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Argentine desserts or postres and sweets or dulces, are everywhere you look in Argentina.
Argentinians have a love affair with these delicious but calorie laden delights.
Bakeries or panaderias, ice-cream stores or Heladerias and the famous alfajores tempt you at every corner.
We cannot talk about authentic food in Argentina without talking about the Argentinian desserts the country has to offer.
Every meal is a reason to have something sweet. And in Argentina, you’ll have plenty to choose from.
To guide your sweet choices, here are the top 7 authentic Argentina desserts you should experience.
1- Dulce de Leche Desserts
You cannot miss dulce de leche or “sweet milk” when you come to Argentina. It is everywhere and used in all types of Argentine desserts and sweets.
It is made of sweetened milk that is heated and becomes caramelized to create this nice sweet caramel milk paste.
Dulce de leche is eaten practically at every meal, including breakfast where it is spread on bread or toast.
You will easily find dulce de leche at all supermarkets in Argentina. The best kinds are homemade or artisanal brands which have a less artificial taste than the industrial ones.
RELATED: The Best Dulce de Leche Argentina | Authentic Homemade Recipe
Chocotorta: One of the Most Popular Argentinian Desserts
Dulce de leche is also used in one Chocotorta, one of the easiest Argentina desserts to make.
This chocolate Argentina cake is not usually found on the dessert menus at restaurants. Argentinians eat it on a regular basis at home for family gatherings or birthday celebrations.
In Argentina, we actually had this dessert at a birthday party in Buenos Aires.
It is a chocolate cake made of chocolate cookies dipped in coffee and layered with dulce de leche and creamed cheese.
The best part is that you don’t even have to bake it. A chocoholics dream come true.
AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST RECIPE: Authentic Chocotorta Recipe: Easy to Make Argentina Birthday Cake
2- Alfajores The Ultimate Argentinian Cookies
Alfajores are one of the most prevalent sweet specialties in Argentina. An alfajores is a type of cookie that is made of two sweet cornstarch biscuits joined together with dulce de leche.
You will find alfajores coated with dark or white chocolate, or simply covered with coconut or sugar powder.
Alfajores can be eaten for breakfast or for dessert at lunch or dinner. They are also eaten as snacks to accompany the tea, coffee, or mate, a traditional drink of Argentina.
You will find alfajores sold in cafes, bakeries or panaderias or in individual packets at specialty stores like Havana.
Havana offers some of the best in Argentina with many different flavors at the store. You can find them online to satisfy your craving for Argentinian desserts.
Although they are rich and sweet, they are not overwhelmingly sugary. It is incredibly easy to fall into the temptation of eating one every single day. Be warned.
3- Rogel A traditional Argentinian Cake
We discovered this amazing Argentine dessert on our first trip to the Pampas for an asado, a traditional Argentinian bbq.
Everyone at the asado was eagerly waiting for aunt Sandra’s homemade Rogel cake.
Rogel is a unique cake made of several layers of light pastry separated by dulce de leche and topped with meringue.
The layers of pastry are thin and make for a nice soft cake. The gooey meringue adds a new level of sweetness that can make it a little too sweet.
Nonetheless, the combination of textures mixed with dulce de leche is a sure winner.
Rogel is not very easy to find but is worth hunting down. It is an Argentinian dessert mostly eaten at home or made for events.
Look for it at cafes or panaderias and don’t give up your search for it. It is delicious and you will thank us later.
READ MORE: An Asado in the Pampas of Argentina
4- Dulce de Membrillo Quince Paste For Dessert
This Argentinian dessert is made from membrillo or quince in English.
The fruit looks like a bumpy pear, and it is not sweet in its raw state. Argentina actually ranks among the world’s top producers of quince.
The most popular culinary use for quince in Argentina is dulce de membrillo. It is a paste that is not too sweet and can be eaten as is as a snack or to end a meal.
It is also a popular filling for pastries such as the pastelitos de membrillo.
Dulce de membrillo or quince paste is sold in a paste format for tarts like torta de membrillo, or cakes called budin de membrillo.
Vigilante Quince Paste Paired with Cheese
Dulce de membrillo makes a delightful pairing with cheese for another unique Argentinian dessert called Vigilante.
This is another authentic dessert from Argentina that is not commonly served at restaurants.
Most Argentinian eat it at home. It is a very simple two-part dessert which consists of two slices of paste and cheese.
You can easily recreate this Argentine dessert at home
The sweet paste part can be either dulce de membrillo or dulce de batata which is sweet potato paste.
The second part is a slice of queso or cheese that is similar to a Gouda.
While Vigilante is popular paired dulce de membrillo, we recommend trying the one with the dulce de batata as well.
It is not intensely sweet and doesn’t taste like a potato. Instead, it literally melts in your mouth.
5- Flan Casero Or Flan Mixto Homemade Argentinian Flan
Flan is one of the most popular desserts in Argentina. In Buenos Aires, in particular, it is easily found on every restaurant menus.
This classic dessert found across Latin America takes a special twist in Argentina with the addition of dulce de leche.
In restaurants, you can have it by itself or with a spoonful of dulce de leche and whipped cream.
We had our flan at a bodega or casual restaurant in Buenos Aires. Already satisfied after our meal, could not miss flan with a touch of dulce de leche for a full Argentine experience.
Flan Mixto or homemade flan is a caramel custard made with eggs, whole eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar.
Nice and smooth, the flan gets a sweetness boost from the touch of dulce de leche.
We highly recommend the whipped cream combination to soften the sweetness of this Argentine dessert.
6- Helados Creamy Argentinian Ice-Cream
Helados stands for ice-cream in Spanish, and Argentinians have mastered the art of making ice-cream.
Argentinian ice cream is made with whole milk and is very creamy and thick. The quality is excellent with the use of natural products and little artificial flavors or preservatives.
The abundance of Heladerias or ice cream parlors in Argentina speaks to the popularity of helados.
When you order, you will be surprised to learn that you can buy it by the kilo. You can get your cones or cups, but the 1 or 2-kilo tubs are very popular with Argentinian families.
Brought to Argentina by Italian immigrants, Argentina’s have perfected the recipe which is similar to gelato.
We talk more about the Italian imprint on Argentinian cuisine in our article about the Italian influence in Argentina.
Arguably, many have said that Argentinian ice cream is better than in Italy.
In Buenos Aires, you’ll find artisanal stores and well-known chains serving the very best helados.
There are many choices when it comes to flavors. We recommend trying the most typical ones from the region such as dulce de leche or flavors using mate.
Popular chains that you will find in Argentina are Freddo, Persicco, or Un Altra Volta which all offer very good ice-cream.
Freddo also has a few stores in the US, mostly in Miami and Charleston. They are worth seeking out if you are craving Argentinian ice cream.
We tried Freddo in Miami and found the experience quite similar to Freddo in Argentina.
Argentinian ice cream or helados are not be missed. Be sure to indulge in the very popular dulce de leche flavor.
RELATED: Best Argentina Chocolate | Guide to Bariloche Sweet Little Switzerland
7- Facturas Argentina Pastries
Facturas are the name given for pastries that can be found at the many bakeries or panaderias around the country.
Facturas are little pastries that are often sold individually or by the dozen. It’s worth getting a dozen to sample the different types plus it is more economical. It also makes for a great excuse to buy by the dozen.
Facturas are most typically eaten for breakfast or for merienda, the mid-afternoon break.
These little pastries are covered with sugar and are usually filled with dulce de leche, custard or crema pastelera, or dulce de membrillo.
Facturas are also available plain and without any filling. There are so many kinds that it is quite a challenge to try them all.
Medialunas – Argentinian Croissant
The most iconic Argentinian facturas are medialunas.
Medialunas are popular pastries that have the traditional crescent or half-moon shape of French croissants.
Compared to French croissants, they are a tad sweeter and are slightly more doughy.
Medialunas are sold at bakeries along with the other facturas or pastries, often by the dozen.
You can also find medialunas at coffee places for breakfast or for the merienda, Argentina tea time.
At the merienda time, medialunas are usually served with cafe de leche or coffee with milk.
READ MORE: about the merienda and medialunas Argentinian culture in our article 10 surprising discoveries about Buenos Aires.
Looking for Argentina Desserts Recipes
Chocotorta is one of the easiest Argentine desserts to make. We brought back this recipe from Argentina in our article Authentic Chocotorta Recipe: Easy to Make Argentina Birthday Cake.
Argentina Chocotorta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 oz Dulce de Leche
- 5.3 oz Cream Cheese remove from fridge and allow it to soften
- 2 tbsp Creme fraiche or sour cream optional
- 8 oz Chocolate Cookies depending on the size of your dish
- 1 cup coffee freshly brewed
- 1 oz Valrhona dark chocolate for garnishing
- Parchment paper optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, combine the dulce de leche and cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add creme fraiche or sour cream and continue mixing. It should be a light caramel color with no lumps. Taste to achieve the ratio you like. Reserve
- Brew a cup of black coffee and pour it in a shallow dish. This is for dipping the chocolate cookies to make them moist. Make sure not to dip them for too long or they will get soggy and crumble.
- Line your dessert baking dish with parchment and begin building the Argentina cake.
- Submerge each chocolate cookie one by one in the coffee and line them across the parchment paper in the dessert baking dish. You may need to break up a couple of cookies to get the right geometrical shape to cover the entire surface.
- Pour some of the dulce de leche mixture and spread evenly with a spatula. Arrange another layer of coffee-soaked cookies. And then, add another layer of the dulce de leche mixture.
- Continue adding layers of chocolate cookies dipped in coffee followed by more dulce de leche mixture.
- You should have at least four layers of cookies ending with a layer of dulce de leche.
- For garnishing, melt a few squares of high-quality dark chocolate and pour on top of the last layer of dulce de leche.
- After having made the recipe for the first time, we would now recommend delicately melting the chocolate. Instead of melting the chocolate over a stovetop, we recommend using the bain marie method for a smooth finish.
- Once you have spread it out evenly, grate a few dark chocolate squares and sprinkle over the Argentina cake.
- Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours. The longer the Argentina cake sits in the refrigerator, the better it gets.
Notes
Nutrition
Dulce de Leche Cookbook
For more Argentinian desserts recipes check out this Dulce de Leche cookbook. You will learn how to make artisanal dulce de leche at home.
It also shows you how to use dulce de leche in more than 80+ Argentinian recipes. Bundled with short stories and cultural tips, it makes for a great addition to any kitchen.
Looking to Eat Argentina Desserts
To indulge in ready to eat desserts from Argentina, check out these delicious Argentine products.
Alfajores
Alfajor Maizena
Dulce de Leche
Dulce de Leche ice cream
Although not from Argentina, this dulce de leche flavored ice-cream will give you a taste of Argentina.
In Summary
Argentina has many more sweets or dulces, and desserts or postres than are highlighted in this article.
Every time we met new people in Argentina, we found out about new Argentine desserts.
While this is not a comprehensive list of all the desserts in Argentina, we hope that it satisfies your craving for delicious Argentinian desserts.
Let us know in the comments below what your favorite Argentinian desserts are.
Savor the Adventure!
Looking For More Food Experiences in Argentina?
Our book Authentic Food Quest Argentina takes you on a culinary tour through four main regions of the country – Buenos Aires, Mendoza & the Wine Regions, the Andean Northwest, and Patagonia & the Lake Region.
In the book, you’ll discover over 50 iconic dishes and drinks and what makes them so special to Argentina.
Stories and insights shared by local experts including Argentina’s most renowned Chef, Francis Mallmann, bring the local food experiences to life.
Use this guide to find the best authentic restaurants and avoid the tourist traps. Learn how to order your beef the Argentine way and what street foods to eat like a local.
Use this as a guide to savor your adventures in Argentina
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Claire is co-founder of Authentic Food Quest and a lover of simple and exquisite cuisine. Since 2015, with her partner, Rosemary, she has been traveling the world as a digital nomad, creating content about local food experiences.
Her advice from visiting 45 countries and more than 240 food cities has been featured in Lonely Planet, Business Insider, Honest Cooking, Food Insider, and Huffington Post. She has also co-authored three books, including one in collaboration with Costa Brava Tourism.
An ex-mechanical engineer, Claire is responsible for SEO, keeping the website running, and the fun food & travel videos on YouTube.
When Claire is not eating, she can be found running or cycling. Find out more about Authentic Food Quest
It’s actually a great and helpful piece of information. I am satisfied that you just shared this useful information for us.
It is very helpful and interesting. Thank you for sharing the great information.
Thanks for your support 🙂
Apart from that you missed one which is very, very typical here (Yes, I’m from Argentina) and is the Chocotorta (Choco-cake) a cake made of sweet chocolate with cookies and if you like you can add some cream.
That sounds delicious Matias. I believe we had something very similar. There are so many wonderful desserts in Argentina. We look forward to coming back and exploring further. Thanks for the tip!
Think I am going to have a fat day when I finally get down to Argentina cause I love all of these desserts. Being Cuban they remind me a lot of our desserts too. For Dulce de leche we used to make a poor man’s version where we would take a Sweetened Condensed Milk, pop two holes in the top of the can opposite of each other. Then we would blow into one hole to “push” out the thick gooey milk into a mug. THEN, we would take a spoonful of Hershey or Nestle quick and stir it into the condensed milk….I am sure it causes diabetes but it tastes like a perfect childhood!
With these other Authentic desserts in Argentina, I think I want to try and eat my weight in Rogel cake too. Don’t Judge ME!
Lol….that’s amazing. Your dulce de leche version sounds obscene…but incredibly tasty. You’ll balance out the sugar with all the meat. Don’t worry about that!! It’s true though, the desserts in Argentina are something else. Thanks for sharing, Eric!
I have such a sweet tooth that all of these desserts made me want to jump on a plane to Argentina immediately!! I have a lactose sensitivity, but I doubt that would stop me from trying all of the dulce de leche options. Also, the Medialunas look divine. And now I’m hungry!! 🙂
The desserts in Argentina are incredibly tempting. Regardless of sensitivities, all of them must be tasted. Glad you enjoyed the article, Patricia.
Argentina seems like a heaven for sweet lovers and their all deserts look equally tempting and mouthwatering. Dulce de leche seems to be the main one and forms part if everything. The Argentina ice cream and croissants too are quite mouth-watering. I would love trying all of these.
You can’t go wrong with the desserts in Argentina. We loved them all the ice cream is some of the best we’ve ever had. Thanks for stopping by.
I love Dulce de Leche! Yes, they’re pretty abundant all over the mercados in Argentina. I’ve tried various Helados there too. I spent time in Cayate, which is a wine region, and they had wine infused Helados which was yummy. The weirdest thing I saw was Viagra flavored Helado lol! It’s blue in color and I’m not exactly sure if it’s meant to have the drug-infused in the ice cream or not :0
Wow, that’s different….viagra infused helados. Hmmmm! We spent time in Cafayate as well and loved the white wine and red wine infused ice creams. Pretty tasty indeed. Do you love dulce de leche? Thanks, Adonis
Thanks for leaving me in a mouth-watering state with nothing to eat that closely resembles what you have described! Not! I absolutely adore dulce de leche and any dessert that uses it. I’d be in heaven enjoying these desserts!
Great to hear Tami. So many wonderful desserts to choose from in Argentina 🙂 Deliciousness
I would really love to see you take on that challenge on trying most of the Argentinan desserts. 😀 But seriously, I can’t get enough of Dulce de leche, I only just discovered it here in the UK and can’t stop buying the stuff now. Had to get another blogger to tell me what was in Dulce de leche recently. Love the stuff!
Wow, that’s wonderful that you discovered dulce de leche. It is absolutely the best. We were blown away by the number of aisles stocked with dulce de leche in Argentina as well as the varieties. Our favorite ended up being homemade from a local artisan. Regardless, dulce de leche is a treat that keeps on giving. Thanks, Danik.
Wow I would’ve never learnt of Argentinian desserts if I had not stumbled upon this blog. Dulce de leche seems really a popular dessert and a key ingredient in desserts itself. Though I am more interested in tasting authentic Vigilante.
Glad this article introduced you to Argentinian desserts. They are all good and you can’t go wrong with any of them! Hope you get to try them soon, Shreya. Thanks for stopping by.
What an amazing gallery of desserts, especially dulce de leche that I have heard so much about. Very Spanish so somewhat familiar to me in Philippine cuisine that’s a third Spanish. We just use condensed milk though and do not caramelize it.
Glad you enjoyed the article, Carol. The desserts in Argentina are worth seeking out. Much different from the ones we had in the Philippines. Thanks for stopping by!
Hmm. dulce de leche. I can only imagine how incredible a fresh batch would taste. Especially with a sweet Argentine croissant and maybe strong coffee with just a kiss of milk.
Yum…yum and yum to everything you’ve just said. We tried that exact combination and it is divine. Hope you can taste that soon too! Cheers.
Oh geez – why’d this have to pop up in my feed now of all times. I just arrived to Buenos Aires and am trying to get fit! 🙂
Lol…don’t fear, enjoy the local sweets in moderation and then check out our other article about keeping fit in Buenos Aires. That way you’ll have the best of both worlds 🙂 Cheers.
Lovely post! As an argentinian, im glad that you enjoyed our postres. And dont forget the flan with dulce de leche! That is one of the most classic ones, you will find it at every restorant. Kisses!
Thank you, Flor and a great addition to the article – flan with dulce de leche. The food in Argentina is delightful and the postres are wonderful. We enjoyed and highly recommend Argentinian food and wine, always! Cheers.
This makes me want to go grab some desserts, but it’s hard to find authentic ones like those on your list! The 3-Rogel is the most interesting to me!!!
So glad you enjoyed the article, Trisha. You would not be disappointed with the Rogel. It is incredibly delicious and worthy of a trip to Argentina 🙂
Wow. These all look great. I love dulce de leche, but I’ve never had the rest of these… and now I’m starving!
Thanks Mags, Argentinian desserts are mouthwatering. Great that you’ve had dulce de leche. It is a popular filling in many traditional Argentinian desserts. Do you like it? We do 🙂 Cheers
All of these desserts look so tasty and delicious! The rogel looks particularly scrumptious. Layers of pastry are my weakness. Great guide to the desserts of Argentina!
Thanks so much Claudia. Glad you enjoyed the article. The rogel is delicious, though incredibly sweet 🙂 Definitively worthy of seeking out 🙂
My weakness! Everything looks yum!
Looks like some fantastic eats! I love finding those foodie treasures, and these look like just that! I would want to make the effort to find Rogel. It sounds super yummy!
Thank you Paige and so glad you enjoyed reading about the yummy delights. That rogel is outstanding. Difficult to find at a restaurant or bakery, but incredibly worth it with 🙂 Let us know if you do try and make it. Cheers!
Considering I just ate dinner i now want all of these for dessert. The Alfajores look especially amazing!
Thanks Candiss, we totally appreciate your sentiments. Happens to us all the time when writing about food 🙂 Cheers!
I haven’t been to Argentina but when I was in Melbourne, Australia, I went to one Argentinian restaurant and tried dulce de leche and alfajores there, Totally loved them! Have been looking for opportunities to try out more Argentinian food and desserts like you’ve listed above but unfortunately Argentinian restaurants are so hard to find in SE Asia.
Thanks so much and glad to read that you have enjoyed the delights of alfajores and dulce de leche. The next time you are visiting a region with an Argentinian restaurant, give it a go again. Thanks for stopping by.
Oh man, you’re killing me. There is an Argentinian bakery in Dallas. I’m heading there, NOW!
Lucky you for having an Argentinian bakery close by. Order one of everything and let us virtually enjoy the delights with you 🙂
Omg I am a dessert addict! These look so amazing! I would love some authentic dulce de leche ans those ice creams look yummy
Awesome!! Glad this article went straight to your “sweet” heart! Argentinians love their sweets and they are good!!! Thanks for stopping by.
Yummy! Never been to Argentina but been seeing Alfajores more and more in menus here in DC. I am not big into sweets but can appreciate one or two with a nice coffee. Would love to taste one in a cafe in Buenos Aires!
Hi Jessica, the next time you see alfajores on a menu, go for it. In our opinion, while the taste of dulce de leche is sweet, it is not artificially sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and such. The taste is unique and worth trying. Give it a taste in your city and then compare that on your future trip to Buenos Aires. You’ll love it!!
Hi girls. I ´m an argie and I love your website. It´s proud for me, as argentine, how you enjoyed our food,/wines,/desserts/beers, etc . I write you for make a correction about the Rogel. That picture is not a Rogel. It´s a bit similar dessert named Mil Hojas (Thousand Sheets). Both are similar, but rogel layers are wider (https://d26lpennugtm8s.cloudfront.net/stores/928/products/2014-08-28-18-05-34-c22a5d9c0877fed5ccbcb7c977fa02a6-1024-1024.png). The MilHojas are really crunchier tan Rogel and for me, it´s tastier.
Some argentinians also mistake about Rogel and MilHojas.
I’m also Argie (: Even though I agree, some Argentinians could mistake about Rogel cake and Mil Hojas. But here I perceive one of them, hmmm? if you! …you may be too young? I have enjoyed Argentinian desserts for over 60 years!!! it is certainly enough to recognize the difference between the two desserts I use to eat ((: and it happens the Rogel is one of my favorites, yummy! and, I know pretty well the Mil Hojas texture, too.
I’m not questioning you or judging your knowledge about tasting both desserts, either! I know their ingredients, the difference of their dough, and how to prepare both, it’s a lot of work.
But what you’re questioning here, is just a photo, isn’t it? Then, I’m afraid you are confused with the look of a picture, as much as other people confuses the flavor between a Rogel & a Mil Hojas cake. The pic is pretty clear to me showing “Aunt Sandra’s homemade Rogel cake” neither to say she was popular for that Rogel! Applause to the aunt! I have not doubt about the photo is showing the layers of a Rogel. ( : If we would have tasted the Rogel cake… So then, only then we could have an opinion of whether it taste as a Rogel or as a Mil Hojas, ja! That’s my though.
Years ago, we used to find this cake in many bakery stores or restaurants in Argentina. Unfortunately, it’s true nowadays is hard to find the Rogel cake.
Hey! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content.
Please let me know. Thank you
Hi there, so glad you would love to share our blog with your group. Feel free to do so and reach out with any questions. Cheers.
Very good ideas for dessert nights thanks lots for the ideas you are very inspiring!=)
Hi, glad you got some ideas for dessert night. Do let us know which ones you end up making. Cheers!
I feel like I just relived my trip to Argentina by reading your blog post! : ) I’m pretty sure I tried every single dessert you mentioned. Except Rogel, I didn’t know about that one. I’ll put it on my list for next time!
Hi Cate, so glad that this blog post took you down memory lane in Argentina. The way that we discovered Rogel was at an Asado at a locals home. You may be able to find Rogel at the stores, but you may need to ask around for it. It is worth the hunt and delicious. Let us know what you think when you eat it in Argentina! Thanks for your comments.