24 Tasty Traditional Thai Desserts

While everyone knows that savory Thai food is delicious, what about sweet food? It is the perfect mix between sweet and fruity.

Their desserts usually consist of seasonal fruits, with coconut and mango frequently being used. This makes them perfect for the summertime, but honestly, they are amazing year-round.

Compared to western desserts, Thai desserts are relatively healthier but are still very filling. What more could you ask for in a dessert?

So, we have compiled 24 traditional Thai desserts so you can serve these tasty dishes after your next meal.

1. Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert

Possibly the most classic Thai dessert. Mango sticky rice is popular street food in Thailand and is brilliant in its simplicity. All you need is mango, sticky rice, and coconut milk. It is a combination of flavors and textures that work so well together.

The best part about this dessert is that you can make it at home, just as well as any professional chef. You don’t even need a rice cooker to make the sticky rice, you are able to do so in a pot.

This recipe also includes a wonderful coconut sauce that really brings out the flavor in the dish.

2. Thai Coconut Cake 

This coconut cake is distinct for its layers of texture. You get a deliciously moist cake and a crispy top. 

The top of the cake is a wonderful golden brown color, whereas the rest of the cake is paler because of the coconut.

Overall, this cake is only mildly sweet, meaning you can eat multiple slices and not be overwhelmed by the sugar.

3. Shaved Ice Dessert – Thai Style 

There is nothing better on a hot summer’s day than a cup of shaved ice. It immediately cools you down and gives you a boost of sugar.

One of the joys of shaved ice is that you are able to top it with anything. Fruit, syrup, sprinkles, the sky is the limit for what you can have.

This recipe lays out what the Thai style of toppings is for shaved ice. It specifically names a popular Thai red syrup to pour on it. This syrup is called Sala and has a distinctly fruity taste that is hard to pin down.

You can also get syrup from the same brand in different colors and flavors.

As for toppings, basil seeds and bread are recommended. It is an unusual combination for those who have grown up in western society, but in Thailand, it is a staple.

4. Thai Rice Dumplings Coconut Milk Dessert 

This dessert is so cute, you won’t believe you made it with your own hands.

The star of this dish is the small colorful sticky rice dumplings. You are able to make them in any flavor you want, but this recipe uses sweet potato and pandan.

If your flavor doesn’t bring natural color to your dumplings, then you are able to use food coloring.

While it may seem time-consuming to roll all those tiny balls, we find it to be quite therapeutic as you know you get a wonderful dessert at the end of it.

5. Star Fruit In Mango-Orange Sauce 

This is one of those desserts that looks more like a work of art than food. The main ingredient is star fruit, which we believe is the best-looking fruit. It brings a sweet and sour taste to the dish which pairs great with the orange and mango.

You are able to make the whole dish in under 20 minutes. The last step is to sprinkle on some pomegranate seeds to give the dish a pop of vibrant color.

6. Thai Peanut Cookies 

These cookies are sweet and crunchy, everything you could ever want when you are craving sugar. To make them extra indulgent, these cookies are deep-fried instead of baked.

To bring color to the dessert, the recipe uses red skin peanuts. These cookies are best eaten the day that they are made as they don’t store very well, but trust us this isn’t a problem as it is far too easy to consume all of these in one sitting.

7. Sticky Rice Layer Cake 

This snack is a rainbow of layers that will make any dessert plate look stunning.  They are sweet and coconutty, and despite their size, they are surprisingly filling.

If you bring these to a buffet, you will shock everyone with the knowledge that they weren’t bought from a store.

8. Thai Fried Bananas 

If you want to enhance your bananas, this is the recipe for you. You get a crispy banana, with the additional flavors of coconut and sesame seeds.

They are great paired with a large scoop of ice cream.

9. Thai Custard 

This recipe is an authentic Thai custard recipe that is steamed and comes out super creamy. Unlike the custard you are probably used to, this custard is solid instead of liquid. 

The custard has coconut cream as a base, so you get a wonderful tropical flavor to your dish. While you can steam it in a bowl, it is also common practice to steam the custard in a hollowed-out pumpkin.

10. Thai Pancake 

Another popular street food, these pancakes are made from sweetened condensed milk and closely resemble crepes. They are sweet and lightweight, the perfect dessert after a heavy meal.

You are able to wrap the pancakes around your favorite fruits, so they can be completely customized to your tastes.

11. Steamed Coconut Balls 

These steamed balls are the perfect bitesize treat. They consist of sticky rice and are rolled in coconut. What really sets this recipe apart is the use of cassava starch flour. This brings a unique nutty flavor to the coconut.

12. Thai Tapioca Pudding Dessert 

This dessert is almost a cross between pudding and boba. It is sweet and creamy with pops of texture from the tapioca pearls. While it is a dessert, you are able to eat it as a sweet breakfast.

You are able to garnish this dessert with anything, we recommend topping it with your favorite fruits.

13. Coconut Ice Cream 

Despite the name, this dessert has the taste of ice cream, but the texture of sorbet. It is the perfect treat for a hot day.

It has a strong coconut flavor, with hints of vanilla throughout to create one of the best flavor combinations. The best part of this dessert is that no ice cream maker is required. You just need to leave your cream in the freezer overnight.

14. Red Rubies Dessert 

This dessert is another classic Thai dish. The rubies in the recipe are actually dyed water chestnuts, which are colorful and refreshing. The crunchy texture of the water chestnuts works well in this soup-like dessert.

This recipe is very easy to make which is shocking since the end result looks like a bowl full of jewels.

15. Edible Mini Fruit Sculptures 

Possibly the cutest dessert you will ever make, it is a struggle to get around to eating them. These treats are made from mung beans and coconut, so they also taste great as well as look fantastic.

This recipe makes the treats into the shape of fruits, but you can get very creative with it. You can make any shape you want, we recommend for beginners try to make different shapes until you are comfortable going into details.

It is one of the harder recipes on this list, but trust us it is very rewarding. You are also able to show off your newfound talent to friends and family.

16. Banana Spring Rolls 

This recipe only has 3 ingredients, bananas, spring roll wrappers, and coconut palm sugar. It is so simple to make and very addictive to eat.

You are able to pan or deep-fry your spring rolls, depending on how crispy you want them. Even if you choose to pan-fry them, they still come out really crispy and delicious.

17. Thai Tea Cake 

This cheesecake is inspired by the flavors of a popular Thai drink. The creamy top has been infused with Thai tea leaves, to give it a taste similar to Thai milk tea.

As with any good cheesecake, the cookie base is buttery and sweet. To make the base even better, cocoa powder has been added to make it chocolatey and delicious.

18. Thai Banana-Lychee Dessert In Coconut Milk 

This recipe is super easy to make and can be done in 10 minutes. It’s not often you find a recipe that involves the sweet and tart taste of lychee, but this recipe blends it perfectly with the subtleness of banana.

It is also low in fat, so you can enjoy a bowl every day of the week with little guilt.

It can be served warm or cold, making it an excellent year-round dessert. This recipe is also the perfect excuse to use your brown spotted bananas as their sweetness adds to the dessert.

19. Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail 

You are able to eat this dessert with a spoon, but we prefer to serve it as a dessert drink. It is almost soup-like in its consistency and is absolutely packed full of a variety of fruits.

It is a refreshing treat after a long day of work, and the bright colors will be sure to perk up any mood.

20. Mung Bean Pudding 

This recipe is a classic warming dessert. It is perfect for those cold nights where you just want to curl up with a bowl of soup, but are also craving something sweet. 

The sweet and nutty flavor of the mung beans works great by themself as a pudding, but it is even better if some coconut milk is poured on top.

21. Coconut Pudding Cake 

This dessert is the perfect combination between a pudding and a cake. It is gluten-free and packed full of coconut. If coconut is one of your favorite flavors, this is a must-bake for you.

To make it even better, this whole cake is covered in toasted coconut to bring a wonderful crunch that the moist cake doesn’t have.

22. Homemade Rolled Ice Cream 

Rolled ice cream has become a trendy street food, but did you know that it is quintessentially Thai? You are also able to make this dessert in your own home with only 2 ingredients, cream, and sweetened condensed milk.

Of course, you can also add any flavors of your choice to your cream mixture. We recommend topping your rolled ice cream with sauce, whipped cream, and sprinkles.

23. Thai Steamed Banana Cake 

Traditionally, these cakes are steamed in banana leaves for extra flavor. However, this recipe suggests using aluminum cups if you can’t find banana leaves.

After being steamed, the cake ends up denser than baked cakes. This gives it a wonderful chewy texture that matches well with the banana and coconut. 

These cakes are ridiculously addictive so make sure you stock up on bananas to ensure you never run out.

24. Sticky Rice Cake With Coconut And Pandan

These rice cakes are the perfect afternoon snacks. They require no baking and are lactose-free, so they also work as a great last-minute dessert. They taste so good, that you will have the whole dinner table believe you are a professional baker.

The rice cakes themselves have a vibrant green color from the pandan which also gives them a brilliant flavor. To top it all off, the cakes are served with a sweet coconut sauce.

It is also recommended that you garnish them with some fresh raspberries.

Conclusion

Thai desserts are the perfect way to end any meal. They include lots of delicious tropical flavors that can make anyone feel happy after eating them.

Not only do they taste good, but Thai desserts are also very pretty looking and can bring a pop of color to the dinner table. So hopefully these recipes have given you an idea of how to bring these wonderful dishes into your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Thai Desserts Vegan?

Most Thai desserts are made from plant-based ingredients so they are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. On average, more Thai desserts are vegan than western desserts.

However, there are exceptions so make sure you check the ingredients beforehand.

Can I Have Coconut Milk With A Nut Allergy?

It varies between the person but most people who are allergic to tree nuts can have coconut and coconut milk. This is good because there is a lot of coconut in Thai desserts.