Chè Bắp (Vietnamese Corn Pudding with Sago)

If you’re like me and took your Asian elders to a U-pick farm, and they went overboard again, here’s a quick way to use some of that 400 lbs of sweet corn—Vietnamese sweet corn pudding.

This dessert is similar to Vietnamese mung bean pudding (chè hoa cau), but made with corn.

What is Che Bap?

Chè bắp is a traditional Vietnamese dessert, often described as a sweet corn pudding, topped with a rich coconut milk sauce and toasted sesame seeds for a beautiful finish.

For this recipe, I’m adding small tapioca balls, also known as sago, which give the dessert a fun chew. The tapioca also helps to thicken the dessert to a pudding-like consistency.

What You Will Need

• Corn: I’m using fresh corn on the cob but frozen or canned corn works too.
• Mini tapioca balls/sago: These small pearls add a delightful chewiness to the pudding and help thicken the mixture as it cools.
• Water: For boiling the corn cobs and small tapioca/sago balls. This also creates a light corn-flavored stock to serve as the base for the pudding.
• 3 whole pandan leaves or vanilla extract: The vanilla of the East. If you don’t have pandan, substitute with vanilla extract.
• Sugar: I’m using granulated white sugar.
• Salt: A pinch of sea salt enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness.
• Toasted sesame seeds (optional): For added texture and a nutty finish.
• Coconut Milk Sauce: This rich, creamy sauce adds a layer of coconut flavor to the pudding. My coconut milk sauce for Vietnamese dessert is here. For a quicker version of this traditional recipe, you can skip the coconut milk sauce and sugar by adding sweetened condensed milk directly to the corn pudding. This will give the pudding a creamy white color. No coconut flavor but it tastes just as delicious.

How to Make It

1. Prepare the Corn: Cut the kernels off the cob. Also use the knife to scrape the cobs to get the last bits of milky kernels—an upward scraping motion works best for this.
2. Make the Corn Stock: Boil the corn cobs and kernels for 15 minutes. If using pandan leaves, add them at this stage. After boiling, remove and discard the cobs (and pandan leaves, if used).
3. Cook the Tapioca/Sago: Add mini tapioca pearls directly into the corn stock. This will thicken the mixture without needing extra tapioca starch. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, then cover and let it sit for an additional 10 minutes to allow the tapioca to bloom. The tapioca will naturally thicken the liquid as it cools to a pudding consistency.
4. Sweeten: Add sugar gradually to taste, along with a pinch of salt for balance.
5. Make the Coconut Milk Sauce.
6. Serve: Scoop the dessert into individual bowls and top with coconut sauce and serve. For extra pizzazz, add some toasted sesame seeds to the top.

Storage & Reheating

Store the sweet corn pudding and the coconut milk sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When ready to serve, reheat the pudding and coconut milk sauce separately, either on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave. If the pudding has thickened, add a splash of water while reheating to loosen it up.

Once both are warmed, combine them just before serving. You can enjoy it warm or let it cool to room temperature.

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