This light and refreshing strawberry dessert is the ultimate cream of the crop!
When luscious, plump, ripe strawberries come into season, the parade of strawberry desserts starts marching through my head: Strawberry Short Cake, Strawberry Crisp, Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Pie. But it’s summer and warm and do I really feel like baking now? No! What I feel like doing is digging my spoon into a bowl of sweet, cold Fresas con Crema.
Really, in the world of no-bake desserts, the very popular Mexican Fresas con Crema reigns supreme everywhere. Fresh strawberries are totally delicious on their own, for sure, but when you combine them with this sweet and tangy, velvety smooth crema suffused with vanilla, you have a match made in fruit and cream heaven. When I was a kid, we had strawberries and cream for dessert often in the summer, but it was nothing like Fresas con Crema: basically, Mom sliced up berries and topped them with canned whipped cream! Of course, we loved it, so she made it all the time because it only called for 2 ingredients and only took about 2 minutes from start to finish.
Well, Fresas con Crema only calls for 4 ingredients, and once you’ve sliced your berries, it won’t take you much longer than 5 minutes to complete this delicious dessert that will thrill kids and adults alike. Just mix together sour cream, sweetened condensed milk, and some vanilla, then pour it over a bowl of berries. You won’t believe how the crema brings out that distinctive tart-sweet of the fruit. And it is just so deeply satisfying that you’ll want to be eating it all summer long.
And speaking of summer, if strawberries aren’t your thing (I have a cousin who is actually allergic to them), you can use other kinds of seasonal fruit in this recipe. Peaches are great! And blueberries are delicious “con crema,” and when I use them, I often top the dessert with a drizzle of this wonderful Blueberry Sauce.
Fun Facts About Strawberries and Cream
Although some say Fresas con Crema originated in Colombia, it is considered a traditional Mexican dessert, and you’ll see tons of street vendors serving it between November and March, the height of Mexico’s strawberry season. But maybe the most famous version of this delectable dish is the British version: fresh strawberries with a dollop of fresh cream. It’s said to have been invented in the 1600s by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, King Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, who served it to the king at a banquet, and then to spectators at tennis matches held at Wolsey’s palace. And speaking of desserts “fit for a king,” in the early 1900s, King George V apparently introduced it to Wimbledon, and it has remained a tradition there ever since: this dish is so popular that they serve around 200,000 portions annually during the tournament!
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Store the crema in an airtight container and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week; the prepared Fresas con Crema will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days (but the berries can deteriorate).
Can frozen strawberries be used in place of fresh in this recipe?
Yes. Thaw them before pouring the crema on top. The texture will be different, but it will still be delicious!
Is there a way to make the crema less sweet?
The sweetness comes from the condensed milk; if you use less than the recipe calls for, your crema will be less sweet. And you can use any leftover sweetened condensed milk in your morning coffee!
Serving Suggestions
Fresas con Crema is, as I’m sure you would imagine, the perfect ending to a Mexican meal. Try it with Mexican Chicken, Refried Beans, and Mexican Street Corn Salad. Or if you want to do a Mexican meal that doesn’t involve the oven and barely uses the stove, serve up fabulous Chilindrinas with a Taco Salad (and some homemade Salsa), a big bowl of greens tossed in Cilantro Lime Dressing, and Fresas con Crema for dessert!
Whenever you serve Fresas con Crema for dessert, you might want to add a crunchy element. You can pair it with Vanilla Bean Almond Sugar Cookies or just top it with chopped-up Candied Pecans. But you don’t have to save Fresas con Crema for dessert. It makes a terrific breakfast topped with Granola or poured on top of Healthy Baked Oatmeal.
Fresas con Crema
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and slice them.
- In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Place the sliced strawberries into serving dishes.
- Pour the cream mixture over the strawberries, dividing it evenly among the dishes.
- Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator before serving for a cool dessert.
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