Mango Dessert Nachos with Cempasúchil Whipped Cream
These sweet, crispy dessert nachos layer cinnamon sugar tortilla chips with a warm mango topping and a stunning cempasúchil-infused whipped cream made with ground dried marigold petals. They’re colorful, unexpected, and perfect for Día de Muertos celebrations or any time you want a show-stopping dessert that’s as beautiful as it is delicious!
Equipment
- Spice grinder
- Mortar and pestle
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips:
- 6 Mi Rancho flour tortillas, cut into triangles
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Cempasúchil Whipped Topping:
- 1 container, 8 oz store-bought whipped topping, thawed
- ¼ cup dried cempasúchil, marigold petals, ground into a fine powder
For the Mango Topping:
- 3 cups frozen mango chunks, thawed completely
- 2-4 tbsp agave or honey, to taste
- Zest of ½ orange, optional
For Finishing:
- Extra dried marigold petals, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two large sheet pans with parchment paper. Cut each Mi Rancho flour tortilla into 8 triangles and arrange in a single layer across both sheet pans. Brush each triangle generously with melted butter on both sides making sure every surface is completely coated.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until deeply golden and completely crispy. Start checking at 8 minutes since flour tortillas can go from perfectly golden to too dark quickly. They will feel slightly soft when they first come out of the oven but will crisp up completely as they cool.
- While the chips are still screaming hot from the oven, brush them with the remaining melted bitter, then combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and dust or toss the chips generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture immediately.
- Let cool completely on the pan before assembling, they will crisp up fully as they cool.
- Make the cempasúchil whipped topping. Grind the dried marigold petals in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until they become a fine powder. Add the marigold powder to the thawed store-bought whipped topping and fold gently with a spatula until completely and evenly combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Make the mango topping. Add the mango and agave or honey to a small saucepan over low heat. Cook gently for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mango just begins to release its natural juices and creates a glossy sauce. Lightly mash the mango with the back of cooking spoon to help create the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest if using. Let cool slightly before assembling.
- Arrange the cinnamon sugar tortilla chips in a generous layer on a large serving platter.
- Spoon the mango mixture generously over the chips. Spoon the cempasúchil whipped cream all over and scatter the extra dried marigold petals over everything.
- Serve immediately while the chips are still crispy.
Notes
- Coat the chips in cinnamon sugar while they’re still hot from the oven, the residual heat and butter help the sugar stick and melt into a crackly coating.v
- Let the chips cool fully before assembling. Warm chips will melt the whipped cream on contact and lose their crunch within minutes.
- Assemble right before serving, the longer they sit, the soggier the chips get from the mango and whipped cream.
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