Explore by Category
Find Your Kind of Thai Sweet.
Thai desserts are rarely just “sugar.” They balance coconut cream, palm sugar, pandan, salt, and texture — soft, chewy, syrupy, or melting-crisp. A market stall, a temple fair, and a hotel dessert tray can feel like three different worlds.
This page is about the sweets themselves: what they look like, how they’re made, and what to order when you want the real thing. Pick a style that pulls you in. Then go sweet by sweet.
Egg Yolk Jewels
Gold-colored sweets from egg yolks cooked in syrup — Thong Yip, Thong Yod, Foi Thong, Med Khanun. Traditionally tied to auspicious occasions, they look like jewelry and taste like pure sweetness with a floral finish.
Coconut Classics
Warm bowls, cool cups, and creamy toppings. Mango sticky rice, Kluay Buat Chi, Khanom Thuai, and Tako all lean on coconut milk — sweet against a hint of salt, soft against something crisp or ripe.
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
Banana leaves, steam, and patience. Khao Tom Mat, Khanom Sai Sai, Khanom Kluay, and Khanom Tan arrive soft and fragrant — often still warm from the steamer at a morning market.
Chewy & Street Sweets
The everyday treats you eat standing up: Khanom Tom, Khanom Babin, Khanom Krok, Khanom Phing, Roti Sai Mai, and Kalamae. Sticky rice flour, grated coconut, spun sugar, and a quick bite between errands.
Layered & Soft Cakes
Pandan, tapioca, and careful pouring. Khanom Chan and Khanom Piak Poon are about texture first — layers you peel, jelly you scoop, coconut you sprinkle on top.
Festive & Occasional
Sweets shaped for ceremony and celebration. Kleep Lamduan and the golden egg-yolk set often appear at weddings, housewarmings, and temple offerings — beauty and meaning in one bite.
Traditional Court Desserts
Palace-crafted sweets refined for royal tables — Thong Ek, Cha Mongkut, Sampa Nee, Leum Kleun. Intricate shapes, egg yolk, and sugar work that still signal celebration and good fortune.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Cool bowls and syrup-soaked bites. Tub Tim Grob, Salim, Lod Chong, and Bua Loy lean on coconut milk, crushed ice, and soft chew — Thailand’s classic afternoon pause.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Crisp edges, airy crumb, and street-stall heat. Khanom Buang, Dok Jok, Khanom Khai, and Pui Fai are for eating hot — texture first, sweetness second.
Southern Thai Sweets
From the South’s coconut kitchens and festival trays — Khanom La, Khanom Phong, Khanom Ba, Khanom Jor Hu, Khanom Kong. Fragrant, festive, and proudly regional.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Province specialties and temple-fair finds you may meet only once — Khao Yaku, Hin Fon Thong, Khanom Tod Ma, and more. Worth seeking when you travel beyond the usual tray.
Thailand’s Must-Try Sweets
Thailand, Sweet by Sweet.
What they taste like, how they’re served, and what to look for when you want the real thing.
Egg Yolk Jewels
5 sweets
Egg Yolk Jewels
Thong Yip ทองหยิบ · Sweet Egg Yolk Cups
A flower-shaped dessert made from egg yolks cooked in fragrant sugar syrup, then pinched into soft cups. One of the classic “thong” sweets associated with good fortune. Eat it slowly — it is rich, sticky, and meant to be a jewel on the tray, not a snack you rush.
Egg Yolk Jewels
Thong Yod ทองหยอด · Sweet Egg Yolk Drops
Drop-shaped sweet balls of egg yolk cooked in syrup until they shine like gold. Smaller and rounder than Thong Yip, they often share the same ceremonial tray. Look for a glossy surface and a tender center — not dry or overly hard.
Egg Yolk Jewels
Foi Thong ฝอยทอง · Golden Egg Yolk Threads
Fine golden threads of egg yolk drizzled into hot syrup, then gathered into nests. The name means “golden threads,” and good Foi Thong should look delicate, not clumped. Often served with other thong sweets or used to crown cakes and sticky rice.
Egg Yolk Jewels
Med Khanun เม็ดขนุน · Mung Bean Mock Seeds
Sweet mung bean paste shaped like jackfruit seeds and coated in a thin egg-yolk layer. Part of the same golden dessert family as Thong Yip — soft inside, glossy outside. You will often see them on auspicious trays next to Foi Thong.
Egg Yolk Jewels · Festive
Khanom Saneh Jan เสน่ห์จันทน์ · Golden Charm Sweets
A traditional auspicious dessert made of egg yolk and flour, shaped like nutmeg fruit with a hint of spices. Part of the golden “thong” family of ceremonial sweets — small, fragrant, and made for good fortune as much as for the table.
Coconut Classics
4 sweets
Coconut Classics
Khao Niao Mamuang ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง · Mango Sticky Rice
Thailand’s most famous dessert: sweet sticky rice soaked in coconut milk, served with ripe yellow mango and a spoon of thick coconut cream, often finished with crispy mung beans. Season matters — peak mango makes the plate. Ask for Nam Kati on the side if you like it extra creamy.
Coconut Classics
Tako ตะโก้ · Thai Pudding with Coconut Cream
A layered dessert with a sweet pudding base — often pandan, taro, or water chestnut — topped with thick coconut cream, traditionally set in tiny banana-leaf cups. Eat the cream and base together in one spoonful; the salty top keeps the sweet from becoming heavy.
Coconut Classics
Kluay Buat Chi กล้วยบวชชี · Bananas in Coconut Milk
Sliced ripe bananas simmered gently in a warm, sweet, and slightly salty coconut milk broth. Comfort food more than showpiece — best when the bananas stay intact and the broth tastes round, not watery. Often sold in markets as a warm bowl.
Coconut Classics
Khanom Thuai ขนมถ้วย · Coconut Cups (Tuay)
A double-layered custard served in small ceramic cups: a sweet pandan (or similar) base under a salty coconut-cream top. Spoon through both layers — that sweet–salty balance is the whole idea. A market classic and an easy first Thai dessert.
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
7 sweets
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
Khao Tom Mat ข้าวต้มมัด · Steamed Sticky Rice with Banana
Sweet sticky rice filled with banana and often black beans, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Unwrap it like a gift: fragrant leaf, soft rice, soft fruit. A classic for morning markets, temple days, and travel snacks that travel well.
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
Khanom Sai Sai ขนมใส่ไส้ · Sot Sai
A pyramid-shaped dessert of sweet shredded coconut stuffing enclosed in a salted rice-flour cream, usually steamed in banana leaf. The contrast of salty wrapper and sweet filling is the signature — soft, pale, and quietly elegant.
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
Khanom Tan ขนมตาล · Toddy Palm Cake
Soft, spongy, bright yellow steamed cakes flavored with natural toddy palm fruit meat. Often steamed in little cups or leaf molds. Look for a springy crumb and a real palm aroma — not just food coloring.
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
Khanom Kluay ขนมกล้วย · Steamed Banana Cake
A rustic, chewy steamed cake made from mashed bananas, rice flour, and grated coconut. Dense, fragrant, and homely — the kind of sweet you find still warm at a neighborhood market. Ripe bananas make all the difference.
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
Khanom Thian ขนมเทียน · Steamed Dumpling Sweet
Steamed flour dumplings with a sweet filling, wrapped and tied like little parcels. Soft, fragrant, and still warm at morning markets — unwrap and eat in two bites.
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
Khanom Tua Pap ขนมถั่วแปบ · Stuffed Bean Sweet
Soft dough folded over a sweet bean filling — pale, gentle, and old-fashioned in the best way. Look for a tender wrapper that doesn’t crack when you bite.
Steamed & Leaf-Wrapped
Khanom Chak ขนมจาก · Toddy Palm Leaf Sweet
A soft sweet steamed or set in toddy-palm leaf cones — fragrant from the leaf itself. Rustic market fare; unwrap carefully and eat while still tender.
Chewy & Street Sweets
6 sweets
Chewy & Street Sweets
Khanom Tom ขนมต้ม · Thai Coconut Balls
Chewy glutinous rice flour balls stuffed with palm-sugar coconut, then rolled in freshly grated coconut. Bite through the soft shell to the molten-sweet center. Best when the coconut outside is fragrant and the dough still springy.
Chewy & Street Sweets
Khanom Babin ขนมบ้าบิ่น
A chewy pancake made from glutinous rice flour, sugar, and plenty of shredded young coconut — often finished until the edges toast. Dense, fragrant, and satisfying; more snack than delicate petit four.
Chewy & Street Sweets
Khanom Phing ขนมผิง · Thai Tapioca Cookies
Small, round tapioca flour cookies that are sweet, fragrant, and dissolve quickly in the mouth. Often lightly scented and pale pink or white. Perfect with tea — and easy to underestimate until a whole tin disappears.
Chewy & Street Sweets
Khanom Krok ขนมครก · Coconut Pancake Cups
Tiny coconut rice-flour pancakes cooked in a dimpled cast-iron pan until the edges crisp and the centers stay creamy. Eat them hot from the stall, often two halves pressed together. One of the most addictive street sweets in Thailand.
Chewy & Street Sweets
Roti Sai Mai โรตีสายไหม · Candy Floss Roti
A thin, almost translucent roti wrapped around pastel strands of spun sugar — candy floss you eat with your hands. Ayutthaya made it famous; stalls now sell it far beyond the old capital. Eat it soon after wrapping: the silk melts, the roti stays soft, and the pleasure is the contrast, not a heavy bite.
Chewy & Street Sweets
Kalamae กาละแม · Coconut Toffee
Coconut milk and palm sugar stirred for hours until it turns into a sticky, chewy toffee. Cut into squares, often two-tone. A market and souvenir classic — pull it slowly; the chew is the whole point.
Layered & Soft Cakes
4 sweets
Layered & Soft Cakes
Khanom Chan ขนมชั้น · Thai Layer Sweet Cake
A chewy, multi-layered steamed cake made from tapioca and rice flour, often tinted with pandan. Peel the layers apart with your fingers — that is half the pleasure. Good Khanom Chan should spring back softly, not feel gummy or dry at the edges.
Layered & Soft Cakes
Khanom Piak Poon ขนมเปียกปูน · Thai Coconut Pudding
A soft, jelly-like pudding made with rice flour, usually served with freshly grated coconut on top. The contrast is the point: cool, smooth base against salty-sweet coconut shreds. Simple, old-fashioned, and easy to love.
Layered & Soft Cakes
Khanom Thuay Fu ขนมถ้วยฟู · Fluffy Steamed Cup Cakes
Light, airy steamed cakes risen in small cups until the tops dome like foam. Soft crumb, gentle sweetness, often tinted pastel. Best eaten fresh from the steamer — they collapse and dry if left too long.
Layered & Soft Cakes
Khanom Talai ขนมตะไล · Coconut Cream Cups
Small cup desserts with a soft sweet base under a spoon of thick coconut cream. The salty cream keeps the sweet from feeling heavy — eat both layers in one bite. A classic market and ceremony tray sweet with a clear name of its own.
Festive & Occasional
3 sweets
Festive & Occasional
Kleep Lamduan กลีบลำดวน
A delicate, flower-shaped Thai sweet traditionally made for auspicious occasions. Small, pale petals of dough that look like lamduan blossoms — more about craft and ceremony than heavy sweetness. Often sold in neat sets for gifting.
Festive & Occasional
Khanom Khai Hong ขนมไข่หงส์ · Swan Egg Sweet
Egg-shaped festive sweets made for celebration trays. Soft, neat, and more about occasion than everyday snacking — you’ll see them at weddings and auspicious gatherings.
Festive & Occasional
Khanom Jan Ap ขนมจันอับ · Jap Kim
A Chinese-Thai festive set — also called Khanom Jap Kim. Small dried sweets of nuts, seeds, and sugar, packed in a round tin for Chinese New Year, weddings, and housewarmings. Crunchy, keeps well, and meant for gifting more than a single spoonful.
Traditional Court Desserts
12 sweets
Traditional Court Desserts
Thong Ek ทองเอก · Royal Egg Yolk Flower
A stamped flower of egg yolk cooked in fragrant syrup — denser and more ornate than Thong Yod. Often the “lead” sweet on a ceremonial tray. Look for a clean stamp and a glossy finish, not a dry crust.
Traditional Court Desserts
Cha Mongkut จ่ามงกุฎ · Crown Sweet
A crown-shaped court dessert scented with spices and often finished with a touch of gold leaf or colorful garnish. Made for auspicious occasions — more craft and fragrance than everyday snack sweetness.
Traditional Court Desserts
Sampa Nee สำปันนี · Auspicious Court Disc
Small, neat discs from the royal dessert repertoire — soft, fragrant, and arranged for ceremony as much as for eating. Part of the same auspicious family as the golden egg-yolk set.
Traditional Court Desserts
Leum Kleun ลืมกลืน · Soft Coconut Cubes
Soft coconut cubes so tender the name jokes that you “forget to swallow.” Cool, pale, and gently sweet — a court classic that feels light after a heavy meal.
Traditional Court Desserts
Yok Manee หยกมณี · Jade Jewel Sweet
Jewel-toned pieces from the palace dessert tradition — named for jade and gems. Soft chew, bright color, and a place of honor on festive trays rather than street carts.
Traditional Court Desserts
Bulan Dan Mek บุหลันดั้นเมฆ · Moon Through Clouds
A poetic court sweet whose name means “moon pressing through clouds” — soft layers and careful plating. More ceremony than street food; seek it at specialty Thai dessert houses.
Traditional Court Desserts
Look Chup ลูกชุบ · Fruit-Shaped Mung Bean
Mung bean paste shaped into tiny fruits and vegetables, then dipped in a glossy agar coat. Palace craft in miniature — almost too pretty to bite, but the soft center is gently sweet.
Traditional Court Desserts
Khanom Chor Muang ขนมช่อม่วง · Purple Flower Dumplings
Flower-pinched dumplings dyed with butterfly pea, filled with a lightly seasoned mix. Soft, elegant, and closer to court craft than street sugar — often plated with a lettuce leaf and chili.
Traditional Court Desserts
Dara Thong ดาราทอง · Golden Star Sweet
A golden court sweet from the egg-yolk family — rich, syrupy, and made for auspicious trays. Pair it mentally with Thong Ek and Foi Thong: jewelry for the dessert table.
Traditional Court Desserts
Khanom Sam Kloe ขนมสามเกลอ · Three Friends Sweet
A set of three companion sweets served together — harmony on the tray as much as on the tongue. Traditional houses and specialty dessert cafés are where you’ll still find the full trio.
Traditional Court Desserts
Khanom Nang Led ขนมนางเล็ด · Court Sweet
A delicate court sweet with a soft bite — one of the classic palace-tray desserts. More ceremony than snack cart; seek specialty Thai dessert makers who still work the old shapes.
Traditional Court Desserts
Khanom Nam Dok Mai ขนมน้ำดอกไม้ · Flower-Syrup Sweet
A palace-tray sweet scented with jasmine or flower water, then finished in syrup. Small, fragrant, and made for ceremony — beauty first, then a clean floral sweetness. Look for it with other court desserts, not at a night-market stall.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
8 sweets
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Tub Tim Grob ทับทิมกรอบ · Crisp Ruby Dessert
Water-chestnut “rubies” coated in red syrup and tapioca starch, served over ice with coconut milk. The crunch against cold cream is the whole point — Thailand’s most photogenic cool dessert.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Salim ซ่าหริ่ม · Colorful Sweet Noodles
Thin, colorful sweet-flour strands in crushed ice and coconut milk, often with a spoon of syrup. A temple-fair and market classic — cool, playful, and easy to share.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Lod Chong ลอดช่อง · Pandan Coconut Noodles
Jade-green pandan noodles pushed through a sieve into cool water, then served with coconut milk and ice. Soft chew, fragrant leaf, and a salty-sweet cream — order it when the afternoon heat peaks.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Bua Loy บัวลอย · Floating Lotus Balls
Small glutinous-rice balls simmered in warm, lightly salted coconut milk — sometimes with an egg in the broth. Comfort in a bowl: soft chew, gentle sweetness, best eaten while still hot.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Khanom Mo Kaeng ขนมหม้อแกง · Baked Coconut Custard
A baked coconut-egg custard, often with taro, pumpkin, or mung bean, finished with a fried shallot crunch. Dense, fragrant, and sold in slabs at markets — one of Thailand’s great takeaway sweets.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Sangkhaya Fak Thong สังขยาฟักทอง · Pumpkin Custard
Coconut egg custard steamed inside a hollowed pumpkin, then sliced into wedges. Soft flesh, fragrant custard — a market and hotel buffet favorite that still feels homemade.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Woon Kati วุ้นกะทิ · Coconut Jelly
Layered coconut jelly — often a clear pandan base under a creamy coconut top. Cool, wobbling, and gently salty-sweet; an easy fridge dessert after a spicy meal.
Coconut & Creamy Desserts
Khao Niao Dam ข้าวเหนียวดำ · Black Sticky Rice
Black sticky rice simmered until tender, topped with thick coconut cream and a pinch of salt. Nutty and filling — a quieter cousin of mango sticky rice, excellent with ripe mango or on its own.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
8 sweets
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Khanom Buang ขนมเบื้อง · Thai Crisp Crepes
Thin, crisp crepes folded over sweet coconut-egg cream or a savory minced filling. Eat them hot from the griddle — the shell should shatter lightly, not go soft and chewy.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Dok Jok ดอกจอก · Flower Crisps
Lacy, flower-shaped crisps fried until pale gold, often finished with sesame. Light enough for a handful; best when still shatter-crisp from the oil.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Khanom Khai ขนมไข่ · Thai Egg Cakes
Small egg-sponge cakes baked in molded pans until the tops brown. Fragrant, lightly sweet, and sold warm at markets — a simple everyday sweet that travels well in a paper bag.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Pui Fai ปุยฝ้าย · Cotton Foam Cake
Airy steamed cakes that rise into soft “cotton” domes — pastel colors, springy crumb, barely sweet. Eat soon after steaming; they deflate and dry if left too long.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Gluay Khaek กล้วยแขก · Fried Banana Fritters
Ripe bananas dipped in a light batter and fried until golden. Eat them hot — crisp outside, soft fruit inside. A night-market classic with sesame sometimes sprinkled on top.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Thong Muan ทองม้วน · Crisp Coconut Rolls
Thin coconut wafers rolled into crisp tubes while still hot. Shatter-light and faintly coconutty — perfect with tea, and easy to underestimate until the tin is empty.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Khanom Kai Nok Kratha ขนมไข่นกกระทา · Quail-Egg Cakes
Bite-size cakes molded like quail eggs — soft, lightly sweet, and sold warm from market pans. Easy to share; easier to finish without noticing.
Crispy & Baked Sweets
Khanom Ko ขนมโก๋ · Fried Dough Rings
Golden fried dough rings — crisp shell, airy inside — often eaten with sweet condensed milk or as a coffee companion. Best fresh from the oil at morning markets.
Southern Thai Sweets
5 sweets
Southern Thai Sweets
Khanom La ขนมลา · Southern Lace Sweet
Fine lacelike strands of batter fried into golden nests — a Southern festival sweet. Light, crisp, and often packed as a gift; look for dry, separate threads, not oily clumps.
Southern Thai Sweets
Khanom Phong ขนมพอง · Southern Puffed Sweet
A puffed Southern sweet that feels almost weightless — festive trays and household gifting more than café menus. Best when crisp and dry, with a clean palm-sugar finish.
Southern Thai Sweets
Khanom Ba ขนมบ้า · Southern Festival Sweet
A traditional Southern festival sweet found on ceremonial trays and local markets. Dense, fragrant, and rooted in community celebrations rather than tourist dessert lists.
Southern Thai Sweets
Khanom Jor Hu ขนมจอหู · Southern Ear Sweet
Named for its ear-like shape — another Southern tray sweet tied to festivals and family offerings. Seek it in the South’s specialty shops and seasonal markets.
Southern Thai Sweets
Khanom Kong ขนมกง · Southern Ring Sweet
Ring-shaped Southern sweets, often sesame-scented and packed for gifting. Crisp when fresh; a staple of Southern dessert sets alongside Khanom La and Khanom Phong.
Rare & Regional Sweets
9 sweets
Rare & Regional Sweets
Khao Yaku ข้าวยาคู · Sweet Rice Porridge
A soft sweet rice porridge with a gentle herbal note — comfort food more than showpiece. Found at local markets and seasonal gatherings rather than hotel dessert carts.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Khao Pong ข้าวพอง · Puffed Rice Sweet
Puffed rice bound with palm sugar into light, snackable pieces. Simple, portable, and still sold in provincial markets — a humble sweet with a long memory.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Khanom Pong ขนมโป่ง · Puffed Regional Sweet
A light, puffed regional sweet — airy in the bite, easy to snack. Seek it at specialty makers and local fairs; it rarely appears on tourist menus.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Khanom Khwai Lui ขนมควายลุย · Buffalo-Wallow Sticky Rice
A rare Thai Song Dam sweet from Sankhaburi, Chainat — sticky rice under a topping of mung bean, taro, or yam stirred with coconut milk and palm sugar. The topping cooks thick and earthy, like mud in a buffalo wallow, which is how it got its name. Hard to find now; ask in the old communities if you want the real thing.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Khao Lam ข้าวหลาม · Sticky Rice in Bamboo
Sweet sticky rice steamed inside a bamboo tube, often with coconut milk and black beans. Split the cane, eat the fragrant rice with a spoon. A roadside classic — smoke, leaf, and a snack that travels well.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Khanom Nga Kho ขนมงาคั่ว · Toasted Sesame Sweet
Toasted sesame bound into a crunchy regional sweet. Fragrant, snackable, and easy to carry — a classic pick for gift bags from sesame country.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Hin Fon Thong หินฝนทอง · Golden Stone Sweet
A golden regional sweet with a firm bite — rare on national menus, memorable when you find it. Ask local makers; recipes often stay close to home.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Krayasart กระยาสารท · Harvest Puffed-Rice Sweet
A Sat Thai harvest sweet of puffed rice, peanuts, sesame, and palm sugar pressed into slabs. Made for the autumn offering, then packed as a gift. Seek it around September–October at temples and provincial markets — crunchy, nutty, and meant to travel.
Rare & Regional Sweets
Khanom Khao Mao ขนมข้าวเม่า · Young Rice Sweet
Young rice pounded and toasted, then mixed with coconut and palm sugar — sometimes fried as Khao Mao Tod. Fragrant, slightly chewy, and tied to harvest time. A real countryside sweet, not a catch-all name.