South American Desserts - Postres
Best Dulce de Leche Desserts
Dulce de leche is a thick caramel sauce made from milk and sugar. Although it's delicious plain, it's in lots of Latin desserts. Dulce de leche pairs well with both chocolate and tropical fruits. It spreads beautifully, and is a common cake filling. The iconic http://alfajor sandwich cookies are fill…
Make a Tray of Bite Size Desserts
In the United States, we're used to big cookies, giant brownies, and generous slices of pie. But when desserts are in smaller portions, you can sample many different ones without overindulging. A tray of dessert petit fours is a common sight at South American parties, probably a carryover from the tapas commonly served in Spain. These mini desserts can be complicated and labor intensive, or as…
South American Chocolate Treats
A photo gallery of recipes for South American-style desserts featuring chocolate.
Four Ways to Enjoy Tres Leches Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)
A photo gallery with recipes for four variations on the wonderful South American dessert, pastel de tres leches, or "three milk cake".
Dulce de Leche - Rich Caramel Sauce
This thick caramel candy/topping is a key ingredient in many traditional Latin American desserts
South American Pies
A collection of pie recipes with South American flavor.
Summer Desserts - Postres para Verano
A list of desserts to serve in the hot months of summer.
Dulce de Leche Chocolate Brownies
Rich, decadent brownies taste even more chocolately topped with a dulce de leche nut crumble.
Caramel Custard Flan
Flan is a rich creamy dessert made with lots of eggs, milk, and caramel that is enjoyed throughout Latin America.
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream with Salted Pecans
The wonderful caramel flavor of dulce de leche in creamy ice cream form, with chopped salted pecans.
Venezuelan-style Flan - Quesillo
Venezuelans love flan, also called quesillo - a pudding-like creamy dessert with lots of caramel.
Dulce de Leche Flan
Creamy caramel flan with an extra boost of flavor from caramel dulce de leche.
Dulce de Leche Pionono
Dulce de leche pionono is a delicious jelly roll cake filled with dulce de leche and whipped cream.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake - Torta de Piña
A traditional and pretty pineapple upside down cake, with rings of caramelized pineapple and maraschino cherries.
Coffee Dulce de Leche Ice Cream - Helado de Cafe y Dulce de Leche
The flavor of coffee and dulce de leche combined in a rich ice cream.
Blackberry Ice Cream - Helado de Moras
Berries and cream together in the most delicious way possible - ice cream!
Dulce de Leche Dark Chocolate Brownies
These rich dark chocolate brownies are sophisticated and not overly sweet.
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream - Helado de Coco Toastado
Rich and creamy toasted coconut ice cream is delicious drizzled with some dulce de leche or chocolate.
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream Pie - Pie Helado de Coco
A delicious pie with toasted coconut ice cream and a coconut and macademia nut crust.
Inca Kola Pound Cake with Rum Glaze
A tender citrus pound cake flavored with the Peruvian soda Inca Kola.
Dulce de Leche Mocha Ice Cream Pie
A delicious frozen pie with a cinnamon graham crust filled with layers of ice cream swirled with dulce de leche and fudge.
Panela Ice Cream - Helado de Chancaca
This butterscotch-like ice cream is sweetened with panela, or unrefined sugar from sugarcane.
Strawberry Mango Lime Sorbet - Helado de Fresa y Mango
A tart and refreshing sorbet made with mango, strawberries, and lime.
Blueberry Lime Ice Cream - Helado de Arándanos y Limon
A sweet, tart summer favorite - blueberry ice cream!!
Panettone Cake Truffles
Cake truffles are pretty bite-size treats made by mixing crumbled panettone fruitcake with frosting, and dipping them in icing and chocolate.
Alfajor Ice Cream Sandwiches - Alfajores Helados
An ice cream sandwich version of the delicious alfajor cookie.
Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches
The alfajor cookie becomes an ice cream sandwich, filled with caramel dulce de leche ice cream and fudge sauce.
Mocha Brownie Truffles - Chocolate Dipped Mocha Brownie Bites
These rich brownie truffles are flavored with expresso, dipped in chocolate, and rolled in nuts.
Tropical Cake Truffles - Pineapple Cake with Passionfruit and White Chocolate
These tropical cake truffles are elegant and exotic, with the flavors of pineapple, passionfruit, white chocolate, and coconut.
Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Curd Filling and Meringue
These cupcakes have a surprise filling of lime curd, and are topped with meringue.
Brownies with Dulce de Leche Pecan Frosting
These fudgecake brownies have dulce de leche frosting with the flavor of salted caramel.
Pineapple Pisco Ice Cream - Helado de Piña y Pisco
An intensely flavored pineapple ice cream with Pisco brandy.
Beijinhos - Brazilian Coconut Kisses
These Brazilian coconut candies are easy to make and perfect for parties.
Brazilian Strawberry Candy - Bicho-de-pé
These pretty strawberry candies are sweet and slightly chewy, almost like strawberry taffy.
Strawberry Tres Leches Cake - Pastel de Tres Leches con Fresas
This traditional tres leches cake has a surprise later of strawberry filling.
Mazamorra Pie - Pie de Mazamorra Morada
A North American take on the Peruvian dessert mazamorra morada, a kind of fruity pudding made from boiling purple corn. It's delicious as a pie filling.
Pineapple Coconut Upside Down Cake - Torta de Piña
A rich and buttery cake with caramelized pineapple, toasted coconut, and rum.
Brazilian Carrot Cake - Bolo de Cenouro Com Cobertura de Chocolate
These sweet golden cupcakes get their color from carrots, but they definitely taste like a dessert.
Quince Paste and Manchego Cheese Empanadas - Empanadas de Manchego y Membrillo
These elegant dessert empanadas are filled with manchego cheese and quince paste, a classic pairing.
Lemon Guava Cake with White Chocolate Frosting - Torta de Guayaba y Limon
This elegant cake is perfect for birthdays and other holidays.
Passionfruit Cream Cannoli with Toasted Macademia Nuts
Italian cannoli with the tropical flavors of passionfruit, dried pineapple, and candied macademia nuts.
Mango Passionfruit Pie - Pastel de Mango y Maracuya
This mango passionfruit pie is a tropical variation of key lime pie, with a graham cracker crumb crust and whipped cream.
Coconut Lime Tart with Coconut Cream and Macademia Nuts
A refreshing lime tart with a coconut macademia shortbread crust, coconut cream, and candied macadamia nuts.
Passion Fruit Meringue Tartlets - Bocaditos de Meringue y Maracuyá
Sweet little bite-size meringues are filled with tart and creamy passion fruit curd.
Passion Fruit Pavlova - Pavlova de Maracuya
An elegant summer dessert of meringue, fruit, and whipped cream.
Brazilian Banana Cake - Cuca de Banana
Cuca de banana is a rich Brazilian coffee cake with bananas and a crumb topping.
Key Lime Pie - Pie de Limon
Extra tart small key limes are famous for their pie potential. Similar limes grow in South America, where "pie de limon" is very popular.
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Candied Cranberries and Pecans
An elegant dulce de leche cheesecake for a special occasion.
Coconut Lime Layer Cake - Torta de Coco y Limon
A sweet coconut layer cake filled with tart lime curd.
Spiced Pear Dessert Empanadas - Empanadas de Pera
These dessert empanadas are filled with cinnamon and clove spiced candied pears.
Dulce de Leche Expresso Coffee Cake
A rich coffee cake with swirls of dulce de leche and topped with an expresso crunch struesel.
Toasted Coconut Cake Truffles
Chocolate cake and toasted coconut are the filling for these chocolate dipped cake truffles.
Strawberry Lime Fruit Gelees - Dulce de Fresa y Limon
These intensely flavored strawberry-lime fruit jellies make wonderful gifts.
Pink Grapefruit Fruit Gelees - Dulces de Pomelo Rosado
These pink jellied candies have the bright citrus flavor of pink grapefruit.
Seven Layer Cake with Dulce de Leche and Pineapple
This pretty cake has lots of thin layers filled with dulce de leche and pineapple jam, and is iced with dulce de leche frosting.
Raspberry Blueberry Fruit Gelees - Dulces de Frambuesa y Arándano
Jellied candies with bright berry flavors.
Panettone Bread Pudding - Budin de Paneton
Turn leftover panettone into a moist and delicious bread pudding.
Passion Fruit Mousse Cake - Bolo de Maracuja
This passion fruit mousse cake recipe is both simple and elegant, with its layers of passion fruit mousse, vanilla sponge cake, and whipped cream.
Panettone Trifle with Rum Custard
This elegant trifle is a wonderful way to use leftover panettone from the holidays.
Passionfruit Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
This usual cheesecake combine the sweet/tart flavor of passionfruit with rich dark chocolate.
Bread Pudding with Guava and Dulce de Leche
Rich buttery bread pudding with guava and caramel dulce de leche.
Chocolate Passionfruit Truffles - Trufas de Maracuya
Chocolate and passionfruit are a great combination. These truffles have a ganache and passionfruit filling.
Gingerbread Layer Cake - Torta de Jengibre
This festive cake has layers of gingerbread and a ginger cream filling, and a lemon frosting.
Berlines - Chilean Dulce de Leche Doughnuts
Berlines are small round doughnuts of German origin (krapfen). Chileans fill them with dulce de leche (manjar) or pastry cream.
Brazilian Anthill Cake - Bolo Formigueiro
This moist pound cake is so named because it is filled with mini chocolate chips that look like ants.
Summer Layer Cake with Strawberries and Pineapple - Fancy Torta Maria Luisa
An intensely flavored summertime layer cake with strawberry and pineapple.
Volador - Peruvian Dulce de Leche Pastry
A unique Peruvian dessert made with layers of crispy pastry filled with dulce de leche and pineapple jam.
Maria Luisa Muffins - Citrus Muffins with Raspberry Jam
Elegant citrus muffins with a surprise raspberry jam filling.
Chocolate Cake Roll with Chocolate Cream Filling - Rocambole de Chocolate
This rich chocolate roll cake is perfect for celebrations.
Brazilian Corn Pudding - Curau de Milho Verde
This dessert recipe for a sweet corn pudding is quick and delicious. It's served chilled, so it's a great summer dessert.
Caramel Coconut Bars with Chocolate Chips
Rich and chewy bar cookies topped with caramel and toasted coconut.
Chocolate Banana Cake with Dulce de Leche - Torta de Platano y Chocolate
Two layers of banana cake are filled with dulce de leche then covered with a rich chocolate frosting - a great birthday cake for those who love banana bread.
Passionfruit and Raspberry Jelly Candies- Dulce de Maracuya y Frambuesa
Intensely flavored passionfruit and raspberry jellied candies.
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Dulce de Leche Filling and Caramel Frosting
A three layer pumpkin spice cake, filled with creamy cinnamon dulce de leche, and iced with a rich caramel frosting.
Helado de Lúcuma - Lucuma Ice Cream
Lucuma is an unusual fruit from the Andean region of South America with a distinctive, aromatic sweet flavor. It's popular in many desserts, but lucuma ice cream is one of South America's best kept secrets. If you come across some frozen lucuma pulp at your local Latin market, try this ice cream. You will not be disappointed.
Quince Paste - Dulce de Membrillo
Quince paste is a sweet candy made from the delicious apple-like quince fruit. Quince paste is delicious served with cheese.
Tropical Ambrosia - Ambrosia de Frutas Tropicales
A tropical version of ambrosia with a passionfruit dressing and fresh coconut.
Dulce de Leche Popsicles - Chupetes Helados de Dulce de Leche
These creamy frozen dulce de leche treats are perfect for a hot summer day.
Pineapple Passion Fruit Popsicles - Chupetes Helados de Pina y Maracuya
Both sweet and tart, these pineapple passionfruit popsicles are refreshing tropical treats.
Chupa Chups and Paletas
Gourmet popsicles are popular throughout Latin America, and are becoming popular in the US as well.
Quince Doughnuts - Pastelitos de Membrillo
These little puff pastry "doughnuts" are delicious and unusual.
Bojo Cake - Coconut and Cassava Cake from Suriname
Bojo is a sweet, rich flourless cake made from coconut and grated cassava (yuca).
Postre Chajá - Peach Meringue Cake from Uruguay
A delicious meringue cake with peaches and whipped cream from Uruguay.
Chocolate Fudge Truffles - Brigadeiros
These little Brazilian chocolate candies, called brigadeiros, look like truffles, but are much simpler to make. Serve them in little paper cups for an elegant treat.
Grilled Pineapple Shortcakes with Dulce de Leche
A sweet dessert of grilled pineapple, whipped cream, and dulce de leche.
White Chocolate Mousse Passionfruit Trifle
Elegant trifle with layers of white chocolate mousse, passionfruit pound cake, and fresh fruit.
Brazilian Peanut Candy - Paçoca de Amendoim
This sweet and crumbly Brazilian candy is made with manioc flour and ground peanuts.
Dulce de Leche Fudge with Salted Pecans
This caramel fudge has a toffee like flavor that is delicious with the salted pecans.
Havannets - Argentinian Dulce de Leche Chocolate Conitos
These traditional Argentinian treats go perfectly with an afternoon cup of coffee.
Mango Coconut Ice Cream with Star Anise - Helado de Mango y Coco
This creamy mango ice cream has a hint of exotic flavor from star anise and coconut.
Blackberry Meringue Ice Cream Cake - Crocante de Moras
A delicious layer cake for summer, with layers of almond cake, blackberry ice cream, meringue, and whipped cream.
Dulce de Leche Brownie in a Mug - Brownie en Taza
Instant gratification - warm dark chocolate brownie with a dulce de leche center, ready in 5 minutes.
Blueberry and Peach Empanadas - Empanadas de Fruta
These flaky, buttery, dessert empanadas are filled with summer fruit.
Quick Tres Leches Cake in a Mug - Pastel de Tres Leches en Taza de Café
A quick tres leches cake that can be prepared in the microwave, for instant gratification.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Chocolate Dulce de Leche Glaze
These delightful cupcakes are easy to prepare with a spice cake mix and canned pumpkin.
Pastel de Tres Leches - Three Milk Cake
This well known cake gets its name from the three kinds of milk that are used to make it: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk or cream. Popular throughout South America, tres leches is basically a sponge cake soaked with sweetened milk and topped with whipped cream.