Carlota de Fresa 🍓 is a creamy, no-bake Mexican dessert that’s perfect for spring, summer, or any time you’re craving something sweet and refreshing.
Made with layers of strawberries, cookies, and a tangy lime cream, this easy dessert comes together with just a handful of ingredients.
It’s a crowd-pleasing treat that’s ideal for parties, holidays, potlucks, and family gatherings.
Think Carlota de Limón but this is the strawberry version. So yummy!
- Wash and slice the strawberries.
- Set them aside until ready to assemble the dessert.
In Mexico, fruit is always juicy and sweet. It’s picked ripe so you’re getting maximum flavor. You’ll see a lot of our Mexican desserts made with fresh fruit such as Fresas con Crema and Raspados Mexicanos. Both perfect for summer.
How to make the cream sauce
- Add the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice to a blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Set the cream mixture aside.
- If you’re not assembling the dessert right away, store the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use.
🍋🟩 No Lime Option
Are you a fan of strawberry lemonade? I know I am! Then, you’re going to love this dessert. If not, to remove the citrus lime flavor, blend half the strawberries with the milks and mix with 2 cups whipped cream.
Carlotas are always made with Galletas Marias. They are a classic in Mexican food. If you can’t find them, you can always buy Galletas Maria online. Or, you can use vanilla wafers.
Maria Cookies (or Galletas Maria) are thin, round, and only mildly sweet. They are like vanilla wafers or graham crackers but without the cinnamon flavor. As kids, my brother and I used to split a sleeve while watching tv.
👩🏼🍳 Assembling the Dessert
- Spread a thin layer of the cream mixture on the bottom of a baking dish.
- Arrange a layer of sliced strawberries over the cream.
- Add a layer of Galletas Maria on top of the strawberries.
- Repeat the layers of cream, strawberries, and cookies until all the ingredients have been used.
You can use a trifle bowl like I am in the pictures. Or, a Pryex dish with a lid that works great especially if you’re taking it to a picnic or party.
FYI: For the trifle dish, 1 ½ sleeves of the Galletas Maria were used. They will soak up all the creamy lime sauce and taste amazing.
Be sure to save some strawberries for decorating the top of the icebox cake.
- Finish with a layer of cream mixture on top.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours, to allow the cookies to soften.
- Serve, and enjoy.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Carlota de Fresa is a popular Mexican no-bake icebox cake made with layers of cookies, strawberries, and a creamy filling. The cookies absorb moisture from the cream and become soft, creating a dessert with a cake-like texture.
An icebox cake is a dessert made of cream, wafers, fruit, and sometimes nuts, then set in the refrigerator. No baking is required.
Absolutely. In fact, Carlota de Fresa tastes even better when made a day ahead because the flavors have time to meld together and the cookies soften perfectly.
🫙 Storage and Serving Tips
Store Carlota de Fresa covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Since this is a chilled dessert made with dairy and fresh fruit, it should remain refrigerated until ready to serve. Freezing is possible, but the texture of the strawberries may change slightly after thawing. Serve cold straight from the refrigerator.
🍰 More Mexican Desserts
- Pan de Elote
- Orejas Pan
- Jericalla
- Cortadillos
- Pastel de Tres Leches
- Mexican Flan
- Pumpkin Empanadas
- Mexican Conchas
- Pineapple Empanadas
This Carlota de Fresa recipe is proof that an impressive dessert doesn’t have to be complicated. With layers of sweet strawberries, creamy filling, and tender cookies, every bite is refreshing and delicious.
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Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
Carlota de Fresa
Ingredients
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- Juice of 10 key limes (or 5 regular limes)
- 2 16-ounce packages strawberries sliced
- 1 ½ to 2 sleeves Galletas Maria
Instructions
- In a large blender, add the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and lime juice.
- Blend until smooth.
- Set aside until ready to use.
- NOTE: If you are not going to use the cream sauce right away, store it in the fridge.
- Slice strawberries.
- Add a thin layer of cream sauce to a baking dish.
- Add a layer of strawberries on top of the cream sauce.
- Add a layer of Galletas Maria on top of the strawberries.
- Repeat this pattern until there are no more ingredients.
- Chill for 24 hours, or a minimum of 6 hours.
- Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Dissolve strawberry gelatine in water and blend with the milk. Omit the lime juice.
- OR, blend half of the strawberries with the milks and mix with 2 cups whipped cream. Omit the lime juice.
Nutrition
More Pictures
This is a great dessert for summer plus I live in California. We have local strawberry farm everywhere so this is perfect.
Delicious! Glad you enjoyed it!
Oh wow this looks absolutely delicious! I would really love to make this for this weekend!
Yes! Please do. It’s a delicious and refreshing recipe.
Yum, Yum, YUMMY! I am not a baker – so I immediately perked up when I read No-Bake. This looks delicious and I loved learning about the Maria Cookies. Great recipe. Thanks!
Right! I love no bake desserts. Hope you find the Maria Cookies. They are a classic in Mexican food, but you can swap out for vanilla wafers.
Delicious! This reminds me of the mango graham refrigerator cake that my son makes for me. I will try your recipe too. Strawberries are in season here, so might as well take advantage of it and make this yummy dessert.
Oooh… I gotta try something like this with mangoes. Thanks for the idea.
This looks so yummy and delicious a very great recipe. Plus the strawberry ingredients is one of my favorite on a dessert a very recommended for everybody.
So good right? We love this recipe too.