Textual Chef Textual Chef

Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge)

A warming Brazilian festival dessert made from dried white hominy slow-simmered in sweetened coconut milk and whole milk until thick and creamy, spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Plan ahead: the hominy needs to soak overnight.

105 minEasyServes 6250 cal/serving

BrazilianDessertStovetopVegetarianHalal-friendlyGluten-FreeEgg-FreeNut-FreeLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeNightshade-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried white hominy (canjica corn or dried posole), soaked overnight, drained
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. 1

    Drain the 2 cups soaked overnight, drained dried white hominy (canjica corn or dried posole) and place in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Cover with fresh water by 2 inches and bring to a boil.

  2. 2

    Reduce heat and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until the kernels are tender and beginning to split open. Drain and return to the pot.

  3. 3

    Add 4 cups whole milk, 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 whole cloves, and 1/8 tsp salt to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

  4. 4

    Cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the mixture has thickened slightly.

  5. 5

    Stir in 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and continue simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes until the porridge is creamy and thick. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and cloves.

  6. 6

    Ladle into bowls and dust each serving with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Brazilian Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

How long does Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge) take?

As written, 105 minutes: 15 of prep and 90 of cooking. The longest single stretch is the hands-off wait in step 1, overnight, or about 8 hours. That wait sits outside the stated prep and cook times, so plan around it.

How do I know when Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge) is done?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 4: cook until the mixture has thickened slightly. Step 5: cook until the porridge is creamy and thick.

Is there a substitute for sweetened condensed milk in Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge)?

The entry for Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge) calls for 14 oz sweetened condensed milk. In its place: There is no quick swap. Simmer two cups of milk with two thirds of a cup of sugar until reduced by half, about 35 minutes.

Can I make Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge) dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge) is 4 cups whole milk, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk. Swap the milk for unsweetened oat or soy milk; the sweetened condensed milk for a plant-based version of the same product. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Is Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge) vegan?

No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 4 cups whole milk and 14 oz sweetened condensed milk. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan dessert collection.

How many calories are in Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge)?

One serving (the recipe makes 6) is about 250 calories, with 11 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate and 9 g fat, plus 3 g fiber and 144 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

Which part of Canjica (Sweet White Corn Coconut Porridge) can be done ahead?

Everything up to step 1. Step 1 is a built-in pause of overnight, or about 8 hours: "Drain the 2 cups soaked overnight, drained dried white hominy (canjica corn or dried posole) and place in a large heavy-bottomed pot." Do everything up to that point ahead of time and pick up at step 2 when you are ready to finish.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Brazilian entries

All Brazilian recipes · All Dessert recipes