The Best Mexican Desserts That Feature Sweet and Spice

Empanadas are popular throughout Mexico, and though they're often made with savory filling, they can be sweet, too. This Mexican fruit dessert is filled with buttery chopped apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then topped with a zippy tequila glaze. This isn't your grandma's apple pie recipe. (Shh... It's better!)

Churros, with their cinnamon-sugar coating, are the quintessential Mexican dessert. A flavorful glaze puts a fun spin on the airy treat. Our authentic Mexican churros recipe lets you pick from four different types of glazes to dip into: Mexican chocolate, birthday cake, orange, or pistachio-lime.

"Tres leches" means "three milks," and for an authentic Mexican dessert, the cake is soaked in heavy cream, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Among Mexican cake recipes, tres leches is a classic, and its ultramoist texture is enticing for any occasion. This recipe has strawberry slices sprinkled over the whipped frosting, but you could also try it with mixed berries or a drizzle of dulce de leche.

Break open one of these buttery rolls to discover a cream cheese and fruit jam filling. (Hint: Opt for orange marmalade for the perfect tangy-sweet combo to complement the cinnamon-sugar topping.) Though huachibolas are often served in the morning for breakfast, it's sweet enough to be a dessert too!

Rather than piping long, stick-like churros, funnel the dough into round spirals before frying. Two of these churro cookies are the perfect cinnamon-sugar bookends for an ice cream sandwich! With melty vanilla ice cream smooshed between two fried churros, this recipe comes close to the popular dessert fried ice cream.

Often served with breakfast at Mexican restaurants, these sweet yeast rolls are loaded with enough classic dessert ingredients (butter, sugar, cocoa powder) to be a satisfying treat any time of day. This Mexican dessert idea is fluffy on the inside, with a crispy, satisfyingly-crunchy outer crust. Plus, the gorgeous patterns on top can be customized any way you want!

Churros are simple and delicious—just fried dough coated in sweet cinnamon-sugar. If you want, dress up this popular dessert with a bowl of sweet and spicy Mexican chocolate sauce for dipping. If you're looking for an authentic Mexican dessert, you can't go wrong with churros.

Flan is a thick pudding or custard traditionally coated in caramel sauce. Give this sophisticated dessert a slight spin with salted caramel and fresh blackberries. The smooth, melt-in-your-mouth caramel flan is a delicious and impressively sweet treat for any occasion.

Sweetness always tastes best when balanced with a touch of spice. This sopapilla Mexican dessert features flaky fried dough and a variety of toppings and sauces (or top with a scoop of ice cream). To add some fire to the sweetness of this recipe, we drizzled them with a mix of honey and crushed red pepper.

Champurrado is a Mexican drink that's similar to hot chocolate, but usually includes masa harina to make it thicker than traditional hot chocolate. While a steaming mug of champurrado is enough to qualify as a dessert on its own, this Mexican champurrado recipe goes to the next level with caramelized bananas.

You're looking at one of the best Mexican desserts out there. Canela, Spanish for "cinnamon," is milder and crumblier than most versions. Its flavor gives these fried dough treats their light flavor, allowing the homemade anise syrup to shine.

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. If you're craving cocoa, this Mexican chocolate recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Horchata is a popular drink in Mexico similar to other plant-based milks and made with rice and cinnamon. This recipe combines it with arroz con leche (rice with milk), a popular Mexican dessert recipe similar to rice pudding. Stir in fresh mango and golden raisins to create a mouthwatering, flavorful Mexican fruit dessert.

These sugar-coated Mexican churros are just like the classic with one flavor update. Adding both anise seed and anise extract to the batter gives them a rich, licorice-like flavor. Remember to dunk them in a creamy bowl of coffee-infused chocolate for a wonderfully warm Mexican dessert.

Piloncillo tastes similar to caramel, which makes it a great choice for adding flavor and sweetness to these flaky coconut cookies. Salted pistachios and toasted almonds create a yummy contrast in each bite of these sweet Mexican desserts. You can also freeze these cookies for up to a month so you always have a sweet-and-salty snack on hand.

This Mexican custard dessert is easy and delicious! The simple pairing of sweet vanilla bean and half-and-half creates smooth spoonfuls of creamy goodness. Drape the top of this delightfully light Mexican flan recipe in a layer of velvety butterscotch for a warm touch.

Traditional horchata is a Mexican drink made by soaking white rice in water, then blending it smooth and flavoring it with cinnamon and sugar. This recipe turns horchata into a sweet Mexican dessert by freezing the rice milk into a smooth, creamy ice cream. Top with shaved coconut and a drizzle of dulce de leche for a cool, refreshing treat.

Mangoes are a popular fruit in Mexico, and it's only natural to use them in paletas. This frozen dessert is usually made with fruits or rich, creamy ingredients like chocolate. In this Mexican mango dessert, the fruit mixes with a splash of lime juice and a pinch of chili powder, similar to mangonada, a popular spiced mango treat.

This traditional Mexican dessert is popular in the Yucatan peninsula. Instead of baking like an American bread pudding, each sweet slice is dipped in milk, rum, and vanilla, then egg, and finally fried on the stovetop. Piloncillo is a key ingredient—it's a solid form of pure cane sugar often used in Mexico and some Latin American countries.