Milk rabanadas are a classic Christmas dessert, found on many Portuguese tables during the holiday season. They’re moist, sweet, cinnamon-flavored, and have a subtle hint of lemon.
There are several versions of this traditional treat: milk rabanadas with egg custard, wine rabanadas, “Poveira” rabanadas, or rabanadas served with sugar syrup. In this article, we explain how to make milk rabanadas. They’re very easy to prepare, inexpensive, require just a few ingredients, and can be made ahead or on the same day. And best of all, it’s almost impossible to mess them up.
Here’s how to make traditional Christmas milk rabanadas.
Preparation
- Servings: 16 to 20 (depending on the size of the bread loaf)
- Prep time: 30 to 40 minutes (10 minutes prep + about 20 minutes frying)
- Difficulty: easy
Required Utensils
- 2 pots (1 for frying and another for heating the milk)
- 3 soup plates or wide, deep containers
- 1 serving dish
- 1 spoon
- 1 fork
- Paper towels
Ingredients – Portuguese-Style Milk Rabanadas
- Bread loaf (one or two days old)
- 1 liter of whole milk
- 4 eggs
- Lemon zest
- Cinnamon stick
- 60 g sugar
- 1 liter vegetable oil (amount depends on the pot; the rabanadas should be fully submerged)
- Sugar and cinnamon for dusting (Use three times more sugar than cinnamon: about three tablespoons of sugar to 1 of cinnamon)
Milk Rabanadas – Step-by-Step Recipe
- Heat the milk with the lemon zest and cinnamon stick. It doesn’t need to boil; warm it slowly over low heat so the lemon and cinnamon flavors infuse into the milk. When it’s warm, remove from the heat.
- Cut the bread loaf into thick slices, about 1 to 2 cm (use your finger as a reference: roughly 1 cm).
- Heat the oil in a medium, deep pot. We like to use a thermometer and fry at 180 ºC, but if you don’t have one, test with a small piece of dough: if the oil starts bubbling, it’s ready.
- Crack the eggs into a deep plate and beat until the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined.
- Place the warm milk in another plate.
- Dip the bread in the milk for a few minutes, turning it to ensure even soaking. It should be well soaked but not falling apart.
- Drain the bread and dip it in the beaten egg, making sure it’s fully coated.
- Fry the bread in the hot oil, preferably at 180 ºC, until golden on both sides. You can fry several slices at once, but no more than 3 or 4, depending on the size of your pot.
- Remove the rabanadas and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
- While still warm, roll the rabanadas in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. If serving the next day, it’s best to add the mix just before serving, as moisture can cause them to absorb too much.
Serving Suggestions
Milk rabanadas are traditionally served as a dessert on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and are especially enjoyed during this season. They can be eaten plain, dusted with cinnamon and sugar, or served with sugar syrup and nuts.
For pairing, fortified and sweet wines are recommended, such as Moscatel de Setúbal, Port wine, or Madeira wine.
Tips and Variations
- You don’t need to measure the ingredients precisely; the sugar, milk, and eggs can be adjusted according to taste and the type of bread used.
- If you like a hint of vanilla, you can add a vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla extract to the milk.
- It’s essential to heat the milk slowly so it develops a strong lemon and cinnamon flavor.
- The bread should be well soaked in the milk; make sure it has had enough time to absorb it and become fully saturated, as this is what makes it moist and flavorful.
- Rabanadas absorb the sugar and cinnamon mixture best while still warm, but if serving the next day, it’s better to add it just before eating; otherwise, they may absorb too much.
Storage and Reuse
This is a Christmas treat that keeps very well in the fridge, sealed in a container, for 4 to 5 days. In fact, we love having rabanadas for breakfast on Christmas Day; it’s a little pleasure that tastes so good. They even seem to get better a day or two after being made.
They can be frozen and then reheated in the microwave, but we’ve never tried it ourselves, so we can’t speak from experience.
Conclusion
It’s a simple dessert to make, with just a few basic ingredients. It’s mainly traditional at Christmas, but can be enjoyed at any time of the year, hot or cold, with or without sugar. The important thing is to prepare and eat them the way you like.
Bom appetite!
Portuguese Milk Rabanadas
Equipment
- 2 2 pots 1 for frying and another for heating the milk
- 3 Soup plates or wide and deep containers
- 1 Serving dish
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Fork
- Paper towels
Ingredients
- Stale bread loaf about 2 or 3 days old
- 1 l Whole milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 Lemon peel
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 60 g Sugar
- 1 l Vegetable oil
- Sugar and cinnamon We use a 3:1 ratio, but adjust to taste
Instructions
- Heat the milk with the lemon peel and cinnamon stick over low heat until warm.
- Cut the bread loaf into thick slices, about 1 to 2 cm (use your finger as a guide).
- Heat oil in a medium, deep pot until hot (180º C).
- Crack the eggs into a deep plate and beat until the yolks and whites are fully combined.
- Place the warm milk in another plate.
- Dip the bread in the milk for a few minutes, turning to soak evenly.
- Drain the bread and dip it in the beaten egg, making sure it’s fully coated.
- Fry the bread in the hot oil until golden on both sides.
- Remove the rabanadas onto a plate lined with paper towels.
- While still warm, coat the rabanadas in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Serve