Quick Answer: The Best Chinese Desserts
The Best Chinese Desserts based on how delicious they can be are, Almond Jelly, Egg Tarts, Pineapple Cake, Mango Pudding, Soy Milk Pudding, Eight Treasure Rice Pudding, Tangyuan, Mooncake, Mung Bean Cake, Sugarcoated Haws on a Stick, Boba tea, Steamed Custard Bun, and so many more. Read to know more!
I will tell you everything you need to know about some of the Best Chinese desserts you can enjoy!
I love Chinese cuisine, and it was only natural that I fell in love with their desserts! So as someone who has tried & experimented with most of these desserts, I assure you they’re worth your time.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the Finest desserts the Chinese have to offer!
The Best Chinese Desserts: Quick Table
| Recipe | Calories (per 100g) | Preparation Time |
|---|---|---|
| Almond Jelly | 149 kcal | 2 hr 10 min |
| Egg Tarts | 310 kcal | 1 hr 40 min |
| Mango Pudding | 47 kcal | 10 min |
| Soy Milk Pudding | 92.8 kcal | 15 min |
| Eight Treasure Rice Pudding | 73.84 kcal | 50 min |
| Tangyuan - Sweet Soup Balls | 367 kcal | 35 min |
| Mooncake | 357 kcal | 40 min |
| Mung Bean Cake | 318.6 kcal | 1 day 1 hr |
| Sugar Coated Haws on a Stick | 326.2 kcal | 15 min |
| Boba Tea | 50 kcal | 2 hr 10 min |
| Chinese Steamed Cake | 267.2 kcal | 1 hr 35 min |
| Chinese Egg Cakes | 275.7 kcal | 30 min |
| Youtiao - Chinese Fried Doughnut | 696.5 kcal | 2 hr 35 min |
| Dragon's Beard Candy | 404 kcal | 4 hr 30 min |
| Pineapple Cake | 432 kcal | 1 hr 20 min |
| Nai Wong Bao - Steamed Custard Bun | 318 kcal | 35 min |
| Chinese Raspberry Snowflake Cake | 339 kcal | 2 hr 25 min |
| Chocolate Chinese Five - Spice Cake | 348.1 kcal | 2 hr |
| Fried Milk | 171 kcal | 1 hr |
| Sesame Seed Balls | 360 kcal | 30 min |
| Chinese Walnut Cookies | 545 kcal | 35 min |
| Fortune Cookies | 378 kcal | 30 min |
| Red Bean Bun | 265.2 kcal | 1 hr 40 min |
| Deep-Fried Durian | 74 kcal | 3 hr |
| Grass Jelly | 41 kcal | 12 min |
| Green Dumplings | 320 kcal | 3 hr |
| Water Chestnut Cake | 140 kcal | 40 min |
| Jujube Cake | 421 kcal | 1 hr |
| Osmanthus Cake | 509 kcal | 2 hr 10 min |
| Wan Dou Huang - Pea Flour Cake | NA | 40 min |
| Egg - Yolk Puff | 230 kcal | 1 hr 10 min |
| Meat Floss Cake | 455 kcal | 55 min |
| Zongzi - Sweet Rice Dumplings | NA | 2 hr 50 min |
| Double-Layer Steamed Milk Custard | NA | 25 min |
| Wife Cakes | 334.37 kcal | 50 min |
| Chinese Pumpkin Cake | NA | 40 min |
| Ba si di Gua | 394 kcal | 35 min |
| Chinese Sweet Potato Ginger Desser | 70 kcal | 25 min |
| Deep Fried Mantou | 276 kcal | 12 min |
| Fa Gao | NA | 40 min |
1. Almond Jelly
Calories (per 100g) – 149 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 2 hours 10 mins
Almond Jelly is one of China’s most popular desserts! You only need to combine condensed milk, ground almond & gelatin to make this Jelly delight, and you can serve it with fruit as a great palate cleanser!
Here’s how you can make it! –
2. Egg Tarts
Calories (per 100g) – 310 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 1 hour 40 mins
Egg Tarts are my personal favorites! They’re aromatic tarts with smooth, glassy, eggy custard encased in a melt-in-your-mouth, delicious Pastry crust.
They taste the best when they’re warm, and you can eat them at any time of the day!
Try making them yourself! –
3. Mango Pudding
Calories (per 100g) – 47 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 10 mins
It’s Pudding like never before.
Creamy, smooth, and bursting with mango flavor with every bite, this pudding is simple yet sophisticated, making it the perfect dessert for when you have friends or family over!
Check out the recipe here! –
4. Soy Milk Pudding
Calories (per 100g) – 92.8 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 15 mins
It’s a smooth, soft dessert made with soy milk, soybean flour, & vanilla, firmed with gelatin.
It melts in your mouth, is healthier than most desserts, and it satisfies sweet cravings instantly.
Learn how you can make it! –
5. Eight Treasure Rice Pudding
Calories (per 100g) – 73.84 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 50 mins
New years is a big deal in Chinese culture, and so is this pudding! Prepared lovingly with sticky rice, 8 kinds of dried fruits, nuts, and red bean paste, this dessert is creamy, soft & immersed in flavor! Truly a must-have.
Try making it yourself! –
6. Tangyuan — Sweet Soup Balls
Calories (per 100g) – 367 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 35 mins
Tangyuan are round dumplings made during the end of Chinese New Year and have many variations! My favorite is the one filled with sugary, runny filling, served in a sweet ginger soup.
Mochi-like dumplings in sweet soup?? A textured delight!
Learn how you can make it –
7. Mooncake
Calories (per 100g) – 357 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 40 mins
Mooncakes have an overwhelming amount of fillings, ranging from lotus root to ice cream, each one better than the last, baked inside a thin, crumbly dough layer with an intricate design on the top.
They taste incredible and are our most recommended dessert by far!
DIY Recipe with my favorite YouTube! –
8. Mung Bean Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 318.6 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 1 day 1 hour
These tiny cakes are perfect for the summer! Made with lightly sweetened Mung Bean paste and matcha, these cakes are high in protein and hella refreshing when served cold.
Plus, they look impressive, perfect for parties or gifts!
Try making them! –
9. Sugar Coated Haws on a Stick
Calories (per 100g) – 326.2 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 15 mins
Also known as Tanghulu, this dessert is a popular street food throughout China! Wild fruits are strung together on bamboo sticks then dipped in a sugar syrup so you can have a crunchy, sweet & sour dessert whenever you like!
Try Them! –
10. Boba Tea
Calories (per 100g) – 50 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 2 hours 10 mins
Made of sweetened tea, milk, and chewy tapioca balls, this tea dessert is famous all around the world! The best part? You get to choose from a whole range of flavors and toppings, so, customize your tea however you like!
Learn how to make it! –
11. Chinese Steamed Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 267.2 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 1 hour 35 mins
Beautifully named Ma Lai Go, this dessert is a triangle-shaped, spongy, steamed cake, typically found on dim sum carts throughout China!
Make it yourself! –
12. Chinese Egg Cakes
Calories (per 100g) – 275.7 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 30 mins
They’re tiny, aromatic, & delicious! Made by whipping an egg & sugar mixture till it’s nearly white, these mini cakes are absolutely adorable!
DIY Recipe –
13. Youtiao – Chinese Fried Doughnut
Calories (per 100g) – 696.5 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 2 hours 35 mins
Super yummy Chinese dough that’s light, airy & slightly chewy.
Pairs great with porridge, & is a famous breakfast too!
Check it out! –
14. Dragon’s Beard Candy
Calories (per 100g) – 404 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 4 hours 30 mins
It’s Chinese cotton candy! It’s a kind of pulled candy, with a crunchy, sweet peanut stuffing!
Try making it in different colors! –
15. Pineapple Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 432 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 1 hour 20 mins
It’s a square, crumbly pastry encased around a creamy filling of pineapple jam! It looks great and tastes even better.
DIY Recipe! –
16. Nai Wong Bao – Steamed Custard Bun
Calories (per 100g) – 318 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 35 mins
This delicacy is a sweet dim sum! It’s soft, sweet, and filled with delicious yellow creamy custard!
Learn how to make it! –
17. Chinese Raspberry Snowflake Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 339 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 2 hours 25 mins
Made with raspberries, milk, potato starch, & coconut, the Snowflake Cake is sweet, sour, & delicious, all at the same time!
Try making it!
DIY Link-> Chinese Raspberry Snowflake Cake
18. Chocolate Chinese Five-Spice Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 348.1 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 2 hours
An exciting addition to flourless chocolate cake containing a spice blend made with cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, & Sichuan peppercorns, also known as Chinese five-spice!
Make it yourself! Link-> Chocolate Chinese Five-Spice Cake
19. Fried Milk
Calories (per 100g) – 171 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 1 hour
It’s frozen pieces of custard, coated in breadcrumbs and fried in oil! It’s crispy, creamy, & a total flavor party in your mouth!
Try making it –
20. Sesame Seed Balls
Calories (per 100g) – 360 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 30 mins
With a crispy exterior coated with toasted sesame seeds, and a chewy, sweet interior thanks to the red bean filling, this dessert is beyond delicious!
Try Them! –
21. Chinese Walnut Cookies
Calories (per 100g) – 545 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 35 mins
Not-too-sweet cookies with flavorful walnut in every bite, topped with a perfect crunchy walnut on top, sounds beyond delicious to me!
Make them yourself! –
22. Fortune Cookies
Calories (per 100g) – 378 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 30 mins
Everyone loves Fortune Cookies! These crispy, delightful cookies might be a bit hard to make, but they’re delicious and totally worth the effort!
Check them out! –
23. Red Bean Bun
Calories (per 100g) – 265.2 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 1 hour 40 mins
These Buns are pillowy-soft while being melt-in-your-mouth delicious! The smooth, sweet red bean paste on the inside gets better with every bite!
DIY Recipe –
24. Deep-Fried Durian
Calories (per 100g) – 74 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 3 hours
Creamy, exotic Durian mixed in with egg whites and sugar, coated in batter and deep-fried?? Yes, please!
Here’s how you can make them –
25. Grass Jelly
Calories (per 100g) – 41 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 12 mins
It’s a black Herbal, vegan Jelly! You just need cincau powder, sugar, cornstarch, & water. and
You can use it as a topping or eat it like a snack!
Try making it at home! –
26. Green Dumplings
Calories (per 100g) – 320 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 3 hours
They’re green sticky rice dumplings, filled with mugwort purèe that compliments the sweet mochi dough perfectly! And they indicate the arrival of spring!
Do try making them! –
27. Water Chestnut Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 140 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 40 mins
They’re yellow, transparent, sweet dim sums! Made from the popular Water Chestnut fruit, this chilled dessert is perfect for the summer!
Check out the recipe here! –
28. Jujube Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 421 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 1 hour
It’s a sponge cake with sticky, taffy-like consistency, & a pleasant roasted fragrance, made of dates & brown sugar!
You have to try it! –
29. Osmanthus Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 509 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 2 hours 10 mins
These sweet rice cakes and their delicious fragrance, chewy rice-cake texture, & balanced sweetness are almost too perfect!
check them out! –
30. Wan Dou Huang – Pea Flour Cake
Total Preparation Time – 40 mins
Made using white peas, this cake is made during the summer to celebrate the arrival of spring! It’s a dense sweet cake that is so smooth it melts in your mouth!
Make it yourself! –
31. Egg-Yolk Puff
Calories (per 100g) – 230 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 1 hour 10 mins
It is salty egg yolks wrapped in sweet red bean paste (or lotus paste) covered in flaky pastry!
Try it yourself! –
32. Meat Floss Cake
Calories (per 100g) – 455 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 55 mins
Meat Floss of chicken or pork is sprinkled in between a delicious chiffon cake and used as garnishing so you can have the best of both sweet & salty!
DIY Recipe –
33. Zongzi – Sweet Rice Dumplings
Total Preparation Time – 2 hours 50 mins
They’re triangle-shaped steamed sweets made in bamboo leaves! Usually prepared with Chinese dates, red bean paste, & glutinous rice, this dish is a delicacy.
Try them! –
34. Double-Layer Steamed Milk Custard
Total Preparation Time – 25 mins
It’s steamed Creme Brûlée, and it’s easy to make! Made with milk & egg whites, this treat can be eaten hot or cold with toppings of fresh fruit!
Here’s how you can make it –
35. Wife Cakes
Calories (per 100g) – 334.37 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 50 mins
These cakes are a Chinese bakery classic! Made with flaky pastry stuffed with chewy, sweet winter melon filling, this sweet treat is highly recommended!
It’s easy, try them! –
36. Chinese Pumpkin Pie
Total Preparation Time – 40 mins
They’re crispy cakes with soft, yummy pumpkin filling on the inside! They’re lovely, colorful, and a must-have!
Try them! –
37. Ba si di Gua
Calories (per 100g) – 394 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 35 mins
They’re fried sweet potato bites covered in caramelized sugar!
They’re hard & crispy on the outside and soft & tender inside.
Try them! –
38. Chinese Sweet Potato Ginger Dessert Soup
Calories (per 100g) – 70 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 25 mins
I don’t generally drink soup but this is an exception.
It’s made with only 4 ingredients, is delicious, and healthily satisfies your sweet cravings!
Try making it! –
39. Deep-Fried Mantou
Calories (per 100g) – 276 kcal
Total Preparation Time – 12 mins
They’re crispy deep-fried Buns! They’re soft on the inside & are usually served with condensed milk.
DIY Recipe –
40. Fa Gao
Total Preparation Time – 40 mins
Also known as Prosperity Cake, this sweet dish is made during New Year, in China.
It’s fluffy, sweet & adorable, do try them!
Here’s how you can make them! –
In The End,
May you enjoy the cultural journey these dishes will take you on!
Do share this article with anybody who loves Chinese cuisine and is looking to add new dishes to their list of favorites!
And as always, do contact us if you have any suggestions or edits!