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Home » Lost in Food

Traditional Scottish Cranachan Layered Dessert

Modified: Jun 23, 2023 by Lesley · Published: Jun 15, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · 18 Comments

A pinterest graphic for Scottish Cranachan.
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Scottish cranachan, a traditional layered dessert combining sweet Scottish raspberries with toasted oats and a whisky & heather honey flavoured cream. When it comes to traditional Scottish desserts cranachan comes top of my list. This beautifully layered dessert tastes every bit as good as it looks.

A Scottish Traditional Cranachan layered in a glass serving dish, made with fresh Scottish raspberries, toasted Scottish pinhead oatmeal, and whipped cream with whisky and heather honey.

Raspberry cranachan is a dessert that it quick to pull together, simply toast some oats, smash up some raspberries and whip and flavour some great. Layer it all up and you have a delicious dessert prepared in 20 minutes.

This raspberry cranachan is one of my favourite desserts. I don't have the sweetest tooth so the addition of the whisky in the cream layer cuts through what might otherwise be too sweet a dessert.

This tasty raspberry layered dessert is made using on 5 ingredients and can be whipped up in less than 20 minutes. But don't be fooled, this dessert pack a real flavour punch and is pretty enough to grace any dinner table.

Table of contents

  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • What is Cranachan?
  • How to make the perfect Scottish Cranachan
  • Recipe ingredient & substitutions
    • Why Scottish Raspberries are the best?
    • Can I made Traditional Scottish Cranachan ahead of time?
    • Useful hints and tips:
    • Pin the recipe:
    • Additional recipe suggestions:

Why you'll love this recipe

  • This dessert can be made in minutes using fresh raspberries.
  • A great make ahead dessert that can be made earlier in the day and stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
  • If making a gluten free cranachan just ensure you use gluten free oats.

What is Cranachan?

Cranachan is a tradition Scottish dessert, traditionally made with sweet Scottish raspberries, nutty toasted oats and layered with whisky and honey flavoured cream.

There are variations to this recipe, however prepared simply like this is most authentic and is pretty close to dessert perfection for me.

Old recipes would have used Crowdie, a traditional Scottish soft curd cheese, which is not readily available other than in Scotland and even then not in every supermarket. So we have used whipped double cream instead, although you can also use whipping cream.

How to make the perfect Scottish Cranachan

Toasting some Scottish Pinhead oatmeal in a frying pan.
  • This layered dessert makes in minutes so look out all your ingredients ready to start.
  • Toast the oatmeal by placing on nonstick pan over a medium heat and adding the oatmeal.
  • Keep moving the oatmeal around the pan to toast the grains, it's ready when the oatmeal starts to smell nutty.
  • Take the pan off the heat and set it aside.
Mashing fresh Scottish raspberries with a fork.
  • Place 225g of the raspberries in a bowl and crush to form a rough puree. Set aside.
Double cream whipped to a soft peak stage.
  • Pour the double cream into a bowl and whisk to form soft peaks.
Scottish Whisky being added to whipped cream.
  • Add the honey and the whisky and whisk again, taking care not to over-whisk the cream.
  • At this point taste the cream and add in a little more honey or whisky if desired.
Adding toasted pinhead oatmeal to whipped cream.
  • Gently stir the toasted oatmeal through the cream, leaving some aside to sprinkle over the top of the finished dessert.
  • Layer up the dessert into glasses. Start with some of the crushed raspberry and follow with a layer of the sweetened cream. Continue layering the dessert, finishing with the cream on top.
  • Garnish the dessert with the remaining raspberries and sprinkle over some of the toasted oatmeal.
    Place the desserts in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
A serving of traditional cranachan alongside a nip of single malt whisky.

Recipe ingredient & substitutions

Ingredients for Scottish Traditional Cranachan
  • Pinhead oatmeal are used in a traditional Scottish cranachan recipe. You can substitute with a medium oatmeal or rolled oats, but you won't have quite the same amount of crunch and they will soften and turn a little soggy when layered with the cream.
  • Scottish raspberries are deliciously sweet so there is no need to sweeten them when making the puree. If buying other raspberries check the sweetness, likewise berries that are grown outwith the growing season. If the berries are a little sour then sweeten them with a teaspoon of icing sugar.
  • Double cream can be substituted with whipping cream if you prefer.
  • Whisky imparts real flavour to this traditional Scottish dessert. Use any type of whisky that you enjoy drinking, bearing in mind that the smokier the whisky, the smokier the dessert.
  • Heather honey sweetens the cream layer. Whilst heather honey is traditional, and something I can get my hands on easy enough, you can use any variety of honey. Use what is available to you locally.

Why Scottish Raspberries are the best?

When it comes to flavour you really cannot beat Scottish raspberries, in indeed any other soft fruits for that matter. During the growing season, these Scottish berries are in demand in restaurants the length and breadth of the UK.

The long day light hours in Scotland, along with the cooler climate, means the berries take longer to ripen and produce more sugar, resulting in a sweeter fruit.

I am lucky enough to have these sweet berries, available to buy direct from the grower, right on my doorstep. However, if you can't get you hands on Scottish raspberries don't worry. Check the fruit for sweetness and if necessary sweeten them with a little icing sugar if you think they need it.

Cranachan served with a dram of whisky.

Can I made Traditional Scottish Cranachan ahead of time?

This raspberry cranachan is a great make ahead dish. Simply layer it up earlier in the day and pop the individual desserts into the fridge and when ready to eat, serve straight from the fridge.

Whilst you can make this dessert the day before, and leave it overnight in the fridge, the dessert is best made and eaten the same day. Otherwise the whisky and the cream will start to split a little and become runny, which in turn makes the toasted oats soggy.

Useful hints and tips:

  1. Feeding a crowd? No problem, this simple recipe can be doubled or tripled depending on the number of guests.
  2. The raspberry puree in this recipe is a rough puree, which adds texture to this creamy dessert. If you prefer a smoother puree you can pass the crushed raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds.
  3. Serving to children or those who do not want the whisky no problem. Simply remove the whisky from the cream layer and perhaps stir through a little extra honey instead.
  4. This is not a great dish to freeze as double cream doesn't freeze well. During the freezing process the fat molecules in the double cream clump together, giving the cream a grainy consistency once defrosted.
  5. If making this dish for Coeliacs or anyone following a gluten free diet ensure that the oats you use are gluten free oats.
  6. Allergy advice: egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

Pin the recipe:

A pinterest graphic for Scottish Cranachan.

Additional recipe suggestions:

If you like this recipe then try some of our other great no-bake fruity desserts:

  • Easy Lemon Tiramisu with Limoncello
  • Individual Trifles with Sherry, Figs & Vanilla
  • 4 Ingredient Strawberry Mousse
  • Strawberry Eton Mess
  • No Bake Lime & Ginger Cheesecake
  • Lemon Posset

For more inspiration have a read of our No Bake Desserts post which contains helpful hints and tips as well as a great selection of our favourite no bake dessert recipe.

Traditional Scottish Cranachan

Scottish cranachan, a traditional layered dessert combining sweet Scottish raspberries with toasted oats and a whisky & honey flavoured cream.
4.75 from 12 votes
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Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
Servings: 4 portions
Calories: 391kcal
Author: Lesley Garden

Ingredients

  • 50 g pinhead oatmeal
  • 250 g fresh Scottish raspberries
  • 300 ml double cream
  • 2 tablespoon whisky
  • 2 tablespoon heather honey

Instructions

  • Start by toasting the oatmeal. Place a pan over a medium heat and add the oatmeal. Keep moving the oatmeal around the pan, you want it to toast but not burn. You will know it is ready when the oatmeal starts to smell nutty. Take it off the heat and set it aside.
  • Place 225g of the raspberries in a bowl and crush them up to form a rough puree. Set aside.
  • Pour the double cream into a bowl and whisk to form soft peaks. Add the honey and the whisky and whisk again, taking care not to over-whisk the cream. At this point taste the cream and add in a little more honey or whisky if desired.
  • Gently stir the toasted oatmeal through the cream, leaving some aside to sprinkle over the top of the finished dessert.
  • Now layer up the dessert into glasses. Start with some of the crushed raspberry and follow with a layer of the sweetened cream. Continue layering the dessert, finishing with the cream on top.
  • Garnish the dessert with the remaining raspberries and sprinkle over some of the toasted oatmeal. Place the desserts in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Notes

Scottish raspberries are know for their sweetness, therefore no additional sugar is needed to sweeten them up. If your raspberries taste a little sour, you can add 1tsp of icing sugar to the raspberry puree to sweeten it up.
The raspberry puree in this recipe is a rough puree, which adds texture to this creamy dessert. If you prefer a smoother puree you can pass the crushed raspberries through a sieve.
Pinhead oatmeal is traditionally used in this dessert, however you can substitute with medium oatmeal or rolled oats if you prefer. Just be aware that the these oats will soften more than the pinhead variety when layered with the cream and will not have the same crunch.
Heather honey is traditionally used in Cranachan but can be substituted with other honey. Use what is available to you.
Nutrition Facts
Traditional Scottish Cranachan
Amount Per Serving
Calories 391 Calories from Fat 261
% Daily Value*
Fat 29g45%
Saturated Fat 17g106%
Cholesterol 103mg34%
Sodium 30mg1%
Potassium 156mg4%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 1123IU22%
Vitamin C 17mg21%
Calcium 71mg7%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Dessert
Cuisine : Scottish
Keyword : raspberry cranachan, scottish cranachan, scottish dessert, traditional dessert, traditional scottish cranachan
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Comments

  1. Jade says

    February 11, 2024 at 10:55 am

    2 stars
    Wish I had of known the five star reviews were mostly from people who had not attempted the recipe. The recipe was okay but ratios seemed out.

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      February 12, 2024 at 12:41 pm

      I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the dessert, however these are the ratios that I like to enjoy when making Cranachan. Like many recipes, you are more than welcome to adjust the quantities of any ingredient to suit your own tastes.

      Reply
  2. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says

    June 21, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    5 stars
    LOVE cranachan! I've never made it myself, but I make a point of eating it whenever it's on the menu at a restaurant as it's soooo good!

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      June 22, 2021 at 7:10 am

      Thank you Eb, a favourite dessert of mine too.

      Reply
  3. Jo Keohane says

    June 21, 2021 at 11:18 am

    5 stars
    I love Cranachan and used to have it as a child - with the Whiskey!! (funnily enough I was born in Aberdeen!) Thanks for posting - I must make this for the kids.

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      June 21, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      Thank you Jo, I laughing as I was born just north of Aberdeen and this is a dessert I've enjoyed for many years.

      Reply
  4. Cat says

    June 19, 2021 at 8:49 pm

    5 stars
    What an absolute beauty. These are definitely the prettiest cranachan I've seen. Such a delicious way to celebrate Scottish raspberries.

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      June 21, 2021 at 9:36 am

      Thank you Cat, it's such a pretty dessert but love its simplicity to prepare.

      Reply
  5. Kat (The Baking Explorer) says

    June 18, 2021 at 11:36 am

    5 stars
    They look absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      June 18, 2021 at 12:32 pm

      Thank you Kat, this is a pretty dessert.

      Reply
  6. Carrie Carvalho says

    June 16, 2021 at 11:20 pm

    5 stars
    My all-time favourite dessert! Yours look so beautiful, and such a perfect recipe for some delicious Scottish raspberries.

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      June 18, 2021 at 12:32 pm

      Mine too Carrie, I can't think of a better way of using Scottish raspberries.

      Reply
  7. Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says

    June 16, 2021 at 9:20 am

    5 stars
    I love the simplicity of Cranachan... But it's so delicious and iconically Scottish. This looks beautiful and extremely tempting. Thanks for sharing xx

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      June 16, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      Thank you Kate, I love this dessert, full of flavour but so simple to prepare.

      Reply
  8. Choclette says

    June 15, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    5 stars
    Cranachan is one of my favourite desserts and yours looks so very tempting. Such beautiful photos. I had to go and check my own recipe after reading this and omg, my photos are just awful. It's suddenly gone to the top of my update list! Not that I'll ever manage to reach your standard.

    Pinned and tweeted.

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      June 15, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      Thank you Choclette, the photo's really do this delicious dessert justice. This is one of my favourite desserts too.

      Reply
  9. Janice Patti says

    June 15, 2021 at 11:47 am

    5 stars
    I absolutely love Cranachan and your recipe is so clearly laid out making it so easy to produce a showstopping dessert.

    Reply
    • Lesley says

      June 15, 2021 at 4:29 pm

      Thank you Janice, me too. This dessert is so easy to layer up and easily one of my favourite sweet dishes.

      Reply

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Recipe Rating




4.75 from 12 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Hi, I’m Lesley.

I’m the blogger, cook and creator behind Lost in Food.

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