Carlota de café is a traditional Mexican no-bake dessert made with creamy coffee filling and layers of Maria cookies that soften as the dessert chills. Delicious and so easy to make!
I love making this Carlota de Café in little cazuelitas de barro for individual servings. The filling takes just minutes to make in the blender, and the result is a creamy, coffee-filled dessert that is perfect for making ahead.
There are so many delicious ways to make Carlota. If you love this coffee version, try my Carlota de Limón or my Carlota de Fresa next. You might just have a hard time picking a favorite!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- So easy to make: The filling is made entirely in the blender.
- No baking required: Just layer, chill, and serve.
- Creamy and delicious: Coffee, cream cheese, and condensed milk make an irresistibly rich filling.
- Perfect for individual servings: Cazuelitas de barro make these especially cute and easy to serve.
- Make-ahead friendly: The cookies soften as the Carlota chills, making it even better after a few hours in the fridge.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Galletas Maria (Maria cookies)
- Instant coffee (I like to use instant cafe de olla)
- Cream cheese
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Whipping cream
- Evaporated milk
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
How to Make Carlota de Café
Blend the filling
Add the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, instant coffee, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon to a blender.
Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, with no lumps from the cream cheese.
Add the cold heavy whipping cream and blend again just until the mixture thickens into a smooth, airy filling. Be careful not to overblend.
Assemble
Spread a thin layer of the coffee filling in the bottom of each cazuelita or dessert cup.
Break the Maria cookies as needed to fit your cups and arrange a layer over the filling.
Spoon more coffee cream on top, then repeat the layers until the cups are full, finishing with a layer of cream.
Chill
Cover and refrigerate the Carlota de Café for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best texture. During this time, the Maria cookies soften and become cake-like.
Before serving, dust the tops with cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, or a little instant coffee.
Make It with Café de Olla
I usually make this Carlota de Café with powdered instant coffee because it adds plenty of coffee flavor without adding extra liquid to the creamy filling.
But if you want to give it an even more Mexican touch, you can also make it with homemade Café de Olla. Since brewed coffee adds liquid to the recipe, you will need to adjust the amount of milk.
Option 1: Leave Out the Evaporated Milk
Prepare a strong Café de Olla and let it cool completely. Use it in place of the instant coffee and simply leave the evaporated milk out of the recipe.
This is the easiest option and gives the Carlota a more pronounced Café de Olla flavor.
Option 2: Use Powdered Milk
Another option is to replace the evaporated milk with powdered milk. This allows you to add the liquid Café de Olla without making the filling too thin.
Simply blend the powdered milk with the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, cooled Café de Olla, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth. Then add the cold whipping cream and blend until the mixture thickens.
For the best flavor, use a strong Café de Olla and make sure it is completely cold before adding it to the blender.
If you would like to make your own, check out my homemade Café de Olla recipe.
More Mexican Desserts
Loved this Mexican recipe? Follow me on YouTube where you can find this and other homemade meals.
Carlota de Café
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
- 2 Tablespoons instant coffee (or instant Café de Olla)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 package Maria cookies
Instructions
- Make the coffee filling: Add the cream cheese, condensed milk, evaporated milk, instant coffee, vanilla, and cinnamon to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Add the cream: Pour in the cold heavy whipping cream and blend until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy.
- Layer the Carlota: Add a layer of the coffee filling to individual serving cups or small cazuelitas de barro. Add a layer of Maria cookies, breaking them as needed to fit. Repeat the layers, finishing with the coffee filling.
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the cookies have softened and the Carlota is nicely chilled.
- Serve: Sprinkle with a little ground cinnamon or cocoa powder before serving.
Notes
- Coffee: Regular instant coffee works perfectly, but I love using instant Café de Olla for its cinnamon and piloncillo flavor.
- Cold cream: Make sure the whipping cream is very cold so the filling thickens properly.
- Maria cookies: There is no need to soak them. They soften as the Carlota chills.
- For the best texture: Let the Carlota chill overnight if you have time.
- Café de Olla: If using brewed Café de Olla instead of instant coffee, leave out the evaporated milk or replace it with powdered milk to avoid making the filling too thin.
