History says that authentic Mexican food may have started with Mayan Indians and then influenced by other nations like Spain, West Africa, the Caribbean, France, and Portugal.
They added richness of ingredients to Mexican cuisine, creating great flavors for the most popular Mexican desserts today.
Mexican desserts are often categorized into cakes, puddings, cookies, hot fudge sauces, sweet tamales (cornmeal dough wraps), polvorones (crumbly Spanish shortbread), and sweet tacos (folded fried tortillas).
Some common groups of Mexican desserts include:
- Desserts, also called dulce (meaning sweet) are usually puddings. Types include pineapple, banana, coconut, almond, sweet potato, and bread. Some traditional Mexican dulces are dulce de pan and those made with sherry or other sweet white wines.
- Tortas are cakes made from cantaloupes, carrots, and chickpeas.
- Helados are frozen or cold Mexican desserts like sorbetes or ice cream. A Mexican cuisine favorite is the vino tinto made from sweet red wine. The favorite flavors of this Mexican dessert include watermelon, mango, and hazelnut.
Here are 17 of the best traditional and easy Mexican desserts that will tug at your heartstrings and make you want more:
1. Mexican Wedding Cookies
Also known as polvorones, it’s one of the famous Mexican desserts during Christmas.
They are a Mexican version of the traditional shortbread cookies prepared with flour, sugar, and butter (or pork lard), sometimes added with almonds and other nuts.
2. Paletas
A popular Mexican dessert and street food that satisfies a craving for something refreshing on a hot day are the paletas.
They come in many colors and flavors, made with fresh fruits, and sometimes enhanced with chocolate, pistachios, and other ingredients. They are prepared using water, milk, or condensed milk, and then frozen.
3. Los Alegrias or Amaranth Candies
Eat a happy dessert, the Alegria! It is an oblong or circular dessert made of toasted amaranth seeds, honey, and sugar.
To make it more flavorful and interesting, chocolate, nuts, and raisins can be included.
These Mexican treats are sometimes shaped into animals, flowers, and skulls, to celebrate the Day of the Dead.
4. Camotes or Sweet Potatoes
Even stand-alone snacks like camotes that are served simply with condensed milk or jam are a crucial part of Mexican cuisine.
They can also be prepared by adding a cinnamon stick and piloncillo (raw sugar cane cone) when they are boiled for added flavor.
5. Chongos Zamoranos
This delightful and popular Mexican dessert is made with egg yolks, raw milk, and rennet or curdled milk from calves.
Its name means curd and the town where it originated. It is prepared in clay pots called cazuelas with cinnamon and sugar for flavoring, topped off with sugar, syrup, dried fruits, or liquor.
6. Pay de Queso
Definitely, one of the best Mexican desserts you will ever have is this Mexican version of the ancient Greek Cheesecake.
It comes in different flavors like strawberry, chocolate, and lemon.
7. Coyota
The name literally means female coyote, and a cookie from Hermosillo, Sonora.
It is made from flour dough filled with dates, figs, peaches, pineapples, guavas, caramel, or piloncillo (unrefined Mexican sugar).
You can top them off with ice cream or simply dip them in milk.
8. Nieve de Garrafa
Nieve means snow and Garrafa is the ice and salt-lined steel tubs where the sorbet is churned. It comes in different flavors like pitaya, mamey, and flor de Jamaica.
9. Biscochito
This is Mexico’s official cookie that you will surely love for dessert!
They are frequently served with coffee or milk for breakfast but you can also enjoy them during celebrations and festivals.
The first Spanish colonists invented this popular Mexican dessert made of flour, baking powder, milk, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and anise.
10. Carlota de Limon (Key Lime Icebox Cake)
This no-bake cake is one of the best Mexican desserts you will ever have.
It is made with alternating layers of crumbled Maria cookies and cream. The cream is a combination of milk and lime juice, frozen to ice cream consistency.
11. Jericalla
Named after Jerica, the Spanish birthplace of one of the nuns who invented this dessert, this gelatinous flan tastes like custard flavored with vanilla and cinnamon.
12. Capirotada
An oven-baked pudding made with old bread and flavored generously with cinnamon, brown sugar, syrup, peanuts or pine nuts, and fruits like apples, bananas, coconuts, raisins, and dates. It can sometimes be topped with cheese and sprinkles if you desire.
13. Tres Leches
This insanely creamy and delicious “three milks” cake has a dense richness that makes it more like a custard than a traditional cake.
It’s a strong contender for the best Mexican dessert that makes jaws drop, lips licked, and plates clean.
14. Traditional Caramel Flan
Finish your special meal or holiday celebration with this impressively rich, creamy caramel flan dessert. It’s one of the most popular Mexican desserts that dates all the way back to the Roman Empire.
15. Mexican Churros
Churros are a favorite sweet treat from Mexico. They are called Mexican doughnuts piped and fried, then sugar-coated for a sweet treat. It is loved with dulce de leche or Mexican chocolate sauce for dipping.
16. Pan de Muerto
Anytime you need a light dessert or brunch treat, you can grab a bite of this rich, buttery sweet bread.
It comes with many variations on the flavor and shape, but the classic presentation is a whole bun with bone-shaped curves on top. It’s one of the most popular Mexican desserts on Dia de Los Muertos or the Day of the Dead.
17. Arroz Con Leche
Enjoy this Mexican rice pudding on a cold day or any time you crave a lightly spiced, sweet dessert.
Cinnamon, raisins, and other spices you wish to add give it a nice flavor to round off your meal.
Mexico’s Sweet Tooth
Mexican cuisine is not all about corn tortillas and salsa.
It has a sweet tooth, too, paving the way to creating the most popular Mexican desserts that are being served in authentic Mexican restaurants around the globe.
Now, even the best Mexican meals are never complete without the best Mexican desserts.
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or known as El Rincon among the locals around the restaurant serves Mexican food and drink made from the freshest ingredients.
Besides serving food for our customers in Carrollton and Addison we’re also active in communities across Texas. Contact us now!
