Arepas de Choclo (Colombian Sweet Corn Cakes with Cheese)

Arepas de Choclo (also known as arepas de chocolo) are corn cakes made from sweet corn and stuffed with cheese. They are just one of Colombia’s many types of arepas, but in my opinion, definitely in the top 3 most delicious. This 7-ingredient recipe makes for an easy and tasty breakfast or snack.

Updated: May 2026

Haz clic en Arepas de Choclo Colombianas (Receta Fácil) para la receta en español.

What are Colombian arepas?

In short, an arepa is best described as a delicious corn cake. The main ingredient is corn, using a dough made from either fresh corn or cornmeal. It has the shape of a round, fairly flat disc, similar to a firm pancake. You cook arepas on a grill or in a pan. They are popular for breakfast, as a side dish, or as a snack… well, basically, at any time.

Arepas are almost a sacred food in Colombia. There are dozens of different types, and within those classes, there are even more variations. In fact, whole books are dedicated to the arepa, such as this one by Colombian chef Carlos Gaviria Arbeláez, featuring over 60 recipes.

What is an Arepa de Choclo (Arepa de Chocolo)?

The main ingredient of the traditional arepa de choclo is tender, sweet corn. Some sugar or panela (unrefined cane sugar), butter, and—if necessary—some milk are added. The batter is mixed and resembles a pancake batter more than a dough. Often, people add cheese and fold the arepa in half, or add a second one on top so the cheese melts. It has a sweet, salty, and buttery flavor.

Recommendation to make the best arepas de choclo

If you follow the traditional method, arepas de choclo can be tricky to prepare. Since the batter lacks binding ingredients, it may fall apart in the pan. Our pro tip is to add some cornmeal to create a sturdier batter. This way, they will come out perfect every time without losing that authentic flavor!

Ingredient tips

Cornmeal

The two ingredients that are less common outside of Colombia are the cornmeal and the specific type of cheese used. For this recipe, you need precooked white cornmeal, also known as “masa para arepas.” You can find it in Latin supermarkets, some general grocery stores, and online (the brand P.A.N. is a popular choice).

Cheese

The cheese used in Colombia (such as queso campesino or doble crema) is a fresh, firm white cheese. Outside of Colombia, you can easily replace it with sliced or grated mozzarella.

Instructions

Blend the corn, melted butter, egg, panela (or sugar), and salt in a blender.

To this mixture, which will be quite liquid, add the cornmeal. Depending on the consistency of the batter, you can add a splash of milk if needed.

Fry them like pancakes in butter, flip, and add slices of cheese.

Either fold the arepa so the cheese melts or place a second one on top. Allow the cheese to melt completely and serve!

You might also like:

Arepas Colombianas (Colombian Corn Cakes)

Cheese Stuffed Corn Cakes (Arepas de Queso Colombianas)

Arepas Rellenas (Arepas Stuffed with Avocado, Hogao and Cheese)

Colombian Fried Chickpea Pasties (Pasteles de Garbanzo)

Do you love this recipe? Give it a 5-star rating below and leave me a comment! Or tag @vecinavegetariana on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe now and make it later!

Arepas de Choclo (Colombian Sweet Corn Cakes with Cheese)

Colombian Arepas de Choclo are delicious sweet corn cakes stuffed with melted cheese. Perfectly sweet, salty, and buttery, this easy 7-ingredient recipe is the ultimate comforting breakfast or snack.

4.80 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Colombian

Servings 4 arepas

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 300 g drained canned corn (about 2 cups)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 tbsp panela (replace by brown sugar)
• salt
• 1/2 cup white, precooked cornmeal (for example from the brand P.A.N.; corn meal to make arepas)
• milk as necessary, 0- 4 tablespoons
• vegetable oil or butter for baking
• slices of cheese (doble crema, campesino, cuajada in Colombia, replace with a cheese of choice, or with mozarella)

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Instructions

 

• Place corn, melted butter, whisked eggs, panela (or sugar) and salt in a food processer/blender and mix for a couple of seconds.

  The mixture needs to be quite liquid, and not completely smooth. It's perfect if some bigger pieces of corn are visible
• Add mixture to a bowl, together with the cornmeal. Mix with a fork and add up to a couple of spoons of milk if necessary.

  The batter needs to be a little bit firmer than pancake batter, but more liquid than the dough of arepas or bread
• Warm up butter/oil in a frying pan. Use about 1/4th of the batter to make one arepa, in size resembling an American pancake. Cook for a couple of minutes per side, until golden. You might have to cook them in batches
• Once you've cooked all four arepas, add the cheese.

  Top one arepa with cheese and cover it with another to form a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining pair. Place them in the pan, lower the heat, and cover with a lid until the cheese is melted and oozing out
• Serve as a whole, or cut into halves. Serve while warm with a cup of coffee, tea, Colombian chocolate or aguapanela

Keyword arepas, breakfast, cheese, corn, side-dish, snack, vegetarian

Do you love this recipe?Give it a 5-star rating and leave me a comment! Or tag @vecinavegetariana on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe now and make it later!