Create special treats with the flavors of dulce de leche, Mexican chocolate, chiles, and fresh fruit.

You’ve got your Cinco de Mayo party platters. You’ve got your sides. You’ve got your drink menu set, with a few premium tequilas lined up. What’s missing? Something sweet, of course. It’s a party; now is not the time to exercise restraint. Now is the time to whip up something delicious and indulgent to please every part of your guests’ palates.

One flavor that appears often in Mexican desserts is that of caramelized sugar. It’s front and center in this recipe for cajeta ice cream sundaes (cajeta being the Spanish word for caramel). You’ll find it in alfajores de dulce de leche as well; these rum-spiked, caramel cream-filled cookies won’t last long so consider making a double batch.

One other characteristic of these recipes? Some of them are boozy enough to toast with. The aforementioned alfajores incorporate liquor, and so does the frozen margarita pie, which tastes like someone made an old-school grasshopper pie and took it to Tijuana for the weekend. 

For an all-ages spread, try something a little more family-friendly, like ancho chile pumpkin pie. The mild spice kick elevates this dessert well above the realm of Thanksgiving fare and into the pantheon of year-round crowd-pleasers. Mexican chocolate pots de crème also offer a little taste of something unexpected (coffee and cayenne, specifically), and so do Mexican Chocolate Streusel Brownies, whose hints of almond and cinnamon are mildly out of the ordinary. For a can’t-miss finale, try this Mexican chocolate cakes recipe. Yes, plural “cakes.” The recipe makes two, so as popular as this dish will be, there’s certain to be enough to go around.

Favorite Mexican Desserts


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