Traditional Dominican style sweet corn fritters made with sugar, cornmeal, anise, and milk!
One of my favorite Dominican recipes to make during the Spring are Dominican Arepitas de Maiz, which are Dominican cornmeal fritters. These Dominican arepitas can be enjoyed anytime of year because theyโre easy to make.
In fact, these traditional Dominican style sweet corn fritters are made with sugar, cornmeal, cinnamon, and milk! My grandmother would make large batches of Arepitas de Maiz during Lent Season in preparation for Easter.
Our typical Dominican Easter menu always consists of Bacalao Guisadao, Arepitas de Yuca, Habichuelas con Dulce, Yuca con Mojo, and Camarones a la Criolla.ย
Easter was one of the few holidays that my grandmother would make seafood dishes for everyone to enjoy. These Dominican Style Arepitas de Maiz never disappointed!ย
They’re the perfect appetizer to any family gathering. I personally love enjoying these in the morning with a cup of Dominican or Cuban brewed coffee!
How are Dominican Arepas Different from Other Arepas in Latin America?ย
Dominican arepas are in a category of their own. They differ greatly from Venezuelan and Colombian arepas.
Dominican Arepitas or little arepas are usually fried and shouldnโt be confused with a Dominican Arepa / Torta. Dominican arepa or torta is also an entirely different dish that is baked almost like a dense cake.
On the other hand, Dominican Arepitas de Yuca and Dominican Chulitos de Yuca are Dominican arepas made with shredded yuca that you can also stuff with cheese. They are deliciously savory and perfectly fried until theyโre golden brown.
Dominican arepitas de maiz (corn arepas) are sweet, creamy, and fried. Theyโre similar to the yuca version, but instead are perfectly sweet.ย
Ingredients for Dominican Arepitas de Maizย
- Yellow Cornmeal or Yellow Masarepa
- Evaporated Milk
- Sugar
- Anise Seeds
- Eggs
- Salt
- Butter
- Oil for Frying
What Cornmeal Should I Use to Make Arepitas de Maiz?ย
You can use a variety of different cornmeal to make arepitas de maiz. Keep in mind that depending on the type that you use will yield different results.
I personally like to use fine cornmeal or masarepa. Regardless of the two, I always choose the yellow cornmeal since both come in a white or yellow variety.
If you use regular – fine cornmeal just know that your arepitas de maiz (cornmeal fritters) will be a bit denser. This is precisely why I like to use the yellow masarepa. Masarepa is pre-cooked ground corn flour.
Using masarepa will ensure that your Dominican arepitas de maiz come out tender and soft. They also fry a bit quicker.ย
Regardless of which of the two kinds that you use, always opt for the yellow cornmeal or masarepa. This will make sure that your arepitas de maiz come out bright, golden-yellow!ย
How Do I Form The Arepitas?
Much like the Dominican Arepitas de Yuca, you form the arepitas de maiz in hot oil with the help of a spoon.
You can create flat arepitas or round ones that resemble mini-cigars. The choice is up to you!
I always recommend that you fry a small arepitas first to taste for seasoning. You can adjust and make the arepitas de maiz sweeter or even add more anise seed for that classic and authentic Dominican flavor!ย
You can also skip the metal spoons altogether and form the arepitas with your hands! Things might get messy, but you’ll still end up with perfect arepitas de maiz. Just be careful when adding your formed arepitas to the frying oil.
Can I Make The Dough Ahead of Time?
If you want to make these delicious Dominican Cornmeal Fritters ahead of time for a party or brunch, you certainly can! I recommend making the dough slightly wetter than usual and letting it rest in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fry the Dominican Arepitas de Maiz.
As the dough sets in the fridge, it will harden, which is why it’s important to add a little extra milk since this will keep the dough hydrated.
Before you fry the arepitas de maiz, make sure that the dough comes up to room temperature. This will make it easier to form and fry the arepitas.
Lastly, when forming your arepitas, make sure that they arepitas aren’t too thick so that they have a chance to fully cook all of the way through.
Recommended Tools Needed to Make Arepitas de Maiz!ย
Ingredients
- 2 cups Yellow Cornmeal or Yellow Masarepa
- 1 ยผ cup Evaporated Milk
- โ cup Sugar
- ยฝ tsp Anise
- 2 Eggs
- ยฝ tsp Salt
- Oil for Frying
- 1 tbsp Butter
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm up evaporated milk, sugar, salt, anise seeds, and butter. Mix until well combined. Continue to stir until sugar has dissolved and butter has melted. One milk begins to simmer remove from heat and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, add fine cornmeal or masarepa. Then add eggs and mix together until well combined. Afterwards, slowly drizzle in warm milk and continue to the cornmeal - egg mixture until a dough forms. The dough will naturally be sticky, but should stick to itself. If dough seems too runny, then add extra cornmeal or masarepa. The dough should resemble thick peanut butter texture. If dough seems too dry, feel free to add extra milk. Once the dough is form, set aside.
- In a shallow frying pan, add oil and set heat to medium - high. Once the oil has reached 350F, carefully add dollops of the cornmeal dough to the oil. For best results, use a large metal spoon to gently ease the dough into the oil. You can create apreitas (cornmeal fritters) that are roughly 3 inches in size. As you add the cornmeal dough to the oil, you can gently use the back of the metal spoon to flatten the arepitas and perfect the shape to your liking. Similarly, you can use two spoons to form arepitas that resemble mini-cigars. If you don't want to use the spoon technique, you can also form the arepitas in your hand and carefully place them into the frying oil
- Once you've placed the arepitas into the oil, fry them on each side for 3 minutes. Make sure to flip so that the arepitas cook evenly throughout. It's important not to cook the arepitas over extremely high heat. You want to cook the arepitas throughout without burning the outside.ย Once the arepitas de maiz have cooked all the way through, remove from oil and place onto a mesh strainer to drain any excess oil. Enjoy arepitas while they're warm with a cup of coffee!
Notes
You can make the dough ahead of time and let sit in the fridge. If doing so, add extra milk to the batter so that the dough does not dry out in the refrigerator. Make sure to let arepita dough come up to room temperature before forming arepitas and frying. If you have leftover cooked arepitas de maiz, you can easily reheat in the oven for best results.