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What to eat in Malaysia? Top 16 Malaysian Desserts

Last update: Thu Feb 13 2025
Top 16 Malaysian Desserts
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01

Pancake

MALAYSIA and  one more region
4.3
Apam balik
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This sweet turnover pancake comes under various names throughout Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. Regardless of the location, it can be prepared either in a thin and crispy variety or as a thick and soft pancake. Traditional fillings typically include a combination of ground or roughly chopped peanuts, sugar, and butter, but the modern varieties may include anything from corn, chocolate chips, and raisins to grated cheese or condensed milk.


Though not much is known about its origin, it is believed that is was first introduced in Penang by the Chinese who migrated from the province of Fujian.

MOST ICONIC Apam balik

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02
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This sweet variety of the traditional Malaysian roti employs bananas as the star ingredient. The unleavened roti dough is stretched until thin, and the combination of sliced bananas, eggs, and sugar is then wrapped in the dough. Roti is usually pan-fried until golden, and it comes served cut into bite-sized pieces that are dusted with sugar and drizzled with condensed milk.


The dish is a classic street food item that is usually enjoyed as a sweet and filling breakfast or an afternoon snack.

MOST ICONIC Roti pisang

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03
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Roti tisu is the paper thin variety of the traditional Malay roti canai. It is prepared with the same type of dough that is stretched thin, sometimes up to five or six feet in length, and it is then shortly pan-fried. Tisu is served wrapped around a large cone, hence its alternative name rocket roti or roti helicopter.


It can be served alongside curries or chutneys, but it is usually enjoyed as a dessert or a sweet snack, when it comes drizzled with condensed milk or chocolate, dusted with sugar, or sided with ice cream or fruit jams. A staple at Mamak restaurants and stalls throughout Singapore and Malaysia, roti tisu is usually eaten by cracking small pieces of delicate pastry with your hands.

MOST ICONIC Roti tisu

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04

Cake

MALAYSIA and  4 more regions
4.0
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Kue lapis or kuih lapis is a traditional dessert that's also popular in Malaysia, Suriname, Brunei, and Singapore. It is usually prepared as a moist layered pudding-like cake consisting of rice flour, sago, sugar, salt, coconut milk, and red, green, or pink food coloring.


The cake is steamed and the final result looks similar to a layered pudding. Before cutting and serving, kue lapis should be left to cool down completely. If properly prepared, this dessert should have a bouncy, sticky, and chewy texture.

MOST ICONIC Kuih lapis

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Serimuka is a kuih variety that consists of two separate layers. The bottom is made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, while the top layer is a vibrant green coconut milk custard that is flavored and colored with pandan leaves. The dessert is often associated with Peranakan Chinese and has been listed as one of Malaysian heritage foods.


Seri muka is traditionally served on special occasions, and similar varieties are also found in Indonesia, where they are known as putri salat.

MOST ICONIC Kuih serimuka

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06

Snack

MALAYSIA and  2 more regions
3.8
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Kue cucur is a traditional snack that's also popular in Malaysia (kuih cucur) and Thailand (khanom fak bua). It's made with a combination of palm sugar, fried rice flour, and coconut milk that's fried until crispy. This sweet snack is usually flattened on the edges so that it remains thick in the middle.


The most popular Indonesian version is the Betawi variety from Jakarta. In Thailand, kue cucur is similar to a lotus, which is believed to represent love of a newly married couple, so it's often prepared at Thai weddings and festivals. Kue cucur is served hot, warm, or at room temperature, and it's best to eat it while it's still fresh, otherwise it will become sticky and stiff.

07

Dessert

MALAYSIA
3.6
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Often called Malaysian madeleines, these traditional sponge cakes are commonly enjoyed on various special occasions such as Chinese New Year and Eid al-Fitr (Hari Raya), which marks the end of Ramadan. They come in many different sizes and shapes, but the most popular are the small-sized buttons (bahulu-cermai) and goldfish (bahulu-ikan).


Nowadays, these traditional treats come in many flavors that often include fruit, pandan, or chocolate. Interestingly, they have earned a place on the list of national Malaysian Heritage products.

08

Dessert

MALAYSIA and  2 more regions
3.2
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Pulut durian is a traditional Asian dessert that's popular in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. It's usually made with a combination of durian flesh, glutinous rice, coconut milk, salt, sugar, and pandan leaves. The glutinous rice is seasoned with salt and steamed until done.


The durian flesh is mixed with coconut milk, salt, sugar, and pandan leaves, and the mixture is boiled until the sauce develops a thick consistency. Once done, the sauce is served hot with glutinous rice.

09
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Kuih keria are Malaysian deep-fried doughnuts that are made from sweet potatoes. After they are steamed and mashed, the potatoes are combined with flour to form a pliable dough that is then shaped into doughnut rings. Unlike other types of doughnuts, this version is not leavened, resulting in somewhat denser texture.


After they have been fried, the doughnuts are usually sugar-glazed or generously coated in white or palm sugar (gula melaka).

10
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The colorful bubur cha cha is a dessert made with coconut milk, sago, yams, sweet potatoes, pandan leaves, bananas, and black-eyed peas. Pandan leaves provide it with a sweet and light aroma, tubers give the dessert its typical color and texture, sago thickens it, while coconut milk gives it creaminess.


Bubur cha cha can be served warm or cold, and it is especially popular on hot summer days. This dessert is sometimes served for breakfast, while in the state of Penang, it is often sold as street food. Apart from Malaysia, bubur cha cha is also popular in Singapore.

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Cookie
SABAH, Malaysia
n/a
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Snack
KELANTAN, Malaysia
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Malaysian Desserts