12 Filipino Desserts and Cakes to Taste

Want to taste some Filipino desserts during your next trip to the Philippines? If you have a sweet tooth you’re going to love the Philippines.

There are so many delicious desserts that will satisfy all your cravings. There’s everything from hot and cold Filipino desserts to crispy and soft sweets that will melt in your mouth. Here are 12 Filipino desserts to taste in the Philippines:

Buko Pandan

This is one of the Filipino desserts that might not look so delicious, but it’s actually pretty good. It’s a simple dessert made with only a few ingredients; coconut, pandan, gelatin, cream, and condensed milk.

It’s a creamy and rich dessert that anyone with a sweet tooth will love. It’s served cold and is especially popular on a hot summers day.

Taho

Taho is a sweet treat in the Philippines made with silky tofu, brown sugar syrup and either sago or tapioca pearls.

It’s served warm and is popular to eat as a snack or during breakfast. This is not a common dessert to find in the Philippines, however, if you would happen to see it on a menu make sure to order it!

Ube Halaya

Ube is a sweet potato from the Philippines and is used in the Filipino dessert ube halaya. Ube halaya is made from boiled ube that’s grated and mixed with milk and sugar until it gets a thick texture – like a pudding.

It’s simply delicious and a must to taste in the Philippines. 

Leche Flan

Leche Flan is probably my favorite among all the Filipino desserts. Due to the Spanish colonization during the 16th to the late 19th century the Philippines got inspiration of the Spanish flan to make their own local version.

The Filipino flan is made with sweet condensed milk instead of regular milk. It’s a creamy egg custard that’s served with a sweet caramel syrup and is usually eaten during special occasions in the Philippines.

This Filipino dessert is simply delicious and a must to taste while you’re in the country.

Halo-halo

This is one of the most famous Filipino desserts and translates into ”mix mix” in english.

It’s made of various ingredients such as; crushed ice, beans, jelly, sweet potato, sago pearls, coconut, ube yam, leche flan, jackfruit, sweetened saba banana, nata de coco, and fried pinipig (type of rice).

It’s one of the most crazy Filipino desserts, and is today a staple in most Filipino restaurants.

Puto

Puto is one of the most classic Filipino desserts. It’s a steamed cake made from rice flour.

It’s enjoyed for breakfast, for dessert, or as a snack during the day. For dessert its usually served with some melted butter. Yummy!

Kutsinta

Kutsinta is similar to puto and is also a steamed rice cake. The only difference is the color that it gets from the brown sugar and lye water.

It’s a bit sticky and rubbery in texture and is served with grated coconut. It’s common to serve puto and kutsinta together for dessert.

Banana Cue

Banana Cue is one of the most simple Filipino desserts. It’s made of saba bananas that they cover in brown sugar and put on skewers to be fried in hot oil.

Another version is the Kamote Cue, where they use sweet potatoes instead of bananas. It’s a common snack to find in the various food stalls and markets in the Philippines.

Turon

Turon, also known as Filipino fried banana rolls is one of the most popular sweets in the Philippines. It’s made of saba bananas, jackfruit, and brown sugar wrapped in spring roll paper. The rolls are then fried and coated in a sweet caramel syrup.

They’re best served hot with some ice cream on the side. It’s really yummy and a must to taste while you’re in the country.

Cassava cake

Cassava cake is a popular Filipino treat made from grated cassava, coconut milk, egg, butter, and condensed milk or sugar.

The ingredients are mixed together and then baked in a pan in the oven. It’s topped with a layer of custard and usually eaten for merienda or during special occasions.

Mamon

Mamon is a traditional Filipino sponge cake with a cupcake-shape. It’s soft and fluffy and usually drenched in butter and sprinkled with some powdered sugar and grated cheese.

It’s a common cake to eat for merienda in the Philippines.

Ube ice cream

In the Philippines, they have an ice cream flavor made on the plant ube. It has a beautiful purple color and a nutty and sweet taste.

This ice cream flavor has been made in the Philippines since 1922 and is today one of the most popular sweets to eat in the country.

More about Filipino desserts

Philippines is a tropical country and therefore they have several desserts made with rice and coconut.

Other common ingredients in Filipino desserts include condensed milk, butter, sweet syrup, ube, and various fruits such as banana and jackfruit.

More Filipino desserts to taste

• Bibingka
• Kalamay
• Sapin-sapin
• Palitaw
• Pitsi-pitsî
• Maja blanca
• Minatamis na saging
• Suman

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What are your favorite Filipino desserts? Leave a comment below!