Pan De Elote Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan (or an 8-9 inch square pan) with 1 tablespoon of butter and lightly flour or line with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy removal.

Process the corn

Place the 3 cups of corn kernels in a food processor or blender. Pulse until mostly pureed but still slightly textured — you want some small bits for a pleasant corn bite (about 10–15 pulses). Scrape down the sides as needed.

Combine wet ingredients

Add the 3 eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 stick melted butter, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the blender with the corn. Blend until smooth and fully incorporated, about 30–45 seconds. The mixture will be thick and slightly grainy.

Mix dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt until evenly distributed.

Combine wet and dry

Pour the wet corn mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix — a few small lumps are fine. The batter should be thick but pourable; if it seems extremely stiff, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk.

Adjust texture (optional)

For a smoother, custardy pan de elote, strain the combined batter through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove large bits of corn and any unincorporated flour. Use a spoon to press solids through if desired. This step is optional and based on texture preference.

Pour and bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 45–60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Baking time will vary with pan size and oven. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

Cool

Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire rack. Let the pan de elote cool in the pan for 20–25 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and lift out with the parchment overhang (if used). Cool another 15–20 minutes before slicing so the texture sets. It can be served warm or at room temperature.

Before serving, dust the top lightly with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. For extra richness, brush the warm loaf lightly with a bit of melted butter.