Dessert Tacos are a sweet tortilla dessert with creamy, tangy filling that are easy to make and fun to customize. Made with baked cinnamon-sugar tortillas and a no-bake cheesecake filling, they come together quickly without much effort. There are endless topping ideas to create a variety of flavors everyone will love, creating the ultimate dessert taco bar.
Dessert Tacos Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 6-8 dessert tacos
- 🍭 Flavor Profile: Sweet, creamy, cinnamon-spiced with customizable toppings
- ☕ Best Served With: Coffee, milk, or as part of a dessert bar spread
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Partially, store shells at room temp and refrigerated up to 3 days, assemble before serving
Summarize and Save This Content On
I love making these for Cinco de Mayo as a fun treat, and I always switch things up with 3 flavor combos like birthday cake, strawberry shortcake, or cookies and cream. Baking the shells is better than frying because there's no oil and they're not greasy, plus the upside-down muffin tin trick helps them keep their shape perfectly. It's such an easy way to make them look impressive.
If you're looking for more delicious no-bake desserts to feed a crowd, try these banana pudding Rice Krispie treats and easy peanut butter bars.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's fun for kids and adults: These dessert tacos are a delectable sweet treat that's just as fun to make as they are to eat.
- There's no deep-frying: The shells are baked instead of deep-fried, so they are still crispy without the extra fat from the oil.
- Create a DIY dessert taco bar for parties: One of my favorite ways to enjoy these tacos is by creating a fun dessert taco bar for a special occasion or event. Then, everyone can add whatever toppings they like best.
Ingredients
The most important ingredients for this dessert taco recipe are listed below. This includes the main components for the shells and the filling.
- Tortillas: You'll need street taco tortillas for this recipe, or any small tortilla that's about 4-5 inches in diameter.
- Cream cheese: Full-fat cream cheese offers the most creamy texture and rich flavor. Allow it to soften at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to make it easy to mix.
- Powdered sugar: I like powdered sugar over granulated sugar as the sweetener for the cheesecake filling because it mixes smoothly without adding a gritty texture. It's used in frostings as well, just like in this recipe for Irish cream cake.
- Toppings: I use strawberries and crushed Biscoff, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and crushed Oreos to create different flavors such as birthday cake, strawberry shortcake, and cookies and cream flavors.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Dessert Tacos Variations
This recipe contains 3 different topping options for your dessert tacos, but here are a few more options you can try!
- Graham cracker shell: Coat the tortilla shells in melted butter and crushed graham crackers instead of just cinnamon sugar for extra crunch.
- Apple pie: Top your dessert tacos with canned apple pie filling and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- Tropical twist: Add your favorite diced tropical fruit like mango and some of this fresh pineapple syrup.
- Banana Nutella: Use chopped bananas in your filling. Then, warm a little Nutella and drizzle it on top.
How to Make Dessert Tacos
Preheat your oven to 375° F before you get started on your dessert taco shells and cheesecake filling.
Step 1: Coat the tortillas. Start by brushing both sides of each tortilla with melted butter. Then, sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar on each side as well.
Step 2: Bake and cool the shells. Place the tortillas on an upside-down muffin tin, bending them like taco shells. Pop them in the oven and bake them for about 5-7 minutes. Set aside and allow them to cool in the muffin pan.
Step 3: Prepare and pipe the filling. While they cool, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla, and then fold in the Cool Whip. Then, put the filling into a piping bag and pipe it into each shell.
Step 4: Add toppings and serve. Build the combos to make strawberry shortcake (strawberries and Biscoff), birthday cake (rainbow sprinkles), and cookies and cream (Oreos and chocolate drizzle). You can also choose your own toppings and enjoy a dessert taco with a sweet & tart Mexican candy shot.
Expert Tips
- Avoid too much butter on the tortillas: All you need is a brush of butter. If you add too much butter, they may become oversaturated and will not get crispy.
- Cool the shells in the muffin tin: Allowing them to cool while on the muffin tin helps them keep their shape, making them easier to stuff and serve.
- Use a piping bag for the filling: Level up the presentation and scoop the cheesecake filling into a piping bag. This gives you better control and a cleaner result.
- Make the shells and filling in advance: You're more than welcome to bake the shells and mix the cheesecake filling in advance. For best results, make the shells the day before and keep them in an airtight container on the counter. Prepare the filling the morning of serving and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Storage directions: Don't save assembled tacos, as they do not keep their texture. Only assemble the amount you need, and store the baked tortilla shells and filling separately.
Another dessert taco I highly recommend is these banana split tacos.
Serving Suggestions
- Host a taco bar: Add a dessert taco bar section to your savory Mexican taco bar menu! Your party guests will be impressed and well fed.
- Enjoy some drinks: Enjoy a cucumber agua fresca or this pineapple margarita for the adults as a refreshing pairing.
- Finish a themed meal: If you're having a Mexican dinner like these pulled pork tacos or pork asado, this recipe makes a great dessert for the end of the meal.
Serve these tacos with some of my Mexican fried ice cream (no frying) on Cinco de Mayo and you'll be the star of the show.
Dessert Tacos Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! Heat oil to 350° F, add the tortilla, and cook for a few seconds to soften. Use tongs to fold the tortilla and hold it open. Then fry each side for about 15-20 seconds, or until crispy. Remove and drain the excess oil, and then immediately coat them in cinnamon sugar. I prefer to bake the shells because it's less messy.
Too much butter or assembling them too early can make the taco shells soggy. Brush them with melted butter so you don't oversaturate the tortillas. Also, unless you plan on eating the dessert tacos immediately, don't add the cheesecake filling because it will soften the shells the longer they sit.
This happens if the cream cheese is still cold when you mix the filling. Softened cream cheese is nice and smooth, so allow it to sit on your counter at room temperature before you get started on it.
No, it's best to wait until just before serving to assemble because they do not hold up well. The filling can soften the shell or even make it soggy, losing that crispy fried texture.
More Simple Mexican Desserts
Do you like Mexican desserts? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Dessert Tacos
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Taco Shells
- 8 small flour tortillas you can also cut large tortillas with a round cookie cutter
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whipped topping such as Cool Whip
Optional Toppings
- Rainbow sprinkles and diced fresh strawberries
- Crushed graham crackers, Biscoff cookies, or crushed Oreo cookies
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chocolate syrup or melted chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Brush both sides of each tortilla with melted butter.
- In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over both sides of tortillas.
- Place tortillas on an upside-down muffin tin to create a taco shape.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden. Let cool completely.
- In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold in whipped topping until light and fluffy.
- Spoon or pipe cheesecake filling into each taco shell.
- Set out topping options and let everyone build their own, or assemble using the combinations below:
- Birthday Cake: top with rainbow sprinkles + white chocolate drizzle if desired.Strawberry Shortcake: finely diced strawberries + Biscoff cookie crumbs.Cookies & Cream: crushed Oreos + chocolate drizzle + mini chips if desired.
- Serve immediately for the best texture.
Notes
- You don't need to add extra butter to the tortillas. Adding too much will oversaturate them and keep them from getting crisp.
- Let the dessert taco shells cool on the muffin tin so they hold their shape, making them easier to fill and serve.
- Using too much butter or assembling them too early can make the taco shells soggy. Lightly brush them with melted butter to avoid oversaturating the tortillas. If you're not serving them right away, wait to add the cheesecake filling so it doesn't seep in and soften the shells.
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