Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding

Learn how to make this delicious Jamaican cornmeal pudding, also known as cornmeal pone. It's wonderfully moist, dense and full of Caribbean flavour, with a rich and creamy coconut soft top. This traditional Jamaican dessert is also completely vegan friendly, dairy free and gluten free!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Jamaican

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 702kcal

Author Charla

Ingredients

3 cups fine cornmeal
½ cup gluten free flour
4 cups coconut milk
½ cup water
1 cup coconut sugar
⅓ cup dairy free butter
⅓ cup raisins optional
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon pink salt

To make the custard top

1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup coconut sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Grease and line a 10-inch loose bottom/base baking pan with parchment paper, then set aside.
Sieve the cornmeal and gluten free flour in a large heatproof mixing bowl.
Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and pink salt.
Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and set aside.
Meanwhile, add the coconut milk, water, coconut sugar, vanilla and dairy free butter to a medium sized saucepan.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has completely melted and the milk is very hot.
Gradually pour the warm coconut milk mixture into the dry ingredients, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
Continue whisking until everything is thoroughly combined.The mixture should have thickened up slightly.
Stir in the raisins, if you re using them.
Pour the cornmeal mixture into the prepared baking pan and transfer to the oven.
While the pudding is baking, prepare the soft top custard by adding the coconut milk and coconut sugar to a saucepan.
Simmer over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then remove from the heat.
After the pudding has baked for 15 minutes, carefully remove it from the oven. The top of the pudding should be set (very important).
Pour the coconut custard evenly over the surface of the pudding, then return it to the oven. If using a springform tin, you may want to place a baking tray underneath to catch any excess liquid.
Continue baking for approximately 45–50 minutes or until the soft and slightly gooey (this is completely normal), while the pudding underneath should be firm.
Remove the pudding from the oven and allow it to cool before carefully removing it from the baking tin.
Slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

You can use either fine or coarse cornmeal for this recipe. I've used both varieties, and they work equally well, producing the same texture and consistency.
Use full fat coconut milk as this gives the pudding a lovely rich coconut flavour and helps to create a creamy soft top.
When adding the warm coconut milk mixture to the dry ingredients, make sure you whisk continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
The raisins are optional so if you aren't a fan of raisins, simply leave them out.
The coconut custard is what gives this particular pudding its delicious creamy topping so DON'T skip the soft top.
Don't panic if the topping looks gooey because this is completely normal. The pudding underneath should be firm, while the soft top remains moist and creamy.
The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven, so keep an eye on the pudding towards the end of cooking.
Cornmeal pudding needs time to firm up after baking. Avoid slicing it straight from the oven.
Once the pudding has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Avoid leaving it at room temperature for extended periods.
If you prefer your cornmeal pudding warm, simply place an individual slice in the microwave and heat in short intervals until warmed through. Be careful not to overheat it, as this may affect the texture of the soft top.
I wouldn't recommend freezing this particular pudding because the creamy coconut soft top may change in texture once thawed.

Nutrition