From churro to Dulce de Leche, all the best Mexican desserts are right here! Even if you’re not much of a sweet tooth yourself, you’ll find that these scrumptious desserts are all too irresistible to refuse.
When it comes to Mexican cuisine, the first dishes that cross your mind are probably tacos, enchiladas, salsas, or quesadillas. Unfortunately, it seems that not many people think of Mexican desserts at the mention of this country’s cuisine.
While it is true that Mexican desserts tend to be overshadowed by many other dishes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are not noteworthy or delicious. In fact, dare I say that Mexican desserts are one of the most enticing and delicious treats I’ve ever had the pleasure to try.
So, with my Mexican-dessert-loving heart, I’ve made this list of the best treats that come from this country. I hope that you’ll find them as delicious as I do.
Best Mexican Desserts To Sate Your Appetite
Below is my list of the best desserts in Mexican cuisine that you shouldn’t miss, especially if you consider yourself to be a dessert aficionado.
Finger Food
- Churros
- Sopapillas
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Mexican Buñuelos
- Apple Taquitos
- Cocadas
- Empanadas
Cold Mexican Desserts
- Caramel flan
- Horchata
- Fresas Con Crema
- Arroz Con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding)
- Fried Ice cream
- Mexican Coffee Affogato
Fluffy Mexican Desserts
- Tres Leches Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)
- Sweet Mexican Corn Cake
- Chocoflan Cake
- Marranitos (Mexican Pig-shaped Cookies)
- Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread)
- Dulce De Leche Chocolate Cookies
- Carlos De Limón (Lime Maria Icebox Cake)
Top Authentic a Mexican Desserts Any Sweet Tooth Will Love
Without further ado, let’s start finding more about the best Mexican desserts. I’ve also included simple recipes with each treat, so don’t forget to check out the recipes too.
7 Mexican Desserts As Finger Food
These Mexican desserts might be small, but they pack quite big flavors. Buckle up and get ready to make these scrumptious desserts that everyone will soon be fighting over.
1. Churros
I suppose that most of you are familiar with churros already. However, how many of you know that this dessert originated from Mexico? That’s right; this sugar-coated, deep-fried dough is an authentic Mexican dessert.
You can find it in the list of Cuban desserts too! There is no major difference between these versions as they are both delicious.
It’s hard to deny the appeal of churros. The crunchy outside, the fluffy inside, the mouth-watering cinnamon sugar layer: churros are indeed the definition of the perfect dessert. Even better, they are always served with chocolate or caramel dip. Now that’s what I call indulgence.
2. Sopapillas
Have you ever tried Indian fry bread? Sopapillas have an astonishingly similar consistency to this special Indian dessert. However, their flavors are not the same. Mexican sopapillas are amazingly sweet, with sugar and honey drizzled on top.
Sopapillas can also be combined with other ingredients to yield a more satisfying dessert. For instance, you can fill these deep-fried sweet doughs with both berries and cream. As a result, you’ll have a well-balanced dessert with incredible flavors to boost.
3. Mexican Wedding Cookies
You don’t need to wait for a wedding to try these Mexican wedding cookies. Easy yet enticing, these Mexican wedding cookies are surprisingly easy to make. With a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes of preparation, you’ll have crunchy cookies to munch on.
Because these scrumptious wedding cookies from Mexico can be made from dairy-free butter, you can make them vegan-friendly. Don’t worry; nobody will be able to notice the difference.
4. Mexican Buñuelos
The very definition of decadent goodness all in one bite, Mexican buñuelos have a crunchy and crispy exterior. The cinnamon-sugar coating on the outside further enhances the treats’ taste. On the inside, however, these Mexican desserts are deliciously fluffy and soft.
If I have to compare Mexican buñuelos with an American dessert, I’d say that these are somewhat like doughnuts but without fancy glazings. As I’ve said, these Mexican desserts are usually coated with cinnamon sugar, but it doesn’t hurt to dip them in some extra Nutella.
5. Apple Taquitos
Apple pies taquitos are essentially caramelized apples and cream cheese wrapped in corn tortillas. These taquitos rolls are then either deep-fried or baked at a high temperature. As a result, apple pie taquitos have an amazingly crispy exterior.
Even though apple pie taquitos already have an abundance of caramel in their fillings, there’s no harm in using more caramel as a dip for these crunchy Mexican desserts. If you’re craving something cold, feel free to pair these with some vanilla ice cream.
6. Cocadas (Mexican Coconut Candy)
Cocadas is one of the easiest Mexican recipes to make, no matter how inexperienced you are with cooking. These Mexican coconut candies usually contain only three ingredients: dulce de leche, macadamia nuts, as well as coconut flakes. So simple, right?
Even though Mexican coconut candies only feature three ingredients, they’re incredibly delicious. The irresistibly chewy texture and the coconut flavor will surely keep you addicted. If you can’t stop eating them, don’t blame me!
7. Empanadas
Mexican empanadas are quite a flexible dish, as you can choose many different ingredients to use as fillings for them. From pumpkins to strawberries or pineapples, you can opt for whatever fruits from Mexico you want to stuff these fluffy desserts.
For example, you can use pear for this recipe and create a delicious dessert with the Chilean spirit – pear empanadas. Each type of fruit will offer a distinctive deliciousness that you can’t resist.
As empanadas are incredibly flexible, they can be made into savory desserts as well. If you don’t feel like eating anything sweet, feel free to stuff empanadas with ground beef, mashed potatoes, vegetables, etc. Let your creative side take charge when preparing empanadas.
Perhaps it is due to empanadas’ flexibility that allows it to become famous in other countries as well. For example, in the culinary world of Venezuela, empanadas is among the most popular treats. Venezuelan empanadas usually contain meat, cheese, and sometimes even cazon.
6 Ice Cold Mexican Desserts
Incredibly mouth-watering, these Mexican desserts are best served cold. Gather all your ingredients and get started with these irresistible treats.
8. Caramel Flan
I know that technically, caramel flan can be served at room temperature. However, I’m certain you’ll find that refrigerated caramel flan tastes significantly better. Just imagine taking a bite of this fluffy dessert and feeling the hot summer heat washed away by the cold treat.
As you can probably imagine from the name, caramel flan is deliciously creamy with its oozing caramel sauce. This indulgent Mexican dessert will bring about a pleasant melt-in-your-mouth sensation that is also unimaginably addicting.
You can see this video to know more:
9. Horchata
Horchata is one of Mexican most famous traditional drinks. Aside from its enticing flavors, the reason for its popularity can be put down to how it can add a refreshing touch to virtually any meal. If you need any dessert to cleanse your palates, this is the one.
So what is horchata made of? Depending on your personal preferences, you can use either rice or coconut as the main base for the drink. These two ingredients will give horchata a smooth and rich flavor that you can never forget.
10. Fresas Con Crema (Strawberries And Cream)
One of the healthiest Mexican desserts, fresas con crema guarantees a guilt-free indulgence. With strawberries as one of the key ingredients, fresas con crema promises to deliver healthy doses of fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your body.
Aside from the strawberries, you’ll need to prepare some cream, which is the star in this Mexican dessert. The cream sauce for this dish primarily consists of heavy cream, sour cream, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Pour the sauce over the strawberries and dig in!
11. Arroz Con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding)
Arroz con Leche is a famous Mexican rice pudding, which is made with full-fat coconut milk, long-grain white rice, and toasted coconut flakes. This is also a typical Spanish dessert that is incredibly creamy with a pleasant hint of coconut flavor and rice fragrance.
Even though Arroz con Leche can be served either warm or chilled, I find that its taste is most pronounced when it’s cold. If properly refrigerated, this mouth-watering Mexican rice pudding will taste not unlike ice cream – and that’s definitely a win in my book.
12. Fried Ice Cream
This decadent Mexican dessert might be called “fried ice cream,” but there’s no deep-frying involved in the making process. You’ll only need to fry the cornflakes, which are used to cover the ice cream. The warm, crunchy cornflakes will give the ice cream a realistic deep-fried effect.
While you can use virtually any ice cream flavor to make this Mexican dessert, the most suitable one is vanilla. This flavor, once combined with the crunch from fried cornflakes, will blow your mind. Drizzle some chocolate or caramel syrup on the treat, and you’ll have the perfect dessert.
13. Mexican Coffee Affogato
Decadent ice cream with smoky coffee poured on top? Now that’s something I can never say no to. Alright, I know that the Italian came up with affogato first, but it doesn’t mean that Mexicans can’t have their own brands of affogato. In fact, this affogato is all about those Mexican flavors.
In Mexican coffee affogato, you won’t just pour coffee on ice cream alone. You’ll also need spiced syrup, which is made from brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange peels, and water. This syrup will lend a unique flavor and distinct aroma to the dessert, making it one-of-a-kind.
Here’s how you make an irresistible cup of Mexican coffee affogato. You can see this video to know more:
7 Soft And Fluffy Mexican Desserts
For fans of soft treats, these Mexican desserts are fluffy beyond your wildest imagination. Brace yourself, as these treats are so delicious that you can’t help but come back for more.
14. Tres Leches Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)
When translated into English, “tres leches” means “tree milk.” This decadent Mexican dessert got its name from the fact that this cake is drizzled with up to three different milk types: heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, as well as evaporated milk.
From the description above, you’re probably guessing that this Mexican dessert is incredibly sweet – and you’re right. Tres leches cake is indeed mind-blowingly sweet and fluffy, so proceed at your own caution – I’m not taking any responsibility if you get addicted to this dessert.
15. Sweet Mexican Corn Cake
Whether you’re using this Mexican corn cake as your favorite Mexican complement food or as a dessert, there’s no denying how delicious this treat is. Aside from its prominent corn flavor, this scrumptious Mexican dessert has a distinctly sweet flavor as well as a moist texture.
As someone who’s crazy for sweet desserts, I love eating this Mexican corn cake with the fried ice cream mentioned above. Even though Mexican corn cakes go exceptionally well with spicy tacos, I always prefer enjoying them as an indulgent dessert.
16. Chocoflan Cake
Mexican chocoflan cakes can sometimes be called “impossible cakes.” Don’t worry; the cake is not called such because it is impossible to make. If anything, I suspect that this Mexican dessert gains such a name because it’s impossibly delicious.
As you can probably guess from the name, chocoflan cakes are actually two layers of different cakes placed on top of each other. The bottom layer features a fudgy chocolate cake, while the top is a creamy flan cake. This unique combination yields a fantastic taste that you’ll definitely love.
17. Marranitos (Mexican Pig-Shaped Cookies)
Also known as gingerbread pigs, marranitos are a type of sweet bread flavored with molasses. As a popular Mexican treat, these pig-shaped cookies can be found in virtually any Mexican bakeries. With their cake-like texture, marranitos taste best when served with milk or coffee.
Rich and savory, marranitos boast a pleasant hint of sweetness. Even though it’s mixed with pomegranate molasses, these cookies are never overly sweet. As a result, while these cookies look like they’re for children, I’m sure even adults will love these too.
18. Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread)
This unique type of Mexican bread is called conchas, which means “shell,” because of their distinct shell-like shapes. Tender and soft, these conchas are arguably one of the most popular desserts in Mexican cuisine.
Traditionally, conchas are covered with a vanilla sugar topping, but this doesn’t mean that you have to restrict yourself to just this flavor. Add any flavor to the topping mixture. I personally find the taste of taro to go best with this dish. But you can opt for strawberries or anything you like.
19. Dulce De Leche Chocolate Cookies
Imagine fudgy chocolate cookies stuffed to the brim with creamy dulce de leche. Just the thought of these decadent cookies alone is enough to make my stomach rumble with cravings. These Mexican desserts are just so delicious that I don’t think anyone can refuse them.
For more information, dulce de leche – a food with D at the beginning, isn’t from Mexico. It is, in fact, a sweet course from Argentina. But this one is another version with chocolate to create many fascinating cookies.
One common misconception about these Mexican dulce de leche cookies is that they’re overly sweet. However, the flavors of these treats are always balanced out thanks to the delicate use of spices, such as cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
20. Carlota De Limón (Lime Maria Icebox Cake)
One fantastic thing about Carlota de Limón is that this is a no-bake cake. Even better, you’ll only need a maximum of 7 simple ingredients to prepare Carlota de Limón. In other words, you can start making this Mexican dessert right now within your own kitchen.
So what does Carlota de Limón consist of? This scrumptious Mexican dessert has several layers of Maria cookies slated with rich, creamy milk. Carlota de Limón also contains a generous amount of lemon juice, which gives it a fresh, tangy flavor.
You can see this video to know more:
Top Mexican Desserts For Your Bucket List
There you go, those are the best Mexican desserts you need to try as soon as possible. Even if you’ve never tried Mexican cuisine before, I’m sure that you will love the many desserts they have to offer.
If you ask me for any advice on making Mexican desserts, I’d say that practice makes perfect. While I’m sure that you’ll succeed on your first try, I also believe that your Mexican desserts will get increasingly better with each attempt.
Have you found any recipes you want to try right away? If so, grab your tools and get started. I look forward to hearing from you about your results!
20 Easy Mexican Desserts (+ Homemade Mexican Churros)
15
servings15
minutes15
minutes278
kcal30
minutesOnce tried, these Mexican desserts will soon become your favorites. Some of them are even familiar treats right in America. So, prepare and make them now!
Ingredients
- For churro dough:
1 cup (140 gram) all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
0.5 cup salted butter
1 tsp Mexican vanilla extract
0.25 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
- For cinnamon sugar coating (optional):
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
- For chocolate dipping sauce (optional):
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
0.5 cup heavy cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon
0.25 tsp salt
Directions
- For churros:
- Pour oil into a large pot and leave it at 350-375°F. Meanwhile, combine butter, vanilla extract, salt, and water in a saucepan. Heat the mixture until it bubbles and the butter melts.
- Then, take the pan off the heat and use a wooden spatula to fold in the flour until smooth. After 10-15 minutes, add the eggs (one by one) to the mixture. Keep stirring the mixture until it forms a ball.
- Place the batter into a piping bag with a large star-shaped tip.
- Pipe the batter right into your hot oil (about 350°F). Use a kitchen scissor to cut the dough into 5-inch-long pieces. Only fry 3-5 pieces at once.
- Fry them until one side turns golden brown. Then, flip them, so these churros are cooked evenly. Each batch may take about 2-4 minutes.
- Remove the cooked pieces and place them on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
- For cinnamon sugar coating:
- Mix ground cinnamon and sugar on a plate. When the churros are cool, roll them in the sugar mixture for a nice coating.
- For the chocolate dipping sauce:
- Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Mix heavy cream with ground cinnamon and salt in another saucepan at medium-high heat. Keep stirring until they are bubbling.
- Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate chips melt.
Notes
- Use a candy thermometer or laser thermometer to check the oil temperature.
- Make sure your piping bag is thick enough so the dough won’t burst halfway.
- You can reduce the eggs for a lighter flavor.
- When adding the eggs, stir them vigorously so they won’t become scrambled eggs because of the heat.
- If you want straight churros, pipe the dough onto a tray. Then, freeze it for half an hour before frying.
- Don’t try to fry too many churros at once, or they’ll lose their crispiness. 3-5 pieces are enough for a batch.
- You can make this treat with an oven or air fryer. For the former, pipe the dough onto a baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes. The latter requires 30-minute freezing before frying these pieces at 375°F until golden brown.
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Nutrition Facts
15 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories278
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
21.7g
33%
- Saturated Fat 5.3g 25%
- Cholesterol 53mg 18%
- Sodium 97mg 5%
- Potassium 16mg 1%
- Total Carbohydrate
19.7g
7%
- Dietary Fiber 0.4g 0%
- Sugars 13.7g
- Protein 2.1g 4%
- Calcium 9%
- Vitamin D 8%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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