Hawaiian haupia is fresh and simple. A favorite at Hawaiian luaus and potlucks, this basic recipe is easy and quick to make. Only four ingredients!
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A long time ago, I posted a recipe for chocolate haupia pie. I figured it’s about time that I post a basic haupia recipe.
Haupia really is simple. It’s just a few ingredients, and it comes together quickly. No special equipment, no special ingredients. Simple simple simple.
I personally like mine in pie form, because… well, there’s chocolate in it. But I will say, sometimes it’s better to just eat it plain, because it’s so refreshing!
My husband loves haupia. When I asked him for a bit more info on what traditional haupia should be like, he said, well… it should be firm enough that you can pick it up and eat it.
I then asked my sister in law how she eats hers. Well, she said, I think the authentic way is to have it closer to a custard, and you eat it with a spoon!
So, my husband is born and raised in Hawaii, as is my sister in law. But, I trust her more, heh heh. She looked into it a little more for me and told me authentic Hawaiian haupia should probably be somewhere in between custard and jelly like squares.
Well, my husband likes his in Jelly like squares, so that’s what I’ve decided to share with you today. It’s also easier to eat, because you can just pick it up and eat it.
If you want it to be softer, the solution is easy. Just add a little less cornstarch! You can play with the amount, maybe starting at 4 tablespoons instead of 5. Totally customizable to your tastes!
Next time you’re feeling like you need a little tropical kick in your life, give this haupia a try!
Hawaiian Haupia
Hawaiian haupia is fresh and simple. A favorite at Hawaiian luaus and potlucks, this basic recipe is easy and quick to make. Only four ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 can full fat coconut milk about 14 oz. See note
- 5 Tablespoons cornstarch or less, to taste. See note
- 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
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Get an 8x8 inch pan.
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Place coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Meanwhile, combine sugar and cornstarch in a bowl, and add the water. Whisk until completely combined.
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When the coconut milk just starts to simmer, add the sugar/cornstarch mix, and whisk. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens and starts looking slightly translucent. This took me about 10 minutes. When you bring your whisk up, the haupia should flow off of it and you can see the trace of it for a few seconds before it "melts away".
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Pour into the 8x8 pan and allow to cool on the counter before refrigerating. Refrigerate until solid and completely cooled. If you are using the full 5 tablespoons, you should be able to pull the sides away from the pan and invert the whole thing onto a cutting board. If it seems too soft for that, just cut it while in the pan. Cut into 2 inch pieces (16 pieces total) and serve.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from: Hawaiian Electric
I used Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk
If you want your haupia to have more of a pudding consistency, use less cornstarch. You can try 4 tablespoons, or if you want it even less firm, try 3!
Could you use gelatin instead of cornstarch?
That would give it a more “jelly” texture, so I would say it wouldn’t be as authentic, but I think it would still be yummy!
When I was a kid in Hawaii (over 55 years ago) Haupia was made with agar agar. So I think that gelatin would be more authentic, so long as you used lots of gelatin. (Agar Agar makes a chewier pudding than the ordinary meat-based gelatin sold.)
Yes you can use gelatin, and it adds protein, too!
Could you give me an idea of how much gelatin to use?
7 Leaves per L, if using standard catering leaves.
If using store leaves the 11 per L
It is so funny that you ask that. I have made countless haupia recipes that use cornstarch following everything down to the very letter and I always get custardy consistency. Not at all like the haupia I was promised. But I’ve noticed after I moved nothing I usually make comes out right. I can’t seem to make a frybread dough properly with baking powder here and the suggestion has been made for the drier climate and small changes in altitude. So I’ve worked around it and agar agar works great for haupia.
I like to add crushed pineapple that has the juice squeezed out of it. Add before putting in your dish
It has been 24 hours and it is still very runny. What do I do?
Hey there, sorry to hear that! If it’s still runny, that probably means you didn’t cook it quite long enough. Unfortunately, the best option would probably be to just start from scratch. Also, just wanted to be sure that you used canned coconut milk, not the drink kinds that are in cartons.
Either you put to little corn starch or you didn’t mix it enough
Once you make the haupia and store it in the fridge, how long will it stay fresh? I want to make these ahead of time for a party.
Hey Monica, it should be good for a few days at least, if you cover it tightly with plastic wrap! I had mine in there for a week and it was starting to get a little less than fresh but still edible, haha.
Hey Monica, I learned from my tutu to add a pinch of salt at the beginning of simmering. It will help keep the haupia from spoiling when left out on the dessert line at a party or during a long travel if not stored in a cooler. Glad to see people making and enjoying our local desserts!! Aloha
Can you use flour instead of corn starch?
Hi Nicholas, you have to use corn starch, flour wouldn’t give the same results. Sorry!
So my first batch didn’t set properly and is more like a pudding then Jello. Any ideas on how to still serve it? I still want to try and use it at the potluck as it still tastes delicious. But what suggestions might you have to finish it off so it looks more appealing?!
Hi Megan, what if you serve it with a spoon and sprinkle coconut flakes on top?
If I want it to be a bit chewy, can I add a little bit of tapioca starch? Like 3 tablespoon of corn starch and 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch?
I am wondering how you made with chocolate?
We had this desert at a Hawaiian restaurant and they served it with raspberry and chocolate syrup in a nice design, topped with a raspberry. I imagine you could just use chocolate syrup.
Made these today for an international event I was attending. It got two thumbs up from the Hawaiians! Super easy to make and transport. I cut into bite size pieces and distributed into Dixie cups for serving. I have to say I had no idea what you meant about it starting to glaze and the consistency comment until I got to that ten minute mark. Then I noticed when I would whisk it, rather than coming up with the whisk, it wanted to stay with the rest if that makes sense. I cooked it a few minutes longer because I doubled it. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Someone just told me about this recipe BUT it’s all the same except No sugar or water but with evaporated milk… thoughts?
If it didn’t have any sugar, it wouldn’t be sweet at all since evaporated milk isn’t sweetened :/
they probably meant sweetened condensed milk
Can you add a bit of coconut flavoring?
I’m sure that would be fine 🙂
Hi! I love haupia but I dont have any corn starch at home and was wondering if there was anything I could substitute for it? I do have mochiko (rice flour) if that’s a possibility
Mochiko wouldn’t get the same result, sorry! Gotta get cornstarch!
Do you tbink i could use coconut cream instead of the milk and the sugar? It would have thevsweetness and tge coconut flavor as well.
The coconut cream I’ve seen is unsweetened, so it wouldn’t make the dish sweet enough. I’m not sure about sweetened coconut cream as I’ve never used it.
Hello and Thank you. I can not find arrowroot close by. Do you think I could substitute Coconut flour or if not maybe almond flour in place of the cornstarch or gelatin?
unfortunately those flours don’t have the same properties that cornstarch has, so it wouldn’t set up in the same way.
This is my first time making it and it came out good so I think I’m going to make it every time we have a cookout or a gathering I love it my brother’s going to love it thanks for the recipe I am going to enjoy it
What happrns if I use carton coconut milk? I dont have canned. Will this dramatically affect taste
The coconut milk marketed for drinking is quite a different consistency and makeup and will most likely not work. Sorry!
When I initially refrigerate it do I have to cover it with plastic wrap? Also does it matter if the 8 x 8 container is made of metal or glass?
You can use metal or glass, and while it isn’t essential to cover it with plastic wrap, it is probably a good idea.
Thank you for the recipe. I did great haupia! I love it.
I will double it next time. My husband was born and raised in Hawaii as well. I have made this many times from scratch . Or I cheated with the packet. It turned out great.
Love the colors to this Dessert. Sounds interesting too. Surely tasty and great as a party option too. Looks colorful and cute as well
Can I bake this? What would I need to do so?
Baking would not work for this recipe, sorry!
I learned to make haupia as well as many luau dishes, lomi lomi salmon , laulau , from my husbands’s Hawaiian Auntue.
We used Mendoncas coconut milk, cornstarch and sugar, but Thai Kitchen works well.
She taught me to stir until the fat begins to melt.-glistens.
I love most all recipes with coconut cream or milk!!! I’m not a sweets person, more of a savory, but I tried this a few years ago and because it wasn’t sickening sweet – I liked it. Do you think I could substitute raw unfiltered honey in lieu of sugar?
no. It would change the taste entirely.
I would love to try this and saw through the comments about using cornstarch or gelatin. Has anyone tried gluccomanan? I’ve read it can be interchangeable with cornstarch and gelatin.
My boyfriend is Hawaiian, and he’s mentioned how his grandmother would make this dessert when he was growing up. I thought it would be nice to make it for him so this looked like the best recipe. He said the other Haupia he’s had is sweeter than this but we both agree that this is still really good!!! We don’t like overly sweet things so really… it’s perfect! It tastes light and satisfies that sweet tooth of ours!
Hi! I tried this recipe tonight and it unfortunately did not go well. I used the exact measurements the recipe asks for, but used “lite” coconut milk. Could this have affected the consistency? I stirred and stirred and stirred and it never thickened! I was there for a good half hour before giving up.
That could very well be the problem! If the lite version has less of the thick creamy layer at the top when you open the can, then it will have a thinner overall consistency and could affect the final product. I personally use Thai Kitchen brand organic canned coconut milk.
Hi! I tried this recipe for the first time and it turned out really well I’m 12 years old and I absolutely love baking and cooking I was born and raised until I was a toddler in Hawaii ive always wanted to try making haupia by myself considering I’ve never made haupia and I realized I had some unsweetened coconut milk in my pantry so I decided why not make haupia! I also let it sit for an hour and 30 minutes instead bc I couldn’t wait to try it but overall it was great
I’m going to try with mango and some spice like ginger cookie spice and cinnamon sprinkled on top. Think I can add some small chunks after it has reached it’s correct cooking time. Also a small slice on top.
Is the coconut milk sweetened or unsweetened? All I have on hand is full-fat unsweetened.
Unsweetened, from a can! Definitely don’t use ones that are for drinking that come in the cardboard containers.
I tried making this, but when I was who kin gyn it it thickened up and got clumpy after like two minutes instead of ten. My stove is gas and runs pretty hot, could that have been it? Or do I need to mix the cornstarch and the water a bit better before adding to the coconut milk?
Probably both, but if it’s extra hot it will get thick quick.
I have a friend who is native Hawaiian she made this for me. It’s amazing. Your recipe is the closest to what she made. Thanks for posting it!
Aloha!
Fantastic and soooo easy! I was looking for a delicious and satisfying vegan dessert recipe and this is it! I have made it twice in 1 week as it was so popular with my coconut-loving family. Did a single batch 1st and reduced the sugar to 4 tbsp bec we don’t like stuff overly sweet, but I added 3 kinds of coconut bits and shreds for some texture and added flavor, and it was awesome. 2nd time around I doubled the recipe and for some reason it started to firm up way more quickly than the single batch so I cut the heat off early and it was definitely still nice and firm for squares. Yay! I have a new go-to!
I was searching my pantry for ingredients to make brownies and found a can of coconut milk. Since I didn’t have all the ingredients to make fudge brownies, I searched for dessert recipes using coconut milk, and I came across your post. YAY!
I love Hawaii and my time there is so memorable! I don’t remember ever eating haupia, so I was super excited to try this dessert!
It was easy to make and incorporated beautifully, At the very end of cooking and right before pouring into the pan, I added some shredded coconut. So, so good! It’s light, refreshing, and slightly sweet. I think I could eat the whole pan! 🙂 So glad I did not have the ingredients to make the brownies and found your recipe instead.
I made the recipe and it worked fantastically.. I then experimented and made Chocolate Haupia by adding 3 Tablespoons of Cocoa powder, and tree additional table spoons of sugar (makings a total of 8 tablespoons sugar) and a dash of salt but I followed the recipie exactly except for that and the chocolate Haupia was as great as the regular haupia…