24 Amazing Mexican Desserts

We've assembled our best Mexican desserts, including deliciously creative spins on dulce de leche cake and the much-loved flan.

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Anise Churros with Chocolate Sauce

How to Melt Chocolate

Cajeta Quesadillas with Fruit Salsa

Canela Bunuelos with Anise Syrup

Vanilla Flan with Butterscotch Sauce

Pineapple-Banana Crepas de Cajeta

Mango-Horchata Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche)

Dulce de Leche Cake

Bizcochitos

Mocha Tres Leches Cake

Peanut Butter & Jelly Polvorones

Dark Chocolate Flan

Lime-Piloncillo Cocada

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies with Dulce De Leche Filling

Tres Leches-Berry Parfaits

Chocolate Ancho Creme Brulee

Honey-Roasted Pears with Caramel Sauce

Caballeros Ricos (Bread Pudding with Almonds & Cinnamon Syrup)

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Caramel Flans

Cinnamon Churros

Tres Leches Cake

Atole de Fresca (Strawberry Soup)

Boca Negra Mini Cakes

Dulce de Leche Fluff Brownies

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Anise Churros with Chocolate Sauce

These sugar-coated churros are as sweet as candy. We've added both anise seed and extract to the batter to give them a rich, licorice-like flavor. Don't forget to dunk them in a creamy bowl of coffee-infused chocolate for a wonderfully warm Mexican combination.

Anise Churros with Chocolate Sauce

Makes: 4 servings

Yield: about 20 churros and 1 2/3 cup sauce

Prep: 30 mins

Cool: 10 mins

Cook: 2 mins per batch

How to Melt Chocolate

Watch how to get smooth, silky melted chocolate every time.

Cajeta Quesadillas with Fruit Salsa

Discover the sweet side of Mexican cuisine with our super fruity spin on quesadillas. The outside features a crispy, caramel-drizzled tortilla while the inside holds a marvelously fresh medley of pineapple, blackeberries, and agave nectar. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and you've got yourself one fun, feista-ready treat.

Cajeta Quesadillas with Fruit Salsa

Makes: 4 servings

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 4 mins per batch

Canela Bunuelos with Anise Syrup

Canela, Spanish for "cinnamon," is milder and crumblier than most versions. Its flavor gives these fried, funnel-cake-like treats their soft flavor, allowing the homemade anise syrup to really shine.

Canela Bunuelos with Anise Syrup

Yield: 36

Prep: 30 mins

Chill: 3 hrs to 24 hrs

Stand: Rest: 40 minutes

Vanilla Flan with Butterscotch Sauce

The simplistic pairing of sweet vanilla bean and half-and-half creates smooth spoonfuls of creamy goodness. Drape the top of this delightfully light dessert in a layer of velvety butterscotch for a warm touch.

Vanilla Flan with Butterscotch Sauce

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 25 mins

Bake: 35 mins 350°F

Cool: 30 mins

Pineapple-Banana Crepas de Cajeta

What's better than banana pancakes? Banana crepes! These thin but mighty treats get a Mexican makeover with the help of fresh fruit, creamy cajeta-caramel, and a splash of rum.

Pineapple-Banana Crepas de Cajeta

Makes: 6 servings

Start to Finish: 40 mins

Mango-Horchata Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche)

If you're craving Southern comfort food (very Southern), look no further than our special Mexican take on rice pudding. This warm bowl of vanilla bean, mango, and jasmine rice will have you warmed up in no time.

Mango-Horchata Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche)

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 24 mins

Chill: 4 hrs to 24 hrs

Dulce de Leche Cake

Dulce de leche is a creamy concoction made from sweetened milk; when warmed, it tastes like caramelized cinnamon-sugar. Look for this South American delicacy in the ethnic section of your grocery store or at Mexican specialty markets.

Dulce de Leche Cake

Makes: 12 servings

Prep: 1 hr

Bake: 40 mins 350°F

Cool: 10 mins

Bizcochitos

Bizcochitos are Mexico's official state dessert and first-ever in the world to become a state cookie. These buttery, two-bite delights are flavored with anise and sweet cinnamon. They pair deliciously with morning coffee or a tall glass of milk.

Bizcochitos

Makes: 18 servings

Prep: 40 mins

Chill: 1 hr

Bake: 35 mins 275°

Mocha Tres Leches Cake

Sink your teeth into soft, fluffy spoonfuls of rich, chocolaty goodness. This twist on tres leches features espresso coffee powder baked into moist chocolate cake that's topped with creamy curls of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Mocha Tres Leches Cake

Makes: 16 servings

Prep: 40 mins

Cool: 1 hr 25 mins

Bake: 30 mins

Peanut Butter & Jelly Polvorones

Polvoron, widely popular in Spain, is a soft, crumbly shortbread made with flour, powdered sugar, and nuts. To make our PB&J version, we used cocktail peanuts and a jar of our favorite jam.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Polvorones

Makes: 42 servings

Yield: about 3 1/2 dozen

Prep: 25 mins

Chill: 1 hr

Bake: 15 mins 375°

Dark Chocolate Flan

Lighten up your dark chocolate flan by dusting the top with glitzy gold edible leaves. Look for them at your local food specialty shop.

Dark Chocolate Flan

Makes: 12 servings

Prep: 30 mins

Chill: 6 hrs to 24 hrs 6 to 24 hr.

Bake: 45 mins 325°F

Lime-Piloncillo Cocada

Piloncillo is unrefined cane sugar that's pressed into cones and tastes like caramel. The Mexican dark brown sugar adds sweetness to these flaky coconut cookies featuring salted pistachios and toasted almonds.

Lime-Piloncillo Cocada

Makes: 60 servings

Prep: 30 mins

Bake: 15 mins per batch

Oven: 325 degrees F

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies with Dulce De Leche Filling

A sprinkle of cayenne pepper sasses up these chocolaty one-bite wonders. Just add a pinch or two to the smooth dulce de leche filling that's sandwiched between two crispy homemade wafer cookies.

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies with Dulce De Leche Filling

Yield: 24 sandwich cookies

Prep: 45 mins

Chill: 5 hrs

Bake: 12 mins 325° per batch

Tres Leches-Berry Parfaits

Transform an ordinary fruit parfait into a delectable dessert using just a few simple ingredients: rum-infused cake cubes, juicy berries, and our very own homemade cinnamon tres leches sauce. To add some sweet flair, sprinkle with toasted coconut and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Tres Leches-Berry Parfaits

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 40 mins

Chill: 2 hrs to 6 hrs

Oven: 350°F

Chocolate Ancho Creme Brulee

Flan and creme brulee both start with a luscious custard base, but creme brulee has a rich bricklelike topping instead of flan's creamy caramel syrup. Chocolate, cinnamon, and ground chile pepper flavor this feisty version.

Chocolate-Ancho Creme Brulee

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 25 mins

Chill: 1 hr to 24 hrs

Bake: 35 mins 325°F

Honey-Roasted Pears with Caramel Sauce

The secret to these moist and flavorful pears is basting the fruit with a honey-spice and vanilla bean syrup during roasting.

Honey-Roasted Pears with Caramel Sauce

Makes: 2 servings

Prep: 30 mins

Roast: 1 hr 325°F

Caballeros Ricos (Bread Pudding with Almonds & Cinnamon Syrup)

This pudding boasts an ultrarich flavor, thanks to the combination of whole milk, coffee, cloves, and almonds -- pure decadence!

Cabalerros Ricos (Bread Pudding Souffle with Almonds and Cinnamon Syrup)

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 1 hr

Bake: 25 mins 350°F

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is always a treat, and this one won't disappoint. It combines four of Mexico's favorite sweetest flavors -- chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and almond.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Yield: 3-1/2 quarts

Prep: 20 mins

Chill: 6 hrs

Cool: 4 hrs

Caramel Flans

The Spanish brought this creamy, caramel-draped custard to Mexico, where it is now the quintessential Mexican dessert. The caramel is simply cooked sugar that turns golden as it melts.

Caramel Flans

Makes: 4 servings

Yield: 4 flans

Prep: 25 mins

Bake: 30 mins 325°F

Cinnamon Churros

Like doughnuts, these cinnamon-sugar-coated strips of fried dough are always a hit. Dress them up with a bowl of sweet and spicy Mexican chocolate sauce for dipping.

Cinnamon Churros

Makes: 20 servings

Prep: 30 mins

Cool: 10 mins

Cook: 2 mins per batch

Tres Leches Cake

"Tres leches" means three milks in Spanish and refers to the three different milks in the vanilla sauce that drizzles over the cake. This version of a classic cake starts with a box of cake mix and adds a layer of chopped fresh strawberries.

Tres Leches Cake

Makes: 12 servings

Prep: 45 mins

Chill: 8 hrs to 10 hrs

Cool: 2 hrs 10 mins

Atole de Fresca (Strawberry Soup)

Atole [ah-TOH-leh] is a popular Mexican beverage that is thickened with masa harina (corn tortilla flour). This sweet dessert soup is akin to a melty milk shake made with pureed strawberries, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Atole de Fresa (Strawberry Dessert Soup)

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 25 mins

Chill: 1 hr to 2 hrs

Boca Negra Mini Cakes

This Mexican version of flourless chocolate cake features a kick of heat, thanks to the addition of adobo sauce. The cream sauce on top tames the spice and adds a slightly tangy note to these sweet cakes.

Boca Negra Mini-Cakes

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 30 mins

Cool: 10 mins

Bake: 30 mins 325°F

Dulce de Leche Fluff Brownies

Mounds of swirly marshmallow creme add sticky sweetness to these caramely dulce de leche bars. Don't forget to sprinkle on a spoonful of toasted pecans for a bit of crunch.

Dulce de Leche Fluff Brownies

Makes: 32 servings

Yield: 32 brownies

Prep: 30 mins

Bake: 20 mins 350°

24 Amazing Mexican Desserts

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