Fresas con Crema

Fresas con crema is a simple, refreshing dessert with just a handful of ingredients. The treat tastes lovely year-round, but is exceptional when made with fresh, ruby-red, in-season strawberries. It’s terrific during summer holidays like Mother’s Day, Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, or at any summer backyard barbecue. It’s also a welcome dessert after some of our other favorite Mexican foods like chalupas, sopes and tacos.

What is fresas con crema?

Fresas con crema, which translates literally to “strawberries with cream,” is an authentic Mexican dessert. The cream can be made with media crema, a canned dairy product often found in the Latin section at grocery stores. Media crema consists of light cream that has been thickened and stabilized. The canned cream is blended with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and mixed with sliced berries to make the strawberry dessert.

Many versions of fresas con crema are made with crema, crema fresca or crema Mexicana. Unlike media crema, crema fresca is tangy and closer in taste and texture to sour cream or creme fraiche.

Ingredients for Fresas con Crema

• Media crema: This canned product is made with light cream that’s thickened with carrageenan and sodium alginate. Because it has a neutral flavor, it’s often used in Mexican recipes for both sweet and savory foods. Look for it in the Latin aisle at your grocery store, or at any Latin market.
• Sweetened condensed milk: Invented as a way to preserve milk, sweetened condensed milk is made by reducing the milk to remove some of its water content, then combining it with sugar. The canned product can last for several years. It’s not the same as evaporated milk, which has simply been reduced. They’re not interchangeable, but there are substitutes for condensed milk—including making your own!
• Vanilla extract: Real vanilla extract has hundreds of flavor compounds—scientists have identified more than 300—whereas imitation vanilla extract relies on just one. That’s why there’s such a difference in flavor between the two. Since real vanilla is expensive, it’s fine to leave it out if it’s not within your budget.
• Fresh strawberries: Strawberries are the star of this dessert, so choose the best berries. Look for bright-red, unblemished fruit. If you can pick your own or get them directly from a farmer, that’s a wonderful way to go.
• Mint leaves: Spearmint is more delicate in flavor than peppermint, so it’s a good option for this dessert.

Directions

Step 1: Make the crema mixture

In a small bowl, whisk the media crema, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.

Step 2: Compose the dessert

Divide the strawberries between four serving dishes. Top them with the cream mixture. Garnish the fresas con crema with fresh mint, if desired.

Editor’s Tip: The recipe uses chopped strawberries, but you can also slice them for a different look (and bigger bites of berries).

Fresas con Crema Variations

• Use other fruits and berries: The sweet cream used in this dessert is terrific with all kinds of juicy fruits and berries. Try making this dessert with raspberries, blackberries, mango, pineapple or all of the above.
• Add some spice: Classic dessert spices like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove would be a nice addition to this dessert. Use them sparingly so that the strawberries are still the center of the flavor.
• Add crema fresca: To make the dish even more authentic, mix in some crema fresca, creme fraiche or sour cream. The tangy element gives the dish a flavor boost.

How to Store Fresas con Crema

How long do fresas con crema last?

Fresas con crema is best eaten right away, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. After that, the texture of the berries will change.

Can you freeze fresas con crema?

Only if you want to eat it while it’s frozen! Freezing and thawing this dessert will change its texture, but making strawberry and cream ice pops with this recipe is a great idea.

Can you make fresas con crema ahead of time?

To partially prepare Mexican strawberries and cream ahead of time, whip up the sweetened cream, store it in the refrigerator, and simply add it to freshly cut strawberries whenever you wish to eat them.

Fresas con Crema Tips

Are crema and media crema the same thing?

Nope, these are two different ingredients used in Mexican cuisine. Crema—which is also known as crema fresca, crema Mexicana, table cream or crema espesa—is a tangy product made by combining heavy cream with something sour like buttermilk or lime juice or both. Media crema is a canned, thickened light cream.

What else can you serve with fresas con crema?

If you’re dining on Mexican dishes like pozole, sopes, shrimp tostadas with lime-cilantro sauce or birria tacos, this would make a perfect final act. It would also fit in beautifully with a buffet of Mexican desserts.