16 Latin American Desserts That Taste Like a Warm Hug From Abuela

Latin American desserts are pure comfort. Cakes soaked in three kinds of milk, caramel cooked slowly until it turns golden, chocolate spiced with cinnamon, and sweet breads baked for the Day of the Dead in early November. Many of these recipes are passed from grandmother to grandchild without ever being written down. We gathered the Latin American desserts people ask for again and again, with simple steps so you can make them in your own kitchen..

Tres Leches Cake With Fresh Fruit, the Star of Latin American Desserts

Tres leches is a light sponge cake soaked in a mix of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and cream. It sounds like it would be soggy, but the airy cake drinks up the milk and turns into something rich, cool and creamy. A cloud of whipped cream and fresh fruit on top makes it a party favorite from Mexico to Nicaragua. Would you top yours with strawberries, mango or just cinnamon?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 5 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup cream, whipped cream, fruit.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Beat yolks with most of the sugar, then add milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder. 3. Beat whites with the rest of the sugar and fold in. 4. Bake in a 9×13 pan for 25 minutes. 5. Poke holes and pour over the three milks. 6. Chill overnight, then top with cream and fruit.

Classic Tres Leches Slice

The classic version keeps things simple: soaked sponge, whipped cream and a cherry on top. The key is chilling it overnight so the milk spreads evenly through every bite. Serve it straight from the fridge in neat squares. Did someone in your family make this for birthdays?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 sponge cake (from the cover recipe), 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can condensed milk, 1/2 cup cream, whipped cream, maraschino cherries.

How to make it: 1. Bake the sponge and cool for 15 minutes. 2. Whisk the three milks together. 3. Poke the cake all over with a fork. 4. Pour the milk slowly over the cake. 5. Chill overnight. 6. Spread whipped cream and add cherries.

Strawberry Tres Leches

Add strawberries to the milk soak and layer them inside the cake, and you get a pink, fruity version that feels perfect for spring or Valentine s Day. Fresh berries on top make it look like a bakery cake. It is one of the most loved Latin American desserts for showers and parties.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 sponge cake, 1 cup blended strawberries, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can condensed milk, 1/2 cup cream, whipped cream, sliced strawberries and blackberries.

How to make it: 1. Blend the strawberries into the three milks. 2. Split the sponge in half. 3. Soak each layer with the strawberry milk. 4. Fill with whipped cream and sliced berries. 5. Chill 6 hours. 6. Decorate the top with more berries.

Arroz con Leche, Creamy Latin American Desserts at Home

Arroz con leche is rice pudding the Latin way: rice simmered slowly with milk, cinnamon sticks and lime peel until thick and creamy. Some families add raisins, some never do. Quick poll: raisins in rice pudding? A) yes, always B) no way C) only for grandpa D) I pick them out.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 strip lime peel, 4 cups milk, 1 can condensed milk, ground cinnamon, raisins (optional).

How to make it: 1. Simmer rice, water, cinnamon and lime peel for 15 minutes. 2. Add the milk and cook on low, stirring, for 20 minutes. 3. Stir in the condensed milk. 4. Cook until creamy. 5. Remove the cinnamon stick and peel. 6. Serve warm or cold with cinnamon.

Brazilian Brigadeiros, Easy Latin American Desserts

No Brazilian birthday party is complete without brigadeiros. These chocolate fudge balls need only condensed milk, cocoa and butter, cooked until thick and then rolled in chocolate sprinkles. Kids love helping roll them. They are among the easiest Latin American desserts you will ever make.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp butter, chocolate sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Cook condensed milk, cocoa and butter on low heat. 2. Stir nonstop for about 10 minutes. 3. Stop when it pulls away from the pan. 4. Cool on a buttered plate. 5. Roll into small balls with buttered hands. 6. Coat in sprinkles and place in paper cups.

Homemade Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is milk and sugar cooked slowly until it turns into a thick, golden caramel. In Argentina and Uruguay it goes on toast, cookies, crepes and straight onto a spoon. Making it at home is easy with a can of condensed milk and a slow oven. How would you eat it first?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 can sweetened condensed milk, pinch of sea salt.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 425F. 2. Pour the condensed milk into a pie dish and add salt. 3. Cover with foil and set in a larger pan of hot water. 4. Bake 75 to 90 minutes until deep golden. 5. Whisk until smooth. 6. Store in a jar in the fridge.

Chocolate Alfajores, Latin American Desserts to Share

Alfajores are two soft cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche. In Argentina the favorite version is dipped in dark chocolate, so it looks like a little cake. They are rich, so one is usually enough. Would you choose plain sugar dusted alfajores or chocolate covered?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 cup cornstarch, 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 yolks, 1 cup dulce de leche, 8 oz dark chocolate.

How to make it: 1. Beat butter and sugar, then add yolks. 2. Mix in the cornstarch, flour and baking powder. 3. Roll and cut small circles. 4. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. 5. Sandwich with dulce de leche. 6. Dip in melted chocolate and let set.

Torta Rogel

Torta Rogel is an Argentine celebration cake made of many thin, crisp cookie layers stacked with dulce de leche and topped with toasted meringue. It is tall, crunchy and sweet in the best way. It takes a little time, but this is the cake people remember.

You will need: Ingredients: 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup butter, 6 yolks, 1/2 cup milk, 2 cups dulce de leche, 3 egg whites, 3/4 cup sugar.

How to make it: 1. Mix flour, butter, yolks and milk into a firm dough. 2. Divide into 8 pieces and roll very thin. 3. Bake each at 400F for 6 minutes. 4. Stack with dulce de leche between layers. 5. Top with meringue made from whites and sugar. 6. Toast with a torch.

Mexican Conchas

Conchas are soft Mexican sweet rolls with a crackly sugar topping scored to look like a seashell. They are the classic pan dulce for breakfast with hot chocolate or coffee. Make the topping vanilla, chocolate or pink. Which color would you pick?

You will need: Ingredients: 4 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 packet yeast, 1 cup warm milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup butter. Topping: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1 tbsp cocoa (optional).

How to make it: 1. Mix the dough and knead until smooth. 2. Let it rise 1.5 hours. 3. Shape 12 balls on trays. 4. Press a disk of topping on each and score a shell pattern. 5. Rise 1 hour more. 6. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Pan de Muerto, Latin American Desserts for Day of the Dead

Pan de muerto is the sweet bread baked in Mexico for Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2. Flavored with orange zest and orange blossom water, it is decorated with dough shaped like bones and coated in sugar. Families place it on altars to honor loved ones, then share it with hot chocolate. It is a beautiful tradition worth learning.

You will need: Ingredients: 4 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 packet yeast, 1/2 cup warm milk, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup butter, zest of 1 orange, 1 tbsp orange blossom water, sugar for coating.

How to make it: 1. Make a soft dough and knead 10 minutes. 2. Rise for 2 hours. 3. Shape round loaves and add dough bones on top. 4. Rise 1 hour. 5. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. 6. Brush with butter and roll in sugar.

Polvorones Wedding Cookies

Polvorones, also called Mexican wedding cookies, are buttery, nutty and covered in a snowy coat of powdered sugar. They crumble the second you bite them, which is where the name comes from: polvo means dust. They are a Christmas cookie tray must.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 cup finely chopped pecans, 1 tsp vanilla, extra powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. 2. Add vanilla, flour and pecans. 3. Roll into small balls. 4. Bake at 350F for 14 minutes. 5. Roll in powdered sugar while warm. 6. Roll again once cool.

Hojarascas Cinnamon Cookies

Hojarascas come from northern Mexico and taste like a snickerdoodle that went to grandma s house. They are crisp, buttery and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Bake a big batch for the holidays, because they disappear fast. Do you like your cookies crisp or soft?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 cup shortening or butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 2.5 cups flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp baking powder. Coating: 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon.

How to make it: 1. Beat the fat and sugar until light. 2. Add the egg, then flour, cinnamon and baking powder. 3. Roll out and cut into rounds. 4. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes. 5. Toss in cinnamon sugar while warm.

Colombian Bunuelos

Colombian bunuelos are golden cheese fritters that are crisp outside and soft and airy inside. They are a Christmas Eve tradition, often served with natilla custard and a cup of hot chocolate. Sweet and a little salty, they are hard to stop eating.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 cup cornstarch, 2 cups crumbled fresh cheese, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 2 tbsp milk, oil for frying.

How to make it: 1. Mix cornstarch, cheese, sugar and baking powder. 2. Add egg and milk to form a soft dough. 3. Roll into small balls. 4. Heat oil to 300F. 5. Fry slowly until they float and turn golden. 6. Drain and serve warm.

Golden Cocadas

Cocadas are chewy coconut sweets loved from Mexico to Peru. Fresh or shredded coconut is cooked with condensed milk and egg yolk, then baked until the edges turn golden. Quick poll: coconut desserts are A) my favorite B) fine sometimes C) not for me D) only with chocolate.

You will need: Ingredients: 3 cups shredded coconut, 1 can condensed milk, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Mix all ingredients well. 3. Scoop small mounds onto parchment. 4. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden. 5. Cool on the tray before lifting.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Mexican hot chocolate is thick, foamy and spiced with cinnamon and sometimes a tiny pinch of chili. It is made with tablets of rustic chocolate and whisked until frothy. Serve it with pan dulce or bunuelos for the coziest evening.

You will need: Ingredients: 4 cups milk, 4 oz dark chocolate, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 tsp vanilla, pinch of chili (optional).

How to make it: 1. Warm the milk with the cinnamon stick. 2. Add the chocolate and sugar. 3. Stir until melted. 4. Add vanilla and chili. 5. Whisk hard until foamy. 6. Pour into mugs and dust with cocoa.

Champurrado

Champurrado is a warm chocolate drink thickened with masa, the corn dough used for tortillas. It is so thick you can almost eat it with a spoon. It is the classic drink with tamales at Christmas and with pan de muerto in November. Which Latin American desserts would you serve with it? Hungry for more? Try our poke cakes and sheet cakes next.

You will need: Ingredients: 1/2 cup masa harina, 4 cups water, 2 cups milk, 3 oz Mexican chocolate, 1/2 cup brown sugar or piloncillo, 1 cinnamon stick.

How to make it: 1. Whisk masa into 2 cups warm water until smooth. 2. Simmer the rest of the water with cinnamon and sugar. 3. Add the masa mix and milk. 4. Stir in the chocolate. 5. Cook, whisking, 10 minutes until thick. 6. Serve hot.