18 Desserts in Vietnam for Your Sweet Tooth Cravings

Vietnamese desserts range from soups and puddings to pastries and cakes. These sweet dishes mostly use coconut milk or cream in their recipes, and sesame seeds are generously added. These desserts are unique in their color, texture, and taste. They are not overly sweet and are considered healthy. One can enjoy these one-of-a-kind desserts only in Vietnam!

1. Che Chuoi (Vietnamese Banana, Coconut & Tapioca Dessert)

Although this sweet is a type of pudding, it is served slightly warm, unlike usual puddings. It is an amalgamation of perfectly ripened bananas of a special variety (known as chuoi su), coconut cream, and tapioca pearls. The pandan leaves add extra flavor and aroma to this dessert. This creamy and not-excessively sweet dessert is garnished with crushed peanuts or sesame seeds to give it a slight crunch.

2. Che Troi Nuoc (Sticky Rice Balls in Ginger Syrup)

This unique dish consists of balls made of sticky rice with sweet mung bean paste centers. The balls are soaked in a clear or light brown sugar syrup flavored with shredded ginger root. Coconut milk and sesame seeds are used to garnish this delectable sweet dish. This dessert is usually served during the Lunar New Year or the Cold-eating festival.

3. Bo Bia Ngot (Sweet Spring Rolls)

Found on the streets of Hanoi, this dessert is not heavy like the other sweets found in Vietnam. This simple dish consists of a honeycomb sheet, desiccated coconut, and sesame seeds sprinkled on it, all wrapped into a roll in thin rice paper. The moist rice papers, with the coconut's chewy texture, and the sweetness and crunch from the honeycomb will leave you licking your fingers!

4. Banh Chuoi Chien (Deep Fried Banana)

Also found commonly on Vietnam streets, this is a very simple dish. Perfectly ripe bananas dipped in slightly sweetened batter and deep-fried to make delicious fritters. It is crispy on the outside and sweet and mushy on the inside, making this sweet a popular snack in all of Vietnam.

5. Che Bap (Vietnamese Sweet Corn Pudding)

Similar to the banana pudding or Che Chuoi, this dessert is also a pudding with corn. Coconut cream and Tapioca pearls add creaminess and chewiness to the texture of this pudding. This dessert is not as thick as Che Chuoi and is almost like a soup. Some versions of the recipe also include mung bean paste and sticky rice. It is served both hot and cold.

6. Banh Dau Xanh (Mung Bean Cake)

The mung bean pastries are visually appealing due to their beautiful patterns. These pastries are not overly sweet and consist of mung beans, sugar, oil, and fat in the right proportions. While the texture of the beans may not be easy to get accustomed to, these pastries, along with hot tea, are sure to leave you wanting more!

7. Xi Ma (Black Sesame Sweet Soup)

The black color of this soup might not be very appealing, but the flavor can only be relished if you try it. The color of the soup comes from its main ingredient - Black sesame. It has a thick texture with a strong flavor of roasted sesame seeds and is not overly sweet. Usually served hot on the streets of Hoi An, it also contains a herb called pennywort, which is believed to have certain healing properties.

8. Banh Xoai (Mango Cake)

It is sometimes also called Mango sweet cakes, but names can be misleading. Unlike what one would think, this sweet dish is not made of mangoes but derives its name from its shape, resembling a mango. It consists of a sweet mixture of peanuts and sesame seeds stuffed inside a shell made with sticky rice. These treats can be found on the streets in Vietnam.

9. Che Ba Mau (Vietnamese Three Color Dessert)

This is perhaps the most colorful Vietnamese dessert. Layers of yellow-colored mung bean paste, red beans, and green pandan jelly topped with thick coconut cream make it look like an ice cream sundae, and it tastes no less! It is served in a tall glass and is served in all street food markets and restaurants in Vietnam.

10. Banh Tieu (Vietnamese Donuts)

Dubbed as the Vietnamese doughnut, this street delicacy is supposed to have Chinese origins. It is usually made out of wheat flour and is hollow on the inside, topped with generous amounts of sesame seeds. These doughnuts have a crispy exterior and a perfect combination of sweet and savory. They are best eaten freshly prepared, so when you see a vendor selling banh tieu, grab a bag and savor this hollow bread!

11. Kem (Vietnamese Banana and Coconut Ice Cream)

This is the traditional Vietnamese ice cream and is a must-try if you have had enough of normal ice creams and frozen yogurts. Available in exotic flavors like Avocado, Durian, Soursop, or coconut, the most famous traditional ice cream is the Vietnamese Coffee Ice-cream. The best experience is sought when you have kem from a local street vendor after a tiring trip in the heat of Vietnam.

12. Banh Tra Xan (Matcha Bun)

This dish is available in most bakeries in Vietnam. These are soft coffee buns that have a crispy exterior. Like most other Vietnamese desserts, these buns have a rich texture but are not overly sweet. The buns are available in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, or matcha.

13. Che Ba Ba (Vietnamese Dessert Soup)

The traditional Che Ba Ba comprises more than ten ingredients, including peanut, seaweed, pandan leaf, and tapioca strip. This sweet soup dessert has layers in it, an amalgamation of both crunchy and buttery at the same time. Once prepared, it is presented even more beautifully, accompanied by chunks of sweet potato, cassava, and taro. If you are lucky, you can taste the dessert served with a dollop of yogurt or ice cream, making it tastier than ever. You can also find Che Ba Ba in roadside stalls in the countryside.

14. Che Khuc Bach (Vietnamese Panna Cotta)

This popular Vietnamese dessert stands out from other delicacies due to its white jelly, fermented rice, and almond cream combination. The dessert originated in Hanoi, Vietnam, and was inspired by the signature Italian Panna Cotta. It means White piece, referring to the white jelly decorated over it. The soft, chewy texture of the jelly comes from the arrowroot starch. In addition, the tangy flavor of the fermented rice and the texture of the almond cream is the perfect cherry on the cake. This dessert is generally served cold and often has seasonal toppings of different fruits, coconut milk, sesame, and chia seeds.

15. Che Thai (Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail)

This is not just a dessert but a delicious fusion of lychees, jackfruit slices, jellies, coconut milk, and other refreshing fillings. It is a crowd-pleasing fruit cocktail made up of agar jelly, whole water chestnuts, tapioca starch, cendol, coconut half and half base, and canned fruits like pineapple and palm seeds, longan lychee, and more. Once prepared, it is then served in a bowl with delicious sweet syrup, making it perfect on hot Thai days. Chè Thái can be found in many Vietnamese dessert shops and restaurants, and it is a popular dessert to enjoy with friends or family. 

16. Banh Trung Thu (Vietnamese Mooncakes)

Also known as Vietnamese mooncakes, this dessert is a sweet-bean pate baked with a thin exterior. As the name suggests, they are generally eaten during the mid-autumn festival in Vietnam. The Bánh Trung Thu comes in two varieties: the mochi-like cakes with a doughy outside and the pastry-like cakes with a crispy outside. The sweet interior can be made up of different fillings; the most popular ones include the lotus seed sweet and nutty flavor with salted egg yolk, the soft red bean paste, and the other is the meat filling. It is made up of marinated meat with mushrooms and vermicelli.

17. Sua Chua Nep Cam (Yogurt Black Sticky Rice Pudding)

Sua Chua Nep Cam can be the best companion for enjoying the hot summer months of Vietnam. Tau Hu Nuoc Duong. This dessert gained popularity during the 2000s and comprises yogurt, purple sticky rice, and coconut milk. You need to soak the purple rice in water overnight and then cook it until it's soft and tender. Once done, stir the yogurt, sugar, and coconut milk until adequately coated. This dessert is generally served cold and is often garnished with fruit toppings for extra flavor and texture. This is not just healthy but equally tasty, soft, and chewy with all the infused flavors.   

18. Tau Hu Nuoc Duong (Vietnamese Sweet Tofu)

Also known as the Vietnamese Soybean Pudding with Ginger Syrup, the Tau Hu Nuoc Duong is a traditional Vietnamese dessert rooted in Northern Vietnam. The refreshing taste of the creamy tofu pudding topped with aromatic ginger syrup makes the dessert much more tasty than you can imagine. After soaking the soya beans overnight, a fine textured creamy paste is made. Then, one by one, the soybean milk is cooked and poured into a square container to make the pudding. Once done, the ginger syrup with rock salt is made. Finally, the tofu pudding can be cut into slices and served fresh with preferred toppings.

Next time you're in Vietnam, be sure to treat your sweet tooth with these mouthwatering desserts.