10 Delish Dessert Recipes from Panama with Refreshing and Comforting Flavors

The little elephant trunk of a country connecting Central America and South America, Panama has had iconic movies made in and on it. While the tinted lenses focus on the beaches and heroes zipping along the beach in a heated chase, why not take a detour to focus on the country’s special sweets instead?

1. Helado de Pipa

Starting with a coconut-based dessert, Panama makes delicious ice cream with not just the coconut pulp but the coconut water, called “agua de pipa” in Spanish. A coconut is cracked open, the flesh and water extracted and mixed with milk and sugar and processed into a delicious and refreshing ice cream.

2. Bocado de la reina

Bocado de la reina is a bread pudding, with a cake-like quality, prepared with leftover bread, condensed milk, eggs, and bananas. Typically, the cake is flavored with cinnamon, and raisins may be incorporated for additional taste. This dish is particularly popular in Panama and Guatemala and literally translates to "the bite of a queen" or "queen's bite".

3. Flan

Staying true to its Spanish and Latin American roots, Flan is a local caramel custard that is the peak comfort food when it comes to desserts. Sugar, eggs and milk combine to form the delicious wobbly custard base that is drenched in a bath of caramel sauce, what’s not to love.

4. Huevitos de leche

A Panamanian specialty Huevitos de leche are small milky eggs that are popular for picnics, children's parties, and as an accompaniment to afternoon tea. This sweet treat originates from the Chiriquí province and is made with milk, sugar, and either cornstarch or flour and typically flavored with a cinnamon stick added while the ingredients boil. When the mixture becomes golden brown, it is left to cool and then formed into small egg shapes and these eggs are traditionally dusted with icing sugar and wrapped in colored paper.

5. Sopa borracha

Sopa borracha is another Panamanian dessert, that translates to drunken soup, that is especially popular at weddings and birthdays. It consists of fluffy sponge cake recipe cut into pieces and drenched in a sweet syrup made with sugar, cinnamon, lemon, dark rum, and sherry, with prunes and raisins used as a topping.

6. Arroz con Leche

A rich and sumptuous rice pudding that isn’t unique to the country, but irrespective of that it’s quite a popular dessert. This rice pudding is made with regular milk, evaporated and condensed milk which are boiled with the rice then sugar, vanilla, raisins, and a cinnamon stick are added to flavour the pudding. It’s akin to payasam or kheer in our country and is a common fixture at birthdays, weddings and other major celebrations.

7. Pesada de Nance

A cherished Panamanian dessert, often made by grandmothers, this cornflour based dessert is pure nostalgia for the locals. The key ingredient is nance, a sour fruit related to the cherry which are cooked with evaporated milk and cornflour to create the creamy base, which is then topped with local white cheese which is then served either hot or cold.

8. Chicheme

Another corn based, not dessert but a drink, this Panamanian drink also doubles as a dessert made from corn, milk, and spices. Though the combination of corn and milk may sound unusual, the result is a filling and pleasant beverage. The preparation involves cooking broken corn kernels with evaporated milk, sugar, and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, or vanilla. Chicheme is said to originate from the town of La Chorrera, that is about an hour from Panama City.

9. Cocada

Cocadas, as the name implies, are made with coconut that the country grows plenty of. While the basic recipe is found throughout Latin America, there can be regional variations. Cicada is made with shredded coconut, condensed milk, and cane sugar, which are then baked in the oven. These are enjoyed as a dessert with coffee or as a snack and are particularly popular around the Easter season.

10. No Me Olvides

An ice cream trifle of sorts, this “don’t forget me” (literal translation) dessert is a glorified sundae with the ice cream and sponge cake as the base and topping such as nuts, marshmallows, and chopped seasonal fruits. This is then drizzled with sweet syrups such as caramel and served staright to waiting customers.