With cornstarch
Silkier and smoother
Traditional Spanish dessert
Spanish fried milk, the classic recipe
A thick milk custard flavoured with cinnamon and lemon, chilled until firm, coated in flour and egg and fried until golden. Soft and creamy inside, crisp outside, finished with cinnamon sugar. In Spain it is called leche frita.
- Time45 min + 3 h chilling
- DifficultyEasy
- Serves4–6
Step-by-step method
Infuse the milk
Set aside a glass of cold milk (about 200 ml / generous ¾ cup). Heat the rest with the cinnamon stick, the lemon peel and half the sugar. As soon as it starts to boil, turn off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Then remove the cinnamon and lemon.
Make the yolk mixture
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar. Add the cold milk you set aside and the sifted flour and cornstarch, and whisk until there are no lumps at all.
Thicken the custard
Pour the mixture into the infused milk and cook over a medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for 8–10 minutes, until it is as thick as a very stiff pastry cream and pulls away from the sides of the pan. It must not taste of raw flour: if it does, cook for a couple of minutes more.
Let it set
Pour the custard into a dish greased with butter or oil to make a layer about 2 cm (¾ in) thick. Press cling film (plastic wrap) onto the surface, let it cool and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is best).
Cut, coat and fry
Cut into 4–5 cm (1½–2 in) squares. Dip them in flour and then in beaten egg and fry in plenty of oil at 170–180 °C (340–355 °F), about 1 minute per side, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and roll in cinnamon sugar while still hot.
Tip: if you use orange or lemon peel, pare it very thinly and leave the white pith behind: the pith makes the milk bitter.
What is Spanish fried milk?
Leche frita (“fried milk”) is one of Spain's best-loved home desserts. The name sounds odd in English, but the idea is simple: you cook milk, sugar, egg yolks and a thickener (here, flour and cornstarch) into a custard thick enough to set firm once chilled, cut it into squares, coat them and fry them. The outside turns crisp and golden while the inside stays soft, almost like a warm pastry cream.
It is traditionally flavoured with cinnamon and lemon peel and served dusted with cinnamon sugar, either warm or at room temperature. It is a common sweet at Easter (Semana Santa) and Carnival, although it is made all year round, and every region and family has its own small variations.
For a finer custard thickened with cornstarch alone, try the version with cornstarch; for less oil, the air fryer recipe.
Finding the ingredients outside Spain
Everything in this recipe is easy to find in any supermarket, but names change from country to country. Here is a quick guide:
| In the recipe | What to buy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maicena | Cornflour (UK, Ireland, Australia) or cornstarch (US, Canada) | The same product: pure maize starch. Not to be confused with cornmeal or polenta, which are gritty. |
| Harina de trigo | Plain flour / all-purpose flour | Do not use self-raising flour: the raising agent can make the coating puff and split. |
| Azúcar | Caster sugar or ordinary granulated sugar | Caster (superfine) sugar dissolves faster, but granulated works perfectly well in a cooked custard. |
| Azúcar glas | Icing sugar / powdered sugar / confectioners' sugar | Optional, for dusting instead of cinnamon sugar. |
| Leche entera | Whole milk (about 3.5% fat) | Semi-skimmed works, but the custard is less rich. |
| Rama de canela | Cinnamon stick | True Ceylon cinnamon is milder; cassia sticks are stronger, so infuse a little less time if you prefer. |
| Aceite de oliva suave | Mild or light olive oil, or sunflower oil | Avoid strong extra virgin oil for deep-frying a sweet dessert; a neutral oil is fine. |
A note on measurements: we give metric weights first because that is how the Spanish recipe is written. Cup and spoon equivalents are approximate; for a custard that has to set firm, a kitchen scale gives the most reliable result.
How to serve it
- Classic: warm, rolled in sugar and ground cinnamon.
- With ice cream: vanilla or cinnamon ice cream is a lovely contrast with the warm squares.
- With fruit: strawberries, raspberries or a spoonful of apple compote.
- With a sauce: caramel or chocolate sauce, or a drizzle of honey.
- With a sweet wine: in Spain it is often served with a glass of moscatel or Pedro Ximénez sherry (for adults).
The set custard keeps for 1–2 days in the fridge, well covered, so you can make it ahead and fry just before serving. Once fried, it is best eaten the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my fried milk fall apart in the pan?
Usually because the custard was not thick enough or not cold enough. Cook it until it pulls away from the pan, chill it for at least 3 hours, and make sure the oil is hot (170–180 °C / 340–355 °F) so the coating seals quickly.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Use cornflour/cornstarch labelled gluten-free in the custard and for coating, as in the cornstarch version, and fry in clean oil. If you have coeliac disease, always check labels.
Is it the same as Italian crema fritta?
They are close relatives: both are fried squares of thick custard. Flavourings and coatings vary by region, but if you have tried one you will recognise the other.
Can I freeze it?
It is not recommended: starch-thickened custards weep water when thawed and lose their texture. Keep the set custard in the fridge for 1–2 days instead, and coat and fry it just before serving.
Read this recipe in Spanish (en español).
More Spanish fried milk recipes
Same idea, different routes: pick the version that suits your kitchen.
