Today I’m bringing you the irresistible Venezuelan cachapas recipe. Cachapas with queso de mano. Rustic corn pancakes made with fresh corn kernels, not corn flour, cachapas have become an icon of the Venezuelan food we all love.
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Cachapas are so wonderful that they are gluten-free, and there is more: if you want, you can make them without adding sugar too!
These sweet corn pancakes are becoming increasingly popular in the US, Spain, Latin America, and everywhere there are Venezuelans. The reason? They are delicious and super easy to make. Besides, cachapas are gluten-free, and there is more: if you want, you can make them without adding sugar too!
What are Venezuelan cachapas?
Cachapas are a sort of sweet corn hot cake. They are to Venezuelans what pancakes are to Americans. But not your regular pancake. I would say a much more rustic pancake, but full of flavor and rich in texture.
We used to have these sweet corn pancakes for breakfast or brunch. But they are so fulfilling that you may serve them at lunch and dinner, especially if you pair them with carne mechada (Venezuelan shredded beef), pernil de cochino (roasted pork leg), or a thick slice of cheese (better if it is queso de mano).
Lately, I’ve seen “pabellón cachapas”. Pabellón criollo is Venezuela’s national dish and it includes carne mechada, black beans, sweet fried plantains and rice. The “pabellón cachapas” I’ve seen had everything but rice. The cherry on the cake is the delicious Venezuelan guasacaca, a flavorful sauce made of avocado.
What is the origin of the cachapas?
The indigenous people that inhabited what now is Venezuela and Colombia regarded corn as a precious gift from a divine origin. The Venezuelan sweet corn pancake is from the same family as our delicious arepa.
They both have pre-Columbian origins. I would say cachapas and arepas are cousins. Our cachapas resemble the Colombian arepa de choclo, both made of ground fresh corn kernels.
The recent cachapa boom
Despite its ancient roots, the popularity of cachapas is relatively new. Whether paired with savory ingredients or enjoyed alone, the delicious blend of sweet corn will surely please any palate.
At least in Miami, where I live, cachapas can be conveniently found pre-made and stored in the refrigerated section of supermarkets. Cachapas are becoming so popular that Harina P.A.N., manufacturer of the arepa flour, makes cachapa flour too!
This flour is made in the US in the same P.A.N. facility in Texas. I must confess that cachapa flour has saved my life more than once. You can buy it in the US online, in Latin grocery stores, or supermarkets in the international food aisle.
But please notice that although they look alike, arepa flour and cachapa flour differ. And they both substantially differ from the American cornmeal and the Mexican masa harina.
With that said, I must confess: nothing beats the experience of savoring fresh cachapas made from scratch. That’s what we call homemade cachapas!
What is Queso de Mano?
What can be better than a good cachapa? Well, that same cachapa served with super fresh queso de mano. This is one of the wonderful types of Venezuelan cheese. Queso de mano translates into “hand cheese” because it’s hand-shaped.
Along with queso guayanés and telita, queso de mano belongs to the Olympus of Venezuelan fresh cheeses. Super gooey, queso de mano‘s taste and consistency are similar to fresh mozzarella. It’s a bit saltier and tart, though.
Luckily, queso de mano is also relatively easy to find in the Miami area where I live. It comes in 4-inch disks, which makes it perfect for eating with cachapas! I always buy La Pradera or Paisa. But you can get this brand through Amazon Prime Fresh, depending on your area.
If you cannot find queso de mano, you can substitute it with fresh mozzarella. Venezuelan cachapas may also be filled with ham and cheese, or add melted butter or Venezuelan nata fresca (you can substitute it with crema salvadoreña) on top.
Cachapas: A recipe from my Venezuelan childhood
When I was a little girl, eating cachapas was a joy reserved for our getaways to El Junquito. At least three times a year, we went to that little mountain town with my dad. El Junquito was located on the outskirts of Caracas, where I was born and raised. As if it were a tacit ritual, we always ate cachapas with queso de mano.
When I grew up, what was priceless was eating cachapas on my cowboy friends’ haciendas. It doesn’t matter if those haciendas were in Aragua, Guárico, or Zulia states. When visiting, during the weekends, they honored us, the Caraqueños (people from Caracas, Venezuela’s capital city), with a brunch that invariably consisted of cachapas.
The thick corn pancakes were grilled on a huge iron plate called budare, heated with firewood. No need to say that aroma was the closest to heaven.
How to make Venezuelan cachapas
To make the perfect cachapas, you’ll need some tools and ingredients:
- Wooden cutting board
- Serrated knife
- Blender or food processor
- Harina P.A.N
- Sugar or Monk Fruit (to make this recipe sugar-free)
- Large nonstick skillet, budare or even better, a double griddle for stove
- Spatula
Tips to make the best cachapas
To make the cachapas, follow these steps:
- Blend fresh sweet corn with heavy cream, skim or whole milk, and some arepa flour.
- This recipe doesn’t call for eggs, but I have seen people adding a large egg to the batter. If you want to add eggs, you may want to add more arepa flour.
- Whether you add eggs or not, don’t skip the arepa flour. This ingredient is very important, especially if you live in the US, where fresh corn has a high water content than in Venezuela and other countries in Latin America. Arepa flour gives consistency to the batter.
- I used to add sugar or monk fruit to the batter. But lately, I don’t think it is necessary, especially because fresh corn is really sweet in the US.
- Preheat your budare, griddle, or nonstick pan to medium-high heat. The temperature is very important for the cachapa to develop a nice crust.
- Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. This step is very important because the arepa flour has to be hydrated by absorbing the liquids so the batter sits.
- Grease your budare or griddle with butter immediately before adding the batter. You must grease your griddle each time you pour the batter.
- Pour your cachapas and cook them as if you were making a big pancake.
More fresh corn recipes
If you like cooking with fresh corn, check out these Venezuelan, American and Latin-inspired recipes:
- Black bean and grilled corn salad
- Cornbread
- Cornbread muffins with jalapeño
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Texas Caviar Miami-Style
- Venezuelan Torta de Jojoto
Venezuelan Cachapas Recipe
Following is the full recipe for this delicious dish. I hope you like these corn cakes as much as we do! Thanks for subscribing to my Youtube channel and visiting my Amazon store.
Cachapas with queso de mano
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh corn kernels about 6 ears of corn
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup arepa flour I used Harina P.A.N.
- Butter
- 2 8- ounce queso de mano disks
- Instructions
Instructions
- Save 4 tablespoons of corn kernels.
- Put the rest of the ingredients, except for butter and cheese, in a blender and blend until a thick paste forms.
- Add the rest of the corn kernels and stir. Press to liquefy for a few seconds. The idea is to get a rustic batter to feel pieces of corn when eating the cachapa.
- For best results, let stand for about 5 minutes for the mixture to thicken.
- Preheat a non-stick pan, budare, comal, or griddle over medium-hight heat.
- When the pan is hot, add butter to grease it.
- Make each cachapa using 3/4 cup of the batter at a time, and make a circle of about 4 inches.
- Cook for 7-8 minutes and flip with a spatula. Cook for 6 more minutes until the cachapas are golden brown.
- Serve hot with butter and cheese. You may cover a cachapa with cheese, then top it with another cachapa. You may also cover half of the cachapa with cheese and fold it.
Video
Nutrition
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @enrilemoine on Instagram and hashtag it #byenrilemoine. Thank you!
Check my other fresh corn recipes:
- Venezuelan Rice and Tuna Salad Recipe - June 29, 2026
- Classic Torta Caprese Recipe: Dense, Fudgy, and Gluten-Free - June 14, 2026
- Venezuelan Plantain Arepas with White Cheese Recipe - June 10, 2026
How much does this recipe yield
Four servings.
I forgot to say that Mom’s corn fritters used creamed corn. You used fresh corn that was blended with milk. I think the creamed corn might just work.
I’ll give it a try.
I’m going to try making these. I failed miserably at arepas, but these sound so much like my mother’s corn fritters, which were cooked like pancakes and served with butter and syrup, that I’ll bet that making a slightly thinner version of those with a little arepa flour or corn meal in the batter would turn out to be very similar to yours. I lived in Valencia for two years of my childhood and loved it there – I didn’t want to leave. But, I was so afraid to try anything I didn’t recognize, it took me until 25 years ago to discover arepas. I did try hallacas in the 70s because I had a recipe for those, but I only made them once. I’ve never been much of a cook, so if there are a lot of steps, I tend to avoid the recipe…unless I can come up with a short cut. I think these chachapas will work perfectly for me. Miles gracias!! Five stars in anticipation of enjoyment.
Wendy, you should try my step-by-step hallaca tutorial.
Do you have to cook the corn first?
No, Christine. You use it fresh, and cook it while cooking the cachapas.
Perfect this compilation of recipes for Memorial Day, from the Appetizers section I would love to start with the crostini topped with fresh strawberries, strawberries are my favorite fruit! And continuing with the strawberries and berries, I would end the meal in the sweetest way with a berry pavlova.
Two top favorites of mine, María.
My son loves everything made with corn and has been asking me to make more new recipes. I made this last night and he loved it. He said no more cheese quesadilla and instead asked me to make cachapas!
hahahaha thank you so much Sandhya. You made my day!
This is a good substitute for my regular pancakes. It is so delicious and so easy to make!
Thank you! And they’re so fulfilling!
These corn cakes were so fresh, perfectly sweet and the filling was absolutely to die for. We ate every last one. Can’t wait to make these again!
Yayyyyy!
This pan cake recipe looks absolutely delicious and very yummy! The stuffed cheese makes this breakfast or brunch meal so enticing and tempting! Loved it!
Thank you!
These cachapas look incredible. I’ve managed to order some Harina P.A.N online (can’t find it in shops here in Italy) and can’t wait until it arrives!
oh Jacqueline, you’re gonna love them with your fresh mozzarella!
This looks absolutely phenomenal! I have to make this…those thick slices of cheese on a warm griddle cake…how perfect! These won’t last long at all in my house!
They won’t!
These cachapas are absolutely sensational! I didn’t think they could top my arepas but I was wrong. Sweet cheesy heaven!
Hahahaha, they both belong to the same Olympus of the best Venezuelan treats!
Welp…these cachapas are now my newest addiction. They are seriously delicious. The sweet corn and queso are the perfect combination. I don’t even know how many times I’m going to end up making these lol
They are addictive! Well, I’m sweet corn person. thanks for stopping by, Lauren…
I love ANYthing with corn, but when you add cheese to it, I’m bound to fall in love. That was the case with these cachapas. They were so easy to make and the way the earthy corn and creamy cheese combined is heavenly.
thank you, Marta. I love corn too. We’re made of corn in this continent.
Mine were a total flop. I used hemp milk instead of regular milk, but followed everything else to a T and they simply wouldn’t cook through. They were so mushy, even after keeping them on the griddle for over 15 minutes. I want to figure out how to make these work because the flavor was very good.
Hmmmm, now I’m curious about what could be wrong. Next time, try skipping the milk and adding 1-2 extra tablespoons of Arepa flour, and see what happens. I do this recipe all the time, but I’m definitely going to check it because you’re the second person that tells me the flavor was good but the consistency was mushy. Coachapas don’t cook as fast as a pancake…
Que buena receta Enri! Ya me la guardo, porque mi mami las hacía con un procedimiento muy complejo, imagínate que hasta el nepe les quitaba.
Que maravilla. Eso sí que es un trabajón.
This looks amazing! How does queso de mano compare to queso fresco? I haven’t looked for queso de mano yet but I know for sure I can get queso fresco locally. I’ve already ordered arepa flour to try arepas, especially for my son who has celiac, and cachapa will be next on my list! Wow!
OMG! This is happiness. If you want something more similar to queso de mano, try fresh mozzarella. However, queso fresco will be perfect. Its flavor is similar to those Venezuelan cheeses such as “palmita”. Queso fresco pairs perfectly with cachapas and arepas.
We made the arepas this weekend and they were a hit stuffed with carnitas, and I had the leftover one toasted in the toaster like you recommended the next morning stuffed with eggs and bacon. Thank you for a new family staple! It was *so easy* with the information you provided. My mother in law, who is also gluten free like my son, is very excited to try the cachapas and has made me promise to wait for her next visit to make them. I told her I would and I’m going to look for queso de mano in the meantime. If I can’t find the queso de mano my mother in law wants to make her fresh mozzarella to put in them. Thanks so much for the information, I love exploring the world through food and you have made it so easy to try.
Thank you so much Mindi. I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
This looks so yummy! I’ve never had cachapas before.
Thank you Hannah!
These cachapas are so delicious!! The queso de mano is so creamy. Great recipe!
Thank Luna for stopping by!
Mira eso tan rico!!! Me abriste mi apetito y antojo de probar estas cachapas con queso de mano que se ven deliciosas!!! Y a mí que me encanta el queso!!! Voy a hacerlas en estos días de cuarentena…
Y me cuentas MissKren!
Las cachapas con queso de mano, son mi plato favorito. Créeme que no me canso de comerlo.
Yo las amo con pasión desmedida Yulissa!
Esas cachapas con queso de mano se ven deliciosas estos días las voy a preparar y te cuento como me va, se que me van a quedar ricas pero no tanto como a ti
No te predispongas Adita!
Pero que delicia estas cachapas con queso de mano! Me encanta que están hechas con maíz fresco. Tengo que probar tu receta!
Te van a encantar Ara!
Hoy hicimos tu receta de cachapas venezolanas con Un queso similar al queso de mano, no me ha dado tiempo de tomarle fotos pero han quedado deliciosas. Gracias
Lo máximo Yasmari!
Delicious these cachapas with cheese. You are a source of inspiration for my tummy, my friend. I must confess that I am not a great cook but since I read you I try to make your recipes. Regards dear Enri
Awww you’re so sweet Maria José.
Estas cachapas con queso de mano pueden ser lo más delicioso que he visto hoy. Feliz semana amiga mía ❤️
Feliz semana para ti también Andrea. Y gracias por visitar y comentar.
Mmmmmm!!!! Con este encierro esas cachapas con queso de mano me tienen con la boca hecha agua!
A que sí Jassssss!
Aprovechando que pasaré varios días en casa, voy a intentar hacer esta receta. Las cachapas venezolanas son de mis favoritas y estas cachapas con queso hacen que se me antojen inmediatamente. Voy a seguir tu paso a paso. Ya te contaré que tal me quedan! Saluditos!
Toca aplicarnos Marisolita! Gracias por visitar y comentar.
Nunca había oído hablar de las Cachapas y mucho menos del queso de mano. Y ahora que hago? Me acabas de crear una necesidad imperiosa de probarlas!!! 🙂
Y no es nada, que el Chapulín Colorado está en cuarentena, Estefanía de Sitges!
Que deliciosas estas cachapas con queso de mano, realmente amo cada vez que veo un nuevo post tuyo, me encanta tu cocina y todo lo que preparas. Y la receta buenísima, mejor explicación no hay.
Awwwww gracias mi Cinthia!
I love cachapas with queso de mano. I’m going to make this recipe next weekend. Thanks for sharing. One of my favorites dishes “Cachapas”.
Yaaaaaaaayyyyyyy! Thanks Faby!
Esas cachapas con queso de mano, además de tener ese nombre tan chulo, apuesto que saben a cielo! Loca por a hacerlas ❤️
A por ellas mi Sandra!
I’m in love with these cachapas with queso de mano! I don’t have natural corn now, but I do have a package of frozen kernes and will try this Venezuelan recipe.
And you’ll love me forever an ever Verito!
Ayer seguí tu receta de cachapas con queso de mano y me hice unas chiquitas, les cambié el queso porque no conseguí el queso de mano, y me quedaron tan divinas que casi me como todas las que salieron! Es una receta ganadora!
Gracias mi More! You made my day!
Las cachapas con queso de mano are like a combination made in heaven. It brings so many memories of my childhood in my beloved Venezuela.
Indeed… now we make them regularly… next: torticas de arroz!
This looks delicious and I’m looking forward to trying it. A couple of quick questions. Do you use yellow or white corn arepa flour? Do you feel like skim milk is necessary since we usually use whole milk at our house? Also, do you think the batter would hold up well if made ahead of time and then taken on a camping trip? Thanks so much for your time. – Jack
Hi Jack! I use white arepa flour, but yellow will do the job as well. You can use whole milk and your cachapas will be even better. I wouldn’t yake the batter anywhere to avoid uncooked corn kernel to get fermented. What I would do is cook the cachapas ahead, store them in a plastic container, separating each one with parchment paper and reheat them in a nonstick skillet before serving them. Have a nice camping trip.
I tried this recipe, and it was DELICIOUS.
However, I have a question. My friend and I both tried it, following the recipe to a T, and the cook time was WAY off. After 5 minutes, it’s basically still a thick paste. It took 10+ minutes per side to get it to come to the consistency and color as shown here.
Also, some other recipes I have seen use egg . I can see the role of the egg, but can you comment on that at all?
Thank you so much for letting me know. I am going to make a video of this recipe and I will double check the cooking time and if I have to fix it, I will. Adding an egg may make the batter less thick. The thing is, different than pancakes, in Venezuela they do not add eggs, so in this particular recipe I tried to stick to tradition. Did you have your cachapas with queso de mano?
My wife is from Valencia and they do in fact add eggs..
I see. I, however, prefer no to add more liquid element to the watery American corn… Thanks for visiting Joseph…
I think the issue is that sweet corn grown in the USA is much less starchy and more watery and sugary. So, the recipe works with more traditional corn varieties. I have had the same problem adapting my Brazilian corn recipes.
Exactly Alberto. For that reason, I add Harina PAN so the batter gets thicker.
Wow I would love to try this! Look at that cheese!`
Thank you Kiwi!
Ah, cheesy perfection. I’d love to try this recipe and try Cachapas for tonight’s dinner time. Yum yum!
You’ll love cachapas Priya. I guarantee you!
These cachapas look amazing. I’m a huge fan of anything with corn, so this dish is right up my alley.
Thank you my dear!
Cachapas? One of my favourite recipes from now on! So easy and quick! I’m a cooking enthusiast and I appreciate anything easy quick and tasty! Thanks for sharing your delicious Venezuelan food!
Yayyyyyyyyyy!
What a lovely dish these cachapas with queso de mano, first of all …cheese! I just and couldn’t resist anything with cheese, count me in! I’m checkin on the recipe.
Thank you Agnes. I’m a cheese person too!
This looks delicious. As a child, my entire family and I went to Caracas on holiday as it is very close to where we lived and we had many Venezuelan treats but it is such a pity we did not get our hands on some cachapas.
That is so cool that you had the chance to visit the beautiful city where I was born and raised! Now, regarding cachapas, you have the rcipe. And as you can see it’s so easy to make. Thanks for stopping by Alvern.
Cachapas are a new recipe for me. But it looks healthy and delicious.I want to try this cachapas with queso de mano.
You’ll love these cachapas Amila! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh my goodness these cachapas with queso de mano are making my mouth water, they look so good! Will try this recipe this week!
Yesssss! You’ll love these cachapas. They are Venezuelan food at its best!
The gooey cheese looks so yummy. I need to make cachapas now. Thanks for the recipe.
Tara, that “queso de mano” is the best and with cachapas… hmmmm that’s a match made in heaven!
I just got back from Mexico and was looking for a new recipe. Even if cachapas are Venezuelan cuisine I would like this to try. I can’t wait to make it for my family this weekend.
Awwwwww! Thank you so much Courtney! I hope your family like them. Cachapas are one of my favorite Venezuelan dishes.
I was thinking that cachapas with cheese was for breakfast only !!! it loooks so yummy for lunch ideas though haha 🙂
Indeed! We love them for dinner too!
I have never tried these before. I am sure I will love them–I tend to be a fan of all things corn!
My kind of girl!
Se me hizo agua la boca!!! Qué delicia es una cachapa con un buen queso de mano!!!
Usted lo ha dicho mi Vicky!
No te imaginas lo mucho que amo las Cachapas! Hace ratos que mis amigas venezolanas no me invitan jajaja Pero con tu receta, voy a intentar hacerlas y ya las llamaré para contarles!
Muy bien Mari. Te veo muy aplicada ultimamente hahahahahah!
Hice estas cachapas y están buenísimas!
Que fino primix! Cachapas a Paris!
En Lima comenzaron a vender quesos venezolanos y creo que tienen queso de mano también. Voy a probar esta receta de cachapas que se ve espectacular.
Te van a encantar las cachapas Morena. Eso anotalo, Y son con queso de mano, mejor!
El queso de mano es una de las cosas que más extraño en mi vida de emigrante. Por Dios que delicia. Yo comía las cachapas de pequeño con salsa de tomate porque quien no conoce a Dios a cualquier santo le reza. Jajajaja.
Mira que me haces reir Andy. Muchacho que no le pone salsa de tomate a todo, no es gente! Hahahahahaha
OMG this looks just so good! Another recipe on my list! I don’t have enough time for all the things I want to make and try
Run Blanquita, run!
Me encanta este post, la cachapa permite una gran variedad de rellenos por su versatilidad
Eso es correcto Ruben. Mi favorito es y sera siempre el queso de mano.
How can you do this to me? I love cachapas more than any other Venezuelan dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe
Hahahahahaha! Now you know hoe to make them my dear!
Que ricura de receta!!! Me muero por comer cachapas con queso de mano de verdad!!! Thanks for the recipe!
Ami me encanta que ahora me visitas a menudo!
Oh por favor Enri! Yo muero por las Cachapas! Y con queso de mano es la delicia total. Además, tú haces que todo se vea más rico.
Besito
YaimarPérez
Gracias amiga bella! Gracias de verdad!
Nada como una cachapa caliente con mantequilla derretida encima
Yesssss!
Nunca he probando una cachapa. La tengo que probar ahora! Thanks for the recipe!
OMG!!! what a wonderful idea! need them now on my table.
You’ll love them!
These cachapas with queso de mano are divine!
Yesssss!
Cheesy perfection! Up to the last bite.
Yessssss!
I can’t wait to try these. What should I use if I can’t find Queso de Mano? Mozzarella, but add a little salt?
Go with Oaxaca cheese and you’ll love this! Get some Harina P.A.N. (arepa flour) to thicken the dough please. Then you can make arepas later.