Spanish Crema Catalana Recipe
This dessert is super easy to make, it requires only 6 ingredients and is no-bake. It’s also naturally gluten-free and is delicious! Crema Catalana is creamy, soft, and perfectly sweet.
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About this recipe
Crema Catalana is one of those simple, easy, and rich desserts. Like this lemon posset or vanilla pastry cream glass dessert
It’s a pastry cream with egg yolks and the surface caramelizes. The main ingredient is milk and is a naturally gluten-free dessert. It takes only 6 ingredients and is delicious!
Perfect for any occasion, it’s a dessert that always makes you look good. You can make the custard in advance and caramelize when ready to serve.
Ingredients
The main ingredients of this recipe are:
- Milk: whole milk for the best flavor and consistency. Is the main ingredient.
- Eggs: we need the egg yolks. Room-temperature eggs are better.
- Sugar: granulated sugar for the custard, and caramelized.
- Corn starch: to thicken the custard
- Cinnamon: cinnamon stick.
- Lemon: we need the lemon grind.
How to make easy Spanish Crema Catalana
Cut the rind of the lemon with a vegetable peeler.
Place milk, cinnamon stick, and lemon rind in a deep saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until boiling.
In a large bowl beat the egg yolks, corn starch, and ½ cup of sugar.
Strain the milk into the egg mixture while stirring constantly and vigorously with a hand whisk.
Strain and pour the mixture back into the cleaned pan. Heat over medium-low heat until boiling and thick. Then remove it from the fire.
Place in the desired ramekins and let cool uncovered at room temperature. Place covered in the refrigerator until serve.
When ready to serve sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a blow torch.
Storing
Store the dessert covered in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 days. You can make the custard in advance, and when ready to serve you only need to take the dessert out of the fridge, sprinkle it with sugar, and use a blow torch to caramelize it.
Variations and serving options
- Citric: replace lemon rind with orange rind or use both.
- Serving options: serve the dessert with a GF cookie to scoop the cream. Highly recommended.
For more related recipes
- Orange Creme Brulee
- Flan
- Lemon Posset
- Lemon mousse with GF Oreos
- Vanilla Pastry Cream with plum compote
- Lemon Pudding Cake
Easy Spanish Crema Catalana Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk
- 1 lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1/2 cup to caramelize
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the rind of the lemon with a vegetable peeler.
- Place milk, cinnamon stick, and the lemon rind in a deep saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until boiling.
- In a large bowl beat the egg yolks, corn starch, and ½ cup of sugar.
- Strain the milk into the egg mixture while stirring constantly and vigorously with a hand whisk.
- Strain and pour the mixture back into the cleaned pan. Heat over medium-low heat until boiling and thick. Then remove it from the fire.
- Place in the desired ramekins and let cool uncovered at room temperature. Place covered in the refrigerator until serve.
- When ready to serve sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a blow torch.
