The One Super-Easy Dessert Sam Heughan Absolutely Loves

Sam Heughan

Sam Heughan might be feeling a little bittersweet over the unavoidable end of Outlander, however, true supporters of the People's Choice Award-winning actor can still enjoy a taste of Heughan’s sweet life by way of his favorite Scottish dessert. Heughan, who is of Scottish descent, has gone on record before, admitting his love for a traditional dessert known as Cranachan — a lovely concoction of oats, raspberries, cream and whisky. But what exactly is Cranachan and where on earth does one find a serving?

Cranachan is a quintessential Scottish delicacy that was born out of a centuries old Scottish breakfast known as “cream crowdie.” The meal consisted of oats and heather honey, mixed into a soft cheese which is called crowdie. As time went by, fresh raspberries and whisky were eventually added to the mix, turning “cream crowdie” into more of a festive dessert and ultimately earning the name “Cranachan,” before finding its place as a traditional Scottish dessert fare.

Related: Sam Heughan on How His Lonely Childhood Led Him to 'Outlander' and Jamie Fraser

These days, Cranachan has become a staple dessert option that brings with it a sense of national identity. Raspberries are certainly not in season year round, yet in Scotland, Cranachan is a regularly featured item on many modern Scots’ holiday menus due to its traditional value. Whisky, however, is always in season, so you can imagine its inclusion is also a large part of the desserts' overall popularity throughout the winter months.

During a past appearance on Good Morning America’s IGTV, Ginger Zee and Sam Heughan made Christina Conte’s recipe for Cranachan, which was our first peek at Heughan's preferred dessert exploits. The stars’ appearance and fondness for Cranachan would spark an industry wide conversation about the dessert and in turn, brought a lot more attention to a much deserving Scottish delicacy. If not for Heughan and his unique sweet tooth, would you have ever heard of it yourself?

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