Inside: This Lemon Carlota recipe is a simple, delicious Mexican Dessert that looks pretty and will please even the pickiest of eaters. Keep reading to learn how to make it.
Para Ver esta receta de Carlota en Español, Haz Click Aqui.
What is a “Carlota”?
A Carlota is a very popular Mexican dessert that has French roots. It is easy to make and, being that it is usually eaten either frozen or chilled, it is perfect for sunny days. It is also ideal for when you have people over and you don’t have a lot of time to prepare, because it really doesn’t take very long to make!
How do you make Lemon Carlota?
A carlota is made with multiple levels of vanilla flavored cookies, covered in a sweet sauce, and is then frozen for a couple of hours to create a creamy ice cream like texture. Sometimes this is called a lemon icebox cake, but I will always call it a carlota. My preference is to make it lemon-flavored, but you can make it with strawberries, apple, and peach too – which is the flavor that I ate a lot growing up.
That is because I have an uncle in Mexico who worked in a restaurant and he made the most delicious peach carlota. He always used to make it around Christmas time to go with our Christmas dinner which became a great tradition and we all looked forward to it every year.
Even though this is a very simple Mexican dessert, we shouldn’t underestimate its flavor, and you can rest assured that it will impress all of your guests. To make this lemon carlota you will need vanilla flavored cookies.
The kind that are most commonly used in Mexico are called “Marias” and they can be bought almost anywhere down there. Here in the United States I have had a hard time finding them in a few places that I have lived, especially in my first few years here.
Over the past few years, however, more and more Mexican products are being imported into the United States which means that you can find these all over the place now! I found mine in a local grocery store, but you can also buy them online here.
Once the sweet sauce is prepared, it is time to put the cookies down one layer at a time in a baking dish, and then covering each layer with the sweet sauce until all the cookies are gone and you finish with a final layer of the sweet sauce. Once prepared, put the carlota in the freezer and then cut into pieces when ready to serve.
If you decide to make this tasty Mexican dessert, don’t forget to come back and tell me how it turned out!
If you loved this recipe, you should definitely try these too:
- Extra Creamy Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche)
- The Best Homemade Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe (No Cake Mix)
- Creamy Mango Mousse Recipe
- Oreo Cookie Cheesecake (no-bake method)
- Peaches and Cream Napoleon Recipe
- Amazing Caramel Smores Recipe (Disney World Copycat)
Carlota
Ingredients
- Juice from 5 Lemons
- 1 Can of Evaporated Milk 12 oz
- 1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk 14 oz
- 2 Packages of Marias cookies.
Instructions
- Blend the two types of milk together with the lemon juice and set aside.
- In an 8x8 glass baking dish, put one layer of cookies along the bottom, covering the entire bottom of the pan.
- Cover the first layer with part of the sweet sauce
- Repeat until the cookies are gone, finishing with a final layer of sweet sauce.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours and serve!
Monday 13th of May 2024
Do you keep it in the freezer once cut if you have leftovers? Mine is in the freezer now about ready to come out! :)
Saturday 22nd of July 2023
If you make this dessert the day before do you need to keep it in the freezer the whole time, say for 24 hours?
Cindy
Wednesday 10th of May 2023
Can Lemoncello liqueur be added to this for a boozy dessert?
Cheryl
Wednesday 15th of February 2023
I made this for a potluck at work and it was a big hit. The best part is that is was so easy to prepare and the ingredients were easy to find.
Nannette
Friday 10th of February 2023
This was so easy and sooooo delicious..my husband and I both love it. However, I could not find the Marias here, so use nilla wafers instead...worked great!!!! I'll keep my eyes open for the Maria's just so I can try the biscuit.