erica,
Acabo de hacer la maizena de nuevo pero esta vez se me ahumo. Porque crees que pasa?? segui todos los pasos auqnue esta vez use la leche 2%, sera ese el problema?
Gracias