Natilla, a Colombian custard pudding with blackberry sauce, is quintessential Colombian Christmas food. You only need 6 ingredients and 30 minutes to prepare this festive typical dessert.
Jump to RecipeHaz clic en Natilla Colombiana con Salsa de Mora para la receta en español.
Christmas in Colombia
The Colombian Christmas season is long and serious. It lasts about a month, specifically, from the Dia de las Velitas on the 7th of December until Epiphany (Reyes) on the 6th of January. Malls, houses, and public places are decorated and covered in Christmas lights. The work days get shorter and people go out to buy presents for the family. Besides that, there are family gatherings (novenas) to celebrate the time spent together. And then there is the food…
Colombian Christmas food: Natilla and Buñuelos
Colombia is a country that embraces its tradition. There are two snacks that are always present during the Christmas season. In my previous post, I wrote about and shared a recipe for the first one: buñuelos. These fried snacks made of corn starch, yuca starch, and fresh and salty cheese are the perfect addictive treat all throughout the day. Usually, they are paired with the second typical Christmas snack: natilla.
What is Colombian Natilla?
Natilla is a custardy pudding. The traditional recipe calls for whole milk, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. You serve it with a sauce made of blackberries. In this post, I share a recipe for a traditional natilla. There are other variations to natilla, for example, made with arequipe (dulce de leche) or coconut. Although they might seem like a dessert, you can eat it at any time of the day.
Colombian Christmas Custard with Blackberry Sauce
Many people in Colombia make natilla using a premade mix, that only requires adding milk. Natilla is however very easy to make from scratch. This recipe only contains 6 ingredients, that are easy to find all over the world:
- Whole milk
- Cornstarch (Maizena)
- White sugar
- Panela (substitute: brown sugar)
- Cinnamon sticks
- Butter
For the blackberry sauce, you only need blackberries, sugar, and water.
Tips and recommendations
Although preparing natilla is not complicated, it does require some dedication. It is of the utmost importance that you never stop stirring after adding the cornstarch to the boiling cinnamon-sugar milk. Really. Once you stop for a second, you will get lumps. And the custard might stick to the pot and burn slightly. Stirring with a wooden spoon, and stirring well by scraping over the base of the pan and the sides is necessary if you want a smooth custard.
It might take some time for the pudding to get thicker. Resist the urge to add more cornstarch. By adding too much cornstarch you will lose the velvety texture that is so delicious and turn your pudding into a heavy brick (and you don’t want that!)
You might also like
Colombian Buñuelos (Buñuelos Colombianos)
Arroz Con Leche Colombiano (Rice Pudding)
Banoffee Pie with Colombian Arequipe
Aguapanela (Hot Colombian Sugarcane Drink)
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!
Colombian Christmas Custard with Blackberry Sauce (Natilla Colombiana)
Equipment
- glass oven dish
Ingredients
Custard (Natilla)
- 5 cups whole milk ( bit over 1 liter)
- 1 cup cornstarch (maizena)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup panela (replace with brown sugar if not available)
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp butter
Blackberry Sauce
- 500 g blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup white sugar (or more when using very tart blackberries)
- 1/2 cup water
Optional
- cinnamon powder to sprinkle
Instructions
Custard Pudding (Natilla)
- Dissolve in a mixing bowl the cup of corn starch in 1 cup of milk, making sure there are no lumps. Set aside
- Place the rest of the milk (4 cups) with the cinnamon sticks in a pot and bring to a boil
- When boiling, add the sugar and panela. Mix with a wooden spoon so the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat down to low-medium, occasionally stirring to prevent the milk from burning, for an additional 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks
- Add the cornstarch/milk mixture gradually, while you continuously stir with the wooden spoon. Take 2-3 minutes to add all of it
- Keep stirring continuously until the custard becomes thick and heavy. Keep cooking the mixture for 15 minutes, or longer in case the custard is too liquid. Shorter is not recommended, as the custard can taste floury when not fully cooked
- Add butter and stir. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the custard in the glass oven dish. Even it out by softly shaking the dish
- Leave the natilla for about 1 hour, or until set, at room temperature. Make the blackberry sauce in the meantime
Blackberry Sauce
- Place blackberries in a pot, together with the sugar and water. Mix well, bring to a boil and turn low. Let simmer for 20 minutes, until you have a sauce-like consistency. Let cool and serve with the custard
Serve
- Cut the natilla in slices and serve with the blackberry sauce and cinnamon powder
