A true Thanksgiving meal is not complete without dessert. No matter how stuffed you think your guests are, trust me, they will make room for dessert. A slice of pie, a few cookies, or a cupcake—everyone loves Holiday desserts. This year, offer your Thanksgiving guests a table brimming with decadent Latin flavors. From flan to empanadas, tortas, and tres leches, these incredible dessert recipes will help you create a sweet and satisfying end to your Thanksgiving feast. I’m sure your holiday guests will love digging in to one of these Thanksgiving desserts.
1. Calabaza en Tacha – Thick slices of fresh pumpkin are baked until tender in a rich caramel sauce infused with piloncillo (unrefined sugar) and canela (soft-bark Mexican cinnamon).
2. Pastel de Tres Leches – A fluffy cake baked until golden and drenched in a milky cream sauce made from three types of milk. Pure heaven on a plate.
3. Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas – These empanadas come together quickly with the help of pre-packed biscuits. Easy to make, but packed with some serious pumpkin-cheese goodness.
4. Pumpkin, Piloncillo, & Cinnamon Empanadas – The filling in these delicate empanadas is spiced with a hint of Mexican cinnamon and sweetened with those beautiful dark, raw sugar cones called piloncillo. It’s like a decadent little pumpkin pie.
(Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez)
5. Pay de Cajeta – While making her holiday pecan pie, one food blogger ran out of maple syrup and decided to use cajeta, a goat’s milk caramel sauce. The results were so good, the pie was the first to disappear that Thanksgiving.
6. Torta Merengue Castaña – A traditional cake from Chile, usually bought at the family-favorite bakery for the holidays, this torta is a showstopper. A fluffy chestnut whipped cream tops delicate layers of chestnut cake.
7. Dulce de Zapallo – Squash or pumpkin simmered in syrup made of piloncillo with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and spicy peppers, until the squash softens and the syrup is rich golden brown. Serve with fresh cheese and a drizzle of sauce.
(Layla Pujol )
8. Cajeta Quemada Bread Pudding – Sliced bread swims in a silky sauce mixture of eggs, whipping cream, cajeta, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, before getting baked golden.
9. Torta de Manzana – A traditional Colombian dessert, this apple cake is very easy to make and is incredibly soft and moist. Served with coffee or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, this cake is pure holiday comfort.
10. Mini Pumpkin Pies – Made with fresh pumpkin puree, these bite-sized mini pumpkin pies are perfect for the children.
(Nicole Presley )
11. Crema Batida con Cajeta – Do you love to top your pumpkin pie with a dollop of homemade whipped cream? Who doesn’t? Improving on a classic by giving it a little Mexican touch, this whipped cream is brimming with cajeta. Use it to top your holiday pies, cakes, coffee, or gelatinas.
12. Pumpkin Flan – A dreamy flan made with pumpkin, cream cheese and pumpkin pie spice, topped with a decadent cajeta sauce.
–Courtesy of Vianney Rodriguez of Parade.com