The Flan de Vainilla ‘Carmencita’ is “one of the jewels” at Cocina Al Fondo in San Juan, Puerto Rico
By Annelise Kelly
Judging by many Mexican restaurant menus, desserts are an afterthought, with many relying solely on standbys like basic flan or tres leches to fill diners’ cravings for a sweet end-of- meal treat.
But dessert can transform a delicious meal into a celebration — the culinary version of topping a package with the perfect bow. From the restaurant operator’s perspective, it offers an ideal opportunity to keep customers in-house a bit longer, sweetening their experience, their bill and your bottom line.
Let’s Talk Trends
What are customers looking for when they want to splurge at the end of a meal?
According to data from the 2023 Desserts Keynote report from food and beverage market research firm Datassential, globally inspired desserts — an especially apt category for Mexican and Latin restaurants — are among the trends consumers and operators are embracing:
41 percent of consumers are interested in globally inspired desserts.
28 percent of operators currently offer globally inspired desserts.
38 percent of operators are interested in adding globally inspired desserts to their offerings.
Frozen desserts from global cuisines, in particular, are those that Datassential calls one of the 10 dessert “mega trends,” with 39 percent of consumers finding them extremely or very appealing.
Health and dietary considerations represent another significant trend in the category. According to Datassential, four out of five consumers are at least somewhat interested in mini desserts.
“Considering these results, it makes sense for restaurants and foodservice establishments to offer more small desserts, particularly considering that more consumers are fitting a treat into their day instead of having a big dessert after dinner,” Datassential information says. “Since price doesn’t factor as high with desserts as it does with other food, mini desserts can be a great option for foodservice opera- tors looking to grow sales.”
Datassential also reports that 26 percent of consumers overall, 39 percent of Gen Zers, and 35 percent of millenials reported an interest in diet-specific desserts, and cites vegan desserts as a category operators should not ignore. “These desserts are still a draw for over a quarter of the population, and 45 percent of millennial consumers,” information from Datassential says. “Having vegan varieties available was important to more than a third of consumers buying desserts at a restaurant or to take home.”
Restaurant Renditions of Trending Sweets
Many restaurants are transforming their dessert menus by putting global twists on familiar desserts, upscaling basic Mexican and Latin confections, and incorporating options for health-conscious diners.
At Jalao NYC, a Dominican restaurant in New York City, executive chef Noemi Guzman finds inspiration in a multitude of sources. “Traditional Latin desserts hold a special place in my heart, as they represent the rich culinary heritage of my Domini- can roots,” says Guzman, who enjoys infusing Latin ingredients such as plantains, coconuts, and tropical fruits into her creations.
The Jalao Cheesecake that incorporates coconut, dulce de leche, chocolate mousse and coconut crème anglaise is one example. She also offers Classico Majarete, a traditional corn pudding elevated with ice cream and crumble, and the Five Leches Dominicana, an updated take on tres leches that’s made with soaked sponge cake, strawberry coulis, mixed berries and Chantilly cream. The “five” refers to five layers: whole cow’s milk; a layer of caramel-like dulce de leche (“which is a very traditional dessert from the Dominican Republic,” Guzman says); condensed milk; evaporated milk; and goat ricotta.
A tropical version of tres leches stars at Pambiche, a Cuban restaurant in Portland, Oregon. There, co-owners and chefs John Maribona and Rosanne Romaine (once known as the Batman and Robin of pastry at some Portland restaurants!), have dubbed the dessert The Lime in the Coconut — lime sponge cake drenched with saoco sweet coconut milk, fresh lime and Bacardi Superior Rum, filled with coconut custard cream, and dressed with Chantilly cream. Another Pambiche standout is the Guava Cheesecake — a rich round of cheesecake set atop a vanilla cookie crust and bathed in a sweet guava glaze.
At 16 restaurants in the Dallas-headquartered Cantina Laredo chain, Mexican Apple Pie is the most popular dessert, according to company president David Wierman, who describes how the kitchen puts a very Hispanic spin on a very American favorite. “We bake the pies in-house and serve them on a sizzling skillet, elevated with brandy butter made with Mexican brandy and a canela (cinnamon) ice cream full of flavor like you’d expect to get in Mexico.”
In addition to the Mexican Apple Pie, customers can choose from flan with a hint of Cointreau; Mango Tres Leches Cake; and a warm brownie on a sizzling skillet with Mexican brandy butter, walnuts and whipped cream.
Chef de Cuisine Abner Peralta at Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food and Cantina in Carlsbad, California is also inspired by tradition. “We always want to make everything taste and look as authentic as possible, but I’m always up for the challenge to fuse everything with something modern or different, and I love to play around with seasonal flavors,” Peralta says. His menu includes innovative spins on tradition in the Horchata Cheesecake and the Tangerine Flan with brûléed tangerine, crumbled crepes, and tangerine supremes.
On the globally inspired frozen dessert front, Juan’s — a Mexican restaurant with locations in Gloucester, Newport News, and Richmond, Virginia — recently introduced the Margarita Float. It’s the latest addition to the restaurant’s menu of soft serve margaritas, which dessert-craving diners also can find at Barrio Taqueria & Cantina in Richmond.
And on the less-can-be-more side is the Churroulette from Tabu in Chicago, which features mini churros set in shot glasses filled with dulce de leche, dark chocolate and guava.
Similarly, Guzman and Peralta are working to make sure diners following special diets have delicious choices for sweet endings.
“We are witnessing a trend towards more health-conscious options without compromising on flavor. Customers are increasingly seeking desserts made with organic, natural ingredients and those that cater to dietary restrictions such as gluten-free or vegan options,” Guzman says. “It’s important for us as chefs to adapt to these preferences and offer a diverse range of desserts that cater to various dietary needs. For most of our ingredients in our desserts we try to use organic or fresh ingredients from local farms. For example, for our Majarete we use organic corn.”
Alejandra’s Peralta agrees. “Since I joined Alejandra’s, the most popular and best-selling dessert is our Gluten-Free Tres Leches Cake,” Peralta reports. “We recently added our Gluten-Free Churro Bites Dessert and it’s becoming as popular as the cake. People love them, especially when our servers let them know that they are gluten-free.”
The Bottom Line
No matter the menu, desserts can play an important role in a restaurant’s financial success. In fact, 60 percent of operators say that the desserts they offer help drive profit, Datassential reports. That is true at Jalao, according to Guzman, who estimates that about 50 percent of customers order dessert.
“From a profit perspective, desserts play a crucial role in our overall financial performance at Jalao,” Guzman says. “They contribute significantly to our revenue stream and help enhance our profitability. We carefully analyze the cost of ingredients, portion sizes, and pricing to ensure that our desserts are not only delicious but also profitable. By offering enticing and delectable dessert options, we can increase our average check size and enhance the overall dining experience, ultimately contributing to our financial success.”
Annelise Kelly is a Portland, Oregon-based writer and frequent contributor to el Restaurante.
About the Opening Photo:
The Flan de Vainilla ‘Carmencita’ is “one of the jewels” at Cocina Al Fondo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the menu from Chef Natalia Vallejo — winner of the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef: South — brings the countryside to the city, tradition to modern life. Vallejo named the dish in honor of her mother, who proposed adding it to the dessert menu. It isn’t always offered, but when it appears, it sells very quickly.
“That dessert is one of the few recipes that my mother has, and it is the typical one that she brought to family parties,” Vallejo says. “It has been a success because it represents our ancestors. It comes from that line, from that tradition, combined with a currant jam that gives it a touch of freshness. It is a classic, rustic dessert that represents family union, partying, sharing, and grandmother.”