AI-generated image
Haupia
Hawaiian set coconut pudding, cut into firm, cool squares
Haupia is the dessert of every Hawaiian lūʻau and family party: coconut milk thickened and set into smooth, wobbly-firm squares that you can pick up with your fingers. It was once set with arrowroot from the pia plant; today cornflour does the job. It tastes clean, cool and gently sweet, and is also layered on chocolate pies and spread on cakes in Honolulu bakeries. Chef's tip: keep whisking until it's as thick as mayonnaise and big bubbles plop slowly; underdone haupia won't set firm enough to slice.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 9
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper.
Step 2: Warm 3 ¼ cups coconut milk, 3 ½ oz sugar and 1 pinch salt in a pan over a medium heat, stirring, until steaming and the sugar dissolves.
4 minStep 3: Whisk 2 ⅛ oz cornflour with ¾ cup water until no lumps remain. Pour into the pan in a thin stream, whisking constantly.
Step 4: Keep whisking over a medium-low heat for 4–6 minutes until very thick and glossy, like mayonnaise, with slow, heavy bubbles. Common mistake: stopping when it first thickens; it needs another couple of minutes to cook the starch.
6 minStep 5: Pour into the tin, smooth the top and cool, then chill for at least 3 hours until firm. Cut into squares and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does haupia take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 9 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Custard sauce
Proper pouring custard made the easy way with custard powder. It's thick, smooth and lightly sweet, just right with apple pie, crumbles, fruit salad and trifle. Serve it warm, or chill it for trifles.
Chocolate sauce
A thick, glossy chocolate sauce made from store-cupboard cocoa and milk, ready in under 10 minutes. Pour it hot over vanilla ice cream, or let it cool and spread it on cakes and puddings.