Malaysia Has No Shortage Of Sweet Delights, But These Are The Most Popular Malaysian Desserts You Simply Cannot Miss Out On

Most of us tend to associate desserts with sponge cakes, chocolates, candy, and ice cream. But Malaysian desserts are a whole different beast.

As a country known for being a melting-pot of cultures, it’s no surprise that the sweet delights in this part of Southeast Asia are borne out of a fusion of cultures or a unique heritage of specific ones.

Most Malaysian desserts come with their own tale, and their ingredients typically call for natural native ingredients such as the iconic gula melaka, pandan leaves, dainty butterfly pea flowers, and glutinous rice.

So if your sweet tooth is getting tired of pricey bingsu, cakes, and the never ending rise of gelato shops, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve tested and shortlisted the most popular and most delicious Malaysian desserts that you should not miss out on, be it from a local vendor or from your very own kitchen.

Top 17 Most Popular Malaysian Desserts To Try Or Recreate In Your Kitchen

1. Apam Balik

Apam balik is one of Malaysia’s most popular street food desserts that is commonly found in night markets and food stalls. It’s also known as the turnover pancake, Terang Bulan, or peanut pancake because of its shape and ingredients. Its origin is also believed to have been influenced by Chinese cuisine.

There are two particular types of apam balik, the thick, chewy one and the thin, crispy one. Even so, both share similar ingredients with how it’s made by layering a pan with a batter of flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda, and water, then topping it off with a filling of crushed peanuts, sugar, and sometimes creamed corn or grated coconut before having it folded and sliced.

2. Tepung Pelita (Kuih Pelita)

Tepung pelita is a traditional Malay dessert commonly enjoyed during Ramadan and festive occasions, but it is exceptionally popular in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu. They are essentially custard-like treats in little cups made out of folded banana leaves, that tends to look almost identical to the Thai dessert, tako.

Tepung pelita consists of two layers. The bottom layer is a slightly gelatinous layer made from a mixture of rice flour, water, sugar, and pandan extract which gives it its signature green hue and fragrant aroma, while the top layer is made from coconut milk, rice flour, and salt, which balances out the sweetness of the bottom layer for a refreshing and creamy treat.

3. Cendol

Malaysia’s most popular dessert needs little introduction as it almost always serves as the cornerstone of Malaysian desserts. This scrumptious, shaved ice dessert with Indonesian origins is made by serving green rice flour jelly (also known as the cendol), a generous serving of coconut milk, and a drizzle of gula melaka atop a bed of shaved ice. Some vendors even top it with extra red beans, sweet corn, or grass jelly.

It’s a sweet and refreshing dessert that is enjoyed by many in Malaysia as one of the most delicious ways to beat the tropical heat. One of my favourite ways to have it is to wait until the ice melts a little, mix all the ingredients up in the bowl, and enjoy mouthfuls of flavourbomb that is cendol to skip out on the dreaded brainfreeze. ;)

4. Coconut Jelly

Skip the coconut-flavoured stuff because Malaysia’s coconut jelly is the real deal. It’s a refreshing dessert commonly enjoyed during the hotter periods of Malaysia that is typically served chilled and more commonly, within the coconut husk it was made in.

Coconut jelly is made by mixing the water of a young coconut with gelatin or agar-agar, then leaving it to set within its coconut husk. The coconut flesh is left untouched to give it a natural boost in flavour, while the jelly delivers a refreshing taste while almost melting in your mouth. And once you’re done enjoying the refreshing coconut jelly, it’s time to dig into the creamy coconut flesh!

Bonus Tip: There’s even a pudding version where coconut cream is added into the mixture of young coconut water and gelatin/agar-agar to create a refreshingly creamy coconut pudding that you simply must try!

5. Pisang Goreng (Banana Fritters)

Pisang goreng, which directly translates to “fried bananas” in Malay, is a popular deep-fried street snack and dessert in Malaysia with origins that can be traced back to traditional Malay and Indonesian cuisine.

It’s made by deep-frying ripe bananas coated in a batter of flour, water, sugar, and a pinch of salt to create a wonderfully crispy and crunchy caramelised treat with a soft and creamy inside. Pisang goreng can be enjoyed as it is fresh off the wok, or served hot with a side of vanilla ice cream for a truly addictive burst of flavours and textures.

6. Kuih Koci (Glutinous Rice Dumpling With Palm Sugar And Grated Coconut Filling)

Kuih koci is a sweet glutinous rice dumpling with Javanese, Malay, and Peranakan origins that is made from glutinous rice flour with a filling of grated coconut that has been toasted with palm sugar. Once the dumpling’s skin and filling have been assembled, it is then wrapped in banana leaves to maintain its form while imparting a subtle, fragrant aroma. Think of kuih koci as the Malaysian equivalent to the Japanese daifuku or mochi.

Some kuih koci vendors even coat a part of the dumpling with some coconut cream for a creamier and gooey texture, while some make the chewy skin with ground black glutinous rice which then results in another yummy variation called kuih koci pulut hitam. Either way, it is a chewy dumpling with a lightly crisp filling that makes for a delicious tea time treat or as a snack on-the-go, making it one of the most versatile Malaysian desserts.

7. Tau Foo Fah

Tau foo fah is a silky soybean pudding that is also known as douhua or tofu pudding. It’s a traditional Chinese dessert that is popular in Malaysia that you can find in restaurants or through street vendors in morning and night markets.

This silky pudding is made from very soft tofu and it is commonly served with either sugar syrup, brown sugar syrup, or gula melaka syrup to give it a touch of sweetness. That’s because the soybean pudding on its own has a rather neutral flavour. Tau foo fah is ultimately a light Malaysian dessert that is a great finisher to the typically heavy flavours of Malaysian cuisine.

8. Sago Gula Melaka (Sago Pudding With Coconut Milk And Palm Sugar Syrup)

There’s the western chia pudding, and then you have the local classic sago gula melaka, also known as sago pudding. This particular pudding is one of the more unique Malaysian desserts that is enjoyed widely across the country.

Sago gula melaka is aptly named because it consists of cooked sago pearls, palm sugar syrup, and coconut milk. The sago pearls are boiled until they expand and appear translucent before it is combined with the other ingredients to form a pudding, while some opt to have it with more coconut milk along with the addition of chopped fruits to form a cold, creamy sweet soup.

The overall combination of sago gula melaka’s ingredients gets you a Malaysian dessert that is sweet with a hint of caramel-like flavour from the gula melaka, followed by a rich creaminess from the coconut milk. The sago pearls add a nice, chewy and slightly gelatinous texture which contrasts deliciously against the smoothness of the coconut milk.

9. Kuih Bingka Ubi (Tapioca Cake)

Kuih bingka ubi looks like a cake and has the word “cake” in its English namesake, but is actually not like the cakes we are familiar with. This traditional Malay dessert is popular especially during festive occasions and in some households as a tea-time snack.

It is made by grating tapioca (cassava), then combining it with coconut milk, sugar, and sometimes eggs to form a batter, which is then baked until golden brown. This leads to a rich and dense cake that is slightly chewy and moist with a sweet, crisp top layer, that has a hint of coconut flavour from the coconut milk.

10. Onde-Onde

Walk into some of Malaysia’s kopitiams and you’re bound to see packets containing little green balls with white flakes on them. That is none other than one of the most beloved traditional Malaysian desserts, the humble onde-onde.

This bite-sized treat consists of an outer skin made from glutinous rice flour and pandan juice, giving it a mochi-like texture, and an inner filling of gooey gula melaka (palm sugar). These little treats are rolled in freshly grated coconut once they’ve been boiled in plain water in a large pot.

The overall process to make onde-onde results in a chewy yet slightly sticky treat that bursts in your mouth with a sweet gula melaka surprise once bitten into.

11. Sarawak Layer Cake

Sarawak layer cake is sometimes confused with the traditional Indonesian kuih lapis, but what sets the two apart is how the Sarawak layer cake is a rich, buttery, sweet, colourful, and intricate version that comes in various flavours.

Each layer of the Sarawak layer cake is made from a batter of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour, complete with a choice of food coloring and various flavourings like pandan, chocolate, vanilla, or durian, to create its distinct layers. Some bakers even spread condensed milk or kaya (coconut jam) in between the layers to give it extra richness.

12. Roti Pisang

Malaysia is most famous for its roti canai, but did you know that one of its variations, the roti pisang, is one of the nation’s most favoured Malaysian desserts? The popular roti pisang is often found in mamak stalls and roadside stalls, and it is a delicious flat bread filled with sliced bananas.

Roti pisang is made using the same methods as roti canai, where a dough made of flour, water, and ghee is stretched thin and tossed before being folded in to create multiple layers. Only that roti pisang is filled with sliced bananas midway through the process, then pan-fried until it turns into a mouth-watering golden brown hue. Each bite is slightly chewy, sweet, and definitely comforting, making it one of the absolute must-try Malaysian desserts out of this whole list.

13. Ais Kacang (A-B-C)

Ais kacang, also known as ice kachang or air batu campur (A-B-C), is a popular Malaysian shaved ice dessert that is commonly found offered alongside another popular shaved ice dessert we all know and love, the cendol.

Ais kacang consists of shaved ice topped with various ingredients such as sweet corn, red beans, grass jelly, cendol (only the green rice flour jelly), attap chee (palm seed), and sometimes chopped fruits or nata de coco. The combination is then drizzled with evaporated milk or condensed milk and flavoured syrups like rose syrup or sarsi syrup, resulting in the refreshingly cold, sweet treat Malaysians know and love.

14. Ang Ku Kuih

Ever spot those red little tortoise-looking cakes in your nearest kopitiam or Chinese bakery? It’s most likely the traditional Chinese glutinous cake, ang ku kuih, which directly translates to “red tortoise cake”.

Ang ku kuih is often made for special occasions like birthdays, Chinese new year celebrations, and full moon parties, but these days you’ll commonly find them in traditional Chinese bakeries and kopitiams. They are essentially glutinous rice cakes made from a dough of glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour or mashed sweet potato, then filled with a filling of sweet mung bean paste before being steamed. This gets you a mildly sweet, chewy dessert that has a slight earthy taste from the mung bean.

15. Kuih Dadar

While it looks like little green rolls, kuih dadar is actually a green pancake with a filling of grated coconut cooked with gula melaka that is rolled into its signature tube-like form. It’s a sweet, beloved Malaysian dessert that is commonly enjoyed by locals as a snack, and even more so during festive occasions. It is also sometimes known as kuih ketayap.

The pancake has a slight chewiness and subtle pandan flavour as it is made from a batter of flour, pandan extract, eggs, and coconut milk, while the filling is made by sautéing fresh grated coconut with gula melaka to form its slightly crisp texture.

16. Dodol

If you enjoy sticky sweets like toffee, then you’ll definitely love dodol. Dodol is a traditional sweet confection that is often homemade during festive occasions such as Eid and for weddings. That said, you can now often find it in various stores selling traditional Malaysian sweet snacks.

Dodol is made by boiling glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and palm sugar slowly over low heat in a pot or a wok for several hours until it reaches its signature thick and sticky consistency. These days, one of the best hacks to make this sticky sweet is to use a non-stick pot as you’ll effectively eliminate the hassle of long cleaning sessions with one, over using a traditional cast iron pot or wok.

Once cooked, dodol is sweet with a deep caramel flavour from the gula melaka, while delivering an additionally rich coconut taste from the coconut milk. Its overall texture is very sticky, dense, and chewy while bearing a smooth consistency that makes it an addictive indulgence.

17. Kuih Seri Muka

The dual-layered kuih seri muka is one of the most popular Malaysian desserts amongst the local Malay community, with a bottom layer of steamed glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, and a top layer made from a mixture of rice flour, pandan juice, coconut milk, and sugar, giving it a green hue and a thick, custard-like consistency.

It is a sweet dessert with a rich coconut flavour from both layers, while the bottom layer offers a unique texture that is sticky and slightly chewy, contrasting against the creaminess and smoothness of the upper layer. It’s definitely a delightful combination that plays with your senses!