If you visit a traditional bakery in Ibiza or Formentera, you may spot a simple dessert called greixonera.
This traditional Balearic pudding has a soft custard texture and flavours of cinnamon and lemon.
What is greixonera?
Greixonera is a classic dessert from the Balearic Islands made with leftover ensaimadas (soft, spiral-shaped pastries made from a rich yeast dough).
Families originally created the recipe to avoid wasting stale pastries. Instead of throwing old ensaimadas away, they used them to make a rich baked pudding.
The dessert takes its name from the clay dish traditionally used to bake it, known as a greixonera.
Today, many restaurants across Ibiza and Formentera still serve the dessert after lunch or dinner.
Greixonera ingredients
To make traditional greixonera, you will need:
- 500g day-old ensaimadas
- 1 litre whole milk
- 200g sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Peel of 1 lemon without the white pith
- 1 vanilla pod (optional)
- Liquid caramel
- Ground cinnamon for decoration (optional)
If you cannot find ensaimadas, you can use stale bread instead.
How to make greixonera
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C.
Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the cinnamon stick, lemon peel and vanilla pod if using.
Heat the mixture gently until it almost boils. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it to infuse for around 10 minutes.
While the milk cools, tear the ensaimadas into small pieces and place them in a large bowl.
Remove the cinnamon stick, lemon peel and vanilla pod from the milk. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.
Slowly pour the eggs into the warm milk while whisking continuously.
Pour the liquid mixture over the ensaimadas and leave it for several minutes so the pastry absorbs the liquid.
Coat the bottom of a baking dish or clay greixonera with liquid caramel.
Transfer the mixture into the dish and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
The top should turn golden and the centre should feel set.
Leave the dessert to cool completely before placing it in the fridge.
Greixonera is usually served cold with a light dusting of ground cinnamon.
A Traditional Balearic Dessert
Greixonera remains one of the best-known desserts in the Balearic Islands.
Like bread pudding in Britain, the recipe started as a practical way to use leftover ingredients.
Over time, it became an important part of local food culture across Ibiza and Formentera.
