Cachapas: Venezuelan Corn Pancakes with Melty Cheese and Easy Blender Batter

Cachapas, Venezuelan Corn Pancakes

Cachapas are Venezuela’s take on the pancake, and one bite explains why they turn up at street stalls, family breakfasts, and late night snack runs all over the country.

Picture a thick corn pancake with a golden outside and a soft, almost custardy middle, folded around a generous handful of soft white cheese so it melts into long, stretchy strands.

Sweet corn, a touch of sugar, and a pinch of salt create that sweet and savory pull that keeps everyone reaching for a second one.

The best part is how little work they take. The batter comes together entirely in a blender. Corn kernels, an egg, milk, butter, a small amount of flour, garlic, sugar, and salt go in, and a smooth pourable batter comes out.

From there it is a hot nonstick skillet or griddle, a ladle, and a few minutes per side. Total time lands under 30 minutes, with about 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, and one batch serves 4 people.

This guide follows the original cachapas recipe from My Food Story, which is the version that made the dish click for a lot of home cooks.

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The recipe author first spotted cachapas while watching MasterChef Australia, where a contestant named Antonio made them, and the idea of a cheese stuffed corn pancake clearly stuck.

The finished pancakes have a real, pronounced corn flavor, a bouncy texture that sits closer to a thick pancake than a crepe, and those strings of stretchy mozzarella when you pull one apart.

They are also wonderfully flexible. The author adds grated garlic to the batter and lays sliced jalapenos on top for a little heat, then simply skips the jalapenos when making them for children.

Serve them as a weekend breakfast, a snack that kids actually finish, or a full family meal with a salad and some protein on the side. A spoonful of sour cream is the classic finish, and a drizzle of hot sauce does not hurt either.

If you enjoy corn based griddle cakes, our whole wheat cornmeal pancakes are another easy option to keep in rotation.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Cachapas

Everything here is designed to be picked up on a normal grocery run, and each piece has a job in the finished pancake.

Corn kernels are the star of the show. Fresh corn cut from the cob gives the brightest flavor, but frozen corn that has been defrosted works beautifully and is what the recipe author reaches for most often. You need 2 cups, about 300 grams.

Cornflour and all purpose flour stand in for the traditional masa harina. Using them in a 1 to 1 mix keeps the recipe accessible without hunting down a specialty bag, and the small amount used just holds the batter together without turning it doughy. Cornflour is the same product sold as cornstarch in the United States.

Egg binds everything and adds a custard like richness that shows up in the finished texture.

Full cream milk, labeled whole milk in the US, is recommended for a batter that pours easily and tastes rich.

Butter goes into the batter for flavor, while a neutral oil is used to grease the pan so the pancakes release cleanly.

Grated garlic is the author’s addition, and it is the reason these taste a little savory rather than purely sweet. Two cloves, minced fine, disappear into the blender.

Sugar and salt balance each other. The sugar pulls out the natural sweetness of the corn, and the salt keeps the whole thing from tasting flat.

Sliced jalapenos are optional and pressed onto the pancakes while they cook for a bit of heat. Leave them out entirely when you are feeding kids, or use them on only half the batch.

Shredded mozzarella is the filling. Traditional cachapas are made with queso de mano, a soft Venezuelan cheese with a similar mild, salty flavor, and mozzarella is the closest easy to find stand in. If you want another corn and jalapeno combination on the table, this jalapeno popper corn salad is a good one to serve alongside.

How to Make Cachapas

Start with the batter, because it is genuinely the whole job. Add every batter ingredient to a blender and blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

You want a pourable batter with no visible corn chunks left, so give it a full minute if your blender is not the strongest one on the counter.

Pour it into a measuring cup or a bowl with a spout, which makes neat circles much easier later.

Set a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and add a small amount of oil to coat the surface. Medium is the sweet spot here. Too hot and the outside darkens before the middle sets, too cool and the pancakes turn pale and rubbery.

Medium heat is the whole game. A gentle, steady pan gives you a golden outside and a fully set middle, with no scorched edges.

For each cachapa, pour a ladleful of batter onto the skillet and use the back of the ladle to spread it into a circular shape, exactly like you would with a regular pancake. You can make them as small or as large as you like, so mini versions for kids and larger ones for adults are both fair game.

Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the pancakes are golden brown and cooked through. You will see bubbles forming on the surface as they set, which is your cue that the first side is ready to flip.

If you are using jalapeno slices, lay them on the surface before you flip so they soften and toast into the pancake. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side, then flip it back.

Now for the cheese. Pile a generous amount of shredded mozzarella onto one half of a cachapa, then fold the other half over the top to create a half moon shape.

Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and gooey and the outside is nicely toasted. Repeat the filling and folding with the rest of the batch.

Serve them warm, straight off the griddle, with sour cream on the side. That is when the contrast is at its best, a lightly crisp exterior with a silky, cheesy middle.

Ingredients

For the batter

• 2 cups fresh corn, about 300 grams, cut from the cob. Frozen corn, defrosted, can be used if fresh corn is not available
• 1 egg
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup cornflour, 25 grams
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 27 grams
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup milk, 120 ml

For topping

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, about 110 grams
• 2 sliced jalapenos, optional

For cooking

• 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

1. Add all the batter ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a small amount of oil to coat the surface.
3. For each cachapa, pour a ladleful of batter onto the skillet and use the back of the ladle to spread it into a circle, like a pancake. Make them as small or as large as you prefer.
4. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Bubbles will form on the surface, just like regular pancakes.
5. Place jalapeno slices, if using, on the cachapas before flipping. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on the other side, then flip back. Put a generous amount of shredded mozzarella on one half of the cachapa and fold the other half over the cheese to make a half moon shape. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and gooey and the cachapa is nicely toasted.
6. Repeat the filling and cooking with the remaining cachapas, then serve them warm with sour cream.

Recipe details

Prep time is 5 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes, for a total of about 20 minutes. One batch serves 4 people.

The original recipe also lists polyunsaturated fat 2 g, monounsaturated fat 6 g, trans fat 0.3 g, potassium 314 mg, vitamin A 631 IU, vitamin C 14 mg, calcium 273 mg, and iron 1 mg. These are estimates from the source and will shift with the corn, the milk, and how much cheese you tuck into each pancake.

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Cachapas | Venezuelan Corn Pancakes

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Cachapas, Venezuelan Corn Pancakes Cachapas are Venezuela’s take on the pancake, and one bite explains why they turn up at street stalls, family breakfasts, and late night snack runs all over the country. Picture a thick corn pancake with a golden outside and a soft, almost custardy middle, folded around a generous handful of soft white cheese so it melts into long, stretchy strands.

• Total Time: 20 min
• Yield: 4 people 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the batter
2 Cups Fresh Corn, About 300 Grams, Cut From The Cob, You Can Use Frozen Corn, Defrosted, If Fresh Corn Is Not Available)
1 Egg
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
¼ Cup Cornflour, 25 Grams
¼ Cup All-purpose Flour, 27 Grams
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Butter
½ Cup Milk, 120 Ml

For topping
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, approx. 110 Grams
2 Sliced Jalapeños

For Cooking
1 Tablespoon Oil

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Instructions

1-Add all ingredients for the batter to: Add all ingredients for the batter to a blender and blend until smooth.
2-Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over: Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a small amount of oil to coat the surface.
3-For each cachapa, pour a ladleful of: For each cachapa, pour a ladleful of the batter onto the skillet, using the back of the ladle to spread it into a circular shape, similar to a pancake. You can make them as small or as large as you prefer.
4-Cook the cachapas for about 2-3 minutes: Cook the cachapas for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. You’ll notice bubbles forming on the surface, similar to cooking regular pancakes.
5-Place jalapeno slices, if using, on the: Place jalapeno slices, if using, on the cachapas before flipping them. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side and flip it back. Place a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese on one half of a cachapa. Fold the other half over the cheese to create a halfmoon shape. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on each side, or until the cheese is melted and gooey, and the cachapa is nicely toasted.
6-Repeat the filling and cooking process for: Repeat the filling and cooking process for the remaining cachapas. Once all the cachapas are filled, toasted, and cheesy, serve them warm along with sour cream!

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 5 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Method: stovetop

Nutrition

• Calories: 324kcal
• Sugar: 10g
• Sodium: 841mg
• Fat: 17g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 33g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 13g
• Cholesterol: 78mg