Scottish · Desserts

Cranachan

Toasted oats, whisky, honey, cream and raspberries layered in a glass. Assembled in ten minutes and traditionally argued about for longer.

25 min prep and cooking plus time for cooling completely, which the recipe does not time at least 25 min start to finish Serves 4 servings Easy
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Cranachan

Photograph credit: Cranachan (4332953688) by Saskia van de Nieuwenhof from Edinburgh, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence

Cranachan, Step by Step

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  1. Toast the oatmeal in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking often, until it is golden and smells like biscuits. Tip onto a cold plate at once and cool completely.

  2. Crush half the raspberries with the caster sugar and a pinch of salt to a rough purée. Leave the rest whole.

  3. Whip the cream with the honey and whisky to soft peaks. Stop early — it firms as you fold.

  4. Fold two-thirds of the cooled oats through the cream, leaving the rest for the top.

  5. Layer in four glasses: crushed raspberries, then cream, then whole berries, and repeat.

  6. Finish with the reserved oats, a few berries and a thread of honey.

  7. Serve within 20 minutes, while the oats still have their bite.

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Notes for Getting It Right

  • Cool the oats fully before they meet cream, or they go soft immediately.
  • Soft peaks. Over-whipped cream makes the whole glass heavy.
  • Build it just before serving — this is not a make-ahead pudding.

What Goes With Cranachan

  • A dram of Highland whisky
  • Shortbread
  • Strong coffee

Storing & Reheating Cranachan

Eat within an hour. The toasted oats keep a week in a jar.

Questions About Cranachan

How long does Cranachan take to make?

20 minutes of preparation and 5 minutes of cooking, so at least 25 minutes. The method also needs time for cooling completely, which it does not time, so treat that as a minimum. The recipe serves 4.

Cranachan Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 4 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

582Calories
7gProtein
46gCarbs
38gFat
9gFibre
24gSugar
70mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .