Thai desserts, typology and culinary traditions

Layered mango and coconut jellies, illustrating the use of natural colours and textures in Thai desserts.

Understanding the world of khanom wan

Thai confectionery forms a distinct realm within the country’s culinary landscape. Traditional sweet preparations do not rely on dairy products, which have never been part of historical cooking practices. Nor is animal gelatine used, as it has long been replaced by agar agar. The techniques differ just as markedly. Steaming is the dominant method, sometimes complemented by cooking in sugar syrups or coconut milk, and there is almost no equivalent to the classic methods of Western pâtisserie such as laminated doughs or raised pastries.

These characteristics stem from the country’s culinary history and from the ingredients available for generations. Coconut milk, rice or tapioca flours, aromatic plants, naturally sweet roots and tropical fruits form the basis of these preparations. The result is a wide variety of textures, most of them inherently plant based, and the majority would be considered vegan or at least strictly vegetarian.

Thai sweets have their own name, khanom wan, which translates literally as “sweet things”. They are not conceived as a single structured dessert served at the end of a meal but as snacks enjoyed at any time of day. They are seldom found in everyday restaurants, where savoury dishes dominate the dining experience. By contrast, they are ubiquitous in markets, in specialised stalls and in a few dedicated shops. This social and spatial presence contributes to their relative lack of visibility outside Thailand.

The purpose of this article is to present the foundations of Thai sweet preparations by examining their key ingredients, traditional techniques and main families of recipes. We begin with the essential products that underpin this form of cooking, then survey the major categories of sweet dishes, from coconut based puddings to those influenced by Portuguese traditions. We then examine the most common preparation methods, followed by the place of these sweet specialities in everyday life in Thailand.

Key ingredients in traditional Thai desserts

This section outlines the technical and aromatic foundations of khanom wan as they are used in everyday practice in Thailand.

Coconut as a Fundamental Ingredient

Coconut appears in several complementary forms, notably coconut milk, grated coconut and young coconut flesh. Coconut milk ranges from a thick cream used for puddings and toppings to a lighter liquid used for sweet soups or flavoured syrups. Grated coconut forms the base of many steamed cakes or serves as a garnish, while thin slices of young coconut provide a supple texture in jellies and certain cold preparations. Together, these three forms structure the majority of Thai sweet dishes.

In preparations such as bananas cooked in coconut milk or in glutinous rice dumplings like bua loy, Thai recipes often combine a layer of rich cream, known as hua kati, with a thinner liquid coconut milk, hang kati, sometimes scented with pandan.

Agar-agar

Agar-agar, known in Thai as wun, is extracted from red algae and most commonly sold in powdered form. It allows liquids to set quickly, with a firmer texture than animal gelatine and excellent stability when heated.

In desserts it is used to make clear jellies or coconut milk jellies, sometimes arranged in coloured layers. It appears in fruit based jellies, in jellies with young coconut and in various moulded preparations that must hold their shape once unmoulded. In practice, agar agar is brought to a full boil to ensure even gelling, and the quantity of powder must be measured precisely to avoid an excessively firm texture.

Local flours and starches

Thai sweets use a range of flours and starches that structure texture rather than contribute flavour.

Rice flour, often combined with other starches, produces soft and slightly elastic doughs. Tapioca flour, derived from cassava, creates a more transparent and highly elastic texture, characteristic of layered cakes and certain dumplings. Thai recipes also make use of glutinous rice flour, mung bean flour and other local starches, which are interchangeable depending on availability and produce gelling yet tender textures.

In cakes such as khanom chan, the proportions of rice flour to tapioca flour determine the balance between firmness, elasticity and softness.

Naturally sweet roots and vegetables

Several roots, vegetables and legumes form the base of many sweet preparations, either mashed or cooked in syrup or coconut milk.

Taro, sweet potato, pumpkin, maize and cassava are widely used, cooked and sweetened either alone or together, sometimes scented with pandan. They may be served in pieces with syrup or coconut cream, or incorporated into a dough that is then moulded or fried. Pumpkin can be used both for its flesh and as a container for a steamed coconut custard. Black beans or mung beans, sometimes combined with glutinous rice, add a dense texture and natural sweetness.

These ingredients provide natural sweetness and a dense or slightly floury texture, very different from dairy based creams. They also offer a wide natural palette of colours, from white to violet to orange, without the use of artificial colouring.

Tropical Fruits

Tropical fruits hold a central place in Thai sweet dishes, whether raw or cooked.

Ripe mango, banana, durian, coconut and jackfruit appear either as the main element or as a garnish combined with glutinous rice, coconut milk or syrup. Some fruits such as banana, taro or cassava may be candied in syrup before being served with coconut milk. Young coconut is often added in thin slices to jellies or sweet soups to provide texture.

Flowers and Aromatic Plants

Thai desserts use several plant based aromatics to flavour preparations, particularly pandan. Its leaves, tied into knots then infused in coconut milk or syrup, impart a clear and recognisable vegetal aroma to traditional sweets. Jasmine flowers, either fresh or as infused jasmine water, are used more occasionally to scent cold syrups or mixtures intended for steaming.

Pandan also provides a characteristic green colour, obtained by infusion or by pressing the leaves for their juice. Clitoria ternatea is used to produce an intense blue or slightly violet shade depending on the mixture’s pH, while roselle provides red or pink tones. These colours are incorporated into doughs, syrups or jellies.

Together, these flowers and aromatics allow desserts to be flavoured and coloured without artificial essences or colourants.

The main families of Thai desserts

The variety of Thai sweet dishes is considerable and any exhaustive classification would be difficult to establish. The typology below provides an initial framework. It highlights the ingredients and techniques that structure khanom wan and helps situate the most common desserts within coherent groups.

Coconut based desserts

Coconut lies at the heart of many sweet preparations, whether used as thick cream, coconut milk, grated flesh or thin slices. This principle is found in puddings such as khanom thuai, in coconut milk creams and jellies, and in moulded preparations such as takoh. Some sweet soups also rely on a lighter coconut milk base into which glutinous rice dumplings like bua loy are added.

Agar agar jellies

Agar agar jellies form a distinct family characterised by a firm and stable texture. They include clear jellies, coconut milk jellies and jellies combined with fresh fruits such as young coconut in wun maprao on or mango in wun mamuang. Coloured variations scented with pandan or flowers are also among the most common versions.

Glutinous rice desserts

Glutinous rice is used in several emblematic preparations. The best known is mango sticky rice, but glutinous rice may also be cooked inside bamboo, as in khao lam, or wrapped in banana leaf with a ripe banana, as in khao tom mad. These desserts emphasise the sticky texture of the rice and its association with fruits or coconut cream.

Desserts made from local flours and starches

This category encompasses cakes prepared from rice flour, tapioca flour or other local starches. Khanom chan is a clear illustration, with its successive layers and elastic texture. Other preparations such as piak poon or thuai fu rely on steamed batters whose consistency varies according to the proportion of flours used.

Desserts based on vegetables, roots and legumes

Roots and certain legumes are incorporated into many sweets. Taro, sweet potato, cassava and pumpkin may be cooked in syrup or coconut milk, or mixed into a dough before cooking. Black beans or mung beans can be served in coconut cream or combined with glutinous rice. These ingredients contribute dense textures and natural sweetness.

Desserts made with tropical fruits

Tropical fruits appear frequently in Thai sweets. They may be served in syrup, steamed or combined with coconut milk. Some preparations such as durian in coconut milk are centred entirely on the fruit, while others use it as a garnish or as one element within a broader composition.

Egg based desserts (Portuguese influence)

This family includes desserts influenced by the Portuguese presence in Ayutthaya. They are made from egg yolks cooked in syrup, as in foi thong, thong yip and thong yot. Their colour, texture and method of preparation set them apart from the largely plant based Thai sweet repertoire.

Fried sweets

Some sweet dishes involve frying, notably slices of banana, sweet potato or taro. They are usually eaten as snacks rather than as desserts in the Western sense. Their crisp exterior contrasts with a soft or tender interior, making them very common in markets.

Iced desserts and sweet drinks

Iced desserts and sweet drinks form a separate category. Shaved ice served with syrups and toppings, such as nam khaeng sai, or the green rice flour noodles in coconut milk known as lod chong, are representative examples. Artisan coconut ice creams complete this group and are often enjoyed to cool down rather than to end a meal.

Traditional preparation techniques

Steaming

Steaming is one of the most common techniques used in Thai sweet preparations. It produces soft and airy textures typical of cakes made from rice or fermented flours. Desserts such as khanom thuai fu, with its slightly risen structure, or khanom kluai, prepared from banana and rice flour, are representative examples. This method ensures even cooking and preserves the natural colour of the ingredients, without browning or forming a crust.

Cooking in syrup

Cooking in sugar syrup is widely used for the egg based desserts inherited from Portuguese traditions, but also for certain preparations made from root vegetables such as cassava. The ingredients are simmered gently until they partially absorb the syrup, which preserves their shape while giving them a tender texture. Syrups may be clear or flavoured depending on whether they are intended to remain visible or be incorporated into coconut cream.

Cooking in natural wrappers

Several sweet dishes are cooked inside natural wrappers, mainly banana leaves or bamboo sections. Banana leaves hold the mixture in place and impart a subtle vegetal aroma, as in khao tom mad, where glutinous rice is wrapped and steamed. Bamboo, used for khao lam, provides slow and even cooking for glutinous rice enclosed in a sealed container that concentrates the flavours.

Agar agar jellies

Jellies set with agar agar are defined by a firm and distinct texture, quite different from animal gelatine. Agar agar is brought briefly to a boil to activate gelling, then removed from the heat to prevent an overly firm result. Its stability at room temperature and its ability to hold precise shapes explain its use in decorative jellies, fruit jellies and coconut milk jellies.

Light frying

Some sweet dishes rely on light frying, particularly snacks sold in markets. Slices of banana, sweet potato or taro are cut, coated and fried until they develop a crisp exterior. This method emphasises the contrast between the crust and the soft or tender interior and belongs more to the category of sweet snacks than to that of desserts served at the end of a meal.

Foreign influences and their symbolic role

Certain Thai sweet dishes have their origins in early exchanges with other cultures, particularly Portuguese and Chinese. Long integrated into the local culinary landscape, they now play an important role in celebrations, where their shape, colour or texture is associated with specific symbolic values.

Portuguese influence

Portuguese influence emerged in Ayutthaya during the seventeenth century and appears mainly in desserts made from egg yolks. Sweet preparations such as foi thong, thong yip and thong yot are made from beaten egg yolks cooked in syrup. Although the method recalls certain Portuguese techniques of the same period, the Thai versions were adapted to local sugars and traditional cooking practices. Their yellow colour, regarded as auspicious, quickly gave them a symbolic function. They are offered at weddings, religious ceremonies and family celebrations to express wishes for longevity, prosperity and success.

Chinese influence

Chinese communities established in Thailand have also introduced several sweet preparations that have become essential during New Year celebrations. Kanom kheng, a glutinous rice cake eaten during this period, symbolises family cohesion and continuity. Kanom thien, another wrapped glutinous preparation, is associated with wishes for prosperity. These sweets, produced through techniques different from those used in traditional khanom wan, are made in large quantities for family gatherings and placed as offerings during New Year rites dedicated to honouring ancestors.

Continuity and integration into local practices

Whether of Portuguese or Chinese origin, these sweet preparations have been integrated over time into Thai cultural practices. They coexist with local desserts and contribute to the ritual and symbolic dimension of many celebrations.

Further reading

Our book dedicated to Thai vegan cooking offers a selection of sweet dishes made entirely from plant based ingredients.

The blog also features a section devoted to desserts, with a range of recipes that are quick to prepare, accessible and based on everyday ingredients, in contrast with certain traditional preparations that require longer cooking times.

You can also learn how to make these desserts, along with many other Thai dishes, during our cooking classes on Koh Samui.

This article is intended to guide you in your exploration of Thai sweet dishes. If you would like to explore any of these points in greater detail or ask a question, feel free to write to us or leave a comment under the blog post. We are always pleased to reply.

Plant-based recipes

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