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These are the irresistible Venezuelan cachapas with queso de mano. They are a sort of corn cake or rustic corn pancake, made with ground fresh corn kernels. Cachapas are so wonderful that they are gluten-free and there is more: if instead of sugar you add stevia, then they are sugar-free too!
What can be better than a good cachapa, made with fresh, tender, corn kernels? Well, that same cachapas stuffed with queso de mano!
Cachapas from Venezuela
Queso de mano? I’ll explain to you, but first things first. What is a cachapa? Cachapas are a sort of corn cake. They are to Venezuelans what pancakes are to Americans. A much more rustic pancake, I would say, but full of flavor and rich in texture.
A recipe from my childhood
When I was a little girl, eating them was a joy reserved for our getaways to El Junquito. At least three times a year, we went with my dad to that little mountain town. El Junquito was located on the outskirts of Caracas, the city where I was born and raised. As if it were a tacit ritual, we always ate cachapas with queso de mano.
Later, what was really priceless was eating cachapas on my cowboy friends’ haciendas. It doesn’t matter if those farms 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 breakfast that invariably consisted of cachapas grilled in huge budares that were heated with firewood. No need to say that aroma was the closest to heaven.
A Cousin of the Arepa
Cachapas are from the same family as our arepas. I would say they are cousins. They also resemble the Colombian arepa de choclo, and are made of ground corn, fresh corn.
They are so popular that even Harina P.A.N., manufacturer of the arepa flour, makes a cachapa flour. This flour is made in the US in the same P.A.N. facility in Texas and distributed by Goya Foods. You can buy Venezuelan cachapas mix (affiliate link) online. Please notice that, even if they look alike, arepa flour and cachapa flour are not the same as the American cornmeal.
I must confess that cachapa flour has saved my life more than once. Fortunately, along with my beloved arepa flour, cachapa flour is also available everywhere at least in my area. That said, I must also add there is nothing like a from-scratch freshly made cachapa with queso de mano.
The Wonders of Queso de Mano
Queso de mano is one of the varieties of Venezuelan fresh cheese. Luckily, it’s also easy to find in the Miami area where I live. Super gooey, its taste and consistency are similar to that of fresh mozzarella. But queso de mano is a bit saltier and tart. It also comes in 4-inch disks, which makes it perfect for eating with cachapas!
I always buy Paisa queso de mano. But through Amazon Prime Fresh and depending on the area you live, you can get this brand (affiliate link).
If you cannot find queso de mano in your area, you can substitute it with the best fresh mozzarella you can buy. Venezuelan cachapas may also be filled with ham and cheese, nata fresca (you can substitute it with crema salvadoreña) or cheese and shredded beef (carne mechada).
How to make Venezuelan cachapas
To make this recipe you’ll need some tools and ingredients you can easily find online through my Amazon Affiliate Program, including:
- Wooden cutting board
- Serrated knife
- Blender
- Harina P.A.N
- Stevia (in case you want this recipe sugar-free)
- Non-stick large skillet, budare or even better a double griddle for stove
- Spatula
I hope you like this cachapa recipe 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 of fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears of corn)
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream (I used Cacique Crema Mexicana)
- 1/4 cup of skim milk
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of arepa flour (I used Harina P.A.N.)
- Butter
- 2 8-ounce disk of queso de mano
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 so that you can feel the kernels when eating the cachapa.
- Let stand for about 5 minutes for the mixture to thicken.
- Preheat a frying pan, budare or comal over medium heat.
- When the pan is hot, add some butter to grease it.
- Make each cachapa using 1/3 cup of the mixture at a time, and making a circle of about 4 inches.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip with a spatula. Cook for 3 more minutes until the cachapas are golden brown.
- Serve hot with butter and cheese: place a cachapa, cover it the cheese, and then top with another cachapa.
Nutrition
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I am a writer who cooks or a cook who writes: the order of the qualities does not alter the product. Since 2010 I made SAVOIR FAIRE the place where my two passions converge and now I develop recipes professionally and work as a strategist and creator of digital content, including the production of cooking videos.
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?
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 that 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.