13 of the Best Mexican Desserts You Need to Try

When most people think of Mexican food, they think of entrees, such as quesadillas and burritos, or snacks, such as nachos, chips, and salsa or a tortilla. While Mexican cuisine has many excellent main dishes and snacks, if you have never tried at least one traditional Mexican dessert, you are really missing out on something special. Here are 13 of the best authentic Mexican desserts that you will ever taste.

Empanadas

An Empanada is a stuffed pastry with a variety of sweetened fillings including fruit, sweet cream, sweet potato, cream cheese, sweetened meat, and pumpkin.

Sopaipillas

Sopaipillas are light, sweets, crispy pastry puffs that are often sprinkled with sugar or drizzled with honey.

Buñuelos

Buñuelos are cinnamon fried dough balls that are crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and sweet all the way through. Be careful, though. They are so rich and sweet that it can be easy to have too many.

Champurrado

Champurrado is a rich, thick Mexican chocolate drink that is served warm and it is far more subtle and interesting than simple hot chocolate, though. It is made with chocolate, cornmeal treated with lime, cinnamon, vanilla, anise, ground nuts, orange zest, and more. The exact recipe varies from region to region. It is often drunk for dessert and sometimes paired with other dessert items.

Sapotes Dulces

Sapotes are fresh fruit that is common in Mexico, but very rare in the United States. They are said to taste something like coconuts, cream, and vanilla. Sapotes dulces is a Mexican dessert that mixes the fruit with rum, orange juice, and sugar. Served chilled, it has a unique and interesting flavor. It is a popular after-meal dessert drink.

Cajeta

Cajeta is a sweet syrup made from caramelized milk that has been slowly cooked down until the remaining liquid is thick and incredibly sweet. It is often poured over pastries or ice cream, though it is sometimes drunk on its own.

Flan

Mexican Flan did not originate in Mexico, but they are famous for perfecting it and it’s one of the most popular desserts there. It is made with a rich layer of vanilla, lemon, or coconut custard with a layer of soft, sweet caramel on top of it.

Churro

Homemade churros with cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar are pure deliciousness and a popular treat for both children and adults. They tend to be shaped like straws with a warm moist center and crispy outer shell.

Conchas, Mexican Sweet Bread

Conchas are Mexican sweet bread with a crunchy topping. It is round with a striped appearance that looks like a seashell.

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is prepared by slowly heating sugar and milk for several hours. This caramel sauce gets its color and flavor from non-enzymatic browning.

Fried Ice Cream

Fried ice cream is hands down my favorite Mexican dessert. Picture a cold vanilla ice cream ball hidden inside a warm cinnamon outer coating shell with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce and whipped cream. If that isn’t a little piece of Heaven…I don’t know what is! Plus fried ice cream is an easy Mexican dessert recipe to make yourself. Here is one of my favorite fried ice cream recipes from AllRecipes.

Tres Leches Cake

Tres leches cake is a sponge cake or a butter cake—soaked in three kinds of milk: heavy cream, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk.

Mexican Chocolate

Chocolate has a long and interesting history in Mexico. The Mayans first discovered it, and the Aztecs adopted it not only as food but also as a currency.

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