This limber de leche recipe is all about that cool and creamy texture. Made with three kinds of milk that's infused with warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, that's then frozen. You know it's summer when you're able to go buy a limber from your local limber lady!
If you love flan, coquito, or rice pudding, you're going to love this Puerto Rican limber de leche!
An easy limber de leche recipe you're going to love!
- Easy: Mix ingredients together in a blender or a large bowl, pour into molds, freeze, and enjoy! This frozen ice cup recipe is great for kids to make in the hot summer months.
- Convenient: Easily freeze your homemade limber in plastic cups, popsicle molds, or even ice cube trays for a grab and go frozen treat on a hot day.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients I used to make my limber recipe.
- Milk: I used whole milk, but any regular milk will work fine.
- Evaporated Milk: Slightly sweeter than milk, but with less water content, and still true to a creamy milk taste.
- Condensed Milk: A thick and creamy sweetened milk perfect for Puerto Rican desserts and drinks like flan and coquito.
- (My father loves to add condensed milk to his malta -if you've tried this before, let me know in the comments below!)
- Vanilla Extract: I love a stronger vanilla taste, so I tend to add about 1.5-2 teaspoons. Start at one and adjust to your liking.
- Cinnamon Powder: The sweet, warm, and slightly spicy flavor profile of cinnamon is the perfect companion for creamy treats!
- Ground Nutmeg: A small amount goes a long way! This optional spice adds a complex depth of flavor with it's slightly sweet, earthy, and nutty flavor.
- Pinch of Salt: A pinch of salt brings all the flavors together. Completely optional, but I like to add it for balance.
Quick Notes
Save money: Add a cup of water to the mixture to dilute it just a bit. It gives you about an extra two cups of limber!
Sweeter: If you want a sweeter limber de leche, add granulated sugar -to taste!
Can I make this into a dairy-free limber de leche?
If you want to make a dairy-free limber de leche, here are some different milk options:
- Milk: Your preferred dairy-free alternative like soy milk or coconut milk.
- Evaporated Milk: Soy milk can be simmered to reduce the water content for a close evaporated milk alternative.
- Condensed Milk: There are now vegan versions of condensed milk that you can find at your local supermarket. You can also use coconut cream for it's sweetness.
Chef's Tip: If you want to make an dairy-free version of limber de leche, you may be better off just making a limber de coco recipe. (Replace the milk called for in this recipe with 1 can of coconut milk, 1 cup of water, and 1 can of cream of coconut to make limber de coco, and follow the rest of this recipe.)
Equipment Needed
These are must-have tools to make limber de leche at home:
- Mixing Tools: A large bowl with a whisk or a blender will work fine.
- Limber Mold: Traditionally, a smaller 5-8 oz cup is used to make limbers. Popsicle molds will work great, too!
- Freezer: Clear space ahead of time! A batch of limber can easily make 5-7 cups.
Optional tools that make making limber easier at home:
- Muffin Pan: Control spills by lining your muffin pan with cups before filling them with the limber mixture. This makes transport a breeze and helps keep the limber from accidentally falling over in the freezer.
- Lids: You can either buy plastic cups with lids or use plastic wrap to cover the cups to keep from ice particles building up on top.
- Ice Cube Tray: Sometimes there's just enough limber mixture left that's too little to warrant using a cup, and too much to just toss.
Chef Tip: Make creamy limber ice cubes and add them to your cold brewed coffee or a glass of horchata for a decadent drink!
Instructions
- Pour ingredients into a large bowl or blender and mix ingredients until combined. (This may have to be done in batches, depending on the size.)
- Once all ingredients are blended and it's smooth, taste the limber mixture and adjust by adding more cinnamon, nutmeg, or even sugar until it reaches your liking.
- Remove excess foam by skimming the top with a large spoon.
- Evenly distribute limber de leche mixture into cups. (The amount of cups will depend on how many ounces the cups are.)
- Do not fill all the way to the top! Just fill the plastic cups until it reaches the final line before the top.
- Freeze a minimum of 5 hours, but overnight is best.
Chef's Tip: For a sweet surprise, add a maraschino cherry to the bottom of each cup before filling with limber mixture to create a tres leche limber experience!
Also, sprinkle a gentle dusting of cinnamon powder over each cup of limber, once filled, and before putting them to freeze.
FAQ
Limber is a frozen treat that's served in a plastic cup, almost like a frozen ice pop or Italian ice.
The different flavors of limber can range from creamy to fruity and sometimes it's even filled with things like crunchy peanuts, bits of cake or brownie, and limber can even be infused with liquor for a boozy frozen ice cup.
Some popular limber flavors are: peanut butter, cherry, cream, and coconut.
To eat a limber from a cup you have three choices: flip it over, pop it up, or use a spoon.
Flip it over: Once your limber begins to slightly defrost, you can put it up and flip it over. All of the flavors that dropped down during the freezing process will now be at the top!
Pop it up: Like a frozen push pop, you push the limber up from the bottom and just bite or suck on it like a frozen push pop.
Spoon: The texture of frozen limber starts off like a solid ice pop that can be chipped away, but within minutes, it's like Italian ice, and if you start to mix it, it's almost like a Puerto Rican ice cream!
No, limber de leche and limber de crema are not the same. Limber de leche is made with three types of milk. Limber de crema is made with a special cream flavored syrup.
Limber de crema vs limber de leche
Limber de crema is not limber de leche! I always called limber de leche, limber de crema. But limber de crema is made by adding a special cream flavored syrup that is hard to find.
The syrup used in limber de crema is from a brand called Poly, and the flavor is specifically named "crema".
If you're buying a limber in your neighborhood or if you're lucky to be in Puerto Rico where they sell limbers at even gas stations and pharmacies, and a way to tell the difference between limber de crema and limber de leche is by the color.
Limber de crema has a yellow hue, whereas limber de leche has a lighter, more cream color to it.
Quick recipe for limber de crema
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of Poly's sirop de crema (cream flavored syrup)
- 1 cup of evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla, or to taste
- ground cinnamon, to taste
Mix to combine, and follow the same instructions you'll find for this limber de leche recipe.
Recipes you may love.
Equipment
- 1 blender A large bowl and whisk is fine to use.
- 1 freezer
- 8 plastic cups I used 5 oz cups.
Ingredients
- 24 oz evaporated milk
- 14 oz condensed milk
- 8 oz milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract or to your liking
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg ground
Instructions
- Pour ingredients into a blender and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust spices to your liking.
- Remove excess foam with a large spoon.
- Line cups in a cupcake pan and fill each cup until it reaches the final line before the top. (Or leave a ½-1 inch gap at the top.)
- Place the pan with cups in the freezer and allow it to freeze for at least 8 hours.
- Serve and enjoy as desired.
Notes
- Milk: Replace with favorite dairy-free milk.
- Condensed Milk: Use vegan condensed milk or coconut cream.
- Evaporated Milk: Lightly simmer soy milk and cool before using.
- Maraschino Cherry: Add on to the bottom of each cup before filling.
- Small bite-sized chunks of vanilla cake: Add like 3-4 ½ inch chunks of cake to each cup before filling.
- Dust with Cinnamon: Once cups are filled, dust with a light amount of cinnamon at the top for even more flavor! (Before freezing.)
