Peruvian

Gluten Free Papas a la Huancaina

Papas a la Huancaina is a traditional Peruvian dish of cold sliced potatoes topped with a spicy, creamy cheese sauce that is made in a blender! Papas a la HuancainaThis recipe was has been updated with photos and a video! The recipe and post remain the same. This post also contains affiliate links, these help support My Gluten Free Miami at no cost to you.

Gluten Free Papas a la Huancaina

I remember the moment very clearly. Standing in the kitchen with my husband, contemplating what this new gluten-free lifestyle would mean when he looked at me and said,

This means you can’t have Huancaina Sauce anymore.

I broke into tears. Not pretty, one tear running down your cheek kind of tears. Ugly, heaving, my life is ending tears. Of course, I knew my life was not ending, but learning that I cannot eat the foods I love made it feel as though.

Gluten Free Papas a la Huancaina overhead shot

A Love for Peruvian Food

I love it all, but one of my favorites is Papas a la Huancaina, Potatoes in Huancaina Sauce. It is spicy, creamy, cheesy deliciousness. Rather than wallow in my tears, we set out to develop a gluten-free version that would allow me to continue to enjoy this Peruvian classic. What we came up with is just as good as the real thing, so good in fact, that rather than making two versions of sauce for family gatherings, our family now only makes the gluten-free version. No one can even tell the difference!

Quick and Easy Potatoes with Spicy Cheese Sauce

The major difference between our traditional family Huancaina Sauce recipe and this gluten free version is the type of crackers that are used to thicken the sauce. Below each ingredient, there are some notes, just in case you are not familiar. All of these ingredients are readily available in the South Florida area, but if you are creating this masterpiece and cannot find an ingredient, they are available on Amazon as well. Just click on the link!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 block (3 and 1/2- 4 ounces) Queso Blanco

We like Vendito brand, but any will work, just be sure it is not “para freir” or “for frying”.

  • 1/3 cup ground Saltine Style Crackers

We use Schar brand, they have amazing, consistent results. One sleeve is the amount you will need. In South Florida you can find them at Whole Foods or Milam’s Market. When all else fails, Amazon is your friend! We make this so often we order them by the case. If you are not gluten-free you can use regular saltine crackers. I would recommend the ones without the salt on top.

  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Onion
  • 1-3 Teaspoons Aji Amarillo Paste

Aji Amarillo Paste can vary greatly in concentration. Start with a small amount, you can always add more to increase the spice level. Currently I am using a jar of Inca Food’s Aji Amarillo Paste and 3 teaspoons was just the right amount for a little bit of heat without it being overwhelming. If I was making this just for my husband I would probably add more. I have used other brands that use a smaller amount for the same amount of heat and our family sometimes makes it as well.

  • 1 Teaspoon Chopped Garlic
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Add the salt last, some cheeses may vary in the amount of saltiness. I always add it, but if you are using a different brand of cheese, you may not need it.

  • 1 Cup Milk

I would not recommend using skim milk in this recipe. Your sauce will be runny. Whole milk would be best, but at least use 2%.

Papas a la Huncaina

(This picture is from the original post from September 4, 2015!)

You are going to love this traditional Peruvian Dish. It’s one of our family favorites and it will be one of yours as well!

Happy Gluten Free Eating!

Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Papas a la Huancaina, Gluten-Free

Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Huancaina Sauce

  • 1/2 package Queso Blanco 3.5-4 ounces
  • 1/3 cup ground Scharr cracker crumbs or other saltine type gluten free cracker
  • 1 Tbs chopped onion
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1-3 tsp aji amarillo paste
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk

For Serving

  • 4 baking potatoes boiled, peeled and sliced
  • 2 hard boiled eggs sliced
  • black olives

Instructions

  • Saute the Onion, Garlic and Aji Amarillo in a small pan, just until the onion is a bit soft.
  • Break apart cheese.
  • Place all ingredients into a blender (I use a Nutribullet).
  • Blend until smooth. This may take a few minutes, you will be tempted to add more milk, but give it a few minutes. The cheese needs time to fully incorporate into the milk.
  • Taste and adjust your seasonings, add more salt or more aji amarillo paste if needed.
  • Serve over sliced, cold boiled potatoes with sliced hard boiled eggs and olives (or on whatever you wish, I also love it over rice).

Notes

Consider adding the salt last. Different cheeses have varying saltiness, so taste before adding. Aji Amarillo paste can vary in intensity. More can be added to achieve desired level of spiciness.

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69 Comments

  • Reply
    razor fish
    June 3, 2022 at 3:07 pm

    5 stars
    Very nice, this Gluten Free Papas a la Huancaina, my favorite recipe

  • Reply
    Amber
    May 31, 2020 at 9:42 pm

    Hi! I have not been able to find queso blanco anywhere. Is queso blanco the same as queso fresco? Thank you for this recipe and your help:)

    • Reply
      Amanda
      June 6, 2020 at 7:33 am

      Hi, yes it is, I would just avoid crumbling cheeses queso fresco.

  • Reply
    Aguadito de Pavo, Peruvian Turkey and Rice Soup in Cilantro Broth
    October 12, 2019 at 12:28 pm

    […] Papas a la Huancaina, Potatoes with Spicy Cheese Sauce […]

  • Reply
    Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan Sandwich - Eat at Our Table
    September 8, 2019 at 10:13 pm

    […] gluten free products. Ever since I first discovered the table crackers and used them in my Huaincaina Sauce, I have been purchasing their […]

  • Reply
    Anne Lawton
    April 26, 2019 at 4:51 pm

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! My daughter went to Peru a few years ago and told us all about these potatoes and how much she loved them. I’m going to surprise her with your recipe.

  • Reply
    Linda
    April 23, 2019 at 7:38 pm

    That sauce looks amazing and I love how creamy it is.

  • Reply
    Jean
    April 22, 2019 at 11:56 pm

    Oh wow, I love potatoes and cheese together, so these sound perfect! I never tried this dish before but it’s definitely up my alley.

  • Reply
    Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes and Ham - Eat at Our Table
    April 11, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    […] and we actually order them off Amazon by the case. Another favorite recipe we use them in is Papas a la Huancaina. The uses for them are […]

  • Reply
    Anne Lawton
    March 10, 2019 at 6:04 pm

    These potatoes looks really good! My daughter recently traveled to Peru, and told us about a few potato dishes she had there. I’m going to make this for her!

  • Reply
    Hope
    March 10, 2019 at 3:53 am

    Love how you made something you used to love gluten free so that you can now enjoy it! Looks delicious!

  • Reply
    Megan Stevens
    March 9, 2019 at 3:00 pm

    I’m happy for you! I’ve had similar dilemmas. So good that good can come from our trials and deprivations! 🙂 Such comfort food!

  • Reply
    Zuzana
    March 9, 2019 at 5:37 am

    Wow, I have never heard of this dish. But it looks so inviting. I guess we have to try it

  • Reply
    STACEY CRAWFORD
    March 6, 2019 at 11:56 am

    I would love to try this! It looks so good!

  • Reply
    Renee D Kohley
    March 5, 2019 at 8:23 am

    I’m so glad you were able to adapt your favorite food to GF! That is SO important! This looks amazing!

  • Reply
    Joni Gomes
    March 4, 2019 at 4:51 pm

    Great recipe! I made this but swapped out the milk for full fat coconut milk and it was bomb!

  • Reply
    Raia Todd
    March 4, 2019 at 2:12 pm

    My kids are potato-lovers, I’m sure they’d be excited to try this!

  • Reply
    Megan
    March 15, 2018 at 5:46 pm

    I’ve never heard of it. Being in a plain-vanilla area without much diversity, I bet you get a lot better styles and types of food in Miami!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 16, 2018 at 8:50 am

      It’s one of my favorite things about Miami!

  • Reply
    Alisa Fleming
    March 14, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    That looks so wonderfully creamy. I really appreciate how you are always introducing dishes that I’ve never heard of.

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 14, 2018 at 8:10 pm

      You’re welcome! I love the world of food!

  • Reply
    Kristina
    March 14, 2018 at 9:49 am

    oh wow, I am intrigued by this sauce! by this whole recipe, really! saving to try…

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 14, 2018 at 8:15 pm

      It’s so good! One of my favorites!

  • Reply
    jenna urben | the urben life
    March 14, 2018 at 12:08 am

    How interesting! This sounds amazing 🙂

  • Reply
    Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate
    March 13, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    You have the best Peruvian recipes! I will definitely have to give these Gluten Free Papas a la Huancaina a try.

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 14, 2018 at 8:16 pm

      It’s so good!

  • Reply
    Kaila (The Wanderlust Celiac)
    March 13, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    Love how you were able to make this sauce in a way that met your dietary needs! It was nice to learn a little bit about Peruvian cuisine before my upcoming trip as well.

  • Reply
    Jen
    March 13, 2018 at 3:46 pm

    I can’t believe I have never heard of this before! Sounds like I need to try it!!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 14, 2018 at 8:17 pm

      You will love it!

  • Reply
    Leah
    March 13, 2018 at 2:09 pm

    This looks totally doable. Love it

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 14, 2018 at 8:17 pm

      So easy and delicious!

  • Reply
    Sandy
    March 12, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    This sounds yummy. I’ve got the ingredients on my shopping list to try this weekend! Thanks for sharing!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 14, 2018 at 8:17 pm

      You will love this, be sure to let me know what you think!

  • Reply
    Elisha
    March 12, 2018 at 9:04 am

    This looks amazing. I love cheese sauce. This would be a great addition to any chicken meal.

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 14, 2018 at 8:18 pm

      I love eating it with arroz con pollo

  • Reply
    Jo-Anne
    March 12, 2018 at 8:41 am

    This sounds yummy, we are always on the look out for new GF recipes.

    • Reply
      Amanda
      March 14, 2018 at 8:20 pm

      You will love this, it’s so good. I love new gf recipes too!

  • Reply
    jules
    June 7, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    Looks like another delicious recipe! I love the idea of potatoes with the hard boiled eggs. Maybe with some capers, too? YUM!
    ~jules

    • Reply
      Amanda
      June 7, 2016 at 9:43 pm

      That would be good! Peruvians love combining potatoes and eggs :)…capers would be a nice addition!

  • Reply
    Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
    June 6, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    Such a yummy recipe! I’ve never heard of this before but it sounds delicious.

  • Reply
    Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate
    June 6, 2016 at 10:16 am

    I wish I had that cheese sauce to go with my potatoes last night! Yum!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      June 6, 2016 at 12:53 pm

      Cheese sauce with potatoes is a must!

  • Reply
    Celeste
    June 6, 2016 at 9:20 am

    This looks like such a fun meal!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      June 6, 2016 at 10:10 am

      It is, quick, easy and delicious!

  • Reply
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
    June 6, 2016 at 7:00 am

    Never heard of it before. What an interesting dish!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      June 6, 2016 at 10:09 am

      It is a bit different, but once you try it you will fall in love!

  • Reply
    Adriana @changingplate
    October 20, 2015 at 4:35 am

    I love Peruvian food, I’m from Costa Rica and even though we have some nice dishes it doesn’t really compare to the flavor and variety of Peruvian cuisine! I live in Germany now and wouldn’t even know where to find queso blanco but I’d very curios to see what this sauce tastes like so I’ll have to hunt it down! Thanks you for the inspiration X

    • Reply
      Amanda
      October 20, 2015 at 8:21 am

      Quest Blanco is a salty white cheese, it is a bit crumbly…it might now be exactly the same but a white farmers cheese might work. Thanks for checking it out!

  • Reply
    Kevin | Keviniscooking
    October 19, 2015 at 10:50 pm

    I have never heard of this and had to come visit to read all about it.
    There is a wonderful South American market near my house and I have every intenion of locating thisAji Amarillo Paste and try this. Thanks!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      October 19, 2015 at 11:05 pm

      I’ll be posting more recipes that you can use it in, it is very versatile. .. let me know how it turns out!

  • Reply
    Anne Murphy
    October 19, 2015 at 4:48 pm

    That looks really interesting! It thickens right in the blender, without heating it? What a great dish for a hot weather meal.

    • Reply
      Amanda
      October 19, 2015 at 5:24 pm

      It does, and yes it is great in hot weather, served over cold boiled potatoes!

  • Reply
    Mark
    October 19, 2015 at 6:52 am

    I spent some time in Peru and Northern Chile (right on the Peruvian border). Peru has a reputation for being number 1 in South America (even according to Chileans). We loved the food in that region, as well as the people. Your recipe looks great so will definitely have to give this one a try out.

    • Reply
      Amanda
      October 19, 2015 at 7:21 am

      Thanks! I hope you enjoy it! My husband is from Peru, there will be more recipes coming soon!

  • Reply
    Sandi (@sandigtweets)
    October 18, 2015 at 11:46 pm

    Our family is gluten free as well, though we are lucky all four of us have to be…no fun being glutened and sick. This recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to give it a try 🙂

  • Reply
    Nagi@RecipeTinEats
    October 18, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    I have never heard of Huancaina Sauce before and clearly I have been MISSING OUT!! This looks incredible! Gluten or no gluten – I bet this version is just as good if not better. This is the one I will try!!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      October 18, 2015 at 8:42 pm

      It is amazing, I honestly will eat the sauce on anything….leftover rice, pasta, on a spoon :)….let me know how it goes!

  • Reply
    Brandy @ Our Thrifty Home
    September 27, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    Amanda, your recipes look so delicious. Thanks for sharing them!
    I have nominated you for the Liebster Award. You can check it out here: http://ourthriftyhome.com/the-liebster-award-hooray/
    Blessings,
    Brandy

  • Reply
    Sandy Sandmeyer
    September 20, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    Sounds like you have this gluten-free life under control. Way to go, finding a way to eat your favorite foods. Thanks for sharing your recipe at the #AnythingGoes Link Party.

    • Reply
      Amanda
      September 20, 2015 at 6:49 pm

      Thanks! I try. It was a challenge!

  • Reply
    Lyn @MidMichiganMom
    September 13, 2015 at 10:41 pm

    My father in law is on a gluten free diet and it is wonderful to have yummy recipes like these to make when he visits. Thank you for sharing with us on Welcome Home Wednesday! Please come back next week to share more of your fab recipes =)

    • Reply
      Amanda
      September 14, 2015 at 7:31 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed! I have an amazing brownie recipe that will be up this week, so I’ll be sure to link up 🙂

  • Reply
    Amanda Nel
    September 10, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    Hi Amanda, I am not familiar with Peruvian cuisine but this sounds divine! My daughter is vegetarian and before she goes back to university on Saturday, I am going to try this!

    • Reply
      Amanda
      September 10, 2015 at 4:16 pm

      Let me know how it goes! I hope you enjoy it 🙂

  • Reply
    Monica Bruno
    September 9, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    Oh my goodness, Amanda, my husband would faint if I made this for him. I’m going to have to try it. He’s also on a gluten free diet, so I’m always looking for different things to make for dinner. He’s not a picky eater like my daughter though, so I can try new things without worrying if he’ll eat it! 😉

    • Reply
      Amanda
      September 9, 2015 at 9:52 pm

      I’m sure he will love it! It is amazing on anything, one of the reasons I fell in love with my husband. There will be more Peruvian recipes to coming soon!

  • Reply
    Jenn Peters
    September 7, 2015 at 7:44 am

    Hi Amanda! Stopping by from the Sunday Blog Hop on Because I’m Cheap. This recipe looks like something I really need to try. I can’t imagine having to deal with Celiac disease and saying goodbye to my favorite recipes. But great job coming up with an alternative! We all need to be that committed to what we care about 🙂

    • Reply
      Amanda
      September 9, 2015 at 9:52 pm

      It can be difficult, but where there is a will there is a way!

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