Leche Merengada — Spanish iced cinnamon-milk meringue
Leche merengada is a Spanish iced dessert: cinnamon-and-lemon-infused milk frozen with whipped egg-white meringue folded through, producing a light, snow-textured frozen pudding rather than a true ice cream. It is sold at horchaterías across Valencia and Madrid.
i. Origin & history
Leche merengada is a Spanish summer specialty, particularly Valencian. It is one of the rare ice-cream-adjacent desserts that uses no egg yolks or cream — just milk, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, and egg whites.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 1 litre whole milk
- 250 g caster sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Pinch salt
- 3 egg whites
- 60 g caster sugar
- Ground cinnamon to dust
iii. Method
- Bring milk to a simmer with 250 g sugar, zest, cinnamon sticks and salt; infuse 20 min off heat; strain.
- Cool fully. Freeze in a shallow tray, scraping every 30 min, until forming an icy slush — 3-4 hours.
- Whip egg whites; add 60 g sugar gradually; whip to stiff glossy meringue.
- Fold meringue into the frozen milk slush. Return to freezer 2 hours.
- Scoop into glasses. Dust with cinnamon. Eat at once.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Granizado de limón is the lemon cousin. Modern leche merengada sometimes adds vanilla or orange-blossom water. The Cuban cremitas de leche uses similar technique.
vi. Common questions
What is leche merengada?
Leche Merengada is spanish iced cinnamon-milk meringue, from spanish & portuguese cuisine. It is sold at horchaterías across Valencia and Madrid
Where is leche merengada from?
Leche Merengada is from the spanish & portuguese dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does leche merengada keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 3 days frozen.