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Morocho or Ecuadorian spiced corn pudding drink

Recipe for Ecuadorian morocho, also called morocho dulce, a thick sweet drink made with morocho cracked corn, milk, cinnamon, sugar and raisins.

Ecuadorian morocho recipe

En Español

Morocho is a classic Ecuadorian comfort drink and is primarily sold on the streets or at markets. The consistency is similar to a pudding milkshake and you can usually eat it with a spoon. This recipe has been one of the most requested recipes that I’ve received and I am very glad to finally be posting it.

The biggest challenge I’ve had with making this drink, is that for the longest time I couldn’t find the right type of corn to make it in the US. Morocho corn is a type of dried cracked hominy corn that you can now find in Latin grocery stores. This type of corn is also used to make a delicious soup called sopa de morocho and the famous empanadas de morocho.

Morocho ecuatoriano

 
At first glance this drink almost looks like the well known arroz con leche or rice pudding dessert, and the process for preparing it is quite similar. Morocho does have that delicious milky cinnamon flavor that arroz con leche has, but the corn also lends its own flavor to the drink. You can enjoy morocho for breakfast, it also works great as an afternoon pick-me up, or can even be served as a dessert.

Morocho corn drink

Morocho is made by simmering the corn with milk and cinnamon until the corn is very tender, you can also do the quick version preparation by cooking the morocho corn with water in a pressure cooker, and then cooking it with the milk. If you have time it is much better to cook it directly in the milk, you will also need to add less sugar if you cook the corn in the milk as the milk reduces and naturally sweetens the drink.

Drinks and desserts in Ecuador tend to be very very very sweet, I was used to it when I lived there, but this last visit I realized that I prefer a little bit less sweetness. As a result I use a lot less sugar in this recipe than they put in the morocho that they sell on the street, so feel free to adjust the amount of sugar based on your preference. Raisins are included sometimes and can be added if you like them.

Morocho recipe
Morocho recipe

Morocho or Ecuadorian spiced corn pudding drink

Morocho is a thick sweet drink made with morocho corn, milk, cinnamon, sugar and raisins.
4.88 from 62 votes
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Course: Dessert, Drinks, Sweets
Cuisine: Andean, Ecuadorian, Latin, South American
Keyword: Cracked corn, Morocho, Spiced corn drink, Sweet corn pudding
Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Soaking time: 12 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

  • 14 oz of cracked morocho corn or dried cracked white hominy corn about 2 cups
  • 6 cups of water to soak
  • ~8 cups or 2 liters of milk
  • 3-4 cinnamon sticks
  • ¼ – ½ cup sugar or grated panela piloncillo brown sugar, adjust to taste
  • ½ cup raisins optional
  • Ground cinnamon for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Soak the morocho corn overnight in 6 cups of water.
  • Place the morocho corn, cinnamon sticks, and the 8 cups of milk in a pot. Cook on low temperature until the corn gets very soft and tender, about 3 hours. Stir every once in a while to keep the corn from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir more frequently during the last 30 minutes.
  • Add the sugar and the raisins. Cook for another 15-30 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Serve warm and sprinkle ground cinnamon on top.

There are variations of this comforting dessert in many Latin countries: mazamorra (peto) in Colombia/Venezuela, canjica in Brazil, chaca or maiz caquiado in Dominican Republic, tujuré/tojorí in Bolivia, chicheme in Costa Rica

Ecuadorian morocho corn drink

Step by step preparation photos for Ecuadorian morocho corn drink

Recipe photos for Ecuadorian morocho
Recipe photos for Ecuadorian morocho
Recipe photos for Ecuadorian morocho
Recipe photos for Ecuadorian morocho
Recipe photos for Ecuadorian morocho
Recipe photos for Ecuadorian morocho

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25 Comments

  1. Hi Laylita. Can this be refrigerated and then reheated? I want to make this for friends at work (one whom is from Ecuador), but I’m not sure I can keep it warm long enough. I was hoping it could be microwaved to reheat. Thanks!

  2. Hey Laylita, thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I do have a couple of questions, do you recommend boiling the hominy corn first with water then milk? i tried making morocho a while back and it burned and for the sugar is it white or brown? Thank you!

    1. Hi Angelica – It is easier & faster to boil the corn first with water – and doesn’t require constant stirring as when cooking it completely in milk. Once it’s soft and tender you can strain it and cook it again with milk, raisins and sugar. You can use either white or brown sugar – or panela/piloncillo.

  3. Being if Ecuadorian decent, I’ve never been to Ecuador but my mom always cooked Ecuadorian food and when she passed away I was sad to think I would never be able to eat the amazing food again. I have started cooking and stumbled onto your site, thank God. I plan to cook your recipes. Thank you for sharing.

  4. Laylita, en primer lugar un saludo cariñoso para ti, gracias x tus recetas son esquicitas y específicas. Soy Teresa me gusta cocinar con mucho amor, poniéndole cuidado para no engordar, el morocho me sale muy sabroso, leí tu receta es igual como yo le hago, le agrego también pimienta de dulce y clavo de olor le da un sabor bueno, mi mamá le hacia asi. Laylita he tenido
    un placer comunicarme x este medio, te queremos y gracias x tu enseñanza.
    Esperamos q salga un libro de cocina Laylita….con mucho gusto para comprar.

  5. Hello Laylita!

    I’ve been reading your recipes so often after coming back from study abroad in Ecuador.
    I fell in love with the country and have returned twice already and plan on returning again soon.
    All of your recipes has really been a great way to cure my reverse home-sickness, thank you so much!

    I have a question, morocho was one of my favorite drinks that my host-mom would always make me and wanted to make it here in Los Angeles to share it with my family. Problem is, my dad is lactose intolerant. Would it be possible to make this with soy milk? I am afraid it would ruin the taste.

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Sophia – You could try to make by boiling/cooking the morocho corn with water first (instead of milk), it will cook faster. And then once the corn is soft, you can add in a non-dairy milk at the same time as the sugar and raisins. I think that almond milk or coconut milk will be better than soy milk – the taste will still be different than the original, but the almond or coconut flavor will still result in a tasty drink/dessert.

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