Have you ever heard of a carlota de limón? This sweet treat is sweet, acidic, and crunchy all at the same time! You can easily make this traditional Mexican dessert with 6 ingredients, and it just takes 15 minutes to prep, which is perfect for getting the kids to help you prepare it. Pop into the freezer to set, and you'll have a refreshing lemon dessert to serve after dinner!
In my family, it is very custom to start teaching all of the kids how to cook and bake at a young age.
I personally have always loved cooking with my son. I even have pictures of him trying to make flour tortillas when he was just two years old! It was such a simple recipe and yet, he was having so much fun.
I treasure those memories when I see the pictures of his face all covered with flour, and his big smile filled with pride rolling the dough.
Now, he's older, makes his own flour tortillas, and guess what? We still cook together and we love it!
That's what I love about this dessert recipe for carlota de limón. It's super simple to make and you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry. It's the perfect dessert to let your kids start trying out recipes for themselves and keep them entertained.
So, I encourage you to invite your kids to the kitchen and prepare easy recipes where they can help out and enjoy the process. Let them use ingredients familiar to them, and have fun. And, don’t forget to take those pictures!
What Is Carlota De Limón?
Carlota de limón is a Mexican home-style dessert. It’s made with layers of cookies (Marias cookies) and a creamy base made out of canned milk and lime juice. It’s usually served in a rectangle or square glass dish and then refrigerated for some time.
While I love the original recipe, I decided to switch things up a bit and make it my own.
This homemade version of mine has some cream cheese for some added texture, and instead of cookies, I’m using Honey Nut Cheerios to add more flavor and a fun touch for the little ones in the family.
If you want to make the Traditional Carlota de Limón, substitute the cereal for 1 package of "Marias" Cookies. You can find them in the Hispanic aisle of your local supermarket. You can also make this dessert in a large square glass dish to form a cake similar to an Icebok cake.
I know your kids would love it!
Refreshing Carlota de Limón Recipe
With summer right around the corner, I always plan to make this special Mexican dessert at least a few times because of how refreshing and delightful it is. To make this delicious recipe for carlota, here is the list of ingredients you will need to make this dessert...
- Evaporated milk
- Condensed milk
- Lime juice
- Cream cheese
- Honey Nut Cheerios
- Ground cinnamon
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
Cooking Tips:
- If you are unable to find Cheerios or prefer to use something else, you can swap them out for Maria cookies or some type of shortbread cookie.
- To really make this carlota taste really great, try to use freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice instead of jarred.
- This dessert is very creamy, but some people prefer a solid texture and place it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
- You can make this dessert in an 8-inch square glass dish instead of small glasses.
How To Make Carlota de Limón: Step By Step Tutorial
To make things easier for you, I am going to break down the directions to this recipe into sections.
Make The Creamy Lemon Base:
- Place the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and lime juice in your blender. Lightly blender that mixture together for a moment to make sure it is fully incorporated together.
- Stir with a spatula and then add the cream cheese in pieces. Process everything in your blender for a few seconds until it has a smooth and thick texture. Set to the side.
Tip: If you don't have a blender (my favorite one to use is the Vitamix), you can also use an electric hand mixer as well!
Start Building The Carlota:
- As soon as the creamy base is made and ready to go, start arranging the dessert glasses (or glass pan) and place about a tablespoon of Honey Nut Cheerios at the bottom of each glass. Just enough to cover the bottom!
- Add a couple of tablespoons of the creamy lime mix, covering the cereal. You can use a small spatula or a spoon to even out the mix.
- Then you are going to repeat the whole process again! Add another layer of cereal and then the creamy mix until you have three layers of cereal and three layers of the creamy lime base.
Note: You will have some cereal leftover, which will be used for decoration when it is time to serve.
Set and Serve!
- After you have finished preparing the carlotas de limó, place the glasses on a tray and cover them with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for about 3 hours before serving.
- To serve, crush some of the leftover cereal and mix with the ground cinnamon.
- Sprinkle it over the top and serve.
Enjoy!
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this carlota de limón, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
- Authentic Sopaipillas
- Churros Mexicanos
- Buñuelos De Viento
- Mango Mousse Recipe
- Mexican Bread Pudding (Budin de Pan)
- Authentic Tres Leches Cake
I hope you make this recipe for Mexican carlota de limón! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely
Carlota de Limón Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can evaporate milk
- 1 can condensed milk
- ½ cup lime juice
- 1 8oz cream cheese package
- 2 cups of Honey Nuts Cheerios
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and lime juice in your blender. Stir with a spatula, and then place the cream cheese in pieces. Process in your blender for a few seconds until it has a smooth and thick texture.
- Arrange you dessert glasses and place about a tablespoon of Honey Nut Cheerios at the bottom of each the glass, just enough to cover the bottom.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of the creamy lime mix, covering the cereal. You can use a small spatula or a spoon to even out the mix.
- Proceed to add a layer of cereal and then the creamy mix, and repeat until you have three layers of cereal and three layers of the creamy mix. (You will have some cereal left over, which will be used for decoration at the serving time.)
- Place the glasses on a tray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 3 hours before serving. To serve, crush some of the leftover cereal and mix with the ground cinnamon, and sprinkle it over the cups.
loves2spin
That sounds and looks fun and delicious, Mely!
Prieta
That looks yummy, Mely!
Taina
Me voy a lanzar a la tienda por la leche condensada y hoy mismo los preparo.