Although the Cinco De Mayo holiday is all-American, Cinco De Mayo desserts are a great excuse to indulge in sweet Tex-Mex flair, Mexicali goodies, and Mexican-style treats.
Cinco De Mayo is known for being a day full of drinking margaritas but these 30 “Cinco de Drinko” desserts are great for pairing with tequila, or for helping our friends feel included who do not drink.
There are classic sweets such as a Tres Leches Cake or Sopapillas but have you ever tried making Pinata Cookies or Rice Krispie Treat Maracas?
Some are more traditional to Mexican culture such as Alfajores and Arroz con Leche and are very much worth trying to make yourself.
Since Cinco De Mayo is only one holiday out of the year, feel free to spend every Taco Tuesday in the weeks leading up to perfect these recipes.
Once May comes, you can start prepping for the next year’s celebration to keep the sweet fun going all year round.
These can even be whipped up for a themed dinner party or even as a treat for yourself when you want to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Regardless of which of these 30 Cinco De Mayo desserts you decide to prepare, you are sure to have a hit on your hands that everyone will love!
The crunch of traditional churros is still present in these cupcakes through the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the creamy frosting.
Since the cupcakes, topping, and frosting all have cinnamon in them, you will not be missing out on the sweet goodness we associate with churros.
Take a taco night one step further with a taco dessert bar.
You will need a pizzelle iron to make these but it is well worth the investment when you see how fast these dessert taco shells disappear.
A bit of chocolate and sprinkles adds to the fun of the shells and more toppings can be added in when your dessert is filling up your taco shells.
Lime zest and tequila add a nice kick to these bites while also making a perfect pairing for snacking alongside a margarita.
Since there is no baking involved with these cheesecake bites, the hard part is letting it sit in the fridge to chill but the hands-on work is minimal for these.
These are best served cold but can last up to ten days in the freezer so you can prepare it ahead of time and rest assured it will taste just as good when it is time to enjoy.
With only five ingredients, these taquitos will be your new go-to dessert for Cinco De Mayo!
Packaged pie crusts and a can of apple pie filling will take out a lot of the hard work in making these while a cinnamon sugar mixture buttered on top adds a nice sweetness and golden color.
These taste amazing when they are fresh out of the oven but to make it even more special, you can drizzle on some caramel sauce or top it with a scoop of ice cream.
Kids will love enjoying these when they are ready but will also love helping create these in the kitchen.
With pretzel rods, chocolate melts, and M&Ms added to the dessert, these are not just something pretty to look at, but tasty to eat too.
Despite this being called fried ice cream, it is actually not fried!
Corn flakes and cinnamon make a nice exterior to your ice cream that resembles a fried crust, without any hot oil.
This is a no-bake recipe but does require freezing time to get the ice cream to stay firm and frozen.
The striped cookies that enclose a special surprise within are traditional sugar cookies with extra fun colors.
Within them is a little pocket that will break open to reveal mini M&Ms!
A little bit of homemade frosting will glue the different sides of the cookie together to make it look like one solid treat.
This no bake dessert dip comes together super quickly and easily since all it takes is mixing together your ingredients and serving it.
Heavy whipping cream gives this the light and fluffy texture that makes this perfect to pair with fruit or graham crackers.
9. Mexican Flan
While this recipe uses condensed and evaporated milk, the simple substitution of cream cheese or coconut milk can give you a different texture or taste for your flan.
If you want to skip out on using an oven, this can be made with a water bath or in an Instant Pot, instead.
Caramel surrounds the sweet custard of this decadent dessert but if you want to elevate the flavors in this, add in vanilla, orange, coconut, coffee, or even chocolate!
10. Mexican Conchas
This sweet bread is very popular around special holidays, including Cinco De Mayo.
Despite the elaborate designs of conchas, they are not too difficult to make and will naturally gain the seashell pattern on the exterior.
Feel free to use whatever type of sweet toppings you like with your conchas.
The options are endless!
11. Tres Leches Cake
Hearing that there are three different milks in this cake may be intimidating for those who have yet to try their hands at baking a homemade version, but it is actually a lot simpler than you may think.
Whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk make this a moist and sweet cake that is only made better when the milks soak into the cake.
A whipped cream topping with a sprinkle of cinnamon and fresh strawberries makes this a delightful cake that you will find yourself baking over and over again.
12. Paletas
As the name suggests, Cinco De Mayo takes place in May so if you live in an area that gets especially hot around this time, these Mexican popsicles will be a refreshing treat to help you celebrate.
There are a few different types of paletas you can make including strawberry agua fresca, mango chili lime, and Mexican chocolate paletas.
Making cinnamon cream puffs from scratch is a lot simpler than many may believe.
None of the ingredients are out of the ordinary and with the added churro taste, these are extra special for Cinco De Mayo!
With either a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner cut off, you can pipe your cream puffs with cinnamon frosting to make them more than just a simple pastry.
Deep fried, full of cocoa sugar, and topped with ice cream makes this dessert absolutely heavenly.
The process of making your cannoli chimichangas is pretty straightforward with just mixing together a sweet and creamy cannoli filling, frying it in a tortilla, wrapping it up, and topping it how you would like.
These are perfect for any special celebration, especially Cinco De Mayo.
Tequila lime buttercream frosting gives these macaron cookies the right touch to snack on during Cinco De Mayo.
A bit of sea salt balances well with the sweetness of the cookies while also providing a little bit more of a margarita taste.
While these can last up to a month in the freezer, you will not need to anticipate needing to store them for so long since you will find yourself snacking on them often.
Most of the individual ingredients for these dessert empanadas are pre-made which takes a lot of the hassle out of preparing them.
A few chocolate chips and mini marshmallows give you the classic s’mores taste while the egg wash on top and the added sugar gives you a new favorite dessert recipe!
A solid cake recipe is a go-to for many celebrations but that does not mean it has to be boring or bland.
This cake in particular has a bit of cinnamon and cayenne pepper for extra kick to go with the moist chocolate and buttercream topping it off.
Including baking time, this only takes an hour to create.
Thanks to its moisture, it can last at room temperature for a few days, too!
18. Dessert Nachos
It is very likely to find a plate of nachos at a Cinco De Mayo party but how often have you seen dessert nachos?
The tortilla chips can be made like classic chips doused in queso, but with the change of using cinnamon sugar rather than salt.
After those are made, feel free to add on all of the fresh fruit, chocolate, whipped cream, or any other sweet topping you like!
If you are used to classic Tres Leches cakes, a slight change of adding in coconut milk and lime can make a big difference in flavor.
A bit of rum adds to the kick of the lime zest making this a unique and delicious change from the ordinary.
As an added tip, it could be helpful to flip over your cake and pour your milk mixture from the bottom to ensure that the entire cake is soaked with sweet milk.
No judgment if Cinco De Mayo comes and you forgot to get a dessert together.
It happens to the best of us.
However, you are in luck with these chocolate covered strawberries.
Strawberries, white chocolate melts, and large green sprinkles will give you a dessert that looks like a lot more work went into it than really did.
21. Sopapillas
This fried dessert uses common kitchen ingredients meaning you can create your favorite Mexican restaurant dessert in the comfort of your own home!
These can be made with the kids in the kitchen so they can shape them just as they like while you do the frying.
A light (or heavy) dusting of sugar and ground cinnamon paired with a side of honey or Piloncillo syrup for dipping makes this an extra sweet treat.
22. Taco Cookies
Sugar cookies with a dash of cayenne pepper are formed into taco shells for these festive cookies.
Coconut shreds with food coloring give the appearance of lettuce and cheese while M&Ms resemble meat and tomatoes and white frosting is the sour cream.
While people may see what they believe to be tacos at the dessert table, one taste of these cookies and they will be begging for the dessert recipe.
Rather than making an entire margarita pie, making these in small jars means they are more portable and easier to eat!
Orange liqueur and tequila are added to the filling for the margarita taste but for an alcohol-free version, orange juice can be substituted in while the tequila is left out.
This dessert tastes great on its own but the garnishes add to the fun of it so feel free to add on a sugar or salt rim, whipped cream, crushed graham crackers or a lime wheel!
24. Cinnamon Chips
These cinnamon chips are a great base for your Dessert Nachos, scooping up your Churro Cheesecake dip, or for crushing and topping ice cream with!
With any flour tortillas and a cinnamon sugar mixture, these come together in a flash and give you a simple but delicious treat that also goes great with other Cinco De Mayo desserts you may be planning.
25. Alfajores
These cookies are tender and will melt in your mouth.
The dulce de leche in this recipe is thicker and creamier than caramel so despite the two often being compared to one another, it is best to stick to dulce de leche for these cookies.
A couple of optional toppings are powdered sugar or shredded coconut but even as is, they are delicious and memorable cookies.
Get the starters started too! See our list of Mexican Appetizers.
26. Leche Quemada
Along with being a great Cinco De Mayo dessert, this Mexican candy is great as a gift for the holidays.
Sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and vanilla give the delicious flavor while the boiling process gives the slightly burnt flavor that makes these especially unique.
A little dusting of powdered sugar goes far but be sure to cut these while it is still warm.
27. Pinata Cake
When cutting into this cake, it will reveal an assortment of candy inside!
Frosting glues together the layered cake while the frosting around the edges hides any sign that there is the secret treat inside.
This recipe calls for a vanilla cake mix and buttercream frosting but feel free to change the flavors up to what you happen to be craving.
Our cheesy mountain of Easy Mexican Tortilla Casserole recipe!
28. Arroz Con Leche
Like many of the other recipes on this list, there are three types of milk to give this creamy dessert the sweet flavor.
It can be served chilled for a hot Cinco De Mayo night, or warmed up if the craving hits during the winter season.
A dessert with rice may seem unusual but they take on a soft texture that pairs well with the cinnamon and milk combination.
Any type of round sugar cookies can make this themed dessert, which means that you can use your favorite recipe or buy a store bought package.
Rainbow nonpareils sprinkles line the edge of the cookie along with the bottom of a gum drop that resembles the peak of the hat.
Buttercream icing acts as a glue to hold everything together and adds a touch more sweetness to the mix.
Since chances are you are already drinking tequila during Cinco De Mayo, these strawberries make a great addition to your margarita or as a post dinner snack.
All it takes for this dessert is to cut your strawberries in half and let it soak in a tequila, lime juice, sugar, and salt mixture for less than half an hour.
The bottom line
These Cinco De Mayo desserts are a great way to end the night on a sweet note!
Some are more traditional while others have unique twists added in to make them perfect for special celebrations.
Want even more? Avocado Recipes to the rescue!
30 TOP Cinco De Mayo Desserts
Although the Cinco De Mayo holiday is all-American, Cinco De Mayo desserts are a great excuse to indulge in sweet Tex-Mex flair, Mexicali goodies, and Mexican-style treats.
Ingredients
- Churro Cupcakes
- Choco Taco Shells
- No Bake Margarita Cheesecake Bites
- Apple Pie Taquitos
- Rice Krispies Treat Maracas
- Fried Ice Cream
- Cinco De Mayo Pinata Cookies
- Churro Cheesecake Dip
- Mexican Flan
- Mexican Conchas
- Tres Leches Cake
- Paletas
- Churro Cream Puffs
- Cannoli Chimichangas
- Margarita Macarons
- Chocolate S’mores Baked Empanadas
- Mexican Chocolate Cake
- Dessert Nachos
- Coconut Lime Tres Leches Cake
- White Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Sopapillas
- Taco Cookies
- Margarita Pie in Jars
- Cinnamon Chips
- Alfajores
- Leche Quemada
- Pinata Cake
- Arroz Con Leche
- Cute Cinco De Mayo Cactus & Llama Cookies
- Tequila Strawberries
Instructions
- Plan to make two or more of these great Cinco De Mayo Desserts.
- Buy your ingredients and grab a helper!
- Enjoy your all-American holiday appreciating these Latin-style sweets!