International Journal of Engineering and Technology

The effect of processing variables as cooking temperature and time on the thermophysical, colorimetric, textural, sensory properties and proximal chemical composition was evaluated and fitted. It was used 2×2 factorial design made with three replicates, for a total of 12 experimental units. Study factors and levels were cooking temperature (70 and 90 °C) and time (60 and 90 min). The data were analysed through variance analysis using the statistical software Statgraphics Centurion version XVI and Tukey HSD comparison test to identify statistically homogeneous subsets.Low moisture content due to water evaporation during processing of the cocadas was shown, which permitted the fat, protein and ash concentration. Thermophysical properties were affected by temperature and time increasing energy cost in the high temperature and time treatments. Lightness values varied from 86.13 to 53.5 and total color change increased (?E), due to the non-enzymatic browning reactions presented.Fracturability, hardness and stiffness values increased at high cooking temperature and time due to the seric protein denaturation that formed a complex between casein proteins.The optimal conditions to make cocadas with panela of good quality were temperature and time of 70 °C and 60 min. This study was the solution to a problem of the manufacturers to improve the elaboration process for this Colombian Caribbean sweet.