Cachapas are tasty corn pancakes that are soft and tender, and packed with fresh corn flavor. They're typically filled with melty cheese and make a delicious savory snack.
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We're big fans of corn as a side dish in the summer, whether simply boiled or grilled with butter or made into my elote-style corn and black bean salad or as corn puree. It's also great made into snacks/appetizers like masala corn and Thai corn fritters.
These corn pancakes are another way to make the most of corn that are quick and easy to make. They only have a few ingredients so the corn flavor really comes through. Traditionally a street food, they're also great to enjoy at home.
Origins of cachapas
Cachapas are believed to date back to pre-Columbian times. They were made by indigenous people in what is now Venezuela and Columbia. Today they remain a core part of Venezuelan cuisine, where you'll find them sold by street vendors all over the country.
Traditionally, the corn was ground with a stone and you would have minimal additions to make them into pancakes. These days, you can use a blender or food processor to break up the kernels and add a little salt and sugar to help the flavor.
The traditional cooking method is on a flat clay griddle called a budare, though a nonstick skillet/ frying pan works well when you make them at home.
Difference between cachapas and arepas
Arepas and cachapas are both popular Venezuelan corn-based snacks, but they are definitely different. Arepas use dried cornmeal while cachapas use fresh sweet corn. The arepa mixture os more firm while cachapas batter is more liquid. The end result is arepas are drier and more savory while cachapas are soft and gently sweet.
Cachapas tend to be served more simply, just folded over and filled with queso de mano, a plain fresh cheese similar to mozzarella. Arepas are a bit more bread-like and typically split open after cooking and filled with meats, beans, cheese or other fillings.
Cachapas ingredients
As mentioned, these fresh corn pancakes are very simple, with just a few ingredients:
- Fresh corn - you can use canned or frozen corn for these but fresh just has that bit brighter flavor. So, if available, I recommend using fresh corn.
- Egg - this acts as a binder, and also gives some rise to the mixture.
- Milk - this helps with the consistency and adds to the flavor.
- Arepa flour - this is a type of corn flour that helps thicken the mixture, since the fresh corn in most places in the world tends to be juicier. Without the flour, the mixture is a bit too liquid.
- Salt and sugar - just a little of each adds to the flavor.
- Butter - to cook them in to help give a gently crisp, brown outside.
Note arepa flour, aka harina PAN or masarepa, is NOT the same as either corn starch (corn flour in the UK) or masa harina. Arepa flour is a cooked corn flour that is more coarse than corn starch. Masa harina, used for tamales and tortillas, is cooked but also niztamalized (treated with an alkaline solution) which changes the flavor again. They don't really work to use interchangeably as they are all different.
Arepa flour can be a little tricky to source but is becoming more widely available. I can find it in larger supermarkets in the US, and it's also in Latin markets as well as available online.
Steps to make these fresh corn pancakes
These come together quickly and easily, in just a few steps. You start by removing the kernels from the cob, if using fresh corn, then add these along with the other ingredients to a blender. You don't need to pre-cook the corn.
Blend everything to combine and break up the kernels. A few lumps is fine, as a bit of texture is tasty, but you don't generally want any whole kernels. Cut the cheese to fill them into slices before cooking so that it's ready to add when you need it.
Warm the butter in a skillet - nonstick is easiest but cast iron is also good - and cook up to three at a time. You can make them smaller or larger, as you prefer. I recommend only cooking a small number so it's easier to turn at the right time.
Top tip - cook one as a test
With many pancakes, the first one isn't quite as good, but with these you may also want to test the consistency. Corn can vary in how dry or juicy it is which can lead to a drier or more liquid batter. If the batter is too runny, you can add more arepa flour to help it be firmer and so easier to flip the pancake. Just don't add too much or they become more dry.
Once cooking around the edges and golden on the bottom, flip them over. Cook the second side then add the cheese so that it melts into the pancake. You can add a second pancake on top, but folding with cheese in the middle is more typical.
Strange as it may sound, I tend to find it easier to flip them back to the first side to add the cheese and fold over. For some reason, they just seem to fold better that way.
The traditional cheese is queso de mano but that can be hard to find elsewhere. Instead, a firm mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese would be good - something mild that melts. You can, of course, skip the cheese but it does pair so well.
These cachapas, Venezuelan corn pancakes are such a wonderfully tasty and tender corn-loaded snack. They're so good enjoyed when still warm with melty cheese pulls inside as a bonus. It's hard to stop at one, so make a batch and enjoy.
Try these other savory snacks
- Korean zucchini fritters (hobak jeon) - wonderfully easy, gently crisp on the outside and tender inside and great dipped in a simple sauce.
- Emapanada gallega (Galician savory pie) - a little more work but so tasty and great as a snack or make it a lunch.
- Papdi chaat - an Indian street food snack loaded with all the flavors from chutney to crisp crackers and more.
- Plus get more snack recipes, both sweet and savory, in the archives.
Cachapas (Venevuelan corn pancakes)
Ingredients
- 2 cups corn ideally freshly cut from cobs but can use frozen, defrosted
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 5 tablespoon arepa flour or more as needed, see notes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon sugar
To cook and serve
- 2 tablespoon butter for cooking, or less/more as needed
- 6 oz queso de mano or Oaxaca or low moisture mozzarella cheese, approximately - optional
Instructions
- Blend together the corn kernels, egg, milk, arepa flour, salt and sugar in a food processor or blender to make a relatively smooth paste. It will likely still be slightly lumpy - that's fine - but you don't really want whole kernels or large fibrous pieces in there. Let the mixture rest for a good 5 minutes or so to help the flour absorb the moisture etc. After resting, stir to mix - the batter should flow but be on the thicker side (see below re making a test pancake and adjusting if needed).
- Before cooking, if you are going to add cheese in the middle (optional but really tasty!) I recommend cutting the cheese into slices before you cook so it's ready to go.
- Melt a piece of butter in a medium skillet/frying pan (I suggest nonstick but it doesn't have to be) over a medium heat. Once the butter is gently brown and bubbly, add a scoop of batter and allow it to spread slightly by itself. You can make them larger or smaller as you prefer, but I suggest around ¼ - ⅓ cup (60 - 80ml) is a good size to be easy to handle but still large enough to fold over with cheese inside. Note - I suggest cooking just one at first as a test to see if the batter is the right consistency. It should spread a little, but not be so soft you can't turn it easily or that it's too thin. Corn can vary in how juicy it is so you may need adjust with extra flour or milk.
- Cook the pancake for around 5 minutes until the edges are drying and the underside is golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes or so on the second side. If adding cheese filling, you can either add the cheese on one half or make two pancakes and sandwich - I think it looks better as one folded and for whatever reason, find they fold better when you flip them back to the first side which was cooked down. Add the cheese, fold over and cook a minute or two until the cheese is starting to melt (you can turn to the half that is facing up being down to help it warm evenly, as needed).
- Repeat cooking in batches - 2 or 3 at a time works well - until all the batter is used, keeping pancakes warm (or eating them!) as you go. If you don't add cheese then they are good served with some butter on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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