16 Amazing Asian Desserts You Must Try!

One of the best parts of traveling is trying local food. I especially appreciate local desserts. Sweets are a luxury, a celebration of a well-spent day. Asian desserts are heavy on local fruits, rice, and beans. They are different than most sweets westerners are used to. Enjoy my collection of the best Asian desserts from travel bloggers who have spent time enjoying sweets on the largest continent.

Desserts from Azerbaijan

From Cal of Once in a Lifetime

desserts from Azerbaijan

Pakhlava

Azeri foods are a cross between Asian and European with influences spanning the world including Indian, Chinese, Turkish, Iranian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean. Today’s food has kept its traditional tone from a time when caravans crossed the Silk Route. Dessert in Azerbaijan usually involves two of its sweetest exports, pakhlava and badambura. Pakhlava, similar to the Turkish baklava is a sweet pastry made with around 10 layers of ground hazelnuts or walnuts mixed with honey or sugar and spices like cardamom or clove. At the top is a blend of yolk mixed with saffron and topped with more nuts. They were usually only eaten for Novruz, the Zoroastrian spring festival, but can now be found anywhere and at any time.

Badambura

Badambura is similar to pakhlava but less sweet. Badam is almond in Azeri, so this is made with almonds, along with sugar, cardamom and vanilla. Eat these together and wash them down with some strong black tea that the Azeri are known for.

Dessert in the Nation of Brunei

Kueh

From Penny of Globe Trove

Sweets in Brunei

We spent a number of months in Brunei which few people know is a foodies paradise. Among the many different types of sweets that Brunei has to offer us, we found ourselves loving Kueh the most. Ironically, the kueh could be either sweet or savory. The glutinous part of the sweet is made of rice paste and the stuffing is made of bean paste. The type of bean paste sets each apart from the other. These tasty delicacies can be found at all the feasts and at the local outdoor food markets. Definitely something you should try should you be in the country.

Japanese Desserts

Lena Scheidler from Nagoya Foodie 

Sweets to try in Japan

The Japanese have some very unique sweets and desserts very unfamiliar to the western pallet. They use ingredients such as Matcha green tea powder, rice flour, and red beans to make their traditional desserts.

Zenzai

One of these traditional Japanese desserts is Zenzai. Sweet red bean soup with a rice cake.

The red beans are first soaked in water and then cooked to make them soft. A lot of sugar is added to give the soup its sweet taste. The rice cakes are made from rice flour and aren’t sweet. But they soften in the hot soup and become chewy with a texture almost similar to melting cheese.

 Zenzai is served with a cup of tee and some salty pickles. Japanese cuisine loves playing with contrasts such as sweet and salty and the pickles bring out the sweetness of the soup even more. This might all sound very strange to you, but I encourage you to try Zenzai and other Japanese sweets when you visit Japan.

Oni Manju 

One of my favorite sweets is called devil’s rice cake or Oni Manju, made from rice flour, sugar, and sweet potato chunks. With just the right amount of sweetness and the tart flavor of the sweet potato, it is a delicious and filling treat that can be only found in Nagoya.

Korean Desserts

Bingsu

From Mar Pages of Once in a Lifetime Journey

Traditional Korean Desserts

Bingsu is one of the most popular Korean desserts, especially in the summer months where it comes as a refreshingly sweet milky treat to ward off the heat. Bingsu is basically shaved ice that is topped with all kinds of treats. The most traditional bingsu comes with pat, or sweet red bean paste, and tteok, or chewy rice cakes. You will know what kind of bingsu it is as the name of the topping is usually placed before, for example, patbingsu.

The dessert can come with ice creams of all flavors, fruits of all kinds, and even cheese or yoghurt. There are even healthy types of bingsu where you will find local herbs and plants topping your dish like hanbang (medicinal herb), gugija (wolfberry fruit), and even some with traditional Korean tea called sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch). While this tasty and fresh snack can be found almost anywhere in the summer, and even winter, I would suggest heading to Samchong-dong if you’re in Seoul. This is a romantic area very close to the top palaces to visit and tourist center of Jongno. There are a variety of places here in old hanok-style houses with views of the cobblestone roads.

Laos Desserts

Khanom kok (Lao Coconut Cakes)

 By Marie Moncrieff from A Life Without Borders

Laotian sweets

Lao sweet treats and desserts, while not enjoyed on a daily basis, play an important part in celebrating many traditional ceremonies and festive occasions where whole families will gather together to create special festive foods. Usually based on sticky rice, fruit, coconut milk, and sugar, you’ll find most Lao treats being sold at fresh markets and street food vendors throughout Laos.

A popular dessert favoured by visitors to Laos is khanom kok, or bite-sized steamed coconut cakes.  The tiny crescent-shaped cakes are made from rich coconut cream and rice flour batter which is poured into the round moulds of a hot cast iron griddle resembling a poffertjes pan.

Cooked until golden-brown and crispy on the outside, khanom kok are molten and silky smooth on the inside.  With a fragrant coconut scent and the perfect balance of sweet-and-savory flavours, two little coconut cakes are usually sandwiched together.  Served warm in their own delicate banana-leaf bowl, it’s easy to devour several of these delicious morsels in one single sitting.

Malaysian Desserts

ABC or Ice Kacang

From Jodie of Ala Jode

If you ever find yourself in cities like Kuala Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu, you might notice signs saying “ABC here” or “We sell ABC”. ABC is a dessert also known as ‘Ice Kacang’ – and it may be the most refreshing one you ever try. A generous helping of shaved ice, covered with toppings such as red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly or other local ingredients, ABC is an unusual mix of savoury foods that blends to make a very sweet treat.

When the weather gets too hot and humid in Malaysia, the locals love to cool down with a big bowl of “ABC, so why not do the same? If the original recipe isn’t to your liking, you can also find a number of variations on the dish. Cendol is a creamier take on the dish, made with coconut milk and flavourings from plants or fruits such as durian.

Roti Bakar in Penang

By Marco Ferrarese of Penang Insider

Roti Bakar is the Malay language for “burnt bread” and refers to a fantastic charcoal-grilled slice of white bread served with a smattering of kaya (coconut jam) and butter. It’s definitely a leftover of the British Empire, who ruled over Malaysia and the island of Penang until 1957, with an obvious coconut local spin.

Locals eat it for breakfast or really whenever they please as it goes along very well with the thick black local coffee. Some like it to go along a pair of soft boiled eggs, and dunk piece after piece.

The best thing though is that roti bakar is shared by the multi-ethnic community of Malaysia and binds the nation. Malays, Chinese and Indians, they all have their own way to roast up the “burnt bread” and whip up a couple of eggs on the side. Don’t forget a frothy cuppa of kopi tarik to go along.

Mongolian Desserts

Boortsog in Mongolia

Contributed by Wendy Werneth of The Nomadic Vegan
Mongolian desserts
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Boortsog is a traditional Mongolian sweet that is something like a cross between a cookie and a cake. With regard to the softness and texture, it’s probably closer to a cake, but it has a long enough shelf life to be sold in large bags in supermarkets.
Given the country’s harsh climate in which very few food crops can grow, most dishes in Mongolian cuisine are pretty simple, and boortsog is no exception. It’s basically a sweet dough that has been deep-fried, traditionally in mutton fat, but nowadays vegetable oil is often used instead. The ones fried in oil are one of very few Mongolian dishes that are accidentally vegan, as most of the Mongolian cuisine is centered around mutton.

Nepalese Desserts

Jeri from Nepal

from Michelle Della Giovanna of Full Time Explorer

Sweets from Nepal

Jeri is a Nepali sweet which reminds me a bit of funnel cakes, only better. A combination of flours, saffron, and cardamom make up this tasty treat which is dipped in a sweet syrup right before it’s served. The batter is poured into hot oil just like a funnel cake, except it’s bright orange from the saffron. When it comes out of the oil, it’s quickly dipped into a sugary syrup which makes it rather gooey and sticky. Because it’s so thin, crispy and juicy, you would have no idea it’s actually dough. The first time I tried it, I was positive that they had deep fried honey somehow. It’s best to eat it hot as soon as it’s done being fried. Many locals also put it inside a piece of puri bread and dip it into a garbanzo bean curry making it a savory Nepali dish. You can find this yummy treat at street stalls in major cities in Nepal. Best of all, it’s very cheap!

Filipino desserts

Halo Halo

By Disha Smith of Disha Discovers

When visiting the Philippines, the dessert possibilities are endless. With that being said, Halo Halo is a must-try. Halo Halo literally means “mix-mix” as it consists of evaporated milk, shaved ice, ice cream and a few add-ins of your choice. Some common add-ins are lychee, jellies, jackfruit, sweetened red and white beans, corn and more. Basically, all of the toppings and ingredients are layered in a glass or bowl and topped with shaved ice. Halo Halo is exciting to eat as you’ll have beans in one bite versus fruit in another. It’s a refreshing dessert that you’ll enjoy trying.

Desserts in Singapore

Ice Kachang 

By Jennifer from Sidewalk Safari

desserts from singapore

Eating street food is one of the most fun things to do in Singapore. Singapore is a hot country so the best street food is one that’s cold and refreshing. Try ice kachang, a dessert that may very well be the most unusual you’ll ever taste. Ice kachang is a pile of shaved ice served over cubes of gelatin mixed with kidney beans and sweet corn. Ice kachang is often served with condensed milk poured over the top.

Ice kachang is definitely unusual but the mix of flavors and textures somehow just works. What makes ice kachang taste even better is the price. A huge dish can cost as little as 2.50 Singaporean dollars (less than $2 USD) at Singapore’s hawker centres. You can also find ice kachang in the food court at the shopping malls prevalent around Singapore.

Taiwanese Desserts

Taiwanese Shaved Ice

from Tom at A World of Flop Houses

Shaved ice with toppings is a dessert that can be found in many East Asian countries, especially Southeast Asia, but the versions in Taiwan offer huge choices.  The concept is simple:  it’s awfully hot out.  Have something cold, and might as well make it sweet.  Called Bào Bīng in Chinese (剉冰), and often “Snow Ice” in English, large chunks of ice are spun by a machine that makes paper-thin shavings from them.  Very often, it’s made from frozen chunks of milk (Xue Hua Bing), or ice already containing flavorings, such as green tea.  These aren’t harsh, jagged shavings; they’re indeed more like snow, light, fluffy, or even like frozen sheets of paper.

From there, choose your toppings:  international favorites such as chocolate or various fruits, or more Asian choices such as condensed milk, or sweet beans such as adzuki or mung.  They’ll have nuts, grass jelly, maybe even taro.  Mango, when in season, is wildly popular, as the mangos in Taiwan are ridiculously good.  To find this dessert, look for night markets, stands in food halls (such as in the malls), or independent stands along with popular pedestrian areas.

Thai Desserts

Mango Sticky Rice

By Kaisa of Glam Granola Travel

best desserts in Asia

When it comes to mango sticky rice, or khao niaow mamuang, believe the hype. When I was backpacking in Thailand I saw it everywhere and didn’t feel particularly drawn to it, at first. Why would you want rice with mangoes? What was so special about this? I enjoyed fresh mango from the markets and food stands just fine without throwing grains in it, thanks.
The first time I tried mango sticky rice, however, I instantly regretted not eating it months sooner. It’s straight-up delicious. Sticky rice, or glutinous rice, is very different from your typical white rice. When mixed with coconut milk and cane sugar, it becomes a sticky sweet warm blob, simultaneously rich and light. Add fresh mango for a refreshing sweetness and toasted sesame seeds for nuttiness, and you have what may actually be the perfect Southeast Asian dessert.

Sweets in Vietnam

Banh Ran (Vietnamese Donuts) in Hanoi, Vietnam

By Nick Wheatley of Wandering Wheatleys

If you visit the capital city of Vietnam, sooner or later you’ll be approached by one of the many entrepreneurial Vietnamese ladies selling Banh Ran (Bánh Rán). These delicious little Vietnamese-style donuts are a specialty of Northern Vietnam and one of the best Vietnamese foods to try in Hanoi.
Banh Ran are made with glutenous rice flour that is then deep-fried. They come in a variety of flavors – our favorite ones are filled with mung bean paste and rolled in sesame seeds. You can get a bag of 10 Banh Ran for just 50,000 VND (~$2 USD) from any of the friendly donut ladies wandering through Hanoi’s old quarter or around Hoan Kim Lake. They’ll even insist on you trying one before you make your purchase!
Have you tried any of these Asian desserts? Which is your favorite? Did we miss any? Please let me know in the comments.
I hope you enjoyed the first in my series about the best desserts around the world. Stay tuned (or subscribe) to read about the best desserts in Europe, the United States, Oceania, and Africa. Contact me if you want to contribute to any of these collaborations.
In the meantime, read my other posts about Asia to help plan your trips.

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1 thought on “16 Amazing Asian Desserts You Must Try!”

  1. Excellent recommendation. Asian desserts are fabulous. I have lived in Singapore for a while and the food is truly divine as it blends the best from different sides of the straits. It is also the first and so far the only country in the world with Michelin star-awarded hawker food, imagine that!!!

    Reply

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