When we decided what Quota Vita's first flavor would be, we didn't hesitate much. Crema Catalana is homemade. It's Sunday lunch at grandma's, it's Saint Joseph's Day, it's the spoon breaking through the burnt sugar crust. I grew up with this taste, and when I started a whey company here in Maresme, I wanted the first flavor to tell where I'm from. Today I close the circle: I take the dessert that inspired the flavor and turn it back into a real, homemade dish, with added protein.
Why crema catalana lends itself to being made with protein
Fundamentally, crema catalana already starts with ingredients that naturally provide protein: egg yolks and milk. Its creamy texture and measured sweetness mean it accepts an added whey well without losing its essence. We're not inventing anything. We're taking a traditional recipe and bringing it a little closer to how many of us want to eat today: the same old taste, with a little more protein on the plate.
The trick, and I'll tell you now, is to respect the cream. The protein goes in at the end, carefully, so the cream remains cream.
Ingredients (for 4 servings)
- 500 ml milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 80 g sugar (plus extra for burning the top)
- 25 g cornstarch (corn flour)
- Peel of one lemon (only the yellow part, no white pith)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tablespoons Quota Vita whey, crema catalana flavor
If you want a clean cinnamon and lemon taste, you can also use neutral Quota Vita whey and let the cinnamon and lemon peel do all the aromatic work. Both options work.
Step-by-step preparation
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Infuse the milk. Place the milk in a saucepan with the lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Heat it over medium heat until it starts to steam, just before boiling. Turn off the heat, cover, and let it infuse for about 10 minutes. Then remove the peel and cinnamon.
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Prepare the base. In a bowl, mix the yolks with the sugar until you get a light paste. Add the cornstarch and mix well to avoid lumps.
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Combine. Slowly pour the infused and still warm milk over the yolk mixture, stirring constantly.
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Thicken. Return everything to the saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until the cream thickens. Be patient and don't turn up the heat: it should be smooth and glossy, without ever coming to a strong boil.
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Incorporate the protein off the heat. This is the key step. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the cream cool down for a couple of minutes. When it's no longer scalding, add the Quota Vita whey and whisk until well integrated. If you add it when the cream is too hot, the protein can curdle and result in a grainy texture. Off the heat and calmly, it will be smooth.
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Chill. Divide the cream into four small ramekins, cover them with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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Burn the sugar. Just before serving, spread a thin layer of sugar over each ramekin and burn it with a kitchen torch or a very hot branding iron until a golden and crispy crust forms. Do this step right before serving: the charm is that the crust crunches and the cream underneath is cold.
Tips for a smooth result
- Always low heat. Crema Catalana is made with patience. Too high heat will curdle the yolks and leave lumps.
- Never add protein to boiling cream. This is the easiest mistake to make. Let the temperature drop before incorporating the whey.
- Lighter version. If you want it less dense, use semi-skimmed milk and slightly reduce the sugar in the base. The burnt crust on top already provides enough sweet contrast.
- No torch? You can grill it for a few seconds under a very hot oven broiler, watching it closely because the sugar burns quickly.
What it is, without frills
Let's be clear: this is a dessert. Good, homemade, made with taste, with a little more protein due to the incorporation of whey. It is not a meal replacement or a miraculous solution. It's a treat you can allow yourself as part of a varied diet. For me, who went from 120 kg to feeling good again, the key was never to forbid myself the things I like. It was about finding a way to enjoy them with a little more mindfulness.
If you make it, I'd love to see it. Tag us and show us your burnt sugar crust. And if you want the flavor without having to cook, you know you can find it at quotavita.com.
Gerard, founder.