Though Thailand is a popular Southeast Asian country known mainly for its beautiful beaches, palaces, Buddha temples, and awesome nightlife once you visit this country you will come to know that it is also a place with varieties of desserts. The top Thai desserts available here are both healthy and delicious.
Here, locals have an immense love for sweets, and they are also good at making varieties of desserts that are low in calories and fats. Most of the Thai desserts are made of fruits which make them tastier and healthier. Most of them are gluten-free. So, if you are a fitness freak, no worries, you can also enjoy these delicious sweets.
Some of the common ingredients used in Thai desserts include coconut, fruits, and rice. Thai sweet dishes are known as Khanom in Thai or sweet snacks. It is believed that one should end a meal by having Khanom when in Thailand. Here, we are providing you a list of top Thai desserts that you must taste when you go to Thailand for your next holiday.
List of Top Thai Desserts
Custard-filled bread
Thai desserts are one of the best delicacies in the world. It is no wonder why people across the world love Thai desserts so much. Custard filled bread is one such dessert that both locals and tourists love.
It is made of bread and you can find them in almost all the markets of Thailand. The buns come with various toppings like the green tea flavor or tasty chocolate syrup.
Thai Mango Sticky Rice, also known as Khao Niao Mamuang
Mangoes are native to Thailand and Southeast Asia and are the third-largest producer of mangoes in the world. You will find Mango sticky rice in almost all the places in Thailand at different prices. Typically, the shopkeeper cuts the mango and prepares this Thai dish in front of you. Also, you can carry this sweet dish in a container.
This dessert is made of fresh mangoes that are cut into pieces and placed over sticky rice. Sweet coconut milk is poured over the sticky rice and mango. Then, at last, the dessert is topped off with some fried mung beans.
Thai-Style Creme Caramel
It is one of the top Thai desserts which is quite simple to make. We can say that it is the Thai coconut dessert version of the tasty crème caramel dessert that starts melting as soon as you put it inside your mouth. Not just that, it is also much healthier and tastier than the traditional crème caramel.
As it is made of coconut milk, it is good for lowering your cholesterol level. Therefore, if you are lactose-intolerant, this is possibly the best choice for you. It is a must-try for those who are visiting Thailand.
Thai Jelly
If you are a fan of jelly and if it something that makes you happy, then Thai Jelly is a must-try for you as it is as same as the jelly that you get in the Western countries. The only difference between the two is that in Thailand, the jelly is cut into small pieces and toppings like coconut shreds are added over it.
This makes the jelly tastier and you are going to like it even more than the normal jelly. It is made of flour, sugar, and coconut milk, which makes it so delicious. Do try it when you are in Thailand.
Thai sweet dishes are an integral part of Thai cuisine. For tasting all of them you must stay in Thailand for a few months.
Banana leaf and sticky rice
This Thai dessert is made of sweet coconut milk, sticky rice, and black beans. All these are ingredients are shoved into a banana leaf, which makes a delicious dessert. Do not get fooled by the strange exterior of this dessert. It is filled with a lot of flavors. The banana leaf wrap makes it an awesome dessert to enjoy on the move.
Sweet Thai crepe
These are great finger foods. You can get this dessert fresh off the grill on most of the Soi street. Usually, these are filled with meringue, i.e. a thick cream made of sugar and egg whites. It is then topped with a foy thing, which is made of shredded egg yolk.
Luk Chup (Mung bean candy)
One of the popular Thai desserts, this may resemble fruits, but these are great to eat. Made of mung bean marzipan, these colorful candies are carefully sculpted into different shapes, then poured into different containers from which you can choose the ones that you prefer.
Khanom Tom
This traditional Thai dessert is made of boiled rice flour dumplings, covered with shredded coconut, and stuffed with a filling of shredded coconut melted along with coconut milk and palm sugar. The coconut filling is infused with flower aroma by using aromatic candles, while the Pandan leaves and Butterfly pea extract are mixed with the dough for fragrance, flavor, and color. You will get these soft and scented coconut rice flour balls in the market throughout Southeast Asia, but they are sold commonly on-street shops too.
Khanom chan
It is a unique Thai dessert made of steamed butter of different starches, mainly tapioca, rice, arrowroot flour, sugar, coconut milk, and salt. It is a bit difficult to make this Thai dessert, but its taste is worth the effort and time. To make Khanon Chan, the batter is divided into two halves. One flavored with just jasmine, and other flavored with both Pandan and Jasmine. The extract of Pandan leaves gives it a typical green color and a nutty taste. It is then steamed into different individual layers, generally, nine, swapping between the coconut and pandan filled one, which results in its distinct two-toned appearance.
Though the traditional Khanon Chan has green and white layers, various food colors can be added to the batter to make a colorful dessert. This silk delicacy is generally decorated with jasmine flowers and tastes great with a cup of tea.
Kluai thot
Kluai Thot, or also known as deep-fried bananas is a sweet food item commonly found across Thailand. This Thai dessert is traditionally made of peeled and sliced burro bananas, known as Kluay Nam Wa, which are totally immersed in a thin rice flour blend and then fried in hot oil till they form a crispy layer.
Usually, the batter mixture consists of rice flour, sesame seeds, all-purpose flour, traditionally slaked lime, sugar, baking soda, ripe coconut shreds, salt, water, and baking powder. Sweet and crunchy, the fried bananas are generally sold in bags. You must enjoy it while it is warm, generally as a snack, an appetizer, and a dessert.
Though fried bananas are usually consumed on their own, without any extra additions, nowadays, they are served with varieties of sides like vanilla, ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and honey.
Chao kuai
Popularly known as grass jelly, Chao Kuai is a traditional Thai dessert that is typically served with crushed ice some brown sugar. This is a refreshing dessert made of a jelly base which is made by cooking the stalks and leaves of Mesona Chinesis (a member plant of the mint family)
Other than Thailand, Chao Kuai is famous across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Macau. Based on the region, Chao Kuai can be either enjoyed of its own, soaked in evaporated or condensed milk, or served with a mix of mango, watermelon, jackfruit, sago, or canned fruits.