Owing to its coastal location, Puerto Rico’s desserts are rich in coconuts, guavas, pineapples and a lot of sweet syrups that are dessert nirvana for anyone who has a sweet tooth. The archipelago has plenty to offer tourists overheated from the blazing sun to cool and refresh ranging from iced desserts to chilled and jiggly coconut puddings.
These bite-sized pastries are a beloved staple in Puerto Rica with a base base consisting of a light, flaky dough that encases a sweet filling of guava paste. This is baked, after which the pastries are dusted with a coating of powdered sugar. These can be easily made at home with store-bought puff pastry and some guava paste. For a richer option, consider trying the Quesitos de Guayaba - a version that also includes a sweetened cream cheese filling and guava paste.
Also known as the Gypsy Arm, these are Puerto Rico’s version of a Swiss Roll or Roulade which consists of a sponge dessert cake slathered with guava paste and rolled, then sprinkled with powdered sugar. It’s similar to its European cousins because it was brought in by the Spanish folks when they were immigrating to the South of America. This dessert is perfect with a cup of bitter joe especially if you don’t fancy your coffee dark and bitter. Brazo Gitano uses guava paste but is often substituted or mixed with cheese, cream cheese or chocolate spreads, rolled and cut into slices.
Resembling a pot of mud with colorful toppings, Tierrita is a mousse that is rich in chocolate and is named so because of it being served in pots. The base of the dessert is either a creamy chocolate pudding or a vanilla pudding that is topped with classic Oreo cookies in crushed form. This crushed Oreos, combined with the layers of chocolate pudding is what gives the dessert a "dirt-like" appearance - hence the name Tierra de Chocolate, or "Chocolate Dirt".
Essentially a coconut pudding, Tembleque is a staple at Christmas festivities in Costa Rica, although it is also served at festivities and is available year-round in bakeries and restaurants. Tembleque is known for its wonderfully jiggly, pudding-like texture and the name itself translates to "trembling" or "quivering" in Spanish. Made from coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt, over a stovetop, this dessert transforms into a silky, custard-like pudding within minutes. This is then poured into moulds, that set into little domed shapes when chilled.
Flan is a classic caramel custard dessert with roots in Europe that Puerto Ricans have adapted and adopted as their own. The traditional vanilla version combines condensed milk, evaporated milk, and eggs into a rich, creamy custard, and Puerto Ricans have developed their own unique takes on this beloved dessert. One particularly popular variation is flan de queso, which incorporates cream cheese into the custard base. Beyond the classic vanilla and cream cheese options, Puerto Rican flans also come in creative flavors like flan de calabaza (pumpkin flan) and choco flan (chocolate flan).
Is a coastal country that faces the Caribbean on one side and the Pacific on the other, complete without a chilled dessert? Enter Piragua, which is Costa Rica’s popular shaved ice dessert that is somewhat similar to the “baraf ka gola” or “chuski” which is a popular summer treat sold by street vendors. Head to the capital of the country, San Juan and you will find plenty of street vendors selling these in cups topped with different colored syrups.
Tres Leches, or "Three Milks" cake is much enjoyed in Puerto Rico, even though it is not exclusive to the country. The cake's signature texture comes from the fluffy sponge cake recipe being thoroughly soaked in a blend of three dairy ingredients - evaporated milk, whole milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Once thoroughly chilled, the cake is adorned with a generous layer of freshly whipped cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon.
In many Puerto Rican homes, a nostalgic cake graces the table on special occasions – the pineapple rum cake, often referred to as an “upside-down cake”. This pineapple sweet recipe can be plain or topped with pineapple slices and the key ingredient is the Puerto Rican rum, which is added to the cake batter to make the cake moist and fluffy. This rum-soaked, pineapple-flavored cake is often served with ice cream and reserved for special occasions only.