Catherine Alioto

Catalan Custard

Crema Catalana

Preparation info
  • Yield:

    4

    servings
    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Tapas Espana: 70 Easy Recipes for Gathering and Sharing
Tapas Espana

By Catherine Alioto

Published 2026

  • About

Crema Catalana is traditionally flavored with cinnamon, but delicious alternatives include citrus and espresso. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, place the crema Catalana under a broiler until the tops are caramelized.

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, split
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Method

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Place the milk, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, just until scalding, then remove from the heat to cool. Strain into a clean bowl, removing the vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, and peels.