Filipino cuisine is so diverse and amazing and I love their desserts!! Whether you’re munching down on some adobo or enjoying a simple sinangag with breakfast, any day is made better with dishes from the Philippines.
Still, one type of dish that’s often overlooked are the desserts! Filipino cuisine features many amazing sweet treats. I’ve gathered up all of my favorite recipes for you in this article, including:
- Halo-halo
- Puddings
- Rice cakes
- Cookies
- Pies
- Ice cream
And much, much more! Let’s dive in!
Halo-Halo
Halo-halo (or haluhalo) roughly translates to “something mixed together” – and that’s definitely the spirit of this classic dessert!
As a base, you need at least shaved ice, sugar, and evaporated milk. To that, you add in plenty more amazing treats to get the perfect result!
This recipe uses banana, mango, shredded coconut, sweet corn, gelatin cubes, jackfruit, and rice krispies. Layer them in a tall glass, then top the ingredients with shaved ice, evaporated milk, a scoop of your favorite ice cream – then more rice krispies (or nuts) on top!
This sweet, intricate, and colorful dessert is a Pinoy ice cream sundae and will have you never looking back!
Leche Flan
Leche flan is the Filipino version of creme caramel or dulce de leche. It’s a sweet, creamy, and delicious dessert that is served on its own, as a topping for halo-halo and other shaved ice treats, or as part of a more complex dessert.
To make this recipe, you only need 4 simple ingredients: sugar, egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk!
The first step is to caramelize your sugar. Traditionally, this is done by heating the sugar slowly in your llanera molds (round cake tins or ramekins are okay if you can’t get llanera molds in your area) and using tongs to tilt the molds so that the caramel doesn’t burn and evenly coats them.
However, you can make it in a saucepan or in the microwave and then pour it into your baking dish if you prefer!
You then combine the yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk to make a simple custard, fill the molds, and bake in the oven for fifty minutes to an hour.
Flip the flan over to get the picturesque crackly caramel top and creamy white flan base, and serve topped with liquid caramel!
Ube Halaya (Purple Yam Jam)
Ube or purple yam is a trendy flavor recently, but it’s a long-time Filipino classic!
This ube halaya recipe uses fresh ube (though frozen or cooked is okay as well) to make creamy and versatile jelly-like jam!
To make the jam, combine grated ube with evaporated milk, coconut milk, condensed milk, sugar, and salt in a large pot, blend until smooth, and cook to reduce. Once it’s thickened, add in your vanilla, lemon juice, and butter, and you’re good to go!
While this recipe is pretty easy, it is time-consuming as you need to cook the jam for a long time over low heat to get it to the right consistency while stirring regularly to prevent sticking. However, the resulting jam is so delicious – it’s absolutely worth it!
You can use it to fill a mold and serve it as a pudding topped with cheese or coconut, use it to fill rolls, or even spread it on toast!
Bibingka
Bibingka is a classic Filipino Christmas treat and is often sold by street vendors during the holiday season.
It’s a soft, springy, and glutinous rice cake, topped with shredded coconut, that goes amazingly with a cup of tea or hot chocolate!
Though it’s traditionally made using specialized equipment like clay pots and bibingka ovens, this recipe has adapted it so you can make them at home.
To make it, you pour a simple batter of rice flour, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, and coconut milk into baking dishes lined with banana leaves and bake for fifteen minutes.
You then top it with sliced salted duck egg and grated cheese, put it back in the oven for another fifteen to twenty minutes, brush it with melted butter, and sprinkle on some coconut then serve and enjoy!
Puto
Puto is another variety of rice cake that’s beloved by kids and adults alike.
These cakes are smaller, whiter, and spongier than bibingk, however. You also steam them rather than baking them – making them light, moist, and airy!
To make puto, fill mini muffin molds with a rice flour, egg white, coconut milk, water, sugar, and baking powder batter, then put them in a bamboo steamer for around eight minutes.
It’s as easy as that! You can serve the puto topped with a little cheese, salted egg, as a side for savory meals, or just as is! Make sure to save the excess egg yolks to make a custardy dessert like leche flan.
Mamon
These soft, fluffy cakes with a signature crinkly top are the perfect treat for any occasion! They’re sweet, moist, and buttery, with a little tangy and savory note coming through from the cream cheese and lemon juice.
This recipe is a little more involved than some of the other desserts, but it does yield perfect mamons!
You will need to first combine creamy cheese and other dairy ingredients in a double boiler to get a smooth, thick consistency, then add egg yolks and dry ingredients.
Separately, you will need to whip your egg whites, lemon juice, and sugar into stiff peaks, and then gently fold this mixture into the other.
Separating the eggs and whipping the whites is what allows the mamons to be super light and fluffy while still rich in flavor!
Kutsinta
Kutsinta are perfect little snack cakes that are soft, sticky, and reddish brown in color.
This color comes from the brown sugar in the recipe, but it is also enhanced by the addition of annatto (achuete powder), which adds a slightly different sweet and peppery flavor as well as its signature red color.
They are super easy to make, though you will need kutsinta molds (though mini muffin silicone molds would do in a pinch!).
All you need to do is combine your ingredients (all-purpose flour, tapioca flour, brown sugar, water, lye water, and annatto), fill your molds, and steam for thirty to forty minutes. They’re great when served with desiccated coconut!
If you can’t find lye water, you can also make your own using a mixture of one part baked baking soda to four parts water. However, using real lye water will get you the best consistency.
Sapin-Sapin
Sapin-sapin is a beautiful and colorful dessert made from three distinct layers of flavored glutinous rice and coconut milk.
It has a white coconut layer, a purple ube layer, and a yellow jackfruit layer. It’s also traditionally topped with latik, caramelized coconut cream curds.
This recipe uses all fresh ingredients and then boosts the color of each section with food coloring. However, you can use artificial flavoring if you need to – though it won’t taste quite as good!
Karioka
This simple and addicting treat is similar to a donut hole on a skewer, though of course with amazing Filipino flavor!
It’s super easy to make as well; just prepare a simple dough of glutinous rice flour, coconut flakes, coconut milk, and baking powder, roll little balls, and deep fry them.
The rich and subtly sweet little cakes are then dipped into a sweet glaze of brown sugar and coconut milk, and served on a stick!
Maja Blanca
Maja Blanca is a sweet and creamy coconut pudding, filled with a generous amount of bright sweet corn, and topped with shredded cheese.
It’s the perfect balance of smooth, rich flavor, sugary fresh flavors, and a slight tangy and saltiness.
It’s super easy to make at home even if you haven’t had it before, as it doesn’t require any specialist equipment. You simply need to combine evaporated milk, coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, and corn kernels (canned is fine) in a large pot and reduce until thick.
Then, transfer into a baking dish and cool in the fridge until set, top, and serve! I love maja blanca with cheese on top, but if that’s not for you, you can use grated coconut or latik instead.
Biko
This springy rice cake is so sweet, chewy, and gently spiced – it’s the perfect treat for any occasion!
It uses glutinous rice mixed into reduced coconut milk, brown sugar, ginger, and salt, and then set in the fridge. Slice it into traditional diamond shapes, and top it with latik for the perfect bite!
Biko is also accidentally vegan and gluten-free, making it a great inclusive choice to serve.
If you’re wanting to mix it up, you can also add in chopped jackfruit! It’s amazing served with a hot drink, fresh fruit, or even a scoop of ice cream or sorbet!
Pichi-Pichi
Pichi-pichi is a super easy recipe with only three ingredients: cassava, sugar, and lye water!
Cassava has a mild, slightly nutty, and sweet taste, that’s really brought out by the sugar and steaming.
This sticky, thick dessert is usually served rolled in grated coconut or topped with grated cheese (or both).
If you want to add in additional flavor (as well as adding a nice color to the pichi-pichi) you can also put in pandan or ube flavoring!
Tsokolate
Tsokolate is Filipino hot chocolate! While it’s traditionally served with breakfast, it’s also great after dinner as a treat – or really anytime. Tsokolate is especially popular during the holidays.
It’s super simple to make as well; you just need to put sweetened cacao tablets into boiling water, stir until they dissolve, and then froth up using a milk frother or immersion blender!
Cacao tablets are made from pure fermented and ground cacao beans, making the chocolate “essence” stronger than other hot chocolates which have more sugar and milk.
However, you can add a splash of milk or cream into your tsokolate as well if you’re missing it!
Turon
Turon is a popular street food made from sweet, tangy saba banana and jackfruit wrapped in a crunch spring roll and coated with caramel.
They’re crispy and crackly on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. They’re so delicious – and surprisingly healthy for how sweet they are!
You can easily make them for yourself at home, too. You just need to slice your banana and jackfruit into thin, long strips, coat the banana in brown sugar, and wrap them using the traditional egg roll technique.
You then fry the turon until they’re golden brown (about one minute), drizzle them with caramel, let it harden, and enjoy!
Banana Cue
Another amazing banana-based dessert is banana cue! It’s pretty much just caramelized banana on a stick – and what could be better?
Simply drop your bananas into hot oil, add in sugar, stir so it coats the bananas, drain, swerve, and serve!
Like most Filipino banana-based recipes, it’s important to use saba bananas to get the best result. Saba bananas are short and thick, and very sweet and starchy when cooked.
Buchi
Buchi are stuffed glutinous rice balls, coated in sesame seeds and fried.
They’re amazingly crunchy on the outside, and soft and chewy in the middle with a sweet, gooey center.
The balls are made from glutinous rice flour and potato flakes (as well as water, salt, and sugar) which makes them dense, springy, and super satisfying!
You can fill them with many different things, but this recipe keeps it traditional and uses ube halaya and sweet red mung bean paste.
Ginataang Bilo-Bilo
Ginataang bilo-bilo translates to rice balls cooked in coconut milk, and that’s just what makes up the base for this sweet, saucy dessert with chewy bilo-bilo.
This recipe makes separate bilo-bilo with sweet potato, ube, and pandan, giving them a subtle flavor and orange, purple, and green colorings respectively.
In addition to the rice balls, mini tapioca pearls (sago), cubed ube sweet potato, jackfruit, and saba banana are added to the ginataang to give it a lot of amazing variety in color, texture, and flavor.
Taho
Taho is such a pretty and sophisticated-looking dessert, but it only takes five ingredients and twenty minutes to put together!
It’s simply warm steamed silken tofu in a small cup topped with tapioca pearls and a homemade brown sugar sauce.
The tofu is super delicate and creamy and infused with sweetness, and the pearls give a lovely chewy pop to every bite!
Using tofu as a main ingredient means that this dish is also packed with protein – making it a great breakfast option!
Taisan
Taisan is similar to vanilla chiffon cake: soft, fluffy, light, and buttery! Similarly to mamon, you will need to separate and then recombine your eggs to achieve the amazing texture of this cake.
It’s prepared in a standard loaf pan and topped with butter and shredded cheese for the perfect blend of sweet and salty flavor.
Banana Turon (Lumpiang Saging)
This banana turon is a simpler turon recipe than the one above; it only uses bananas and it forgoes the caramel coating!
However, you do add sugar to the outside of the wrappers before frying, so you still get that amazing deep sweet flavor.
Cassava Cake
This traditional dessert is thick, chewy, buttery, and oh-so-satisfying. It’s made from grated cassava (frozen is fine), coconut milk, condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, salt, and macapuno.
Macapuno is a bit of a delicacy; a fine, jelly-like coconut product that occurs in varieties where the meat and coconut water do not separate!
My favorite step in making this simple cake is spreading some reserved condensed milk on the top of the cake and putting it back in the oven to get the perfect bubbly, caramelized, chewy crust on top of the cake.
Polvoron
Polvoron are similar to shortbread cookies; they’re buttery, crumbly, and hard to put down!
They’re made in a unique way though that makes them even more delicate and delicious.
You toast your flour first, making it more flavorful and safe for consumption. Then add in your other dry ingredients and melted butter which makes everything come together in a crumbly mixture that can be stamped out with an oval cookie stamper (silicone molds or mini muffin tins also work, just make sure to press the mixture down).
You can also add in extras to your polvoron! Popular additions include malted milk powder, cereals, sprinkles, crushed oreo cookies, or ubu halaya.
Yema
Yema are soft and chewy milk candies that are very popular in the Philippines!
While you can buy them, they’re cheap and easy to make yourself, only take twenty-five minutes, and are way yummier than store-bought!
All you need to do is melt a little butter on low heat, then add in condensed milk, egg yolks, and chopped peanuts.
Following that, stir until very thick and transfer to a plate to cool. Once set, you slice into bite-sized sections, roll them into balls, and enjoy!
You can also roll your yema in sugar or crushed nuts if you want a crunchy outside. If you need to, you can substitute the peanuts for cashews, pecans, or walnuts, or omit them completely.
Lengua de Gato
These delicious butter cookies are named lengua de gato (cat’s tongue) due to their thin, oblong shape.
You may be glad to find out that they don’t taste anything like tongue, however! They’re sweet, light, a little salty, and really, really addictive.
They are super easy to make as well. All you need is butter, sugar, vanilla extract, egg whites, salt, and cake flour.
The egg whites and cake flour keep these cookies super light and delicate!
Ensaymada
Ensaymada are super light, fluffy, soft bread rolls!
They’re topped with white sugar, unsalted butter, and shredded cheese for the perfect salty and sweet bite each time.
Ensaymada are amazing as is, but you can also fill them with ube halaya, mung bean paste, macerated jackfruit, or anything you like to make them extra special.
Pastillas de Leche
These soft, chewy, sugar and milk candies are the perfect gift or little treat.
Pastillas de leche are creamy and sweet, and quick and cheap to make at home!
They’re super easy to make as well, using just whole milk, sugar, lime zest, butter, and powdered milk, and coming together on the stovetop.
Buko Pandan
No list of Filipino desserts with coconut would be complete without buko pandan!
Its main ingredients are young coconut and pandan-flavored jelly served in a mixture of cream and condensed milk, though there are lots of things you can add in!
Pandan flavor comes from screwpine leaves and tastes similar to an herbal and aromatic vanilla.
The soft, bright jelly balances beautifully with the creamy base and tender young coconut strings. This salad-style recipe also includes tapioca pearls, sugar palm fruit, and coconut gel.
Palitaw
Palitaw is a boiled rice cake rolled in coconut and topped with sugar and toasted seeds. They’re sweet, chewy with a bite, and so fun to make!
I love the flexibility of this recipe. Sometimes, I experiment with flavors like ube or cheese. It’s such an easy dish to make your own.
If you’re up for making a batch, you won’t be disappointed – the comforting chewiness and the blend of coconut and sesame are just delightful
Filipino egg pie
Filipino egg pie is similar in flavor to smooth, sweet, and creamy leche flan, but it’s baked in a buttery, flaky pastry crust.
This recipe keeps things super easy by using a premade pie crust, though of course, you are welcome to make your own!
The filling is made from (you guessed it) eggs, as well as condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and salt.
By separating the eggs, you get a creamy, rich flavor to the filling that’s still light and fluffy! The pie also gets a lovely dark brown crusty top in the oven, giving a layered effect.
Ginataang Mais
Ginataang Mais is a simple sweet corn pudding! You only need a few ingredients ( glutinous rice, coconut milk, canned corn, and sugar) and half an hour to make this recipe.
It’s so creamy, with bursts of sweet freshness from the corn, and it’s filling and satisfying as well!
Kalamay
Kalamay Lansong is another super simple recipe that uses glutinous rice! It’s a thick and sticky rice cake that’s topped with latik and is perfect as a dessert or just a quick afternoon treat!
To make it, you just combine glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar, pour the mixture into an eight-inch pan lined with greased banana leaves, then steam for twenty to twenty-five minutes.
This recipe also tells you how to make homemade latik if you’d like to!
Silvanas
These fancy sandwich cookies are great for special occasions, and might be different from any type of cookie you’ve ever had before!
They’re delicate and crunchy meringue cookies that are sandwiched together with French buttercream, then coated in buttercream and rolled in cookie crumbs and crushed cashews.
They’re complex, indulgent, and utterly scrumptious! One tip is to make sure to keep the smooth, bottom side of the meringue cookies on the outside when frosting; this will get you picture-perfect silvanas!
Kamote Cue Recipe (Deep Fried Caramelized Sweet Potato)
This sweet treat is often had as a midafternoon pick-me-up in the Philippines;it has the perfect combination of carbs, nutrition, and sugar to keep you full and keep your energy up for the rest of the day!
Plus this recipe only requires three ingredients: sweet potato, brown sugar, and some oil for cooking!
You simply heat the oil, put in the sugar, and then put in your discs of sweet potato once it floats – flipping them occasionally so that they become coated in sugar. Quick, easy, and delicious!
Panutsa (Peanut Brittle)
This quick Pinoy peanut brittle is sweet, crunchy, and packed with energizing protein and sugar!
It uses brown sugar to give it its signature dark brown color and sweet, caramel and molasses flavor, and is topped with sesame seeds for even more crunch!
Suman Malagkit
Suman Malagkit is a simple sweet, chewy, and nutty treat that’s often eaten as a pick-me-up or even for breakfast!
To make it, you half cook glutinous rice in coconut milk, then mold it into a roll using banana leaves and steam it until it’s fully done (around thirty to forty-five minutes).
It’s simple, really satisfying and tasty, and great served with a little extra sugar or latik sauce!
Espasol
Espasol is similar though it uses glutinous rice flour rather than whole grains.
This gives it a smoother and more jellylike consistency! Make sure to toast your rice flour first to bring out the flavor and rich brown color.
Mango Float
This no-bake dessert is pretty quick and easy to make, but waiting to eat it might be tough; it has to be set overnight in the fridge for the best consistency!
You simply layer crushed graham crackers with whipped cream and condensed milk, and then add on ripe sliced mango.
It’s a perfect combination of buttery, crunchy crust, creamy, thick, sweet and fluffy filling, and fresh, syrupy, bright mangos. What more could you ask for?
Maruya
This easy banana fritters recipe will definitely have you coming back for seconds.
It’s made from ripe saba bananas coated in batter then fried and sprinkled with sugar! They’re crunchy and slightly salty on the outside with gooey, caramelly, softened banana inside.
Filipino Coconut Macaroons
These easy macaroons (not to be confused with macarons) are an indulgent treat: soft, butter, fluffy, and satisfying!
They come together in under an hour, and all you need to do is combine your simple ingredients (eggs, sweet shredded coconut, condensed milk, brown sugar, and butter), pour the batter into muffin tins, and pop it in the oven!
Puto Bumbong
This treat is so vibrant in color, fun to make, and even more fun to eat!
Puto bumbong are a simple cake of glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and ube flavoring (which makes them deep purple).
They are then topped with grated cheese, grated coconut, softened butter, brown sugar, and condensed milk, which makes them super sweet, creamy, and indulgent!
Sorbetes
This homemade Filipino ice cream is so delicious, and you don’t need an ice cream maker to make it!
All you need to do is combine powdered milk, coconut milk, evaporated milk, cornstarch, and sugar and mix until frothy, boil for fifteen minutes, add flavoring, and then freeze.
For a thicker consistency, you can take it out of the freezer when it’s half set, and mix again, then put it back in a metal container with salt and ice packed around it.
Common sorbetes flavors include ube, cheese, mango, chocolate, and coconut.
However, you can also do classic ice cream flavors like vanilla or coffee or add in fresh fruit!
Minatamis na Saging
This quick, sweet saba banana recipe is sure to hit the spot!
It’s a healthy treat that’s packed with fiber and nutrients as well. It’s essentially just banana and caramel; you dissolve sugar in water, add in your sliced banana, stir until thickened, add a little vanilla, and serve!
If you’re wanting more, you can add in cooked sago as well for a different texture. Minatamis na Saging is great on its own, hot or cold, but also with cakes, sweet rice, or ice cream!
Ginataang Halo-Halo
Ginataang halo-halo is sticky rice balls stewed in coconut milk, with lots of other mix-ins (which is why it’s another halo-halo recipe!)
Along with the rice balls, this recipe uses saba banana, cooked sago, jackfruit strips, and cubed sweet potato – though you can add your favorites in as well!
Ampaw
Ampaw are sort of Filipino rice crispy treats; they’re puffed up, crunchy, sweet, rice balls!
To make them, you fry sun-dried cooked rice in oil until it puffs up, then remove from the oil and coat with a syrup of sugar, salt, corn syrup, vinegar, vanilla extract, and butter.
Then (once they’ve cooled a little) shape them into balls or bars, let dry, and enjoy!
Champorado (Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding)
This chocolaty rice porridge is great for a special breakfast or a treat anytime!
It’s rich, creamy, and super satiating! Try it with a little condensed milk or sliced banana on top, or try it the traditional way with some dried fish!
Agar Agar
Agar-agar is simply a kind of plant-based gelatin, but it’s used commonly in traditional Filipino desserts!
You can eat it just made from the packet like jello, but it’s frequently added to desserts like halo-halo or buko pandan as well.
Buko Pie
This pie is filled with sweet, creamy and tender coconut-flavored filling, and baked in a buttery, flaky shortcrust.
The filling has both a coconut juice slurry and young coconut meat, giving you a complex and intricate flavor. It also has evaporated milk and sugar for sweetness!
Barquillos
These delicate wafer rolls are always a favorite! They’re made simply with just flour, milk, egg yolk, sugar, and lemon rind, giving a delicate, crispy cookie.
You can also fill them due to their cylindrical shape; ube, buko pandan, chocolate, and powdered milk are popular choices!
48 Best Filipino Desserts (w/ Recipes & Pictures!)
Ingredients
- Halo-Halo
- Leche Flan
- Ube Halaya Purple Yam Jam
- Bibingka
- Puto
- Mamon
- Kutsinta
- Sapin-Sapin
- Karioka
- Maja Blanca
- Biko
- Pichi-Pichi
- Tsokolate
- Turon
- Banana Cue
- Buchi
- Ginataang Bilo-Bilo
- Taho
- Taisan
- Banana Turon Lumpiang Saging
- Cassava Cake
- Polvoron
- Yema
- Lengua de Gato
- Ensaymada
- Pastillas de Leche
- Buko Pandan
- Palitaw
- Filipino egg pie
- Ginataang Mais
- Kalamay
- Silvanas
- Kamote Cue Recipe Deep Fried Caramelized Sweet Potato
- Panutsa Peanut Brittle
- Suman Malagkit
- Espasol
- Mango Float
- Maruya
- Filipino Coconut Macaroons
- Puto Bumbong
- Sorbetes
- Minatamis na Saging
- Ginataang Halo-Halo
- Ampaw
- Champorado Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding
- Agar Agar
- Buko Pie
- Barquillos
Instructions
- Try your favorite.
- Enjoy!
My name is Beth, Elizabeth Evelyn to be exact. A native Tennessean, I was born in the South.
I am the author behind Local Milk Blog.