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Lelut Ginataang Mais Recipe, the Easiest Filipino Dessert to Make

ByRoseanne Ducut
The image features a close-up of a spoonful of Ginataang Mais, a Filipino dessert made from glutinous rice, coconut milk, and sweet corn. The top portion of the image has text in bold, stating "Best Recipe for Ginataang Mais," highlighting that the recipe is being promoted as the best version of this dish. The dish itself appears creamy and thick, with visible corn kernels, presented in a yellow bowl.

Ginataang Mais, or Lelut Mais in Kapampangan is one of my favorite Filipino desserts. The ginataang mais ingredients are few, making it one of the easiest Filipino dessert recipes to make.

Ginataang Mais is a Filipino sweet corn dessert made from corn, coconut milk, and glutinous sweet rice (hence the name ginataang mais at malagkit).

It’s like a porridge or coconut rice pudding. It’s eaten in the Philippines as a light midday snack (merienda) or for dessert. It can be eaten warm or cold.

The image shows a close-up of a spoonful of Ginataang Mais, a Filipino dessert traditionally made with glutinous rice, coconut milk, and sweet corn. The dessert is creamy and thick, with visible corn kernels. The dish is presented in a vibrant yellow bowl, enhancing the warm and comforting appearance of the dessert. The focus is on the rich texture and ingredients of the Ginataang Mais.

It’s usually vegan-by-default, but you never know if someone may add cow’s milk so make sure to ask.

I’ve made this Filipino dessert for non-Filipinos & everyone always loves it! I highly recommend making this for potlucks and parties.

Read next: 9 Vegan Filipino street foods to try in the Philippines

This image is a step-by-step collage for making Ginataang Mais, a Filipino dessert. The four images show different stages of the preparation: adding cooked glutinous rice to coconut milk, mixing in corn kernels, stirring in mashed yellow corn, and finally adding sugar to the mixture. The images convey the process of combining these ingredients to make a creamy, sweet corn porridge.

Variations of Ginataang Mais

While the base of all Ginataang Mais is corn, coconut milk, and glutinous sweet rice and is good as is, you can add additional ingredients to your taste.

Here’s some variations of ginataang mais:

  • Ginataang mais with langka (jackfruit)
  • Ginataang mais with bilo bilo (glutinous rice flour balls)
  • Ginataang mais with sago (tapioca pearls)

Language Learning Bits

Ginataang Mais in English translates to corn cooked in coconut milk.

  • Mais = corn
  • Ginataang = cooked in coconut milk
  • Malagkit = sticky/glutinous (in Tagalog – “lakatan” in Kapampángan)
  • Merienda = light snack or meal

Ginataang Mais Ingredients

Yellow bowl of Ginataang Mais, a Filipino dessert of glutinous white rice and kernel corn cooked in coconut milk

Lelut Ginataang Mais Recipe

Yield: 10-15 people

Ingredients

Ginataang Mais Ingredients

Instructions

How to Make Ginataang Mais

  1. Add coconut milk & water to a large pot on medium heat.
  2. Add glutinous sweet rice (Optional: Soak for 1 hour or overnight prior to speed up cooking).
  3. Stir occasionally and cook for 15 minutes (uncovered).
  4. Add fresh corn and cook until rice is soft, 10-20 more minutes.
  5. Add creamed corn, sugar & salt, and stir.
  6. Add more sugar (or less) to your liking.
  7. Cook for another 5 more minutes.
  8. Eat Ginataang Mais immediately or let cool. Store in tupperware in fridge. Will last up to 1-2 weeks in fridge.

Notes

  • If you don’t have fresh corn, 1 can of regular canned corn will work.
  • If you have more coconut milk, instead of water you can just add another can of coconut milk.
  • If you only have 1 can of coconut milk, cook rice in water first (2 cans worth) & add coconut milk near the end.
  • Ginataang Mais can be made with day old rice, but sweet glutinous rice is better and what separates it from regular coconut rice pudding.

© Roseanne Ducut
Cuisine: Filipino / Category: Recipes

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Roseanne Ducut is a solo female traveler and Filipina from the Bay Area, California. She writes practical and culture-rich travel guides and lives a not-so-secret double life as a fangirl. A veghead for over 15 years, Roseanne also writes vegan guides to help others plan their trips.