My son loves corn on the cob…year round…even when it’s not in season. Every time we go to the grocery store and it’s on sale, he wants to put a bunch in the cart. Now we have an overflow of corn in the fridge and I can only eat so much steamed corn.

So I thought why not turn it into a dessert called chè bắp, a Vietnamese corn pudding dessert.

What is corn pudding dessert?

Corn pudding dessert is one of my favorite dessert. Whenever I go to the Vietnamese grocery store, I always look to see if they have it for sale at the counter…by the register. It’s basically corn that has been cooked with sticky rice to give it the consistency of pudding then topped with a generous amount of coconut milk.

There are many different varieties of corn pudding dessert (chè bắp). Some people like to make this using only corn, while others like to add sticky rice to it. I’ve eaten variations that use tapioca pearls instead. The pearls give you a similar texture to the sticky rice.

Today I’m going to make the corn pudding dessert with glutinous rice.

Ingredients needed…

This dessert is simple. All you need is corn on the cob, glutinous (sticky) rice, water, sugar, vanilla extract, and full fat coconut milk.

How to make corn pudding dessert?

The first thing I do is remove the husk and the silk from the corn. Give them a good wash. Remove the kernels and set them aside. Don’t throw away the cobs because you will boil them in water to make the “base”. It also gives the dessert a stronger corn flavor.

After the cob is boiled in water, add in the glutinous rice and let it cook until the rice is soft. Remove the cobs and add in the kernels and let it come to a boil. There’s no need to add a thickening agent because the starch from the corn will naturally thicken the dessert up.

I like to sweeten the corn pudding dessert (chè bắp) with honey. You can always use sugar instead, I just prefer honey because of the subtle sweetness it gives the dessert. After it’s sweetened, the dessert is done…that’s all there is to making it.

Coconut milk topping

You have to use full fat coconut milk for this, otherwise it will not taste like the authentic chè bắp you’d find in Vietnam. The full fat coconut I like to use is That Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk. Because it is unsweetened, I like to add some honey, a pinch of salt and vanilla extract to give it some depth of flavor. If you prefer a thicker coconut milk as a topping, dissolve some cornstarch in cold water then add it to the warm coconut milk mixture. Give it a stir and it will thicken as it cools. I didn’t add any cornstarch to my coconut milk because I prefer a thinner texture to the coconut milk.

Storing & reheating the leftovers

I like to store the corn pudding (chè bắp) in a separate container instead of combining it with the coconut milk topping. I find it stays fresh longer in the fridge separated.

This dessert can be served hot or cold…although I prefer it to be served hot. If you prefer it served hot, place the desired amount of chè bắp and coconut milk topping in a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for 45 seconds & enjoy.

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