Popular Tex Mex Desserts

Let’s be honest: the only thing that truly goes with Tex Mex food is more Tex Mex food. So, for a truly complete meal, you’ll need to go all out with Tex Mex appetizers, Tex Mex entrées, and Tex Mex beverages. It just makes sense!

But what about after you’ve finished your meal? Should you break the pattern and go with an “All-American” treat like ice cream or apple pie?

Of course not; the end of your main course should definitely be followed by a Tex Mex dessert. While this type of cuisine is mostly known for being savory or spicy, it’s absolutely not afraid to take a walk on the sweet side once in a while! Here are our top three favorite choices:

Sopapillas

If we had to explain sopapillas to someone who had never tried one, we’d probably describe them as fluffy, fried flour tortillas that are more savory than they are sweet. But that description hardly does them justice. Really, the best response to someone expressing curiosity or confusion about sopapillas is to simply order some for the table. Whether you prefer to eat one large sopapilla or several “mini” ones is a matter of personal opinion; Tex Mex restaurants typically serve one style or the other with no real “difference” between the two. Most folks like to slap some honey or butter (or both!) on top of their sopapillas before diving right in, but if you’re feeling particularly decadent, you can sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, as well.

Tres Leches Cake

As its name implies, tres leches cake is traditionally soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. And yes, “soaked” is the proper term; part of its preparation is literally to bake a sponge cake, mix the aforementioned three milks together, and then slowly pour the mixture on top of the cake. While this might sound like a great way to create a soggy, gross dessert with an awful texture, the porous nature of the cake means that it soaks up the liquid remarkably well. The end result is an extremely moist, incredibly sweet cake that’s almost impossible to resist from the moment it touches your lips. Be careful if you and a dining companion opt to share a single serving of cake, as you may find yourselves fighting over the very last bite!

Flan

Some people find flan to be a bit...unattractive, especially when it’s sitting in its little puddle of caramel sauce and wiggling uncannily. But looks can be deceiving, and those who are brave enough to give this dessert a try, are treated to a fairly unique experience. Not quite as solid as cake, but not quite as gooey as pudding, flan has a texture that’s tough to describe. It’s one custard that really needs to be tasted in order to be fully understood! Speaking of which, don’t let the phrase “vanilla flavor” fool you; most flans are extremely rich due to the presence of evaporated/condensed milk in their composition. When trying it for the first time, either start out with a small piece, or plan to bring home a doggy bag.

Food portions in Tex Mex restaurants tend to be pretty generous. It’s not uncommon, then, to eat so much that you’re too full for dessert by the time your main course is over. So, if you’re really interested in trying some of the treats that we just detailed, you might want to make a conscious decision to save some room in your belly for sweets. Yes, yes, tearing yourself away from your favorite Tex Mex entrée can be extremely difficult. But having to save some of your dinner for later is a very small price to pay in exchange for trying out a delicious, perfectly prepared Tex Mex dessert!