Corn Cachapas with Cheese (Venezuelan Corn Pancakes)

I stumbled upon this wonderful recipe as I was scrolling the socials for something delicious and unique to cook. Immediately I was taken by the striking visual appeal, with beautiful bright colors of what is clearly just from looking at it, a delicious bite of food. These amazing Corn Cachapas with Cheese, otherwise known as Venezuelan Corn Pancakes, are a staple dish in Venezuela, loved universally for their simplicity to make and big flavors they offer

Inspiration for this recipe

We found this wonderful Corn Cachapas with Cheese recipe from a fellow blogger by the name of The Melty Bite and we just had to try it for ourselves. In our recipe we made a few tweaks, mainly the use of regular canned corn instead of Sweet Corn. If you do use Sweet Corn, I would recommend reducing the amount of additional Sugar being added, as the Sweet Corn itself is quite sweet

Otherwise, we kept the recipe straight forward. They used Buffalo Mozzarella whereas we used the regular Mozzarella, mainly due to availability. I think either will work well, and it will really come down to what kind of texture you want out of your Cachapas

You can even omit the Cheese completely if you like. This is not a bad option, especially for those who aren’t big fans of Cheese. While the Cheese adds a luxurious melty quality and nice flavor, it can overpower the subtle flavors of the Pancakes if you add too much

You can always try making a couple of Corn Cachapas with Cheese, and a few without to see which you prefer. This dish is similar in many ways to Arepas, with the inclusion of Cheese making them a little bit different and more unique

How to make Corn Cachapas with Cheese

This is a wonderfully simple recipe to make at home, and one you can easily repeat without having to re-check the recipe every time. The dish itself is prepared and cooked just like your typical homemade pancakes. The batter is made and then pan fried with some Butter until golden-brown and delicious. Nothing could be easier!

To begin, create the batter by placing 400g of Canned Corn, 1 Egg, AP Flour, Sugar, and Salt in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. It doesn’t need to be super-smooth, and in fact, having a couple of chunky pieces of Corn will just add to the texture of the dish

You can use regular Corn if you like, just cut them straight off the Cob and into the batter. If you are using Canned Corn, please remember to drain the liquid before adding the Corn to the blender for blitzing. This recipe will produce enough batter for 4 decent sized Cachapas. If you want more, simply double the recipe. You will, however, need to batch cook them as a typical frying pan will only hold 4 of these at a time

Pan Fry the Batter until golden-brown

Next step is to melt some Butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, spoon in the batter to create 4 pancakes. Try to avoid them touching each other and allow them to cook for about 3 minutes until the under side is beautifully golden-brown and beginning to caramelize

Carefully flip them over using a spatula and then place a piece of Mozzarella on top of the Pancake. Cut your Mozzarella pieces to about half the size of the Pancake, as we eventually fold the pancake over the Cheese to encase it once the underside is cooked

Your cheese should be slightly melty by the time the underside is completely cooked, which is perfect for holding the Cachapas together. They are a little delicate, so just take your time when folding the pancakes over

If you like you can also just stack the Cachapas on top of each other and place one piece of Cheese in the middle. This is an easier approach, as it doesn’t involve any folding. For the authentic presentation however, folding them is the way to go

Serve immediately when hot

This is absolutely a dish that is best served immediately, when piping hot. Place the cooked Corn Cachapas with Cheese directly onto a serving plate. You can enjoy them with your favorite dipping sauce or simply eat them as is. For some fun presentation you can finish them with a little bit of freshly chopped greens like Parsley or Chives, and finish with a sprinkle of Flaky Sea Salt

Another nice way to enjoy Corn Cachapas it to serve them with some Sour Cream. You can stack them on top of each other and finish the dish with a generous spoonful of some good quality Sour Cream or Crème Fraiche

Another classic serving technique is to brush the cooked Cachapas with a little bit of Melted Butter for some added glossy goodness. Personally, I find that by pan frying them in the Butter they are glossy enough, and this step isn’t needed. However, if you just love your Butter then just melt some in the Microwave and brush over using a kitchen brush

Additional Ingredients you can use

What’s great about making a savory pancake dish like this is you can add so many different ingredients to create your own version. Some nice options to add to the Batter are some Bell Peppers or Jalapenos if you want a bit of spice. Adding Banana is another nice option

Spices are also a great addition to creating some unique flavors. Smoked Paprika and Cumin are some delicious additions, as are Garlic and Onion Powder. Try adding your own ingredients to these Corn Cachapas and enjoy some unique and delicious flavors

Corn Cachapas with Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

• 400ml Canned Corn, drained (You can also use Fresh)
• 1 Egg
• 40g All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ½ tbsp. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 4 Slices of Mozzarella Cheese
  
  

Equipment needed: Blender or Food Processor

Instructions

1. Place the Corn, Egg, Flour, Sugar, and Salt in a blender or food processor and blitz to create a batter
2. Melt Butter in a large frying pan over medium heat then add a generous spoonful of the batter. For this recipe quantity you can make 4 Cachapas
3. Fry for 3 minutes until golden-brown then carefully flip over using a spatula. Place a slice of Mozzarella Cheese over each of the Cachapas and allow it to melt as the underside cooks
4. After 3 more minutes, fold the Cachapas over the cheese and press down slightly. Remove and serve hot
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can use Sweet Corn but just be careful of how much additional Sugar you add to the batter to avoid it becoming too sweet
• To make larger quantities, double all ingredients in the recipe. This will make a total of 8 Cachapas
  
  

These amazing Corn Cachapas with Cheese are a truly classic Venezuelan dish and one that you can easily make at home with everyday ingredients. This is a fun way to enjoy Corn and offers a fun alternative to regular pancakes. They’re a great dish to feed a hungry family, especially those fussy kids who we guarantee are going to love this dish

For more tasty bites of food just like this one, check out these fun recipes:

• Crispy Halloumi Fries
• Santa Fe Shrimp Ceviche
• Chicken Tenders for Kids
• Tempura Onion Rings
  
  

Happy Cooking!