Discover the Best Mexican Desserts: A Delicious Journey into Sweet Traditions

Food, drinks, music, and the evening cannot end like that, because the center of the table has to be Mexican desserts, an inevitable temptation.

Mexican desserts are everywhere in Mexico; they are a fundamental part of the gastronomy, and they are a label of flavor and quality.

Mexican desserts were present during the novo-Hispanic era, since after the arrival of sugar, with the canes that Hernán Cortés brought from Cuba, they were used in the convents to elaborate desserts and sweets of all kinds for the viceroys, such as marzipans, alcorzas de acitrón, suplicaciones.

Likewise, the huevos megidos, the yemitas de dulce and the hilados, among many other desserts such as sweet potatoes, or cocadas; those with maguey honey, tuna cheese and the gorditas with butter.

It is a world that has evolved, and Mexican desserts have also developed throughout history.

We cannot forget that chocolate was one of the most recurrent beverages in the daily life of Mexicans.

It was mostly consumed in the morning, but it was also drunk after other meals.

Mexican desserts and their diversity

But the French influence in Mexican society came through the Spaniards since the 16th century, specifically with the arrival of the Bourbons to power and their reforms.

Thus, fruit ice creams, cold soups and other sweets came from Europe to be consumed in Mexico.

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With the French invasion of Mexico, the taste of Mexican desserts was influenced. By 1864, the arrival of the emperors marked the fashion in the courts and elites.

Thus, in the following periods, gelatins, cakes, ice cream and fruit accompanied by champagne began to be observed among Mexican desserts.

Each bite of Mexican pastries has a unique history that allows traditional flavors to continue to endure over time. Therefore, here we are going to talk about a selection of typical sweets, so that you can get to know the culinary richness of Mexico from its roots to the present day.

Each region has a particularity, and each flavor to show in Mexican desserts.

For example, one of the Mexican desserts is Jericalla, which has a European origin that evokes the European custard and is one of the treasures of Guadalajara.

From the northern states, Capirotada is an unmistakable dessert. Made with walnuts, toasted bread, raisins, grated cheese and piloncillo.

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At the heart of Mexico’s sweet cuisine is a dessert loved by all: the exquisite tres leches cake, loved even in other Latin American countries.

As far as we can see, Mexican desserts are so varied, they are a mixture of flavors that make the palate explode.

Meet some Mexican desserts

The enormous variety of Mexican desserts forces us to show only a part of them, the most outstanding ones, among them:

Los Churros:

With a little flour, eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla, and oil for frying, one of the most popular Mexican desserts, even in the world, is born.

The history of the churro begins in China, where Portuguese merchants met the “Youtiao”; these travelers took them to the Iberian Peninsula and the Spaniards to Mexico.

In Mexico, the churro can be enjoyed in so many ways, with a good coffee or a cup of chocolate.

But churros have such a Mexican seal, that many people believe they were created in Mexico.

The Flan

One of the traces of the French influence is the flan; one of the best known Mexican desserts with particularities according to the region or cuisine.

Flan is a custard whose main ingredients are egg yolks, sometimes a little egg white, whole milk and sugar, which is then refrigerated to obtain a creamy and gelatinous texture.

The touch of caramel is essential to give the traditional flavor, but there is a huge diversity of flavors.

Tres leches cake

One of the most sought after Mexican desserts; this recipe is refined in Mexican pastry shops and is the king of Mexican desserts.

Eggs, vanilla, sugar, flour, are some of the ingredients to achieve that particular flavor; of course, milk and its varieties cannot be missing.

The tres leches cake has evaporated, condensed and cream milk.

Legend has it that in the 1950s, a Mexican dairy company launched an advertising campaign promoting its new condensed milk.

To demonstrate its versatility, a cake recipe was created using three types of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream.

The decoration and special touches are in the hands of the confectioner, but always looking for a balance in the flavors.

Sopaipillas

Another Mexican dessert is the sopaipillas, a kind of crackers made with wheat flour but fried.

Sopaipillas most likely originated in southern Spain.

Sopaipilla is one of the traditional winter dishes in Chihuahua, and is enjoyed with a hot coffee in cold weather.

The ingredients for sopaipillas are baking powder, salt, wheat flour, vegetable shortening, piloncillo syrup or honey, and a touch of cinnamon.

Another Mexican dessert: La capirotada

The capirotada is a Mexican dessert typical of several states, and consists of toasted bread, or aged until dehydrated (in the case of Jalisco of salted birote), cut into slices that are put to cook along with pieces of banana, raisins, nuts, guava and peanuts, topped with piloncillo syrup and grated table cheese.

This Mexican dessert is mainly consumed during the Lenten season in Holy Week.

It is a dessert that has been passed from generation to generation, and has been adopted by several countries.

Refreshing Desserts in Mexico

On the other hand, there are Mexican desserts that require refrigeration, and although not limited to one time of the year, they are consumed a lot during the summer.

The Horchata

A recipe that originated in Spain, the Mexican version of horchata has its variants.

It is a classic drink based on rice and milk; it is sweet, creamy and refreshing, it is guaranteed that you will want to enjoy a glass of cold horchata to accompany your snack.

Its recipe has three key ingredients: milk, rice and cinnamon.

Strawberries with creams

They are so popular that some people in Mexico may think that it is typical of Mexicans, but it turns out to be a recipe with many followers around the world.

Perhaps it is because of the mixture of sweet and sour strawberries that give it that special touch.

Of course, the cream base is fundamental, its flavor makes the difference.

Other Mexican desserts:

Fried ice cream is another dessert in Mexico with greater diffusion, which requires a special griddle for the confection of the ice cream sheet.

Another of the most modern trends among Mexican desserts is the chocolate mousse.

The mousse is a dessert of French origin, whose base is egg white whipped to soft peaks, or whipped cream, which give it a spongy consistency.

Fusion desserts in Mexico arise from the mixture of several recipes and their combinations.

One of the most popular cases is with marquesitas filled with any dessert that is allowed.

This is how you could mix a tres leches cake with strawberries, or perhaps a churro with a chocolate dip.

The fritters enter that base recipe to merge, with any idea, as long as it maintains the balance of flavor.

Another Mexican dessert is corn bread.

A preparation that begins by mixing corn with sugar, eggs, milk and butter until a homogeneous dough is obtained, which is then baked.