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! It is one of the most popular Hawaiian desserts.
A while 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!
By the way, my all time most visited post is another popular Hawaiian treat- Butter Mochi! Give both a try! Watch the video for 5 of my other desserts that I guarantee you’ll love.
Hawaiian Haupia
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
Order Supplies Online
Instructions
- Get an 8×8 inch pan.
- 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.
- 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”.
- Pour into the 8×8 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.
Notes
, and it was a 13.66 oz can. As long as it’s around 14 oz it will be fine. PLEASE make sure you are using canned coconut milk, not the drink type that comes in cartons in the refrigerated section (like Silk brand).
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!Nutrition
I love haupia! I read through all the comments and am curious if you or anyone else has made coco puffs with this, in a custardy state? I think I will try. Reminds me of Liliha Bakery in Honolulu.
I’m here on the islands I remember when I was little my mom had us grate the coconut. What I also do is put ground coffee in triple layers of cheese cloth tie it then put it in the coconut milk letting it sit till the color that I like it to be. This too is ono….
I recently made this dish and my sister sprinkled granola on top of it before I chilled it in the fridge. It turned out pretty well. I recommend.
Tried the recipe because it was the simplest I found. I live in Hawaii & and love Haupia, but never made it. I did add a tsp of vanilla extract though. It came out perfectly the first try. It was very Ono!!
Mine set perfectly, but nobody likes it because it wasn’t sweet. Can I add more sugar or maybe sweetened milk?
You can add more sugar. It will change the texture a bit but I’m sure it will be tasty! You can also add vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.
Added in half the amount of corn starch and 1-2 packet ofKnox gelatine to firm it up.
I I am from India. Loved this recipe tried it too. Came out well thank u.
Made this a couple of times now. Both times I couldn’t wait for it to set up so I had to pour a bit into a cup for myself so I could have some while the rest set! Really good. I added a pinch of salt as well as some coconut essence and vanilla essense.. thanks for a great simple yet delish recipe!
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…
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.
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!