One of the most famous Spanish desserts: Torrijas. These are so decadent that you can’t eat just one.
Another traditional Spanish recipe on this blog. I just can’t get over Spanish cuisine.
Torrijas are a holiday dessert that is often prepared during “Cuaresma” and “Semana Santa”. They are as popular as
They are basically bread soaked in milk — other versions use wine or syrup — then covered with egg, fried in olive oil and coated with sugar and cinnamon.
Sounds a bit weird I know. I was skeptical when I heard about the process but I was gladly surprised at the first bit.
It resembles a french toast but it’s way better in my opinion. The bread is soaked for more time into the milk and the result is a slushy inside and a crusty outside thanks to the beaten egg.
You can eat it by itself or taken along with some hot chocolate as a “churro” or with some condensed milk for extra sweetness.
I decorate three of these torrijas with some sweetened condensed milk and big red strawberries. They are so heavenly.
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What type of bread is good for torrijas?
I would honestly say that any french bread that is spongy can work with this recipe. In Spain they sell torrijas bread but it isn’t easy to find outside of Spain.
It’s better if it’s an old bread because it will absorb way more milk and it has more consistency and it won’t crumble while cooking.
But if you want to make torrijas and only have a fresh bread you can just let it soak for less time in the milk. The key is to see that the bread is completely soaked but still holds its shape.
I would say that old bread can be soaked for 10-15 minutes and fresh bread for less than 8 minutes.
How to cook Spanish torrijas?
It is quite easy, yet you will need some organization to get a nice result.
As I’ve mentioned you need to soak in milk (for 10 minutes depending on how hard is your bread loaf), then soak into beaten egg. fry in olive oil and then slightly smash the torrijas white you cover them with cinnamon and sugar.
Because there are so many steps I highly suggest you set up a mini production chain. This way you have all the steps already prepared and you don’t burn accidentally your torrijas while doing another step.
Also, you will need to make this recipe in batches to avoid overcrowding while frying. Every torrija must have enough space to fry without sticking to each other.
You can serve them while hot with some ice cream or you can serve them cold.
I hope you enjoy this Spanish recipe and I see you in the next one!
- 1 thick bread loaf note 1
- 2 ½ cup milk 600 ml
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar 100 gr
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Enough olive oil to fry
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Cut the bread loaf in pieces of about 2 cm wide. Place them in a deep baking tray.
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In a medium pot heat the milk with the vanilla bean and the cinnamon stick until it starts to boil. Then remove from the stove. Let it chill a bit until is warm. Cover the bread pieces with the milk (remove the cinnamon stick and the vanilla bean before). Let it soak for 15 minutes.
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Soak the bread in the beaten eggs.
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In a big deep pan heat the oil until it’s hot. Lower the heat to medium heat and start to fry the torrijas for batches.
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When they are brown in all sides, Transfer the torrijas to a plate with absorbent paper. While they are still hot smash them gently while you sprinkle with a mix of sugar and ground cinnamon.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.