Paul and I both have a soft spot for Hawaii. It was where we spent our honeymoon (two glorious weeks – one on Oahu and one on Kauai) and we hope to go back in a couple of years. Although I wasn’t as food-obsessed back then as I am now, we still did manage to eat really well while we were there – fancy restaurants, local watering holes and fruit stands on the side of the road – we tried it all.
The one thing about Hawaii is the fresh ingredients – there’s so much amazing local produce and the flavours are so different than what we normally find here in Canada.
To that end, when I saw a photo of haupia on Pinterest, I knew I had to make it.
Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian dessert that is basically a coconut pudding. It’s slightly thicker than custard, but not quite as resilient gelatin (which I found out when I attempted to cut it). The flavour is very subtle, so if you want an intense coconut flavour, this dessert isn’t what you’re looking for. But, it has a wonderfully true coconut flavour, cool and refreshing. It’s actually a perfect dessert for a hot summer day or after a spicy meal.
Haupia is traditionally thickened with pia (Polynesian arrowroot), but since that’s hard to find, I’ve used the more common cornstarch, but I do hope to get my hands on pia soon to see if that makes a difference to the recipe.
p.s. I was watching Hawaii Five-0 and eating haupia while typing up this recipe because nothing goes with a sweet Hawaiian dessert like watching the H50 team in action. (Yeah, you totally just found out one of my guilty pleasures!)
ingredients
- 4 cups coconut milk
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup cornstarch
directions
- Combine the coconut milk and water in a medium saucepan and heat on medium low heat, stirring continually until the coconut milk and water are smooth.
- In a medium bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch.
- Slowly whisk the sugar and cornstarch mixture into the milk and water. Increase heat to medium and whisk continously until mixture turns thick and shiny (approximately 20-25 minutes).
- Once the mixture starts to thicken, pour into a a clean baking tray and cool to room temperature (do not cover). Once the haupia has cooled to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until cold.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Note: I found that the tray I used made the haupia too thick, so it took a long time to cool. I’d recommend not making the haupia thicker than 1 1/2 inch tall.
I just received this in a box (pre-made). Glad to know the real recipe so I can definitely make one when I miss this. So good!
I have never heard of haupia before. This looks delicious – and I’ve learned something new too! Thanks Stephanie
I love coconut pudding! It’s so yummy
Linda – I’ve never seen this sold in stores – how was it?
cakeyboi – So glad I’ve actually added to you food knowledge! 🙂
Ilan – I love coconut pudding too! It’s a little lighter than most of the desserts I normally have, but it’s soooo good (plus, being lighter means I can eat more – hahah)