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Colombian natilla: creamy panela and cinnamon dessert

Creamy Colombian natilla made with panela, cinnamon and cloves. Learn the exact cooking point and serve it chilled with buñuelos.

By · Updated on

Total time
240 min
Servings
8
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Colombian
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Ingredients

  • For the natilla

  • Optional and to serve

Method

  1. Dissolve the panela

    Heat 250 ml of the milk with the grated panela, cinnamon, cloves and salt over low heat. Stir until the panela dissolves completely.

    Steel saucepan with warm milk, grated panela, cinnamon sticks and cloves, with a wooden spoon.

    Steel saucepan with warm milk, grated panela, cinnamon sticks and cloves, with a wooden spoon.

  2. Dissolve the cornstarch

    Mix the cornstarch with 250 ml of cold milk and whisk until no lumps remain.

    Glass jug of milk and cornstarch whisked smooth, beside a bowl of cornstarch.

    Glass jug of milk and cornstarch whisked smooth, beside a bowl of cornstarch.

  3. Combine the mixtures

    Remove the cinnamon and cloves. Add the remaining 500 ml of milk, then pour in the cornstarch mixture in a thin stream, stirring.

    Jug pouring the cornstarch mixture into the panela milk in a pot, with the cinnamon and cloves set aside.

    Jug pouring the cornstarch mixture into the panela milk in a pot, with the cinnamon and cloves set aside.

  4. Cook, stirring constantly

    Cook over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom, until thickened.

    Thick, glossy natilla in a pot, stirred with a wooden spoon.

    Thick, glossy natilla in a pot, stirred with a wooden spoon.

  5. Check the consistency

    Run a finger across the back of the spoon: if the line stays clean, it is ready. Stir in the shredded coconut and raisins now, if using.

    Wooden spoon coated in thick natilla with a clean line, beside bowls of shredded coconut and raisins.

    Wooden spoon coated in thick natilla with a clean line, beside bowls of shredded coconut and raisins.

  6. Pour into the mould

    Pour the hot natilla into a mould or glass dish rinsed with water. Smooth the surface with a spatula.

    Glass dish of freshly poured, smoothed natilla, with the empty pot and a ladle behind.

    Glass dish of freshly poured, smoothed natilla, with the empty pot and a ladle behind.

  7. Cool and refrigerate

    Let it cool for 30 minutes at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until set.

    Dish of natilla covered with plastic wrap inside the refrigerator.

    Dish of natilla covered with plastic wrap inside the refrigerator.

  8. Unmould and serve

    Run a knife around the edge, turn it out onto a plate or cut into squares, and dust with ground cinnamon. Serve cold.

    Unmoulded natilla on a white plate dusted with cinnamon, with a cinnamon stick and a buñuelo beside it.

    Unmoulded natilla on a white plate dusted with cinnamon, with a cinnamon stick and a buñuelo beside it.

The step photos are illustrative.

Notes

Panela varies in sweetness and moisture, so taste it and use 200 g if yours is very sweet. Grate block panela finely so it dissolves without lumps. Natilla thickens as it cools, so take it off the heat when it coats the spoon, even if it still looks slightly fluid. If lumps form, strain it and whisk for a few seconds before pouring it into the mould. Contains milk. For a lactose-free version, use lactose-free milk; plant-based drinks change how it sets. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It does not freeze well: it separates when thawed.

Nutrition facts

1 serving (1/8 of the recipe)

240Calories · kcal
Protein
4.1 g
Carbohydrates
47.1 g
Fat
4.2 g
Saturated fat
2.4 g
Fiber
0.1 g
Sugars
36.8 g
Sodium
65 mg

Estimated per serving, using whole milk, panela calculated as brown sugar and cornstarch. Excludes the pinch of salt, spices, coconut and raisins.

Reference source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy April 2018

For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.

About this recipe

Natilla is the classic Colombian Christmas dessert: a thick milk pudding sweetened with panela and scented with cinnamon and cloves. The key is to stir constantly and cook it until it coats the spoon; it then sets in the refrigerator.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my natilla runny?

It was almost certainly undercooked. It must simmer gently and thicken until it coats the back of the spoon; it then sets as it cools. Also check the cornstarch: 90 g per litre of milk.

How do I prevent lumps in natilla?

Dissolve the cornstarch in cold milk before combining, pour it in a thin stream and stir constantly over medium-low heat. If lumps still form, strain the hot natilla.

How long does natilla keep in the refrigerator?

Up to 4 days, well covered with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface so no skin forms. Freezing is not recommended.

Can I make natilla with sugar instead of panela?

Yes. Use about 220 g of brown sugar. The texture stays the same, but the flavour is less intense and less caramel-like than panela.

What do you serve with Colombian natilla?

Traditionally buñuelos, especially at Christmas and during the novena de aguinaldos. It is also lovely on its own, cold, with ground cinnamon on top.

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