DessertsEasyFree

Mexican Natilla

Name: Mexican Natilla
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 120 g Superfine sugar; 40 g Cornstarch; 1 litre Whole milk; 4 Egg yolks; 2 sprigs Cinnamon sticks; 1 tsp Mexican vanilla extract; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon

30 min (10 prep + 20 cook) Easy 6 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 26, 2026 · Updated: May 12, 2026

Silky custard cream with cinnamon and Mexican vanilla.

About this recipe

Mexican natilla is a soft, silky cooked custard cream, fragrant with cinnamon and Mexican vanilla. It is made with egg yolks, milk, sugar, cornstarch and a cinnamon stick, stirred continuously over a low heat until it thickens into a smooth cream. It is served cold in individual glasses, dusted with ground cinnamon. It is a simple and comforting dessert that evokes the flavours of grandmother's kitchen.

History & Origin

Natilla arrived in Mexico with the Spanish conquistadors, who had in turn inherited it from Arab culinary tradition through Moorish influence in Andalusia. In Spain it is a Christmas dessert, but in Mexico it became an everyday pudding with no particular season. Mexicans made it their own by adding Ceylon cinnamon (known in Mexico as 'Mexican cinnamon' to distinguish it from cassia cinnamon) and vanilla from Veracruz, the most prized vanilla in the world. Mexican vanilla, native to the tropical forests of the Totonacapan region of Veracruz, was domesticated by the Totonac people centuries before the Conquest and was used by the Aztecs to flavour their chocolatl. Today Mexican natilla appears in fondas and home-cooking restaurants across the country, especially during Holy Week and Lent, when milk- and egg-based desserts without meat take centre stage.

Estimated cost

$3.75

Total cost

$0.63

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

250

Calories

Protein

38g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fiber

100mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Heat 800 ml of milk with the cinnamon sticks over medium heat until it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes so the cinnamon can perfume the milk.
2
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch. Add the remaining 200 ml of cold milk and stir well until the cornstarch is completely dissolved with no lumps.
3
Remove the cinnamon sticks from the hot milk. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk.
💡 Adding the mixture slowly prevents the egg yolks from curdling.
4
Return the mixture to a low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon, for 8–10 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
💡 Do not stop stirring or a crust will form on the bottom.
5
Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and stir. Pour into individual glasses. Press cling film directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dust with ground cinnamon before serving.