Join me for a quick tour of Cambodian cuisine as we look at Cambodian desserts and sweet treats!
Cambodian Cuisine or Khmer Cuisine tremendously influences Asian flavors and seafood.
Not just savory, you will find so many dessert options in Cambodian cuisine, and honestly, you will be thrilled when it comes to choosing anyone.
From street vendors to the restaurant, there are various hot and cold, creamy, and baked desserts you can have any time of the day.
Inspired by these desserts, we wanted you to make this delicious and sweet journey with us.
Therefore, we came up with the 11 Cambodian dessert recipes that will let you indulge in sweetness, which are unique for you to share with family and friends.
You might find a few desserts as a breakfast option in this list, so if you are a sweet breakfast lover, they might become your favorite.
From Cambodian Mung Bean Pudding to Banh Ja’ Neuk to Noum Kong Cambodian Doughnuts there’s something for everyone worth giving a try.
Spoiler Alert: you will find lots of sticky, custard, gelatinous and glutinous dessert recipes in this list to be prepared if you love them all.
You might find yourself getting lost in these sweet, sensational dessert experiences.
Mung Bean Pudding is often served for breakfast, dinner, and dessert.
It is creamy and has a little gelatinous texture due to the tapioca pearls.
It is one of the best dessert options for Cambodian people, and no doubt we found it so filling that it is a complete dinner in the form of dessert.
The pudding is made with green mung beans, tapioca pearl, water, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
One of the best things about the recipe is that all you need to do is boil mung beans and tapioca in water and when they are soft, add the rest of the ingredients.
Serve it hot and enjoy the sweet and delicious pudding.
Sankhya Lapov, or the pumpkin custard, is a creamy delight prepared for special occasions and celebrations.
It is one of the smooth and velvety custards you might eat a lot.
Flavor-wise, it is sweet, rich, and has creaminess from the coconut cream and the eggs.
Traditionally, the custard base is made and filled into a small, carved pumpkin.
Then it is steamed until it sets into a pumpkin and served like a cake cut into slices.
You will undoubtedly find the recipe easy, and you can make it ahead of time.
Num Chak Kachan, also called Khmer layered cake, is made from rice flour, coconut cream, and palm sugar.
It has a gelatinous texture that is divided and colored.
Then these colored mixtures are layers onto each other to create a beautiful dessert.
We love this recipe because it is almost creamy and melts in your texture.
Moreover, you can play around and use colors of your choice according to the theme or a party.
Nevertheless, if you are a big fan of jelly-like gelatinous desserts, this recipe is a must to try.
Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango is one of the most common dishes you will find at any restaurant and over the street food stalls.
The dish has glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, giving a sticky texture and sweet and nutty flavor.
Then it is served with a unique and sweet coconut sauce and slices of fresh mango on the side.
The recipe needs a bit of practice to make that perfect sticky rice, but once you have tried it for the first time, you will fall in love with the tropical flavors, especially coconut and mango.
Indeed, it is one of the most recommended recipes on our list.
Banh Ja’ Neuk or Khmer Glutinous Rice Ball Desserts are more like boba balls but made with rice flour.
This dessert has two main elements: the rice balls and the coconut cream sauce with which the Glutinous Rice Balls are dressed.
It is sweet, indulgent, and so satisfying oddly and playfully!
I like the mouthfeel of the dish; just like boba, the rice balls burst in your mouth, and with the combination of coconut cream, you will feel the sweet nuttiness lingering on your tongue.
Cambodian Tapioca Banana Pudding is another delicious velvety pudding that is an ideal choice for dessert and breakfast.
This pudding recipe calls for rich flavors of cinnamon, coconut, banana, and vanilla blended together in this creamy and velvety texture.
And the best thing is that it is a one-pot recipe too.
All you have to do is boil the tapioca pearls in water and coconut milk.
Flavor them with sugar and vanilla.
Finally, serve with the caramelized banana slices and a pinch of cinnamon on top.
It is best when eaten warm, so take your spoon and eat it all!
Num Ansom Chek is a little roll of dessert enclosed in banana leaves and filling made with rice, coconut, beans, jackfruit, and palm sugar.
The exterior is a bit crunchy, but the middle is soft, sticky, and full of surprises because of the unique ingredient combination.
These little packets of joy are served during the Khmer festivity or the Cambodian new year; therefore, you might not find them at local restaurants.
But that’s not a problem; here’s the authentic recipe you can use to recreate this at home.
Num Chet Chien or Cambodian Fried Banana Nuggets are a little crunchy and gooey dessert made with spring roll wrappers and bananas.
It is also often sold at restaurants and pubs as a complete ice cream dessert.
They are so fun to make; all you need is a banana cut into slices and roll the pieces into the spring roll wrapper.
Then fry them until golden and serve them warm with the dust of confectioners sugar and ice cream.
Yes, this recipe is as easy as counting 1, 2, 3 and undoubtedly an instant fix to your sweet cravings.
Khmer Jelly Dessert is a perfect recipe for all jelly lovers.
This beautiful dessert has two layers of jellies; one is made with condensed milk and the other with coconut.
The clear coconut jelly with opaque condensed milk is not just pleasing to the eyes but refreshing and sweet in a unique way.
The contrast of coconut with condensed milk has a great influence on taste and texture as well.
Besides that, the recipe is straightforward to make and needs only a few ingredients to make it.
It is a fun recipe to cook with your kids as well.
Every cuisine has its form of doughnuts, and we loved the version we got from Cambodia.
The Noum Kong Doughnuts are made with rice flour and have a bouncy, glutenous, yet soft texture.
We like that they are not overly sweet and dressed in sesame seeds and palm sugar glaze, giving them a unique sweet and savory balance of flavors.
To make these doughnuts, you must work on the dough first, and the best part is you do not need yeast.
Just make a dough with rice flour, coconut milk, and palm sugar and let it rest for 60 minutes.
And roll out into doughnuts, fry, and glaze.
Literally, that’s it!
11. Num Treap
Num Treap, or the sticky rice and sesame dessert, looks like rice crispy treats and is served that way too.
But they are so different since Num Treap has no marshmallows and crispy rice.
Instead, the recipe calls for cooking the sticky rice, mixing them in coconut sauce with sesame, and then pressing them in a dish to set.
Once they are set, cut them into cubes and serve.
Indeed, they are effortless to make and have that little hard texture on the outside but a deliciously sticky sweet texture from the inside.
It is the perfect idea for a lovely side for the party and party favor and as dessert, of course!
The bottom line
Each Cambodian dessert in our recipe has a unique flavor and texture made with stable ingredients.
Some of them are nutty, fruity, gooey, warm, and even fried too.
Indeed, you will find yourself confused in choosing which one to try and select as your ultimate favorite.
But one thing that we know is that they are all worth trying once.
But don’t forget to spice up your dessert with these recipes and let us know what you think about them.
Till then, have a happy cooking day!
Looking for more Cambodian food options, we’ve compiled a list of the 30 BEST Cambodian Foods that you should definitely check out.
11 BEST Cambodian Dessert Assortment 😋
Join me for a quick tour of Cambodian cuisine as we look at Cambodian desserts and sweet treats!
Ingredients
- Cambodian Mung Bean Pudding
- Sankhya Lapov
- Num Chak Kachan
- Coconut Sticky Rice With Mango
- Banh Ja' Neuk
- Cambodian Tapioca Banana Pudding
- Num Ansom Chek
- Num Chet Chien
- Khmer Jelly Dessert
- Noum Kong Cambodian Doughnuts
- Num Treap
Instructions
- Scroll for your favorite recipe from our list of Cambodian Desserts.
- Pick out the ingredients needed for the dish.
- Cook then enjoy immediately!