Sweet Thai Foods

Sweet Thai foods or Thai desserts are yet another explorable sector of the vast 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 never to get boring.

Most sweet Thai foods are desserts, but they are sweet and sometimes filling snacks as opposed to a light and airy Western-style dessert. They are by sugary syrups, coconut cream, tropical fruits, and sweet sticky rice.

The ultimate guide to sweet Thai foods 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!

Let’s indulge in the delightful and accessible sweet Thai foods.

Sweet Thai Foods: Sticky Rice

Sticky rice is a very particular staple of Thai cuisine. It is grown mainly in Southeast Asia from a specific variety of rice (with opaque grains) that, once cooked, stick!

Making sticky rice is not easy, and it is very time-consuming. There is an art to making the rice sticky enough, so the grains stay together. And not too sticky, so when eating with your hands, it doesn’t stick to you!

Many traditional sweet Thai foods use sticky rice. Here are the three most popular sticky rice-based desserts.

Mango Sticky Rice – Khao Niao Mamuang

Sweet sticky rice with fresh yellow mango on top and covered in coconut cream syrup. Khao Neow Mamuang is among the most popular sweet Thai foods to eat in and outside of Thailand. In Bangkok, you’ll find sticky mango rice all over during mango season.

Mangoes are native to Southeast Asia, and Thailand is the third producer of mangoes worldwide. Mango sticky rice is available everywhere at different price points.

Typically, the vendor slices the mango and prepares this dessert in front of you, before handing over the styrofoam container with this delicious dessert.

Durian Sticky Rice – Khao Niao Toorien

One of the usual sweet Thai foods, it is another version of the previous Thailand dessert. This time the famous Durian fruit replaces the mango. Durian is often called the “King of Fruits” in Southeast Asia. It is also a popular filling in Vietnamese desserts.

There are more than 300 varieties of durian fruits in Thailand! Though only a few are edible. The durian fruit is very distinctive with its large size, thorned skin, and more or less pungent odor.

Durian sticky rice is prepared the same way as the sticky mango rice. Though most of the time, the fruit has is sliced ahead of time.

Bamboo Sticky Rice – Khao Lam

Bamboo sticky rice is one of the famous sweet Thai foods not to miss while in Thailand. This time the glutinous rice is roast in Bamboo sticks over charcoal. You will find different kinds. Some with black beans, sesame, or different types of sticky rice, like black sticky rice.

Interestingly, in Cambodia, sticky bamboo rice is famous Cambodian street food. While the technique is the same way in Thailand, the rice used in Cambodia is special fragrant rice from specific provinces of the country.

The rice takes the flavor of the bamboo, giving it a unique taste. Ultimately, the experience of eating sticky bamboo rice is what makes this dessert so appealing!

The best way to eat it is to crack the bamboo open from the top, and then pull down strips of bamboo slowly. Once you have peeled down a few strips around, you can then grab a piece of sticky rice and eat with your hands.

Sticky Rice Cake – Kao Tom Mud

This delicious Thai dessert is made of sticky rice with coconut milk and a filling inside.

There is a saying that Kao Tom Mud symbolizes a couple’s life since they usually pair two Kao Tom Mud together tied with a bamboo strip. You can find it with taro as well. Wrapped in a banana leaf, it is deliciously sweet and slightly chewy. You can quickly eat it in just two or three bites!

Sweet Thai Foods: Filled Coconut Cream – Khanom Sod Sai

These small triangular banana leaf wrappings will grab your attention as you peruse the street food vendors in Thailand. When we asked what was inside, we were quite surprised to hear “coconut.”

The inside has a creamy filling and a brown colored center with tamarind flavor.

The consistency of this Thailand dessert is similar to jelly on the outside while the tamarind filling is slightly chewier. Easy to eat as a snack, it is not too sweet, and the tamarind flavor balances out the coconut.

Thai Ice Cream – I-Tim

Ice cream in Thailand is a popular treat to cool off from the heat and humidity.

Thai ice cream, also called I-tim in Thai, is typically made without the use of dairy products. The flavors are unique and include durian, jackfruit, taro root, and even corn.

The two most popular types of ice cream are coconut ice cream and Thai popsicles.

Sweet Thai Foods, Coconut Ice Cream – I-tim Kati

You can find coconuts in many Thai dishes, and it is no surprise to see them in desserts. The ice cream is unique that is entirely coconut milk.

The Thais, like most people in Asia, do not easily digest lactose (sugar that occurs naturally in milk). Without the lactose, coconut ice cream can be enjoyed without the side effects of dairy.

The texture is not creamy like milk-based ice cream and not as icy as sorbet. It is a refreshing blend between the two. Cool off with this delicious Thai sweet!

Thai Crispy Pancakes – Khanom Buang

These crispy pancakes will grab your attention as much as they grabbed ours when we saw them for the first time. They are traditional sweet Thai foods that they prepare meticulously.

The base or the crispy pancake is full of rice flour and mung bean flour. Sprinkle coconut cream is on top of the small pancakes before fillings are filled with it. You will find two types of toppings, sweet and savory.

The sweet fillings have shredded coconut and golden threads (egg yolk strips). The salty mixture contains shredded coconut, chopped spring onions, and shredded shrimp.

Sweet Thai Foods – The Most Delicious Desserts You’ll Ever Taste!

You can enjoy these low carbohydrate Thai food well when you eat authentic Thai cuisine available like Yummy Thai Irving! That’s why we invite you to visit us and satisfy your cravings. Call us on 214-238-2449 for reservations.