Thai desserts are yet another explorable sector of the extensive realm of best Thai dishes. An indulgence of Thai desserts is an eye-opener to a new angle of Thailand’s sweet flavors and a food gastro-adventure that’s sure to never get boring.
After eating and gathering over 100 best Thai dishes, it was surely time to devour all the sugary treats that Bangkok has to offer.
Most Thai desserts are a sweet and sometimes filling snack opposed to a light and airy Western style dessert. They are characterized by sweet syrups, coconut cream, tropical fruits, and sweet sticky rice.
The ultimate guide to Thai desserts is divided into a few categories to make it easier to navigate: Sticky Rice Desserts, Jelly/Custard/Gooey, Soup/Pudding, Cakes/Bread/Pancakes, Fruit/Based, Ice Cream, and Random.
If you have a chronic sweet tooth or an occasional sweet craving, this Thai Desserts (Khanom Thai): The Ultimate Thailand Sweets Guide is for you!
I have “***” my personal favorites with 1-3 stars. My personal choice really comes down to sticky rice durian and Bua Loy Nam King, though most are quite delicious. Take a look at the list and feel free to let me know your favorite Thai desserts!
Khao Niew Toorien ข้าวเหนียวทุเรียน (Durian Coconut Milk Soup with Sticky Rice)***
Sticky rice with chunk of Durian swimming in a thick coconut cream syrup is surely one of the most unique Thai desserts!
Nam Kati Niew Durian
Khao Tom Mud ข้าวต้มมัด
(Banana Leaf Sticky Rice)
Sticky rice, coconut milk, sugar, sweet black beans, all candied in a banana leaf wrapper
Khanom Gluay ขนมกล้วย
(Banana Treat)
Sticky rice, bananas, sugar and shredded coconut made into a green treat. It becomes green by soaking Pandanus leaves in cool water and adding it to the mixture.
Khao Niew Ma Muang ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง (Sticky Rice with Mango)*
Sweet sticky rice with sweet yellow mango on top and covered in coconut cream syrup. Khao Neow Mamuang is among the most popular Thai desserts.
Khao Niew Mamuang
Khao Niew Moon ข้าวเหนียวมูน (Colored Sticky Rice)*
Selection of sticky rice made with sugar, coconut milk, salt and a little flavor to create the variation of color
Khao Niew Moon
Khanom Jark ขนมจาก
(Palm Leaf Treat)
Flour, coconut meat, sugar and salt grilled in a palm leaf wrapper
Khao Mahk ข้าวหมาก
(Fermented Rice Pudding)**
Whole grains of sticky rice sweetly fermented into a pudding that remains slight crunchy
Khao Lam ข้าวหลาม
(Sticky Rice in Bamboo)
Sticky rice sweetened with black beans and syrup and roasted in a bamboo trunk
Khao Niew Sang Kaya ข้าวเหนียวสังขยา (Sticky Rice with Custard)**
Sweet sticky rice topped with a slice of creamy custard
Khao Niew Sang Kaya
Khao Niew Dam ข้าวเหนียวดำ
(Sweet Black Sticky Rice)
Sweet black sticky rice with shredded coconut on top
Khao Mao Tod ข้าวเม่าทอด (Fried Banana with Roasted Rice)**
Super ripe banana wrapped with roasted unripened sticky rice and coconut before being deep fried
Khanom Khao Mao
Khanom Khao Mao ขนมข้าวเม่า (Unripe Sticky Rice Dessert)
Unripe roasted sticky rice used to make a sweet dessert
Tong Yip ทองหยิบ
(Flower Egg Yolk Tart)
Egg yolk, sugar, and flower water boiled in sugar syrup and formed into flower like shapes. Tong Yip, Tong Yord and Foi Tong make up a popular trinity of Thai desserts.
Tong Yord ทองหยอด (Round Egg Yolk Tart)
Egg yolk, sugar, and flower water boiled in sugar syrup and formed into round balls
Tong Yord
Foi Tong ฝอยทอง (Shredded Egg Yolk Tart)
Egg yolks and sugar boiled in sweet syrup and then formed into hairlike shapes
Foi Tong
Khanom Krok ขนมครก
(Coconut Rice Dumplings)*
Traditional coconut and rice flour dumplings with a choice of topping and cooked in a waffle like heated pan
Woon วุ้น
(Jelly)
All kinds of Thai jelly similar to Jello
Woon Ma Plow (Coconut Jelly)
Clear coconut jelly hardened into a coconut shell
Khanom Chun ขนมชั้น (Thai Jello)
Sugar, coconut milk, and flour mixed and set in cookie pan to harden into a jelly
Khanom Chun
Khanom Chun Gafe ขนมชั้นกาแฟ
(Layered Coffee Jelly)
Brown layered jelly with a hint of coffee flavoring
Khanom Duang ขนมด้วง
(Sticky Morsels)
Tapioca and rice flour with coconut milk and sugar made into little food colored morsels and sprinkled with shredded coconut
Sang Kaya Fug Tong สังขยาฟักทอง (Pumpkin and Custard)**
Pumpkin hollowed out and filled with the creamiest custard
Sang Kaya Fug Tong
Khanom Piek Poon ขนมเปียกปูน
(Burnt Coconut Jelly)
Flour, sugar, and shredded coconut meat residue that is burnt on the outside to create the black effect and made into a jelly
Takoh ตะโก้ (Coconut Cream Jelly)**
Tapioca flour mixed with heavy coconut cream, coconut pulp and sugar to create a intense coconut custard topping over tapioca pearls and sometimes corn
Khanom Takoh ขนมตะโก้
(Coconut Pudding Cake)
Jelly custard on the bottom with coconut cream pudding on top
Woon Kati วุ้นกะทิ
(Condensed Milk Jelly)
Jello like jelly with condensed milk topping
Khanom Thuay ขนมถ้วย (Thai Coconut Custard)**
Coconut milk custard made in small bite size bowls
Khanom Thuay
Khanom Sai Sai ขนมไส่ใส้ (Coconut Treat)
Coconut fruit inside with coconut pudding outside and covered in a banana leaf
Khanom Thien ขนมเทียน (Sticky Cake)
Tapioca flour and peanuts made into a wet cake and wrapped in a banana leaf. Especially eaten during Chinese New Year
Khanom Thien
Bua Loy Nam King บัวลอยน้ำขิง (Mochi Rice and Sesame Balls in Ginger Water)***
Dumplings of rice flour encasing black sesame paste and floating in sweet ginger soup
Bua Loy
Sakoo Piek สาคูเปียก
(Tapioca Pudding)*
Tapioca balls in sweet pudding paste
Tao Huay Nam Khing เต้าฮวยน้ำขิง
(Soft Tofu and Sweet Croutons in Ginger Water)**
Vibrant sweetened ginger water with pieces of soft tofu and sweet croutons
Nam Kang Sai น้ำแข็งไส
(Mixed Ice Dessert)
A choice combination of various jellies and candied fruits topped with chunks of ice and sweet syrup
Khanom Wan Ruam Mit (Mixed Sweet Dessert)
A sweet concoction of mixed treats
Rang Nok รังนก (Sweet Bird’s Nest Soup)**
Bird’s nest soup made into a healthful dessert snack, and just barley sweet
Rang Nok
Pakim Kai Tow ปะกิมไข่เต่า
(Sweet Salty Soup)
Sweet and salty soup combined together with sticky rice flour and coconut milk
Fug Tong Gang Buad ฟักทองแกงบวช
(Pumpkin in Coconut Milk)
Pumpkin candied in coconut milk with sugar and salt
Taptim Grob ทับทิมกรอบ (Water Chestnuts in Coconut Soup)
Water chestnuts in a sweet icy coconut soup
Nam Tow Hoo น้ำเต้าหู้ (Tofu Water)*
Sweetened tofu water almost tasting like milk
Salim ซาหลิ่ม (Glass Noodle Dessert)
Glass noodles in sweet coconut milk
Khanom Thungtag ขนมถังแตก
(Sweet Thai Pancake)
Flour and coconut milk with yeast, salt and sugar mixed into a pancake. Eaten with foi tong or an assortment of toppings.
Roti Gluay โรตีกล้วย (Banana Pancake Treat)*
A doughy pastry fried in butter with a banana and egg mixture on the inside before being covered with sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Can be found all of over Thailand but is especially a popular Thai dessert in the South.
Roti Gluay
Khanom Buang ขนมเบื้อง
(Sweet Thai Crepe)
Sweet Thai crepe with meringue and foy tong on top
Khanom Sahlee ขนมสาลี่
(Sweet Bread)
Flour, sugar and lime juice mixed into a sweet bread and steamed to remain cooked and still moist and fluffy
Taung Muan Sot ทองม้วนสด
(Sweet Rolled Sesame Pancake)
Soft pancake with roasted sesame seeds
Tong Muan ทองม้วน
(Crunchy Pancake)
Flour, coconut milk, eggs, salt, sugar and black sesame seeds cooked in a waffle maker
Tua Pap ถั่วแปบ (Peanut Rice Cake)*
Soft rice flour morsels with peanuts, mung beans, sesame seeds and coconut
Tua Pap
Khanom Pang Wan ขนมปังหวาน (Sweet Breads)
Not really Thai but a selection of hamburger buns filled with synthetic bright sweet things. Thai desserts sometimes take on interesting forms, shapes and flavors!
Khanom Pang Wan
Roti Sai Mai โรตีสายไหม
(Thai Cotton Candy Burrito)**
Thai style candy floss of pure sugar wrapped into a crepe and eaten like as a super sweet burrito
Khanom Mun ขนมมัน
(Coconut Cassava Cake)
Cassava mixed with coconut and made into a moist cake
Khanom Tua Tud ขนมถั่วตัด
(Coconut Peanut Cake)
Ground peanuts mixed with coconut and formed into moist cake
Khanom Moa Gang ขนมหม้อแกง
(Thai Custard Cake)*
Thai custard cake baked and sprinkled with deep fried red onions
Khanom Tuay Foo ขนมถ้วยฟู
(Sweet Steamed Bread)
Plain flour with sugar and food coloring steamed into a sweet bread snack
Khanom Tarn ขนมตาล (Palm Sugar Pudding)
Small cake of steamed palm hearts
Khanom Tarn
Cake Gluay Hom เค้กกล้วยหอม
(Banana Muffin)
Muffin made with banana
Khanom Pia ขนมเปี๊ยะ
(Chinese Baked Cookie)
Rice flour cookie with sweet filling
Khanom Thom ขนมต้ม
(Dessert Balls)
Flour and sugar made into small bowls with nutty filling and covered with shredded coconut
Pang Gi แป้งจี่ (Coconut Pancake)*
Small bite sized coconut pancakes
Pang Gi
Khanom Khai ขนมไข่ (Baked Egg Cake)
Cake made with eggs and flour and shaped in a small molded pan
Khanom Baa Bin ขนมบ้าบิ่น (Fried Cake)***
Sticky rice flour and sugar fried on a griddle to become crispy and golden
Khanom Keng (Sticky Cake)
A traditional cake made with super sticky rice flour
Nam Polomai Ruam Ban (Thai Mixed Fruit Smoothie)***
The super Thai style mixed fruit shake created with the finest tropical fruits blended with ice and sweet coconut water makes for the finest and freshest Thai desserts available.
Nam Polomai Ruam Ban
Gluay Buad Chee กล้วยบวชชี
(Bananas in Coconut Milk)
Bananas with coconut cream
Putsa Cheum พุทราเชื่อม
(Candied Chinese Date)
Candied Chinese dates in sweet syrup
Looktan Cheum ลูกตาลเชื่อม
(Candied Palm Seeds)
Palm seeds boiled in water and then highly sugared
Grataun Song Kreung กะท้อนทรงเครื่อง (Candied Santol Fruit)*
Santol fruit candied and mixed with a peanut, chili, dried shrimp flavored sweet glaze
Grataun Song Kreung
Mamuang Nam Plah Wan มะม่วงน้ำปลาหวาน (Green Mango with Sweet Sauce)*
Green mangoes dipped into a sweet fishy paste with dried shrimp and red onions
Gluay Cheum กล้วยเชื่อม (Bananas with Syrup)
Sweet bananas in syrup with hot coconut milk on top
Gluay Kaek กล้วยแขก (Fried Sweet Bananas)*
Battered and deep fried bananas into a crispy crunch
Itim Kati ไอติมกะทิ (Coconut Ice Cream)***
Coconut infused ice cream with peanuts usually served in a coconut shell
Itim Khanom Pung ไอติมขนมปัง (Ice Cream Sandwich)***
Sliced bun, sticky rice, scoop of ice cream, peanuts, preserved palm fruit and condensed milk combined into a true Thai ice cream sandwich! Thai desserts can be fun and interesting to eat!
Thai Ice Cream Bun Sandwich
Itim Bohrahn ไอติมโบราณ (Creamy Popsicles)**
Fruit flavored frozen ice cream rectangles
Itim Tod ไอติมทอด (Deep Fried Ice Cream)
Good old fashioned deep fried ice cream
Look Choop ลูกชุบ (Mung Bean Candy)
Smashed and sweetened mung bean paste made into cute candies to look like fruit and glazed in sweet candy
Look Choop
Med Kanun เม็ดขนุน
(Mung Bean Yolk)
Mung bean paste formed in egg yolk and sugar
Mun Sumpalung Cheum มันสำปะหลังเชื่อม
(Candied Cassava)
Cassava candied in sweet syrup
Kai Wan ไข่หวาน (Sweet Eggs)
Eggs cooked in sugar water with a hint of ginger
Kai Wan
Toorien Guan ทุเรียนกวน (Durian Paste)
Fragrant Durian with sugar made into a substance that resembles toothpaste.
Note: Eat at your own risk, some may not consider Toorien Guan to be the best of Thai desserts!
Durian Guan
Mamuang Guan
(Mango Fruit Roll-Up)
Mango made into sweetened and dried fruit roll-up sheets
Lod Chong Nam Kati ลอดช่องน้ำกะทิ
(Green Noodle Surprise)
Green noodles made from flour and pandanus leaves and eaten with a ladle of sweet coconut milk
Khanom La Grob ขนมลากรอบ
(Honey Candy)
Made from flour egg yolks and honey and fried in a big pan
What looks good? Do you have a favorite Khanom Wan, Thai dessert?
What are your favorite Thai desserts?
Don’t forget to check out 100 best Thai dishes!
If you enjoyed this, please be sure to check out the Eating Thai Food Guide and the Vegetarian Thai Food Guide now!
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ok, you’re like a mad genius for collecting such a comprehensive list!! Thank you for this. I know this was an arduous (albeit fun) post to do. I’m surprised you’re still so skinny after trying all these!
i like TAKOH! That’s my fave!
Roti gluay and mango sticky rice…hmmm, I need to find some of that right now. I think I normally eat the mango sticky rice at least once per day when I’m over there, hence the reason that my very first cavities appeared after my first trip to Thailand!
Holy dolly!! Mark, this is one awesome post man!! Must have taken you so much effort to complete this post. Impressive stuff. Gonna spread the words for you man.
Wow! Incredible list! The “research” must have been very hard
OMG!! The best list with photo I have seen so far!
Do you know how painful for me to scroll down and keep thinking about the ones I have missed when I went back last time?
My favorites are Roti,Khao Niew Ma Muang, Salim,Tong Yip , Tong Yod, Med Kanoon, Luk Chup.
I’m going to Thailand for 2 months this autumn and I don’t think I’ve ever had any of these
This is going to be a tasty trip!
Oh, is that ice cream sandwich in a hot dog bun? I heard somewhere that they serve ice cream in hot dog buns in Thailand…
wow! That’s a great list with great pics too! I love mango sticky rice the most =)
Wow, that has got to BE the most concise list of sweets from Thais I have EVER seen! Not only that, but you named all my favourites too.. Does that mean I have a sweet tooth? I guess so;) Great shots btw, love the food photography!
I never cared about Thailand. Until now. This page was pure torture. I hope I meet someone who can make these for me every day…
i am overwhelmed totally!! i must go to Thailand to try them sometime!! i am still learning to appreciate Durian~
i’ve been drinking bird nest soup every night (i only get the homemade kind back at home). the only reason why i drink it is because it’s supposed to be good for complexion.
i’ve been taking the store-bought kind online (e.g. http://www.geocities.jp/hongkong_bird_nest/index_e.htm of famous branded only of course) which is directly mailed from Hong Kong. this would be at a more affordable price.
@Jen: It was so many desserts I had to buy 1 and then split with all my friends!
@Earl: I think those are 2 of the best as well! Haha, at least those cavaties are worth it!
@Daniel: Thanks a lot Daniel, it was a lot of fun!
@Amy: You will just have to come back and try to sample as many as possible!
@Clayton: Great Clayton! You are going to have an awesome time. Yah, you can get your ice cream sandwich in a bun right off the street here in Bangkok! Let me know when you come to Thailand, maybe we can do some eating!
@Lilian: Thanks!
@Ciki: Haha, a sweet tooth in Thailand is not a bad thing to have!
@Esma: Hope you do too! You need to come to Thailand to eat all this!
@Yue: Yah, Durian is the craziest fruit, and when made into dessert, it’s even better!
great post thanks
Soo much foo there that i would love to eat
, lunchtime me thinks 
This is really helpful!!!
Thanks for checking it out New!
Wow, this is an incredibly comprehensive collection! Excellent photos and descriptions. Those ice creams are making me drool. I’m curious, how do you eat the sticky rice dessert out of the bamboo?
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@Rease: Before you purchase it, the vendor bangs it with a sledge hammer, cracking it down the side of the bamboo and making it easy to grab the rice on the inside! Thanks for checking this out!
Oh man, I hope you ate every single of on these in the tasting process. They all look amazing – even the unholy hotdog bun+sprinkles monster.
A thai restaurant near my house has many desserts, but I never get them because I’ve usually already stuffed myself completely full of curry. You have inspired me to go and just order all the desserts.
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@Aly: Yes indeed, I have sampled all of these..! However, I’m usually with you on filling up on curry first with not room for desserts. I have to make separate Thai dessert food binges…dessert meals!
I’m going to Thailand in a couple months…my goodness, there’s so much food! We’re going to the Songkran (I think I spelled that right). I’ll have to check to see if they have anything special for the festival. Then again, I might just print this off and point at pictures, then respectively at my mouth. Thanks for the food guide!
The photos are invaluable – thank you! I reread this post after thinking it was strange I hadn’t seen many desserts anywhere in Thailand – now I know what I’m looking for I seem to notice them everywhere, though some are far more common than others. I’m enjoying trying them out!
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@Ruth: Thank you so much Ruth! Yes, Thai desserts are great to explore and sample – quite different from normal desserts in Europe or US. Good luck eating and hope you can find some of the best ones!
Wow, yummy desserts!
Want to try the Thai Mixed Fruit Smoothie!!… it looks very delicious.
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I want this breads recipe how do i get this ricipe? I look your pag I love it…
Thanks Shoua! Hope you can find the recipe!
Hello Mark,
I just wanted to say, I thank and loathe you in equal measures – ever since coming across this page I have been rather infatuated with Thai Desserts, and just the need to explore the gastronomy of the worlds’ cultures. I have been to Thailand once, in 2000, and essentially everything on this page is alien to me. As of today however, I have just returned from a local Thai Festival, my purchase list?
- Khao Tom Mud
- Khao Niew Mamuang [not tried yet]
- Khao Niew Sangkaya
- Foi Tong
- Khanom Chun
- Takoh Bai Toey
- Khanom Wan Ruam Mit
- Khanom Mun
- Khanom Tom Bai Toey
- Med Kanun
- Khanom Tarn [I think]
- An egg custard slice
- A Banana pudding slice
- Tua Pap [I think - clear dumpling stuffed with peanuts served with chillies and coriander?]
And they are all. Spectacular. No durian unfortunately, something I really want to sample. My flanks don’t thank you [yes, I did buy them all at once, no, I didn't have to try them all at once..but I barely had the choice].
Regards,
Enrico
Awesome Enrico!!!
Thanks so much for sharing, I’m so happy to hear this! You got some great desserts, a few of my favorites and I’m sure they were spectacular. After buying Thai desserts, it can be difficult to refrain from eating them all at once and save anything – they are so sweet and tasty! Hope you get to sample some durian in the near future. Any plans to come back and visit Thailand again? Thanks again for taking the time to comment!
They were mind-blowing [especially the mango with sticky rice, Jeebus]. Particularly as I cannot fathom why I cannot stop devouring them, though the sooner they are gone, the better [especially as there's another Thai festival at the end of the month..]! Beyond being tasty, they are just so interesting and diverse…talking of which, I also sampled Guay Jub. It was awesome. The unnamed desserts by the way I think are lod chong nam kati for the drink, khanom gluay for the banana pudding, khanom mor gaeng for the egg custard, and saku sai kem for the tapioca balls.
I have no idea for a return to Thailand – when the means are available I would think. Much in your vein, I would like a worldwide exploration, concentrating on face-stuffing aspect though! Thanks for inspiring
I definitely had my eyes on the Khao Niew Ma Muang and the Mamuang Nam Plah Wan. Anything with mangoes just drives me crazy.
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Awesome to hear that Alexa – I’m with you when it comes to mangos too – they are so delicious in all forms of ripeness!