[3] Crema catalana and crème brûlée are made in the same way,[4] although some crème brûlée recipes enrich the milk with cream, or substitute cream for the milk.

Unlike crème brûlée, crema catalana is invariably flavoured with cinnamon and lemon zest.

[3] La Vanguardia reported that "precursor versions" of crema catalana appear in early Catalan cookbooks, mentioning custards which were not burnt on top in the 14th century Llibre de Sent Soví[3][6] and in the 16th century Llibre del Coch.

[7] Analogous recipes appear in 18th century Spanish cookery books, usually under the name of Cream of Saint Joseph ("Crema de Sant Josep"), since it was a traditional dessert served during Saint Joseph's Day, although nowadays it is consumed at all times of the year.

The recipe was first referred to as crema catalana (Catalan cream) in the 1745 cookbook by the Spanish friar Juan de Altamiras, where the recipe was said to be of Catalan origin.