Recipe

Yuca Casabe: Home Version with Pre-made Dough

Name: Yuca Casabe: Home Version with Pre-made Dough
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 500 g catebía or commercial wet sweet yuca dough, already processed and specifically suitable for making casabe; 1 g fine salt, optional

Thin and crispy casabe, made at home using commercial pre-made yuca dough specifically for casabe. Cooked on a griddle and finished drying in the oven.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

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Preparation15 min
Cooking1 h 35 min
Total time2 h 5 min
Servings4 servings: about 8 thin cakes
DifficultyMedium

Casabe is a thin yuca bread that remains present in the kitchens of Cuba and other Caribbean countries. Its dry and crispy texture pairs very well with a soup, a stew, or a dish with sauce.

This home version begins with catebía or commercial wet sweet yuca dough, already processed and expressly indicated for making casabe. We will work that dough to form thin cakes, cook them on both sides, and finish drying them in the oven. The result depends mainly on maintaining a uniform thickness and allowing each cake to lose its moisture before storing it.

Ingredients

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500 g catebía or commercial wet sweet yuca dough, already processed and specifically suitable for making casabe
1 g fine salt, optional

Method

Prepare the commercial dough following its usage and storage instructions. Weigh 500 g of wet dough already ready to form casabe. Crumble it with clean fingers and pass it through a medium-mesh sieve, helping yourself with a spoon, to separate fibers and large lumps. It should remain loose, slightly moist, and uniform. If using salt, mix it in now.
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Divide the dough into 8 portions of about 62-63 g each and keep them covered while you work. Heat a flat griddle or a well-seasoned thick skillet, without oil, over medium-low heat. If you have a surface thermometer, aim for a temperature near 160 °C.
Distribute one portion of dough on the griddle forming a circle of approximately 18 cm. Spread it with a spatula and press gently until achieving a uniform layer of 2-3 mm. Go over the edge to compact it and avoid leaving the center thicker.
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Cook the first side for about 4-5 minutes, until the cake has cohesion, the edges begin to dry, and you can slide a wide spatula underneath. If it darkens too quickly, lower the heat. Do not force it to detach while it is still falling apart.
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Flip carefully and cook the second side for about 3-4 minutes. The surface should look firm and dry, with some soft golden spots. Transfer the cake to a rack and repeat with the rest of the portions, adjusting the heat to maintain uniform cooking.
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While finishing the last cakes, preheat the oven to 110 °C. Place the casabes on oven racks or trays, without overlapping, using two levels if necessary. Let them dry for about 20-30 minutes; halfway through, flip them and change the tray positions. If the center remains flexible and moist, prolong drying by a few minutes, watching that they do not burn.
Remove the cakes and let them cool completely on a rack, about 15 minutes. Check one: it must be dry and crispy to the center. If it retains a moist area, return it to the oven to dry before storing. Serve two cakes per person, whole or broken, as an accompaniment to soups, stews, or dishes.
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Tips and variations

The right dough. The 500 g correspond to a commercial wet dough already processed, ready to form according to the manufacturer's instructions. Check that the package expressly indicates its use for casabe and respect its storage conditions. Tapioca starch, generic cassava flour, or grated raw yuca are not equivalent. This recipe also does not contemplate substituting the base with bitter yuca.

Thickness and yield. Divide the dough into eight portions of about 62-63 g each. The diameter will be approximate, around 18 cm: ensure the cakes are 2-3 mm thick, without mounds in the center. The moisture of the product may cause some variation in the final size.

How times are calculated. Calculate about 15 minutes of preparation, around 95 minutes of cooking and drying with a single skillet, and another 15 minutes to cool: approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes in total. The griddle is worked in batches, and the oven allows drying several cakes at once. Times are approximate and depend on thickness, dough moisture, and equipment used; they do not describe a raw yuca treatment.

Storage. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to store the dough before cooking it. Once made, let the cakes cool completely on a rack and store them in a dry, well-sealed container, protected from humidity. Prepare them for prompt consumption; if you need to keep them longer, freeze them once cold, separated with parchment paper. You can restore their crispy texture with a few minutes in a gentle oven before serving.

References. The FAO describes casabe as a thin bread made with sifted yuca dough, cooked on both sides on a surface near 160 °C and subsequently dried, in its chapter «Processing of Roots and Tubers», section 5.1.4. The quantities and oven finish in this sheet are a home adaptation. The traditional knowledge and practices of yuca bread from Cuba and four other countries were inscribed by UNESCO on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024.