AREPA DE CHOCLO: COLOMBIAN SWEET CORN AREPA RECIPE
Among the many arepas in Colombia, there is the arepa de choclo (or chócolo), made with sweet corn. Depending on the region, the ingredients, accompaniments, and preparation vary a little: it can include egg, milk, butter, and panela.
This recipe has cousins across the region, with different names. In Costa Rica it’s called chorreada and in Ecuador tortilla de choclo. In Mexico there are similar versions such as gorditas de elote or pastel de elote (closer to a sweet cake).
Some versions have a more liquid batter, similar to the Venezuelan cachapa. Mine is closer to the ones we eat in Cali: thicker, with a consistency similar to a pancake. The flavor takes me back to an ordinary Sunday, eating arepas on the road between Cali and Jamundí.
Since I live in Germany, I adapted it a little by using precooked cornmeal for arepas and canned sweet corn. If you prefer, you can use fresh sweet corn on the cob, which is easy to find here.
Ingredients
(about 6 arepas)
500 g canned sweet corn
1/2 cup yellow precooked cornmeal (for arepas)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
30 g sugar or panela (or to taste)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
30 g butter
Feta, Hinterkäse, or Butterkäse (if you can find Latin cheese, even better)
Instructions
Make the batter by blending all the ingredients except the cheese. I use a regular blender because it’s the easiest way to mix everything together. If you only have a hand blender, you’ll need to add more milk to be able to mix it properly, but then your arepa will turn out more like a cachapa.
Heat a pan, preferably nonstick, with oil of your choice or butter. Add about 4 to 5 tablespoons of batter and shape it into an arepa.
Wait a few minutes, or until the bottom is golden, then flip it so it browns on the other side too. You can cover the pan so the arepa cooks through. Also make sure the heat isn’t too high, so the arepa doesn’t burn on the outside and stay raw inside.
If you like and you have an oven or air fryer, you can finish cooking the arepa there for about 8 minutes. This step isn’t strictly necessary.
Cheese-stuffed arepa de choclo
Masa de arepa de choclo 
Masa de arepa de choclo con queso Masa de arepa de choclo
If you feel like it, make it cheese-stuffed. You can follow the steps in the photos: first add batter to the pan, then slices of cheese, and on top of the cheese, more batter. Be careful when flipping it. If you can’t find Latin cheese in Germany, Butterkäse is a good option because it melts really well.
To serve
Serve with extra butter on top or more cheese. I love having these with hot chocolate.
Thank you so much for visiting! Did you like the post? Follow me on our social media for more recipes and details about my life in Germany!
