3 Unique Thai Desserts (That Aren’t Mango Sticky Rice!)

When it comes to desserts in Thailand, the first thing that might come to mind is mango sticky rice. However, there are many unique Thai desserts that you probably won’t find outside of Southeast Asia. As a dessert loving frugal foodie, I can’t say no to interesting and cheap street sweets….

Here are 3 unique Thai desserts that I’ve never seen before.

Khanom Tua Pap: Mung Bean Crepe

This unique Thai dessert begins with mixing rice flour and water to form a dough. The dough is then made in a crepe like fashion and filled with the fried mung beans and folded into a dumpling shape. Each Khanom tua pap is traditionally coated in coconut, then you sprinkle a mixture of sesame and sugar over the top.

Khanom tua pap doesn’t have too much flavor without the sugar coating. However, it is textually satisfying and a unique Thai dessert that is worth trying.

Khanom Thuai: Steamed Coconut Milk Pudding

Khanom Thuai is made from rice flour, coconut milk and sugar, and is made in small ceramic cups. The base is soft and sticky while the top has a custard-like texture. Salt and egg can be added, and my particular serving was heavy on the salt, light on the sugar, and admittedly hard to stomach. While Khanom Thuai is certainly a unique Thai dessert, I can’t say it’s my favorite.

Khanom Bueang: Thai Crepes

Khanom Bueang is one of the most popular Thai desserts, and it consists of a crepe filled with a merengue-like cream. Then there is usually a choice of a sweet or salty topping. The sweet topping is made from egg yolks boiled in sugar (Foi Thong) while the salty toping is traditionally made with shrimp.
I went with the sweet topping, and was a bit confused by mouth journey. The crepe was crunchy, the merengue was like a chewy marshmallow, and the foi thong was stringy and sweet. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it…. I’ll try it again.

Chances are you won’t find these unique desserts at your local Thai restaurant. But if you see them on the streets of Thailand, they are worth the experience!

You miss 100% of the street eats you never try… after all.