Beyond Flan: Other Desserts To Try At A Mexican Restaurant

15 June 2023
 Categories: , Blog

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Flan is a very well-known Mexican dessert. It's a sweet egg custard topped with caramel, and it truly is delicious. However, flan is far from the only dessert served in Mexico. If you see any of these other desserts on the menu at a Mexican restaurant, they are also well worth trying.

Sopapillas

Sopapillas are essentially a Mexican version of donuts. They are square-shaped and are made with a really tender, flaky dough. Sopapillas are sometimes stuffed with various sweet ingredients before being fried. You'll often see them stuffed with cherry, strawberry, or even mixed berry filling. Usually, if you order them at a Mexican restaurant, you'll receive several small sopapillas on a plate, perhaps with a honey or chocolate dipping sauce on the side. Some restaurants even serve them in larger portions meant to be shared among diners at your table.

Elephant Ears

Elephant ears are a simple yet delicious Mexican dessert or snack. They're essentially big, round pieces of fried dough. The name comes from the fact that they are shaped like large ears. Elephant ears are tossed in either cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar. In Mexico, they are more of a fair food or street food, but you may see them served as a dessert or a late-night treat at Mexican restaurants in the U.S. Some restaurants may serve a more modern, creative version that they top with fruit and whipped cream, sort of like a waffle.

Tres Leches Cake

In many places, cake is usually eaten as a celebratory treat. But in Mexico, it is more common to serve cake as an everyday dessert. Tres leches cake is especially popular. This is essentially a yellow or white sheet cake. After it is baked, the baker pokes numerous holes in it. They then pour sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream over the cake. The cake absorbs these three milks, making it very soft and rich. It is typically frosted with a basic white frosting and served with a strawberry or cherry on top. This dessert is deceivingly rich, so you may want to share a slice with your dining partner.

While flan is a delicious dessert, these other Mexican desserts are also incredible and worth trying. The next time you're in a Mexican restaurant and find yourself craving something sweet after your tacos or burritos, order a serving of the tres leches cake, elephant ears, or sopapillas.