Strawberries with Orange (Fraises à la Maltaise) is a light French dessert made with fresh strawberries, orange juice and pulp, and a touch of liqueur.
Served in orange shells and set over crushed ice, it's simple to make but looks instantly elegant - the kind of refreshing dessert you'd expect in a French restaurant.
What a find! Looking for recipes to use my homegrown oranges and this was the jackpot! So easy, delicious and yet impressive! Keeping this one for the books! Thanks, Jill! - Cindy
What is Fraises à la Maltaise?
Fraises à la Maltaise is a classic French strawberry dessert made with fresh orange and a splash of liqueur. Referenced in Larousse Gastronomique and Pierre Hermé's Larousse des Desserts, it's a simple yet elegant way to serve spring strawberries.
The name "à la maltaise" refers to Maltese oranges: sweet Mediterranean oranges, sometimes lightly blood-tinted. Once prized in France, they were served at Versailles for Louis XIV for their delicate balance of sweetness and acidity.
Ingredients for Strawberries with Orange
Here's what you'll need:
- Strawberries - pick ripe, shiny and sweet ones in season
- Oranges - Maltese are ideal for their balanced flavour, but any sweet, juicy orange will work beautifully here, including blood oranges.
- Sugar - reduced here to let the natural sweetness of the fruit shine (adjust to taste).
- Cointreau - French orange liqueur from Angers (Loire Valley) but Curaçao or Grand Marnier are also good. To replace alcohol, use elderflower syrup or 2 teaspoon orange blossom water.
For more recipes like this, see the
market guides to oranges and strawberries.
How to Make Strawberries with Orange - Fraises à la Maltaise
This is a quick, no-cook dessert - but it's the presentation that makes it feel special.
Scoop out the oranges and trim the bases so each half sits flat. Chill.
Squeeze the juice and pulp, mix with the liqueur and a little sugar, then pour over the chopped strawberries.
Chill briefly, then spoon into the orange shells and serve in bowls surrounded by crushed ice.
Why Serve it on Crushed Ice?
Serving Fraises à la Maltaise on crushed ice isn't just for show - it keeps the fruit perfectly chilled and intensifies the freshness.
It's a classic French way of presenting fruit desserts: simple, elegant, and quietly impressive - the kind of detail that turns a basic fruit salad into something you'd expect in a good restaurant.
Serving Ideas
This works beautifully served with:
- Almond tuile cookies - another French classic made with egg whites
- Coconut macaroons - without condensed milk
- French butter cookies (palets bretons)
For another classic French fruit dessert inspired by traditional chefs like Escoffier, I'll be sharing the next recipe soon.
Strawberries with Orange (Fraises à la Maltaise)
Equipment
- small serrated knife (grapefruit knife) or
Ingredients
- 2 Maltese oranges or blood oranges
- 400 g (14oz) strawberries ripe & sweet
- 30 g (2 tbsp) sugar
- 20 ml (1 tablespoon +) Cointreau see NOTES
- crushed ice to serve
Instructions
- Cut the oranges in two, scoop out the flesh with a serrated or grapefruit knife and place in a large bowl. Cut off a thin slice of each orange bottom so that each half can sit up without wobbling and chill them in the refrigerator.
- Squeeze out the pulp and juice, discarding the pith and seeds, using a citrus juicer. Stir in the sugar and Cointreau.
- Wash the strawberries in a sieve under a little water, cut off the stalks and cut into small pieces. Place in the bowl, cover with the orange mixture and chill for about an hour.
- When ready to serve, fill the orange shells with the strawberry mixture then place each in a serving dish surrounded with crushed ice.
Notes
- Use ripe, sweet and in-season strawberries for best flavour
- Avoid over-chilling as strawberries can soften too much
- Adjust sugar depending on fruit sweetness. The sugar here has been reduced compared to the classic recipe which uses 50g (just over 3 tbsp)
- Optional but recommended: serve over crushed ice to keep the dessert well chilled
Cindy
What a find! Looking for recipes to use my homegrown oranges and this was the jackpot! So easy, delicious and yet impressive! Keeping this one for the books! Thanks, Jill!
Jill Colonna
I'm so happy you found this recipe for your homegrown oranges, Cindy. Lucky you being in warmer climes - I can just imagine how delicious it tastes, as you can't get much fresher than that! Thanks so much for leaving a review.