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Pan de Elote is a moist and perfectly sweet Mexican corn cake. Made with corn kernels and sweetened condensed milk, this recipe is a great sweet treat for any occasion!
If you’ve never had pan de elote, you’re in for a treat!
What is Pan de Elote?
Pan de Elote is a sweet Mexican corn cake that is very different from American cornbread in that it uses less flour and sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar. The texture is the perfect mix between bread pudding and a moist cake, plus the corn kernels add some texture as well.
It’s so simple to make and uses staple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!
ingredients you’ll need
Milk, vanilla extract, and sweetened condensed milk: These ingredients add the rich and creamy flavor and texture to the dessert. I recommend using whole milk, but you can use other milk alternatives too.
Flour, salt, and baking powder: This recipe uses less flour and dry ingredients in general than American cornbread, just enough to bind it together.
Sweetened condensed milk: Using sweetened condensed milk gives the pan de elote its signature taste and texture. Other recipes may use heavy cream or evaporated milk, but I recommend using this.
Eggs and butter: This also helps give the pan de elote its moist texture, almost like a custard or bread pudding.
Corn kernels: You can use frozen corn kernels or canned whole kernels. If you use frozen corn, just make sure it is thawed.
HOW TO MAKE PAN DE ELOTE
Making this pan de elote is almost too easy. Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Set aside 1/4 cup of corn kernels. Add the remaining corn, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, butter, milk, all-purpose flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and salt to a large blender. Blend until smooth.
Step 2: Add in the 1/4 cup of corn kernels to the batter and pulse one time to combine them. I like doing this because it adds a bit of texture to the pan de elote.
Step 3: Pour the batter into a large greased baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350°F until golden brown, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Step 4: Allow the pan de elote to cool for about 30 minutes before serving to let it fully set. Once cooled, it’s ready to serve!
How to serve pan de elote
- Top with cajeta or dulce de leche for an extra sweet treat.
- Pair this with a Mexican beverage like café de olla, champurrado, or atole.
Pan de Elote
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray or butter, for greasing pan
- 4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed and divided
- 4 large eggs
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup milk
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
- To a large blender, add 3 ¾ cups of the corn kernels, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, butter, milk, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until mostly smooth.
- Add the remaining ¼ cup of corn kernels and give the batter one last pulse to combine.
- Pour the wet batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My receipt I have used for years is:
3/4 c. Butter
1/4 c. Sugar
4 eggs
1 c. Cornmeal
1 c. Flour
4 t. baking powder. Bake 325. 50-60 min. Until
1/2 t. salt
1 4.5 oz. Chopped green chilis
1/2 c. Grated Monterey cheese. Pic stays clean.
1/2 c. Grated cheddar cheese
Wow, sounds& looks great, can’t wait to try!
I made it tonight. I liked it but my husband said too gooey. It had a different texture heavier, sweet but cooked for 45 minutes. Looks cooked
If I make this with fresh corn will the ingredients would other ingredients have to change? I’m just worried about maybe extra water with fresh corn? Opinions thank you so much
Hi Luz! I think you should be able to substitute fresh corn without changing the other ingredients. I think it’ll taste great! Let us know how it turns out.
I’m pregnant and craving for pan de elote and I must say this recipe hit the spot. It’s very easy to follow and didn’t take long. I’ll recommend to anyone who loves sweet corn bread.
Made this earlier this morning and it’s fantastic! I love cornbread to begin with but in my opinion this is way better, both texture and flavor wise. Followed the directions exactly and it came out perfect. Went great with a cup of black coffee and will absolutely be making this again. Sweet without being to sweet better than i imagined.
Thank you Michael!