Without a doubt, Singapore has a mind-blowing list of savory foods that one can enjoy any time, any day. But not tasting the desserts that this country offers would be an inexcusable offense towards your taste buds. So hop on this sweet train to find out what you are missing out on!
27 Desserts You Must Try Out in Singapore
1. Pandan Chiffon Cake
The incredibly pillowy Pandan Chiffon Cake is a brilliant example of multiple cultures blending to produce a magnificent novelty. With Indonesian, Malaysian and Dutch influences, this cake has a refreshing green hue and luxurious creaminess from pandan leaves and coconut milk.
2. Ice Cream Sandwich
Going beyond the usual cups and cones, vendors in Singapore have cracked the code for instant happiness- ice cream sandwiched between pandan-flavoured fluffy bread or crisp wafer slabs. They haven’t shied away from experimenting with the cream flavors too. Durian, sweetcorn, red bean are some of the ones you could try if you’re feeling adventurous.
3. Chendol
Chendol is one of the most loved desserts in Singapore, and rightly so. With ingredients such as shaved ice, syrupy palm sugar, rich coconut milk, jelly, and sweet beans, who wouldn’t want to sink their teeth into a zingy dessert topped with Durian?
4. Durian Pengat
Pengat refers to fruits and root vegetables cooked in coconut milk. Durian Pengat is a heavenly dessert that is so good, even those who do not particularly like Durian will fall in love with it. The dish has a mousse-like velvety consistency, making for a great mouthfeel along with pleasant sweetness.
5. Mango Pudding
Mango Pudding is a must must-try if you are in Singapore during the summer. It is a luxurious dessert that stars ripe mangoes, condensed milk, and cream. To enhance the flavours of the pudding, as though it needs it, coconut milk is added while serving.
6. Ice Kachang
If you’re thirsty and want some razzle-dazzle instead of just a plain glass of water or juice, you have got to try Ice Kachang. This is, albeit arguably, Singapore’s best thirst quencher. It is, to put it simply, a mountain of shaved ice topped with glamorous syrups, coconut milk, jelly, sweetcorn, red beans, and so on.
7. Pulut Hitam
Having an Indonesian origin, Pulut Hitam will give you the ultimate taste of pleasing Southeast Asian flavours. It features black glutinous rice that is boiled until a soft, creamy consistency is achieved. The smoothness pairs surprisingly well with the flavour notes derived from palm sugar, coconut leaves, and pandan leaves.
8. Cheng Tng
This dish will radically change your perspective towards soup. Yes, you read that right. Cheng Tng basically means ‘clear soup.’ But this one, a Singapore favourite, is not savoury and not even served hot (usually). This is a cool, refreshing bowl of sugarcane soup that also stars red dates, logans, sago, lotus seeds, barley, and white fungus in plenty.
9. Tissue Prata
Tissue Prata is a paper-thin flatbread with sugar exuberantly dusted on top. Often paired with ice cream or chocolate, this sweet dish is an absolute must-try.
10. Orh Nee
This is a term used for yam paste. Orh Nee is actually a traditional dessert that is commonly served as the finale at party meals, typically weddings. Doused in sticky sugar syrup, this dish is cooked in lard, giving it an incredibly tempting aroma.
11. Tang Yuan
Tang Yuan is sweet, sticky rice balls with peanut, red beans, or black sesame filling inside. The flavour and texture of this dish are so comforting, especially on a rainy day, that it feels as though your tummy is getting a warm, loving hug.
12. Ondeh Ondeh
Kueh is Singapore’s take on biscuits that is the go-to snack in the country. Ondeh Ondeh is a type of Kueh that is infused with Pandan. It is filled with Gula Melaka and is small in size, making for a perfect bite of flavorful sweetness.
13. Putu Piring
This dish has as many alternative names as the number of flavors in it. Also known as Kue Putu Mangkok, Putu Piring is a circular snack made from steamed rice flour and palm sugar.
14. Bubur Cha Cha
Bubur Cha Cha is a sweet breakfast dish that is popular in Indonesian, Malaysian, Phuket, and Singaporean cuisine. It features ingredients such as pearled sago, sweet potatoes, yams, bananas, coconut milk, and pandan leaves. Bubur Cha Cha makes for a fulfilling dish that is super yum at the same time.
15. Gulab Jamun
An Indian delicacy, Gulab Jamuns are equally a rage in Singapore. They are deep-fried, spherical fritters that are deliciously doused in sticky sugar syrup. With delicate hints of rose and saffron, Gulab Jamuns have an incredible festive appeal.
16. Tau Huay
Not to be taken lightly, prima facie, this simple curd made from soy milk is like a pudding that has descended straight from sweet heaven. The texture is so silky smooth that one just feels compelled not to stop eating it. Delightful toppings such as Durian mousse, or green tea, only add to the appeal of this deceptively plain dessert.
17. Sugee Cake
“Sugee” means semolina flour. Thus, Sugee cake is a pound cake with semolina in it, which gives the cake a nice, dense, and thick consistency. Even without any icing, a slice of this cake attracts people simply on account of its tempting, almond-infused aroma.
18. Grass Jelly
This is one of the best desserts to try, especially during the hot summer season. Oxidized stalks of a particular plant from the mint family are boiled with potassium carbonate and then frozen until the jelly sets. It is garnished with ice and lime juice to give the dish an extra zing.
19. Ang Ku Kueh
The UK has biscuits, The US has cookies, and Singapore has Kueh. These pastries, either sweet or savory, are wildly popular in the country. The sweet ones, in particular, have a thick, sticky texture. Amongst the many varieties of Kueh, Ang Ku Kueh is made using glutinous rice flour. Peanuts are added to the mix to give the dish a good crunch.
20. Tau Suan
This is a split mung bean dessert that is served hot. Boiled with pandan, the beans are mixed with potato flour to give it a soupy consistency. The dish is served with airy dough fritters, making Tau Suan a fun soup dessert that plays with your taste buds.
21. Sago Gula Melaka
Singapore loves its palm sugar, or Gula Melaka, as it’s locally known. Sago Gula Melaka is a product of this love, as this dessert is a combination of sago and caramelized palm sugar in the form of delectable balls. The Sago Gula Melaka balls are too yummy to resist.
22. Apam Balik
Also known as Terang Bulan, Apam Balik is a crisp yet cushiony pancake with a massive fan following throughout Singapore and Indonesia, and Malaysia. It is a popular street snack that primarily features elements such as creamed corn, roasted peanuts, and coconut milk.
23. Nonya Kueh Lapis
Nonya is one of the traditional cuisines in Singapore, and we already know what Kueh is. Thus, Nonya Kueh Lapis is a traditional pastry snack. It features ingredients such as steamed rice, coconut milk, tapioca flour, and sugar. The end product is a layered rice pudding beautified with a different food coloring at every layer.
24. Peanut Paste
This is a simple Singapore dessert that seems too elementary. But do not let it fool you. The smooth paste of boiled peanuts is married to a perfect blend of milk, sugar, and water to give it a creamy, nectareous feel.
25. Apom Berkuah
An iconic breakfast item in Singapore, Apom Berkuah is a soft pillowy pancake made from coconut and fermented rice. Primarily sweet, this dish has hints of pleasing sourness. Juice from Bunga Telang flowers adds a blue tinge to the item, and when paired with a banana sauce, Apom Berkuah becomes a treat irresistible to both eyes and mouth.
26. Durian Puffs
These are super-light, fluffy, creamy puffs, which are yet another Singaporean classic. They are made from choux pastry and have a luscious cream filling that is heartily flavoured with sweet Durian. These cream puffs are an absolute crowd-pleaser, especially if Durian has already made people fall in love with them.
27. Green Bean Soup
Singapore’s Green Bean Soup is a refreshingly cool soup that is perfect for the summertime. Mung beans, sago, pandan, lotus seeds, and dried tangerine peel infuse together to form this fantastic soup which is best served chilled.
Thus, Singapore boasts an absolute sweet parade that you should unquestionably participate in if you are looking for a refreshingly zingy dessert adventure.
