Vietnam is a country with a rich and diverse culinary culture, especially when it comes to desserts. Here are some of the most popular and delicious desserts in Vietnam that Vietnamtour.in think you should try. Whether you want something refreshing, creamy, chewy, or crunchy, you will find one of the desserts in Vietnam that suits your taste.
Egg Coffee – One of the top desserts in Vietnam
Giang Cafe
- Location: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Opening hours: 7 am – 10:30 pm
- Price range: $0.7 – $2
Dinh Cafe
- Location: 13 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Opening hours: 7 am – 10 pm
- Price range: $1.5 – $3.5
Egg coffee is a unique Vietnamese fancy dessert that combines strong black coffee with whipped egg yolks and condensed milk. The result is a frothy and sweet drink that resembles a custard. Egg coffee is usually served hot in a small cup with a spoon, but you can also find iced versions.
Kem Xoi (Sticky Rice Ice Cream)
Che Dung – Hang Bac
- Location: 95 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Opening hours: 9 am – 11:30 pm
- Price range: $1 – $2
Kem Xoi Thu Nga
- Location: 8 Hai Ba Trung, Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Opening hours: 9 am – 11 pm
- Price range: $1 – $2
Kem Xoi is one of the modern fusion desserts in Vietnam that combines traditional sticky rice with ice cream. The sticky rice is cooked with coconut milk and sugar, then topped with a scoop of ice cream (usually vanilla or coconut) and various toppings such as peanuts, sesame seeds, dried fruits, or syrups. The contrast between the warm and chewy rice and the cold and creamy ice cream is delightful.
Trang Tien Ice Cream
- Location: 35 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Opening hours: 7:30 am – 11 pm
- Price range: $0.5 – $2.5
Trang Tien Ice Cream is one of the most famous desserts in Vietnam especially in Hanoi with its colourful sticks delighting locals and visitors alike. The ice cream is made with fresh milk and natural ingredients and comes in various flavors such as chocolate, green bean, coconut, or durian. You can enjoy the ice cream on a cone, in a cup, or on a stick
Che (Sweet Soup)
Che Bon Mua
- Location: 4 Hang Can, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Opening hours: 9 am – 10 pm
- Price range: $0.5 – $2.1
Be Che
- Location: Stall 1154 – 1130, West direction, Gate 7, Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 6:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m
- Price range: $0.9 – $2.2
Che is a general term for a variety of Vietnamese desserts that consist of sweetened liquid and various ingredients such as beans, tapioca pearls, jelly, fruits, seeds, or nuts. Che can be served hot or cold, depending on the season and preference. Some of the most popular types of Che are:
Three-colour sweet soup (Che ba mau): This consists of layers of yellow mung bean paste, red beans, and green pandan jelly, topped with coconut milk.
Sweet corn soup (Che bap): This consists of sweet corn kernels and glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Ginger rice ball soup (Che troi nuoc): This consists of glutinous rice balls filled with mung bean paste and cooked in ginger syrup.
Pomelo sweet soup (Che Buoi): This consists of pomelo segments and candied pomelo peel cooked in sugar syrup and flavoured with jasmine flowers.
Here are some recommended places that you can try Che:
Vietnamese Flan
Banh Flan Ba Banh
- Location: 212A Nguyen Trai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 04:30 pm- 1 am
- Price range: $1 – $2
Vietnamese Flan is a customized dessert version of crème caramel, a French dessert. It is made with eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla or coffee flavouring. The flan is steamed in ramekins with caramel sauce on the bottom, then inverted onto a plate. The caramel sauce drips over the smooth and silky flan, creating a delicious contrast.
Mixed Fruits With Yogurt
Hoa qua dam
- Location: 5 Hang Chi, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Opening hours: 9 am – 11 pm
- Price range: $0.5 – $2.2
Che Nha Suvy
- Location: 33 Quang Trung, Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Opening hours: 11 am – 10 pm
- Price range: $1 – $2.3
Mixed Fruits with Yogurt will cool you off with a refreshing street-side delight. It is a simple but satisfying Vietnamese dessert that consists of fresh seasonal fruits such as mango, dragon fruit, pineapple, watermelon and more, mixed with creamy yogurt. It is a great way to enjoy the natural sweetness and vitamins of the fruits while cooling down on a hot day.
Sua Chua Nep Cam (Yogurt Black Sticky Rice Pudding)
Sua Chua Nep Cam Phuc Loi
- Location: 210A De Tham, Pham Ngu Lao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 9 am – 9 pm
- Price range: $1
Sua Chua Nep Cam combines two popular ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine: yogurt and black sticky rice. This fancy Vietnamese dessert is made from fresh milk and fermented with a special culture, giving it a tangy and smooth texture. The black sticky rice is cooked with sugar and water until soft and sticky, then mixed with the yogurt.
Banh Trung Thu (Vietnamese Mooncakes)
Banh Trung Thu Nhu Lan
- Location: 64 Ham Nghi, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 8 am – 9 pm
- Price range: $4 – $20
Banh Trung Thu are special cakes or traditional desserts in Vietnam that are eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It has a thin crust and a rich filling that can be made from lotus seed paste, mung bean paste, red bean paste, egg yolk, nuts, dried fruits and more. If you are a vegan you can offer some vegetarian cake. There are many companies famous for the best mooncakes in Vietnam: Kinh Do, Nhu Lan, Hi Lam Mon …
Tao Pho (Tofu pudding)
Tau Hu Xe Lam
- Location: 459/13 Tran Hung Dao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 10 am – 9 pm
- Price range: $0.7 -$2
Tao Pho is a soft and silky dessert that is made from soybean curd. It is served hot or cold, with a sweet ginger syrup or coconut milk. It has a delicate flavour with topping Vietnamese grass jelly and melts in your mouth. It is one of the most popular desserts in Vietnam that can be found in many stalls and carts across Vietnam.
Banh Dau Xanh (Mung Bean Cake)
Banh Dau Xanh is a traditional cake that is made from mung bean paste, sugar, lard and sometimes coconut milk. It has a smooth and dense texture and a mild sweetness. It is often wrapped in banana leaves or colourful paper and cut into small pieces. It is a common gift for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and holidays. You can find Banh dau xanh Nguyen Huong in supermarkets everywhere for about $3/box.
Banh Xoai (Mango Cakes) – Hoi An
Banh Xoai is a specialty of Hoi An. It is sticky rice dumplings filled with sweet mung bean paste and coated with sesame seeds. They are shaped like mangoes and wrapped in banana leaves, hence the name. Banh xoai are soft, chewy, and fragrant, best enjoyed with a cup of tea. You can see some women selling Banh xoai with a small basket along Hoi An Ancient Town. It is very cheap, just $0.5 for one piece.
Banh Tieu (Vietnamese Doughnut)
Banh Tieu is a popular street snack in Vietnam, especially in the south. It is a deep-fried doughnut made with rice flour, yeast, sugar, and sesame seeds. Banh Tieu is crispy on the outside and hollow on the inside, often filled with sweet or savoury ingredients such as coconut, mung bean, pork floss, or pate. Banh tieu is best eaten hot and fresh from the street vendors around the city, it is very cheap, just $0.5 for one piece.
Bo Bia Ngot (Sweet Spring Rolls)
Bo Bia Ngot or sweet spring rolls are another common street dessert in Vietnam, inspired by the Chinese popiah. They are made with thin rice paper wrappers filled with shredded coconut, sesame seeds, sugar candy, and dried fruits such as papaya and pineapple. Bo bia ngot is light and refreshing, perfect for a hot day. You can easily see some men or women driving motorbikes selling Bo Bia Ngot with cheerful shouts throughout the city.
Conclusion
Overall, desserts in Vietnam stand out for their unique blend of flavors, textures, and ingredients, reflecting the country’s rich cultural heritage. From the sweet soup to the creamy cakes, each dessert offers a glimpse into Vietnam’s culinary diversity. These treats, balancing sweet, savory, and sometimes bitter notes, invite us to explore the intricate world of Vietnamese cuisine, where every bite tells a story of tradition and innovation.
