The Kitchen Everything

19+ Best Thai Desserts

—

by

CeCe Jones
in , , , , ,

Thai desserts hit a different note than most sweets you grow up with. Coconut milk shows up everywhere, sticky rice turns tender and chewy, and fruit gets folded into things you’d never expect, like sweet sticky rice with ripe mango or chewy rubies made from water chestnuts. The balance of sweet, salty, and creamy is what makes Thai sweets so addictive.

Mango sticky rice (khao niao mamuang) stands out as the most popular Thai dessert, and it earns that reputation through simple, perfectly balanced flavors: warm coconut sticky rice paired with cool, ripe mango. If you’ve only had one Thai dessert, it was probably this one. But Thailand’s dessert scene runs far deeper than that single famous dish.

From crispy coconut pancakes sold off street carts to delicate egg-yolk threads served at royal celebrations, Thai sweets range from five-minute snacks to desserts that take real patience to make. Some use ingredients you already have, like bananas and rice. Others call for pandan leaves, water chestnut flour, or palm sugar you’ll want to track down at an Asian grocery store.

Quick picks:

  • Best overall: Mango Sticky Rice, the dish that defines Thai dessert for most newcomers
  • Best easy homemade option: Fried Bananas, ready in under 20 minutes with pantry staples
  • Best for coconut lovers: Thai Coconut Ice Cream, rich and churned with real coconut milk
  • Best show-stopper for guests: Cotton Candy Roti, a fun, hands-on dessert that always draws a crowd

1. Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mamuang)

This is the dessert that made Thai sweets famous outside Thailand, and it deserves the hype. Sweet coconut sticky rice gets paired with slices of ripe, juicy mango, then drizzled with a little extra coconut sauce and a sprinkle of toasted mung beans or sesame seeds.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes, plus 2 hours soaking

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Thai glutinous (sticky) rice
  • 1 cup coconut milk, divided
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 ripe mangoes, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds or mung beans

Method:

  1. Soak rice in water for 2 hours, then drain.
  2. Steam rice over simmering water for 25 minutes until tender.
  3. Warm 3/4 cup coconut milk with sugar and salt until dissolved.
  4. Stir warm coconut mixture into steamed rice; let sit 15 minutes.
  5. Serve rice with mango slices, topped with remaining coconut milk and sesame seeds.

2. Coconut Pancakes (Khanom Krok)

These little coconut pancakes come off Thai street carts sizzling hot, crisp on the outside and soft and custardy in the center. A special cast-iron pan with half-sphere molds gives them their shape, though a mini muffin or aebleskiver pan works in a pinch.

Yield: about 24 pancakes | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
  • 1 3/4 cups coconut milk, divided
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • Chopped scallions, for topping

Method:

  1. Whisk rice flour, tapioca starch, 1 cup coconut milk, sugar, and salt into a smooth batter.
  2. Stir shredded coconut into the remaining 3/4 cup coconut milk for the topping.
  3. Heat the khanom krok pan and oil each well.
  4. Fill each well with batter, cook 5 minutes, then top with coconut topping and cook 3 more minutes.
  5. Pop pancakes out and sprinkle with scallions.

3. Red Rubies in Coconut Milk (Tub Tim Grob)

Tub tim grob is one of the most refreshing Thai desserts, built from crunchy water chestnuts coated in bright red tapioca starch that makes them look like little jewels. Served in icy sweet coconut milk, it’s a cooling treat for a hot day.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced water chestnuts
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 teaspoon red food coloring (diluted in water)
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Crushed ice

Method:

  1. Soak water chestnuts in red coloring for 15 minutes; drain.
  2. Toss colored water chestnuts in tapioca starch until coated.
  3. Boil in water until they float, about 3 minutes; drain and cool in ice water.
  4. Warm coconut milk, sugar, and salt until dissolved; chill.
  5. Serve rubies in coconut milk over crushed ice.

4. Glutinous Rice Balls in Coconut Milk (Bua Loy)

Bua loy are soft, chewy rice flour dumplings simmered in warm, lightly sweet coconut milk. Many Thai cooks tint the dumplings with pandan juice or butterfly pea flower for natural green or blue color, giving the bowl a cheerful look without any artificial dye.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup glutinous rice flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk (optional, traditional topping)

Method:

  1. Knead rice flour and water into a soft dough; roll into small balls.
  2. Boil dumplings in water until they float; drain.
  3. Heat coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a pot until simmering.
  4. Add cooked dumplings to the coconut milk and simmer 2 minutes.
  5. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.

5. Thai Crispy Pancakes (Khanom Buang)

Khanom buang are thin, crisp taco-shaped shells filled with sweet meringue cream and crunchy toppings. Street vendors fold them in half right off the griddle, and the contrast between the brittle shell and soft filling is what makes them so fun to eat.

Yield: about 20 shells | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 cup mung bean flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (for meringue)
  • Shredded coconut and dried shrimp floss, for topping

Method:

  1. Mix rice flour, mung bean flour, coconut milk, and sugar into a thin batter.
  2. Spread a thin circle of batter on a hot griddle; cook until crisp, about 2 minutes.
  3. Whip egg white with sugar into stiff meringue.
  4. Pipe meringue onto each crisp shell and add toppings.
  5. Fold in half and serve immediately.

6. Thai Coconut Ice Cream (Itim Kati)

This ice cream tastes richer and more coconut-forward than most Western versions, thanks to full-fat coconut milk instead of dairy cream. Street vendors often serve it in a split bun or over sticky rice with roasted peanuts, a combination that sounds odd until you try it.

Yield: about 1 quart | Prep: 15 minutes, plus churning and freezing | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans (14 oz each) full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
  • Roasted peanuts and sticky rice, for serving

Method:

  1. Heat coconut milk, sugar, and salt until sugar dissolves.
  2. Stir in cornstarch slurry and simmer until slightly thickened; cool completely.
  3. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions.
  4. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
  5. Top with peanuts or serve alongside sticky rice.

7. Layered Pandan Cake (Khanom Chan)

Khanom chan is a steamed, striped layer cake with a soft, jelly-like bite, built one thin layer at a time. The green and white stripes come from pandan juice, and the texture is bouncy rather than cakey, almost like a firm pudding.

Yield: one 8-inch cake | Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups tapioca starch
  • 1/2 cup rice flour
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup pandan juice
  • Pinch of salt

Method:

  1. Whisk tapioca starch, rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and salt into a smooth batter.
  2. Divide batter in half; tint one half with pandan juice.
  3. Steam a thin layer of one color in a greased pan for 4 minutes.
  4. Alternate colors, steaming each layer before adding the next, until batter is used.
  5. Cool completely before slicing.

8. Pumpkin Custard (Sangkhaya Fak Thong)

This dessert bakes sweet egg custard right inside a whole pumpkin, then slices it into wedges so every piece has its own edible bowl. It’s a striking dessert for fall gatherings, and the pumpkin flesh turns tender and slightly caramelized from steaming.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 small kabocha or sugar pumpkin (about 2 lbs)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

  1. Cut a lid off the pumpkin and scoop out seeds.
  2. Whisk eggs, coconut milk, sugar, and salt until smooth.
  3. Pour custard into the pumpkin and replace the lid.
  4. Steam over simmering water for 45 minutes until custard is set.
  5. Cool slightly, slice into wedges, and serve.

9. Fried Bananas (Kluai Thot)

Kluai thot are crisp, golden fried bananas with a light, crackly batter, sold hot from street carts all over Thailand. Ripe but still firm bananas work best here, since they hold their shape in the fryer without turning mushy.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 ripe but firm bananas, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Oil, for frying

Method:

  1. Whisk rice flour, flour, coconut, coconut milk, and sugar into a batter.
  2. Heat oil to 350°F in a deep pan.
  3. Dip banana pieces in batter and coat fully.
  4. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes, turning once.
  5. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

10. Bamboo Sticky Rice (Khao Lam)

Khao lam cooks sticky rice and coconut milk directly inside a bamboo stalk over an open flame, which gives the rice a subtle smoky, nutty flavor you can’t get any other way. Vendors sell it by the stick, charred on the outside and soft within.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours soaking | Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups glutinous rice, soaked 2 hours
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup black beans (optional)
  • Bamboo tubes, banana leaf for plugging

Method:

  1. Mix soaked rice with coconut milk, sugar, salt, and beans.
  2. Pack rice mixture into bamboo tubes, leaving room to expand.
  3. Plug the opening with rolled banana leaf.
  4. Roast tubes over low coals, turning often, for about 1 hour.
  5. Split open the bamboo to serve the rice inside.

11. Pandan Noodles in Coconut Milk (Lod Chong Nam Kathi)

Lod chong are short, green rice flour noodles with a soft, springy chew, swimming in sweet coconut milk and crushed ice. Pandan gives the noodles their color and a grassy, slightly floral flavor that pairs beautifully with the rich coconut.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
  • 1 cup pandan juice
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Crushed ice

Method:

  1. Mix rice flour, tapioca starch, and pandan juice into a smooth, thick batter.
  2. Cook batter over medium heat, stirring, until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes.
  3. Press hot dough through a lod chong press or colander into ice water.
  4. Warm coconut milk, sugar, and salt; chill.
  5. Serve noodles in coconut milk over crushed ice.

12. Cotton Candy Roti (Roti Sai Mai)

Roti sai mai wraps thin, candy-floss-like strands of palm sugar around a soft, chewy roti wrap, a popular street snack in Ayutthaya. The sugar threads melt the moment they hit your tongue, playing off the slightly chewy wrapper.

Yield: about 15 wraps | Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup palm sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • Pinch of salt
  • Oil, for the griddle

Method:

  1. Melt palm sugar and sugar with water until it reaches hard crack stage (300°F).
  2. Pour onto an oiled surface and pull into thin threads as it cools.
  3. Mix flour, coconut milk, and salt into a smooth roti batter.
  4. Cook thin rounds on a greased griddle until lightly golden.
  5. Wrap sugar threads inside warm roti and serve right away.

13. Coconut Rice Balls (Khanom Tom)

Khanom tom are chewy glutinous rice balls filled with sweet shredded coconut, then rolled in more coconut after boiling. They’re a common offering at Thai temple fairs, small enough to eat in two bites and never too sweet.

Yield: about 20 balls | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour
  • 1/2 cup pandan juice or water
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, divided
  • 1/3 cup palm sugar, grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

  1. Cook 1/2 cup shredded coconut with palm sugar and a splash of water until sticky; cool.
  2. Knead rice flour with pandan juice into a soft dough.
  3. Flatten small pieces of dough, fill with coconut mixture, and seal into balls.
  4. Boil balls until they float, about 4 minutes.
  5. Roll warm balls in remaining shredded coconut and salt.

14. Golden Egg-Yolk Threads (Foi Thong)

Foi thong is made from egg yolks drizzled into simmering sugar syrup to form delicate golden threads, a dessert with roots in old royal Thai kitchens. It takes a steady hand, but the airy, silky strands are unlike any other sweet on this list.

Yield: about 1 cup | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 10 egg yolks
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 pandan leaf, tied in a knot

Method:

  1. Strain egg yolks through a fine sieve to remove membranes.
  2. Combine sugar, water, and pandan leaf; bring to a gentle simmer.
  3. Drizzle yolks into the syrup in thin streams using a piping funnel.
  4. Cook each batch of threads 1 to 2 minutes, then lift out with a skewer.
  5. Drain briefly and arrange into small nests to cool.

15. Fruit-Shaped Mung Bean Sweets (Luk Chup)

Luk chup are tiny marzipan-like sweets molded and painted to look like miniature fruits, made from sweetened mung bean paste. They’re as much a craft project as a dessert, popular at celebrations where presentation counts as much as flavor.

Yield: about 24 pieces | Prep: 1 hour | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried split mung beans, soaked overnight
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Food coloring, assorted colors
  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Method:

  1. Steam soaked mung beans until soft, then mash or blend smooth.
  2. Cook mashed beans with coconut milk and sugar until thick dough forms; cool.
  3. Shape small pieces into fruit shapes like mini mangoes or chilies.
  4. Paint shapes with diluted food coloring using a small brush.
  5. Dip or brush with gelatin glaze for a glossy finish.

16. Pandan and Coconut Pudding (Tako)

Tako layers a soft pandan-flavored pudding base with a salty-sweet coconut cream topping, usually served in small cups made from folded pandan leaves or banana leaf. The salty top layer against the sweet green base is what makes this one memorable.

Yield: about 12 cups | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/4 cup rice flour
  • 1 cup pandan juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon rice flour (for topping)

Method:

  1. Cook tapioca starch, rice flour, pandan juice, and sugar until thickened; pour into small cups.
  2. Chill base layer until set, about 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk coconut milk, salt, and rice flour; cook until slightly thickened.
  4. Spoon coconut topping over the set green base.
  5. Chill until fully set before serving.

17. Bananas in Coconut Milk (Kluai Buat Chi)

Kluai buat chi simmers sliced bananas in warm, lightly salted coconut milk until they turn soft and silky. It’s one of the simplest Thai desserts to make at home, ready in under 20 minutes with ingredients most kitchens already have.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 ripe bananas, sliced
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

  1. Heat coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a pot over medium heat.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add banana slices and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until soft.
  4. Taste and adjust sugar or salt as needed.
  5. Serve warm in small bowls.

18. Thai Custard Cake (Khanom Mo Kaeng)

Khanom mo kaeng bakes into a dense, custard-like cake with a caramelized top and a chewy, almost fudgy center. Mung bean paste gives the cake its body, while crispy fried shallots scattered on top add a surprising savory crunch.

Yield: one 9-inch cake | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked, mashed mung beans
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup palm sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons fried shallots

Method:

  1. Whisk mashed mung beans, eggs, coconut milk, sugar, and salt until smooth.
  2. Pour into a greased baking dish.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes until set and golden on top.
  4. Cool completely before slicing.
  5. Scatter fried shallots over the top before serving.

19. Fried Sweet Potato Balls (Khanom Khai Nok Krata)

These crispy fried balls get their name because they resemble quail eggs, with a sesame-coated crust that cracks to reveal a soft, sweet potato center. They make a great snack-sized dessert that holds up well for a few hours at room temperature.

Yield: about 20 balls | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato
  • 1 cup glutinous rice flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • Oil, for frying

Method:

  1. Mix mashed sweet potato, rice flour, and sugar into a soft dough.
  2. Roll into small balls and coat in sesame seeds.
  3. Heat oil to 325°F.
  4. Fry balls, turning often, until golden and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
  5. Drain on paper towels before serving.

How to Order Thai Desserts

Street vendors and Thai restaurants list desserts by their Thai names, so knowing a few key words helps. “Khao niao” means sticky rice, “kati” means coconut milk, and “fak thong” means pumpkin, so you can spot related desserts even on a menu with no pictures.

Most street stalls sell desserts in small portions meant for sampling several in one sitting. Ordering two or three different sweets from one cart costs less than a single dessert at a sit-down restaurant.

Ask vendors if a dish is served warm or cold before ordering, since some, like bua loy, taste best hot while others, like tub tim grob, are meant to be icy. If you’re trying Thai desserts at home first, our best Thai recipes collection is a good place to get familiar with common flavors before searching out the real thing.

For dessert cafes in bigger cities, portions run larger and prices run higher than street carts, but the presentation and ingredient quality often step up too. Either way, sharing is normal and expected, since most Thai desserts are rich enough that a few bites go a long way.

Common Ingredients and Dietary Considerations

Coconut milk forms the backbone of most Thai desserts, showing up in everything from sticky rice to custards and puddings. If you cook with it often, our coconut milk recipes collection has more ways to put a can to good use.

Glutinous rice flour, tapioca starch, and mung beans show up constantly too, giving Thai sweets their signature chewy or custardy textures. Palm sugar appears in traditional recipes for its caramel-like depth, though white sugar works as a substitute in most of these recipes.

Many Thai desserts are naturally gluten-free, since rice flour and tapioca starch replace wheat flour in most recipes. Vegan diners need to watch for egg yolks in dishes like foi thong and khanom mo kaeng, and some versions of pumpkin custard, though many other desserts on this list are naturally dairy-free and egg-free thanks to coconut milk.

Nut allergies rarely come into play with classic recipes, aside from peanuts sometimes sprinkled on top as a garnish. Ask for sweets without peanuts if that’s a concern, since most vendors can leave the topping off without changing the dish.

Related Posts: