Hispanic Desserts to Sweeten Up Your Thanksgiving!

When you think about American holidays, Thanksgiving is bound to pop up in your head. However, as we know, America is a diverse country, comprising many different cultures. Not all people who live in this country were born in it; they have brought different traditions and customs from their countries of origin, which they have integrated into their lives in America. For Hispanics, these traditions and customs are passed down through generations, creating a harmonious blend between American culture and their own.is evident in many Hispanic families today. One American tradition that some Hispanic families adopted is Thanksgiving, but of course, the food would have its own twist to it, specifically the desserts.

In Hispanic countries, certain desserts are prepared and consumed during this time of the year, and once they reach your taste buds, you instantly feel the start of the holiday season. Here are a few tasty Hispanic desserts that you can try or make during Thanksgiving and Christmas to give you that holiday spirit!

Tres Leches Cake

Tres leches is a well-known cake in Latin America, popularly prepared in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and more. It translates to “three milks,” and as the name suggests, it is a cake that consists of three different kinds of milk. It is a quite simple recipe where you can either bake a cake from scratch or use a cake mix. Usually, people bake white or yellow cake for this recipe, but variations also exist, including chocolate tres leches and even Oreo tres leches. The three milks used in this recipe are evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk, which are mixed and poured over the baked cake, creating a delicious, sweet, and moist texture. You can top the cake with whipped cream, frosting, strawberries, or any toppings you desire. The cake should then be placed in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight, and then it’ll be ready to eat!

Arroz con Leche

Arroz con Leche is another simple dessert that many Peruvians and Mexicans associate with their culture. The name translates to “rice with milk,” and essentially, that is what the dessert is. 

It is very similar to rice pudding, where cooked rice is mixed with evaporated milk, whole milk, and sweetened condensed milk. With the help of cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla, it enhances the flavors. Once the consistency is just right, you can serve the hot and creamy dessert to warm you up in the holiday cold, or you can place it in the refrigerator if you prefer to eat Arroz con Leche at a cooler temperature.  

Budín de Pan

Budín de Pan is a version of bread pudding that is made in the Dominican Republic, Peru, and most commonly, in Puerto Rico. The dessert requires a couple of loaves of bread broken into little pieces. Milk, sugar, eggs, butter, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract must be combined well in a bowl with the bread before pouring them into the baking tray. In Puerto Rico, budín de pan is made with raisins, so if you’d like, you can put some raisins in the mixture as well. A caramel sauce made by melting sugar is also common to integrate into this recipe, but if you prefer no caramel sauce, that is totally fine! The dessert will still come out delicious. Budín must be cooked in a water bath in the oven, and once it’s ready, the sweet smell of vanilla and cinnamon will happily greet you. 

Tembleque 

Tembleque is a Puerto Rican coconut pudding dessert that gets its name from the Spanish word temblar, which means shake. Because of the jiggly consistency of the dessert, the name makes perfect sense. In a pot, cinnamon, cornstarch, sugar, and salt are mixed together for this dessert, but the real star is coconut milk, which gets added gradually to this mix and gives tembleque its signature taste. To make this dessert come to life, place the pot over the stove, turn it on, and keep stirring slowly until the consistency is light and creamy. You can also eat this dessert hot or cold, simply serving it on a plate or pouring it into a mold so that it can refrigerate and develop shape. Once you try the first spoonful, you won’t be able to get enough of the tropical, smooth, refreshing flavors of tembleque. 

Although Thanksgiving isn’t typically celebrated in Hispanic countries, knowing how popular the holiday is in this country, it is normal and expected for Hispanics living in America to have adopted this holiday into their lives. What’s special and important about this holiday is that Hispanics get the chance to make Thanksgiving their own by making not only sweets but also food during the holiday, to bring a bit of their culture to the States. Having their traditional food prepared for this holiday can make them feel closer to their country, family, and friends, and it is such a great feeling. It can also bring children who were born in America but have Hispanic descent closer to their culture that they might not feel too connected with. Thanksgiving becomes a tradition that brings Hispanic families closer together, allowing them to feel like they’re back to their roots, even if it only lasts a day, it is still worth it.