27 Local Filipino Desserts You’ll Love (Simple & Delicious)

In the Philippines, people love to eat dessert. They make some scrumptious dishes that are heavy with a lot of starch. Their sweet treats are filling and make perfect comfort food.

Many Filipino desserts are made with just a few ingredients and are not hard to replicate. You can make them at home and amaze your family, making their mouths happy and their tummies full. Here are 27 local Filipino desserts you’ll love that are simple and delicious.

Jump to:

• 1. Halo-Halo
• 2. Carioca
• 3. Turon
• 4. Leche Flan
• 5. Biko
• 6. Silvanas
• 7. Banana Cue
• 8. Ginataang Halo-Halo
• 9. Lengua de Gato
• 10. Palitaw
• 11. Coconut Macaroons
• 12. Buko Salad
• 13. Mais con Yelo
• 14. Egg Pie
• 15. Bibingka
• 16. Cassava Cake
• 17. Ube Jam
• 18. Taho
• 19. Minatamis na Saging
• 20. Suman
• 21. Buko Pandan
• 22. Polvoron
• 23. Puto
• 24. Mamon
• 25. Maja Blanca
• 26. Kamote Cue
• 27. Mango Float
• Conclusion
• 📖 Recipe

1. Halo-Halo

This recipe can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. So long as you have the shaved ice, milk, and sugar, the rest can be easily improvised. Filipinos love to add garbanzos, sweet beans, and jackfruit, but you can personalize it to your liking.

2. Carioca

Coconut lovers will fall for these bite-sized sweet treats. Made with rice and glazed with coconut caramel, this is an easy dessert you’ll return to again. They make great finger foods for parties and gatherings.

3. Turon

These sweet morsels are always a hit at dinner parties. Fruits like banana and jackfruit get wrapped in a spring roll with brown sugar and deep-fried. The glaze makes them a little sticky to the touch, but you’ll be licking your fingers.

4. Leche Flan

Many cultures have a signature pudding dish. This Filipino version is traditionally made during the holidays. The sweet custard topped with caramel syrup is a texture and flavor you’ll flip over.

5. Biko

Biko is a sticky rice dessert made by mixing brown rice with coconut syrup and baking it. It is a heavy, chewy desert that is filling and delicious. It makes a great dessert, but many people love to serve it for breakfast.

6. Silvanas

Silvanas are cookies that are not only decadent and delicious, but they are also fun to make. These crunchy, sweet treats are versatile in that you can make them in many flavors. Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are among some favorites of these light, fluffy desserts.

7. Banana Cue

The Philippines are in a tropical part of the world, so it is not unusual to see fruits like bananas used in many recipes. This dish contains a simple list of ingredients, including bananas, sugar, and margarine. Caramelize them on a flame and top them with nuts or sesame seeds.

8. Ginataang Halo-Halo

Filipino soup is delicious, warm comfort food. They love soup so much that they make it for dessert. This warm, sweet dish uses sweet potatoes, bananas, and rice to warm you up on a cold day.

9. Lengua de Gato

This cookie recipe may be the easiest thing you’ve ever baked. They are made by mixing flour, sugar, and butter and baking it into log-shaped cookies. They’re so perfect your guests won’t believe it when you tell them how simple they are.

10. Palitaw

This classic dessert comes from the word “Litaw”. It means “to float”, and is served at New Year’s celebrations to help good luck float to the surface. It is a simple dish using sticky rice and coated with sugar, coconut, and sesame seeds.

11. Coconut Macaroons

We’re no strangers to macaroons in the US. They have been making them from coconut in the Philippines for a long time. They can be made with many flavors and will always be a hit at a party.

12. Buko Salad

An abundance of coconut in the Philippines leads to its inclusion in a lot of Filipino desserts. Buko salad makes good use of it, using the meat of a coconut to turn a typical fruit cocktail and turning it into something heartier and more filling. With some tweaking, you can also turn this recipe into a delicious filling for a pie.

13. Mais con Yelo

This is technically a dish eaten with a spoon, but many people like to drink it. It is made by mixing corn with milk and sugar and serving it over ice. It is a satisfying way for Filipinos to beat the tropical heat.

14. Egg Pie

People are coming for dinner, and you forgot to make dessert. Mix some eggs, sugar, flour, and milk. Pour the mixture into a pie crust and bake it to make this delicious Filipino dessert.

15. Bibingka

If you like to add a savory flavor to your desserts, you’ll like this dish, typically made for the holidays. Rice, eggs, sugar, and cheese are mixed and baked in a clay pot. Top it with butter, coconut, and brown sugar to make it a delicious, gooey dish you’ll finish off and have again for breakfast.

16. Cassava Cake

Cassava cake is yuca baked in a dish of sweetened condensed milk, butter, and coconut milk and topped with cheese. It is sweet, savory, chewy, and delicious. Try to stop at one slice.

17. Ube Jam

Ube is a purple yam combined with milk to make this sweet, creamy jam. It is a versatile dish that can be used as a spread for bread and rolls, or as a syrup to pour over pastries and other desserts. Homemade ice cream is a favorite made with ube jam.

18. Taho

Taho is a popular sweet drink in the Philippines sold all over by street vendors. It is easy to mix and delicious, which makes it very popular. Tofu, sugar, and arnibal syrup are combined to make this decadent sweet treat.

19. Minatamis na Saging

Another dish that takes advantage of the abundance of tropical fruit in the region is minatamis na saging. Plantains are boiled and combined with sugar, salt, and vanilla to make this sweet banana snack best served warm. Have it with some pancakes or a muffin for a delicious breakfast.

20. Suman

Rice is a staple in the Philippines, and this dessert is one of many that takes advantage of its abundance. Sticky rice is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. It is an easy dessert using two ingredients that most homes have a lot of. Top with some ube jam for a delicious treat.

21. Buko Pandan

Filipinos love this dessert because it has a wonderfully sweet flavor, a nice consistency, and fills the home with the warm aroma of vanilla as it cooks. To make it, make gelatin cubes with Pandan leaves. Add shredded coconut together with them and condensed milk and cream.

22. Polvoron

If you want a dessert that doesn’t require baking, try this take on shortbread cookies. Make your cookies out of flour, powdered milk, sugar, and butter, and fry them quickly in a pan. The resulting cookie will be soft, warm, and will fall apart in your mouth.

23. Puto

Rice flour, sugar, and baking soda are turned into rice cakes in this recipe. Then they are steamed in clay pots, though your oven will work just as well. Drizzle them with butter, brown sugar, and coconut.

24. Mamon

Every country has a version of sponge cake, and mamon is the version for the Philippines. Combining eggs, sugar, milk, and flour and baking it in small tins gives this dense cake that is ready for any topping you want to add, including ube jam and minatamis na saging.

25. Maja Blanca

This dessert is traditional in many Filipino homes. It is made with coconut pudding, sweet corn, and coconuts. It is served as a special treat, and you typically see it around Christmas. Maja Blanca is a delicious, smooth dessert people will ask for on every special occasion.

26. Kamote Cue

A common thing with many Filipino desserts is how few ingredients it takes to make them. This dish is made by deep-frying a sweet potato and then topping it with caramelized brown sugar. Because of its simplicity, it is a popular sweet treat among street vendors.

27. Mango Float

If you want to make a cake that doesn’t have to be baked, you can try making a mango float. Layers of graham crackers are laid with whipped cream and mangos between them. Sweetened condensed milk is added, and the dish is chilled. This cake makes a great dessert, snack, or breakfast.

Conclusion

If you try any of these desserts and enjoy them, keep some common ingredients on hand so you can try more later. Coconut, sugar, rice, sweetened condensed milk, and cream are in many of them. Many recipes are calling for the fruit of the area, so bananas, plantains, and mangos get used a lot.

Most of these recipes are simple, requiring only a handful of ingredients. You’ll also be able to experiment and make your versions of them. There is plenty to love with Filipino desserts. They are simple and delicious.