Tembleque (Coconut Pudding from Puerto Rico)

Tembleque is a Puerto Rican dessert made of pure coconut milk, flavored with warm spices and a hint of citrus. It’s a staple in Puerto Rico and many other Latin American countries, especially around Christmas, but it should be made year-round. This vegan dessert is easy to make, fun to serve, and delightfully sweet.

*This post is updated from the original I published in 2021. The recipe is the same.*

What Is Tembleque?

Tembleque is a traditional Puerto Rican coconut pudding recipe. Though many other Caribbean islands serve coconut puddings, Puerto Rico is where tembleque originated. Tembleque is similar to French blanc mange or Filipino maja blanca. 

Pronounced tehm-BLEH-keh, the word tembleque comes from the Spanish “temblar,” meaning to shake or wiggle. This creamy coconut dessert does just that when it’s unmolded. Puerto Ricans commonly serve tembleque during the holidays, especially at Christmas, but my family enjoys it year-round. 

Tembleque has a strong coconut flavor with hints of cinnamon and other spices and a slight hint of citrus. Orange blossom water or orange peel is a not-so-secret ingredient in my tembleque recipe. 

What Do I Need To Make Tembleque?

Tembleque is made with fresh or canned coconut milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, orange peel, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, fresh ginger, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Except for the cinnamon, the spices I use are optional, so you can add or omit them.

You’ll need a heavy-bottomed pot with sloped sides, a whisk, and a mold for the tembleque.

Are Tembleque And Flan The Same Thing?

Tembleque differs from flan in that it’s thickened with cornstarch, not eggs, making it naturally vegan and dairy-free. Tembleque also doesn’t have a caramel sugar topping as flan does.

How Do I Flavor Tembleque?

Older recipes for tembleque call for orange blossom water to the pudding base; however, most people don’t have it in their pantries. Oranges are commonly found in kitchens, so I add a subtle hint of orange by infusing the coconut milk with a couple of orange peels and warming spices. Feel free to omit the orange peel or substitute lime peel or lemon peel.

Add the peel to a portion of the coconut milk in a 3 or 4-quart saucier. A pot with sloped sides is best since it prevents the pudding from getting stuck in corners and burning. 

Can I Use Canned Coconut Milk?

Canned coconut milk tastes like canned coconut milk: very processed. Tembleque made with canned coconut milk does taste more coconutty (since the milk is concentrated) but has a metallic taste and a grey undertone. Fresh coconut milk has a mellow flavor and makes your tembleque milky white. If you prefer canned milk, replace the fresh coconut milk with the same amount of canned. 

Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, whole cloves, a few scrapes of nutmeg, and salt to the coconut milk and orange peel in the pot. Bring this mixture up to a simmer over medium-high heat. The fat solids in the coconut will begin to separate a bit, making the liquid look curdled. That’s totally normal. 

How Long Do I Steep The Spices?

Allow the coconut milk to simmer for a full 2 minutes. If it starts to boil, reduce the heat. Stir the coconut milk once or twice during that 2-minute simmer, then turn the stove off. 

Allow the spices to steep in the hot coconut milk for 5 minutes. This is how to get the most flavor out of the spices and into the coconut milk.

Can I Use Ground Spices Instead Of Whole?

You can use ground spices to flavor your tembleque, but they will cause it to look tan instead of white. Tembleque should be as close to white as possible. But if you don’t have or want to buy whole spices, I’ve included the measurements for replacing them with ground spices in the recipe card. 

Use a French whisk to stir the sugar into the coconut milk for about 1 minute after steeping the spices. I don’t add a lot of sugar to my tembleque because I want the coconut flavor to shine. If you have a bigger sweet tooth than I do, add an additional 1/4 cup of sugar here.

How Do I Thicken The Tembleque?

Puddings are thickened with something other than eggs. Tembleque is thickened with cornstarch or cornflour, making it a gluten-free dessert. Check the label to ensure your brand’s cornstarch is processed in a gluten-free environment.  

Add the remaining coconut milk to the cornstarch in a steady trickle. Whisk the mixture constantly as you pour the coconut milk into the cornstarch to avoid clumps forming. Stir it a few more times to ensure it’s smooth once the coconut milk is in the bowl. You’ll add this slurry to the hot coconut milk in the pot to thicken the tembleque.

You can also thicken the tembleque with arrowroot or tapioca. You can use the same amount of arrowroot as the cornstarch. 

Tapioca flour (cassava or yuca flour) is a better option, but you’ll need 1 cup of tapioca flour for tembleque. Tapioca flour holds considerably well and also freezes well. Arrowroot doesn’t hold for extended periods, so if you plan to make this ahead, be prepared for a significant change in texture as it sits. I’d use arrowroot powder only as a last resort. 

How Do I Know If My Tembleque Is Thick Enough?

Use a slotted spoon or a small strainer to remove the whole spices from the coconut milk in the pot. Discard the spices since you had them in coconut milk.

Turn the stove on to medium heat.

Add the cornstarch slurry to the pot in a slow, steady trickle while stirring constantly. If you dump the slurry into the still-hot coconut milk, it’ll likely clump to all hell, so do this slowly.

Allow the tembleque to come up to steaming once all the slurry is in the milk. Continue stirring constantly, paying close attention to the sides, which heat up faster. Incorporate the slurry from the outside of the pan into the center to create a smooth pudding. 

After about 1 1/2-2 minutes, the tembleque will thicken to the point where it resembles mayonnaise. The pudding should not be super stiff because it won’t wobble once cool. You don’t want it too thin, because it won’t set up properly.

If your tembleque is too thin, allow it to simmer for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. Make more slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch stirred into 1 tablespoon of cold water. Add it to the pot the same way as before and see if that thickens it. If the tembleque is thick like a paste, thin it with more coconut milk until it reaches a mayonnaise consistency.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the vanilla extract. Continue stirring for 30 seconds to cool the pudding slightly. 

What’s The Best Mold For Forming A Tembleque?

Part of the fun of making tembleque comes in watching it wiggle, but seeing its decorative appearance is also pretty awesome. I always make my tembleque in this crown bundt pan from Nordic Ware because it comes out beautifully. You can use a flexible silicone mold, but I have seen people break their tembleque when they try to remove it from the mold. You also don’t want a mold that’s too intricate. The tembleque will stick in pans with too many details. 

Water or non-stick spray or oil are two ways to ensure your tembleque releases from the mold in one piece. I prefer the water method because it doesn’t leave an oily residue or aftertaste on my tembleque.

For the water method: 

1. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 milliliters) of room-temperature water to the empty mold. 
2. Move the water around in the mold to moisten it. Be sure to get the center tube if your pan has one. 
3. Once you’ve wet the inside of the mold, leave the excess water to pool at the bottom of the mold. 
4. Pour the hot tembleque into the mold. Move the pot around the mold as you pour it to ensure it fills evenly. The water will rise around the pudding to create a barrier that will make de-panning easier. 

For the non-stick spray method:

1. Spray the mold lightly with a neutral-tasting, non-stick spray. If you can get coconut oil in a spray can, even better.
2. Pour the tembleque into the greased mold. 

How Do I Make Individual Tembleques?

Divide the pudding equally between 3-4 ounce molds to make 8 mini tembleques. 

To fill individual tembleque molds more easily, set them on a sheet pan before filling them. Pour the hot pudding into the moistened/greased mold and transfer the sheet pan to the fridge. They take only 1 hour to set up when made in individual molds, but I recommend chilling them for at least 3 hours. 

How Long Does It Take To Set?

Tembleque takes 2 hours to set up, but chilling it for 4 hours is recommended. Metal molds are the best temperature conductors, so the tembleque chills faster and more evenly. 

Place the uncovered pan into the fridge, allow the tembleque to chill, and set up completely or for 2-4 hours. Cover it with plastic wrap after 2 hours or when it’s no longer emitting heat. This is especially important if you intend to store it overnight because it prevents skin from forming.

What Do I Do If My Tembleque Doesn’t Come Out Of The Mold?

When you’re ready to remove the tembleque from the mold, tilt the pan in a circular motion to loosen the pudding from its sides. Dip the bottom of the pan in hot water for 1-2 minutes. Flip the pan onto a serving plate and let the tembleque stay inverted until you hear a “schloop!” come from the pan. This is an indicator that the tembleque is unmolded. 

If you don’t hear a schloop within 3 minutes, flip the pan right-side up and grab a small paring knife or a toothpick. Go around the outside of the pudding with the tip of your knife to loosen it. Don’t forget to loosen the pudding around the inner tube if there is one. Invert the pan once again and wait for the schloop. 

If the schloop never happens, you didn’t lubricate the pan well enough. That’s a bummer, but you can always scoop the tembleque from the pan with a spoon and serve it that way. 

How Do I Serve Tembleque?

Tembleque is served cold and should be stored, lightly covered, in the refrigerator until you’re ready to slice it. 

Dust the top of the tembleque with ground cinnamon before serving. You can also garnish it with slivers of coconut or toasted coconut flakes or a drizzle of chocolate sauce, cajeta, caramel, or guava marmalade. Use a cake spatula or thin knife to slice the tembleque for serving. If you made individual tembleques, serve your guests one each. 

Enjoy tembleque with a cup of café con leche (coffee with milk), milk or with coquito during the holidays.

Can I Freeze Tembleque?

You can freeze the tembleque for up to 1 month.

1. Wrap it well in plastic film after unmolding and garnishing it with cinnamon. I prefer to unmold it into a freezer-safe container with a lid and then wrap it in plastic. 
2. Freeze the tembleque for up to 1 month. 
3. Thaw the frozen pudding in the fridge overnight. Some liquid may seep out after thawing. Just use a paper towel to blot it up. 
4. Garnish and serve as desired. 

How Can I Change The Flavors?

To switch up the flavor of tembleque:

• Flavor it with cinnamon sticks, omitting the other spices and orange peel.
• Replace the orange peel with lime or lemon peel.
• Use almond, coffee, orange, or rum extract instead of vanilla.

I prefer the classic flavors of tembleque, but it’s fun to experiment.

What Other Puerto Rican Desserts Are Served During The Holidays?

Puerto Rican desserts that are served during the holidays are:

• Arroz con Dulce (Coconut Rice Pudding with Raisins)
• Flan (Puerto Rican-style Egg Custard)
• Mantecaditos (Almond Thumbprint Cookies)

Tembleque brings a sweet taste of Puerto Rico to your dessert table. This easy-to-make dessert is a great recipe for the holiday season, and its spiced coconutty flavor is a hit for coconut-lovers and even those who aren’t. I hope you’ll add it to your holiday menus this year. Let me know what you think when you try it and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook if you make it.

Tembleque (Coconut Pudding)

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 37 votes

Tembleque is a Puerto Rican dessert made of pure coconut milk, flavored with warm spices and a hint of citrus.

It's a staple recipe in Puerto Rico, especially around Christmas.

Servings: 8

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 minutes mins

chilling time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 14 minutes mins

Equipment

• 3 or 4-quart saucier
• whisk
• 10 to 12-cup bundt pan or mold

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 cups (950 milliliters) fresh coconut milk (or canned), separated
• 2 3-inch orange peels (from 1 medium navel orange)
• 1 large cinnamon stick (or 2 3-inch long cinnamon sticks)
• 2 1/4-inch thick ginger slices
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt optional
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (61 grams) cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vanilla extract

Optional Garnishes

• ground cinnamon
• coconut flakes or slivers

Instructions 

Moisten the Mold

• Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of water to the mold that will hold your tembleque.

  Move the water around in the mold to moisten it making sure to get the center tube if your pan has one.

  Once you've wet the inside of the mold, leave the excess water to pool at the bottom of the mold and set it aside.

  Alternatively, spray your mold with a neutral-tasting, non-stick cooking spray (coconut oil is recommended) and set aside.

Infuse the Coconut Milk

• Pour 3 cups of the coconut milk into a 3 or 4-quart saucier.

  To the coconut milk in the pot, add the orange peel, the cinnamon stick, ginger slices, star anise, whole cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
• Bring this mixture up to a simmer over medium-high heat. The fat solids in the coconut will begin to separate a bit, which will make the liquid look curdled. That's totally normal.

  Allow the coconut milk to simmer for a full 2 minutes. If it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. 
• Stir the coconut milk once or twice during that 2-minute simmer, then turn the stove off.

  Use a whisk  to stir in the sugar into the coconut mixture, then allow the spices to steep in the hot coconut milk for 5 minutes.

Make the Slurry

• While the spices steep in the coconut milk, make the cornstarch slurry.

  Add the remaining cup of coconut milk to the cornstarch in a bowl in a steady trickle, whisking constantly as you pour the coconut milk into the cornstarch to avoid clumps from forming.

Thicken the Coconut Mixture

• Use a slotted spoon or a small strainer to remove the whole spices from the coconut milk in the pot.

  Turn the stove on to medium heat.
• Add the cornstarch slurry to the coconut milk in a slow, steady trickle, stirring constantly.

  Once all the slurry has been stirred in, allow the tembleque to come up to steaming. Continue stirring constantly, paying close attention to the sides, which heat up faster. Incorporate the slurry from the outside of the pan into the center.
• After about 1 1/2-2 minutes, the tembleque will thicken to the point where it resembles mayonnaise.

  Remove the pot from the stove, and stir in the vanilla extract. Continue stirring for 30 seconds to cool the pudding slightly. 

Pan the Tembleque and Chill

• Pour the hot tembleque into the moistened/greased mold, pouring around the mold to ensure it's added in an even layer.

  The water will rise up around the pudding to create a barrier that will make de-panning easier. Greased pans will not have rising water.
• Set the uncovered pan into the fridge and allow it to chill and set up completely, or anywhere from 2-4 hours.

  After 2 hours, or when it's no longer emitting heat, you can cover it with plastic wrap.
• When you're ready to remove the tembleque from the mold, tilt the pan in a circular motion to loosen the pudding from its sides.

  Dip the bottom of the pan in hot water for 1-2 minutes.

  Leave the tembleque inverted until you hear a "schloop!" come from the pan. That's how you know your tembleque is unmolded. 
• Garnish the tembleque with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and slivers of coconut.

  Serve chilled.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Use canned coconut milk instead of fresh coconut milk.
• Use cinnamon sticks only (omit the other spices and orange peel).
• Replace the orange peel with lime or lemon peel.
• You can increase the sugar to 1 1/4 cup if you like a very sweet tembleque.
• You can thicken tembleque replacing the cornstarch with arrowroot powder using the same measurement called for. The biggest downside to using arrowroot is that it doesn't hold for extended periods.
• Tapioca flour (cassava or yuca flour) is a better option for a replacement thickener. Double the amount to 1 cup of tapioca flour to use in this recipe. Tapioca flour holds considerably well and also freezes well.
• Use almond, coffee, orange, or rum extract instead of vanilla extract.

To use ground spices replace the whole spices with:

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch of star anise powder
• pinch of ground nutmeg

Tips and Techniques:

• If the tembleque is too thin after you add the slurry, allow it to simmer for 30 seconds to a minute longer. If it's not at all thick, make more slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch stirred into 1 tablespoon of cold water. Add it the same way as before and see if that thickens it up.
• Metal pans are ideal for making tembleque because they are great conductors, so the pudding chills faster and more evenly. 
• A flexible silicone mold can be used, but it may cause you to break the tembleque when you remove it from the mold.
• Don't use a mold that's super intricate in it's design. The tembleque is more likely to get stuck in a pan with a lot of details. 
• Tembleque only takes 2 hours to set up enough to unmold, but chilling it for at least 4 hours is recommended.
• If you don't hear a schloop within 3 minutes, flip the pan right-side up and go around the outside of the pudding and where the tube is with the tip of a paring knife or toothpick to loosen it. Invert the pan once again and wait for the schloop. 
• If the schloop never happens, it means that you didn't moisten the pan well enough. So you will have to scoop the tembleque from the pan with a spoon to serve it. 
• Tembleque is always dusted in ground cinnamon before serving. You can also garnish it with slivers of coconut or with toasted coconut flakes or a drizzle of chocolate sauce, cajeta, caramel, or smooth guava paste. 

To Make Mini Tembleques (makes 6-8 depending on mold size):

1. Set 3 or 4-ounce molds on a sheet pan.
2. Pour the hot pudding into the moistened mold and transfer the sheet pan with the molds into the fridge.
3. Chill the tembleque for at least 3 hours  before unmolding.

Storage Instructions:

Tembleque is served cold, so store it in the fridge lightly covered or in a container until you're ready to indulge. 

Freezer Instructions:

1. After unmolding and before garnishing it with cinnamon, flip it out of the pan and into a freezer-safe container that has a lid, then wrap the container in plastic.
2. Freeze the tembleque for up to 1 month.
3. Thaw the frozen pudding in the fridge overnight. Some liquid may seep out after thawing. Just use a paper towel to blot it up.
4. Garnish and serve as desired. 

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 2gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 54mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 4mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine Hispanic, Puerto Rican

Keyword coconut, dessert, pudding

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