Have you ever had Indonesian desserts? I was able to taste many different varieties of the local delicious desserts after spending two weeks touring the country, and it was love at first bite!
Located between the Indian and Pacific oceans in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is a beautiful archipelagic country officially known as the Republic of Indonesia.
This stunning destination is made up of thousands of islands and 300 local languages. Because of the natural beauty, water sports are very popular. Many people go just to dive in Indonesia.
I found the people to be warm and friendly, very welcoming to visitors, and proud of their history.
Make sure to visit Yogyakarta in Central Java if you go. Just across from Yogyakarta, you can see Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Indonesia.
Indonesia is not only known for its beauty, but also for the goods produced there, such as cocoa, coffee, coconut, palm oil, palm sugar syrup, bananas, tamarind, nutmeg, and other spices.
Going to the local markets to explore is my favorite way to learn about a region's cuisine.
I remember being told the main ingredients in Indonesian food would be seafood and rice, which was fine by me as I love them both, but I had no idea they had such amazing Indonesian desserts - and so many different kinds of sweets!
From the lovely Kampung Daun restaurant in Bandung, the capital of the West Java Province, to the treats served on our farewell cruise off Gili Trawangan, I loved it all!
Even the little Indonesian sweets in our boxed lunches were delightful! Indonesia loves its desserts!
When I was in Southeast Asia visiting 6 Asian countries on the Holland America Maasdam, I found a lot of traditional desserts with the same sweet flavor as those I had in Indonesia.
Why I Love Indonesian Sweet Dishes
Indonesian cuisine takes many cues from other nearby cultures depending on what part of Indonesia you're visiting. We were all over the country!
If you visit eastern Indonesia you'll be eating a mix of Indonesian cuisine with Polynesian traits. However, most Indonesian dishes are typically associated with Chinese food.
Try this easy recipe for Indonesian Gado Gado to get a sense of the flavors and preparation of everyday main meals in Indonesian cooking. Gado Gado is a very popular dish in Indonesia.
For some really easy recipes, check out some of the most popular snacks on this list of delicious Indonesian snacks.
You'll find plenty of Indonesian dessert sweets that feature coconut in different ways. The meat of the young coconut is not the same as the fruit we buy in our local grocery store as it has a very different texture.
The coconuts in Indonesia are softer and easier to scoop out of the shell.
It also gives the Indonesian desserts a unique spongy texture, but one I grew to love. You can often buy coconuts and other sweets from street vendors.
Glutinous rice four is also used in a lot of the country's food, with other popular desserts focusing on the regional tropical fruits in Indonesia, like jackfruit or breadfruit.
Banana leaves are popular, too, and often used to wrap desserts that will be steamed right in the leaves.
And if you're wondering why some of the Indonesian desserts are bright green, it's because they use the extract from the pandan leaf which also lends a slight vanilla flavor. The pandan leaf is one of the basic ingredients in Indonesian cooking.
My trip to Indonesia took about 27 hours each way from the United States (and worth every hour to get there!), but with these recipes, you can take a culinary trip to Indonesia without leaving your home!
Perhaps after a taste of these Indonesian sweets from this beautiful country, you will want to start planning your vacation to see wonderful Indonesia.
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So you can try the flavors of Indonesia, too, I've gathered recipes for some of the classic popular Indonesian desserts so you can satisfy that sweet tooth with something special! Please let me know if you make any of these!
And if you do go to lovely Indonesia, don't miss having a cup of kopi luwak, known as one of the most expensive coffees in the world, alongside your dessert!
25 Delicious Indonesian Desserts
This list of Indonesian dessert recipes will have you easily creating the sweet flavors of Indonesia!
Indonesian Fruit Cocktail Recipe (Es Teler)
This is not your momma's fruit cocktail! A delicious combination of mango, coconut, avocado, and coconut milk topped with shaved ice. SO good!
Klepon - Sweet Rice Balls Stuffed with Palm Sugar
This is a traditional Indonesian dessert, but it's also eaten in the morning. It has a surprise inside, so kids will especially enjoy this one.
Bingka Telur Egg and Coconut Milk Cake
Another super easy recipe featuring coconut, this dessert is similar to what we know as a pudding or custard.
Steamed Rice Balls with Coconut Milk
This dessert actually turns out like sweet rice cake once they're prepared.
Spekkoek Layer Cake Recipe
This 10-layer cake (yes, you read that right!) is a little more challenging than the other recipes here, but it's certainly impressive!
Kue Lumpur (Mud Cakes)
The flavors of this Kue Lumpur is similar to our US rice pudding, but with a smoother texture. You'll love this one!
Surabaya Layer Cake
You probably have just about everything in your fridge or pantry to make this one. I doubt you'll have the chocolate paste that gives this that rich chocolate flavor, but you can order it and have it in a couple of days.
Traditional Indonesian Layer Cake Recipe
Another traditional layer cake but with different flavors.
Kue Pepe
This is also called Indonesian Thousand Layer Sticky Cake, but don't worry, it doesn't have that many layers!
This is a chewy dessert, more like candy but not quite as sweet.
Indonesian Rice Pudding
Rice pudding seems to be one of those desserts that are made everywhere! Enjoy this version from Indonesia.
Cantik Manis Recipe
Cantik Manis is also called Indonesian Sweet Pretty Cake. It really is pretty with colorful tapioca pearls, and it's easy to make.
Homemade Mochi Ice Cream
Most people would think mochi to be a Japanese dessert, but as I mentioned, the recipes do crossover a lot in Asia. Isn't this one beautiful?
Wingko Babat Cake
This Babat cake has just 5 ingredients and is super easy to prepare.
Ongol-Ongol Hunkwe
Also called Mung Bean Cake with Coconut, this dessert has a softer texture, kind of like what we know as Jello, but with a richer flavor. It's great with a cup of tea.
Ongol-Ongol Singkong
Indonesian Steamed Cassava Cake is made with Cassava or yuca. This dessert is vegan and Gluten-Free.
Martabak Manis
These Indonesian sweet pancakes are so delicious and you'll often find it when in the markets. This dessert is a traditional street food in Indonesia.
Indonesian Avocado Milkshake
You might not think an avocado milkshake sounds like a dessert, but just wait until you taste it to make that judgment!
Bola-bola Ubi Jalar
This is another traditional Indonesian street food made with sweet potatoes. It served on a stick for easy eating and walking.
Serabi Solo Cake
This dessert is served with grated cheese on top, but it's not savory at all. It's definitely one you need to try!
Putu Ayu
This steamed Pandan Cake tastes sweet and salty with the coconut really bringing out the flavors of traditional Indonesian desserts.
Nastar cookies
Nastar cookies are also known as pineapple tarts, but not just because of the shape. These tarts are shortbread cookies with a filling made from fresh pineapple. I can't wait to try this one!
Peach and Bluberry Agar-Agar
You will only need 5 ingredients to make this and it's vegan as well as gluten-free!
Rainbow Ice-Cake (Es Gabus)
This traditional recipe is similar to cake, but it's cold like ice cream. It's such a pretty dessert!
Colenak
This dessert is made from grilled fermented cassava and sweetened with Palm Sugar Sauce.
Gethuk
This is another dessert made with cassava. It's a very popular traditional pastry served with coffee or tea.
Kuih Koci Black Glutinous Rice
This dessert is traditional to Malaysia and Indonesia. Made with black glutinous rice flour and palm sugar, it looks delicious!
Want to learn more about Indonesia? Check out my experience in Bandung where we learned about the traditional games played in this beautiful country.
And as most people fly into Soekarno-Hatta Airport, check out my thoughts on this Jakarta Airport Hotel. (I loved it!)
More About Indonesia
This post was first seen on Food, Fun & Faraway Places on December 3, 2019, and was updated with additional information on June 22, 2021.
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