(Credit: Yatkayan Dessert / Facebook)
With our nation’s birthday coming up on August 9 followed by the holidays, it’s time to celebrate the occasion with some yummy traditional desserts with your family and friends. Whether it’s the iconic chendol or some decadent almond paste, stick to your roots and satisfy that sweet tooth at these best traditional dessert shops in Singapore!
| Region | Shop Name | Address | Opening Hours |
| North | Mei Heong Yuen | 1 North Point Drive, #02-171 S(768019) | Daily, 12pm – 9.30pm |
| Bing Tang Tang Shui | 15 Thomson Hills Drive, Singapore 574759 | Wed – Thurs: 4.30pm – 1.30am, Fri – Sat: 12pm – 1.30am, Sun: 12pm – 12am | |
| South | Green Sky Dessert | Redhill Food Centre, 85 Redhill Lane, #01-60, Singapore 150085 | Thurs – Sun: 1pm – 9pm |
| Jin Jin Dessert | ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-21, S(150006) | Tues: 12pm – 9pm, Closed on Wed, Thurs – Sun: 12pm – 10pm | |
| 115 Tang Shui | 335 Smith Street, #02-206, S(050335) | Wed – Sun: 7.30am – 4.30pm | |
| Central | Tian Wang D’Sweet | 50 Keong Saik Road, S(089154) | Mon – Fri: 5pm – 2am Sat – Sun: 3pm – 2am |
| Ah Chew Desserts | 1 Liang Seah Street, #01-10/11, S(189032) | Mon – Fri: 12.30pm – 12am, Sat: 1.30pm – 1am, Sun: 1.30pm – 12am | |
| Chow Zan Dessert | 801 North Bridge Road, S(198769) | Daily, 1.30pm – 11pm | |
| East | 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup | Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road, #01-75, S(199583) | Mon – Fri: 11am – 8.15pm, Sat – Sun: 10am – 8.15pm |
| Yat Ka Yan | Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road, #02-08, S(188979) | Mon, Wed – Thur: 1.30pm – 10pm Fri – Sun: 1.30pm – 11pm | |
| Jin Yu Man Tang | The Flow@East Coast, 66 East Coast Road, #01-03, S(428778) | Daily, 11.30am – 10.30pm | |
| West | Kim Lotus Dessert | Block 463 Jurong West Street 41, #01-568, 640463 | Mon – Sat: 8.30am – 7.30pm Sun: 8.30am – 5.30pm |
| Tang Tavern | 6 Clementi Road, #01-08 Jk Village, Singapore 129741 | Mon – Thurs: 5pm – 12am Fri – Sat: 5pm – 2am Sun: 12pm – 12am |
You’re in good hands when you visit Mei Heong Yuen as it is one of the best traditional dessert shops in Singapore. With over 50 years of experience, you’re guaranteed to have only the best-tasting traditional desserts here. Without a doubt, the most recommended dessert here is the orh nee. Topped with copious amounts of gingko nuts, Mei Heong Yuen’s yam paste is absolutely smooth and decadent. They also serve awesome pulut hitam, almond paste, tang yuan and Chendol Snow Ice. Mei Heong Yuen has one of the best-tasting Chendol Snow Ice in Singapore that boasts large amounts of red bean, green jellies and more. These modern desserts are refreshingly cold, making them perfect for our hot Singapore weather!
Address: Northpoint City, 1 North Point Drive, #02-171, S(768019)
Check out their other outlets here
Opening hours: Daily, 12pm – 9.30pm
As the new kid on the block, this hidden gem in Thompson just opened its doors in September 2023 and is already one of the best traditional dessert shops in Singapore! Featuring a unique retro office concept, this cafe is pet-friendly and offers a wide range of small bites and desserts. What sets them apart is their innovative floral-infused traditional desserts, like the most popular Osmanthus Tang Yuan Dessert. It is perfect for those looking to cool down in this hot weather as it has a crushed ice base, topped with sesame-filled rice balls that are generously doused in purple goji berry syrup, fermented rice milk sauce and osmanthus caramel. If you are looking for other sweet treats, they also have mango sago (infused with lavender), Orh Nee (infused with pearl chrysanthemum) and more!
Address: 15 Thomson Hills Drive, S(574759)
Opening hours:
Wed – Thurs: 4.30pm – 1.30am
Fri – Sat: 12pm – 1,30am
Sun: 12pm – 12am
Decked in bright lights and loud techno music, you’ll have no trouble locating Green Sky Dessert. Nestled in a corner of Redhill Market, this best traditional dessert shop in Singapore serves up awesome pulut hitam, green bean soup and more. Their tau suan is a definite must-try as this is what’s attracting those long queues. Green Sky Dessert has elevated this traditional dessert by extracting rich flavours from the mung beans. The result is an aromatic and flavourful tau suan that hits all the right spots. Coupled with those warm, toasty pieces of you tiao, you’ll be glad that you decided to queue for this best traditional Chinese dessert in Singapore!
Address: Redhill Food Centre, 85 Redhill Lane, #01-60, Singapore 150085
Opening hours: Thur – Sun: 1pm – 9pm
With unique names for desserts like Gangster Ice and Power Chendol, you’ll definitely be in for a treat when you visit Jin Jin Dessert! Special mention goes to their Power Chendol. We were shook seeing that luscious gula melaka syrup covering a shaved ice mountain. Their chendol surely lives up to its name of Power as lying beneath that mountain of ice is copious amounts of green noodles, red bean and attap seeds! They’re also known for having the best tau suan and cheng tng in Singapore. Priced affordably at about $1.50, these desserts aren’t too sweet or jelak (overwhelming). The tau suan is also served with a generous amount of you tiao and the cheng tng also has tons of longan, barley, lotus strips and sago!
Address: ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-21, S(150006)
Opening hours:
Tues: 12pm – 9pm
Closed on Wed
Thurs – Sun: 12 pm – 10 pm
As one of the best traditional Chinese dessert shops in Singapore, it’s no wonder 115 Tang Shui always has a long queue. If you’re craving a certain dessert, you’ll need to pray to the tang shui gods for luck. The desserts here are on a rotation, so you won’t be able to get all of them on the same day. Nevertheless, you can still go for their staples like Almond, Black Sesame, Walnut and Peanut pastes that are available everyday. We recommend trying 115 Tang Shui’s Green Bean Soup. It’s prepared with rue, the key to the soup’s unique flavour profile. Just think of a Green Bean Soup that’s sweet, bitter and somewhat citrusy. Desserts can’t get any better at this best traditional dessert shop in Singapore!
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-206, S(050335)
Opening hours: Wed – Sun: 7.30am – 4.30pm
We’re sure that feature wall of mahjong tiles has caught your eye, but what draws us to Tian Wang D’Sweet is their best traditional desserts in Singapore! Apart from Durian Mousse, they also offer some yummy orh nee with pumpkin and ginkgo, peach gum and more. We especially love their Orh Nee as its texture is one of the smoothest as compared to others. Instead of pumpkin cubes, their yam paste is topped with a pumpkin paste that’s just as smooth and fragrant! Psst, you can also hit up this late night dessert spot even after midnight as it is open till 3am daily! Their chendol is just as noteworthy. With a large mountain of shaved ice and an option with durian puree, this chendol is truly the best in Singapore!
Address: 50 Keong Saik Road, S(089154)
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 5pm – 2am
Sat – Sun: 3pm – 2am
With more than 50 options, you’ll be spoilt for choice at this best traditional dessert shop in Singapore! We suggest getting the Rock Sugar White Fungus Papaya With Almond Paste. Despite being a simple dessert, the earthy almond paste balances out the sweetness of the rock sugar. Moreover, the almond fragrance rounds up the entire dessert perfectly with its nutty and milky flavour. You should also try out Ah Chew Dessert’s Fresh Milk Steamed Egg as it is one of the most popular traditional desserts in Singapore. Think custard but in pudding form! You can choose from different toppings such as ginger juice, red bean or chocolate cookies. The Fresh Milk Steamed Egg reminds us of egg tarts, but with a milder flavour that’s not too eggy. Coupled with some chocolate cookies, it’ll taste just like a chocolate bread pudding!
Address: 1 Liang Seah Street, #01-10/11, S(189032)
Check out their other outlets here
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 12.30pm – 12am
Sat: 1.30pm – 1am
Sun: 1.30pm – 12am
With a name like that, it’s no surprise Chow Zan is one of the best traditional dessert shops in Singapore. Translated from Cantonese, Chow Zan literally means “super praiseworthy”. And we can’t help but highlight their White Chendol. Instead of the usual green coconut jelly, their version contains white-coloured ones that pepper your bowl with subtle sweet flavours. If you’re feeling more adventurous, Chow Zan also has variations that feature durian and red bean. Another noteworthy dessert is their Eight Treasures Cheng Teng. This is where you’ll see a dessert that’s “on steroids”. Containing the usual ingredients like gingko nuts, barley, longan and white fungus, Chow Zan’s version is where you’ll get an upsized version of the usual, making it one of the most popular desserts in Singapore. So while most may say dessert is “for a separate stomach”, trust us – you’ll need more than that for this!
Address: 801 North Bridge Road, S(198769)
Opening hours: Daily, 1.30pm – 11pm
Craving for tang yuan? You’ll definitely have the best glutinous rice balls at 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup! Their humble beginnings selling desserts from a pushcart has since evolved into a bustling stall at Golden Mile Food Centre. 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup’s glutinous rice balls and signature peanut soup are the reasons for their fame. And it’s no surprise! The tang yuan retain their chewiness as they sit in soup that melts in your mouth. Also, the skin-to-filling ratio is perfect as the tang yuan aren’t too thick and there isn’t too little filling. If you’re not up for peanut soup, go for Ginger Soup, Almond Milk or Red Date Longan options! Other than the usual peanut and black sesame filling, they also have matcha, yam and red bean glutinous rice balls, which are some of the most popular desserts in Singapore!
Address: Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road, #01-75, S(199583)
Check out their other outlets here
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 11am – 8.15pm
Sat – Sun: 10am – 8.15pm
Have a simple meal and finish it with some traditional Chinese desserts at Yat Ka Yan! They’re known for having the best chendol in Singapore – especially the Yammy Chendol which is a combination of orh nee and chendol. You’ll get that usual mountain of shaved ice with the regular toppings, but this time, there’s also a big scoop of yam paste. The result is a beautiful masterpiece that tastes absolutely divine as the yam paste balances out the gula melaka from the chendol. Apart from the best chendol in Singapore, their Black Glutinous Rice With Ice Cream is a rendition of pulut hitam. The black glutinous rice has a velvety smooth texture that goes well with the ice cream – it’s truly the best of both worlds here!
Address: Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road, #02-08, S(188979)
Opening hours:
Mon, Wed – Thur: 1.30pm – 10pm
Fri – Sun: 1.30pm – 11pm
For a taste of Hong Kong, head over to Jin Yu Man Tang, one of the best traditional dessert shops in Singapore. They’re known for their silky smooth milk puddings as they’re so mouthwateringly creamy. We particularly enjoyed their Signature Ginger Milk Pudding. With warm milk splashed into your bowl of ginger syrup, you get to determine the texture of your dessert. Go for it while it’s warm for something more watery. And leave it to cool a while longer for a thicker milk pudding. Either way, you’ll get that slightly earthy ginger taste that blends with the milk perfectly. Their Shun De Double Layered Milk Pudding is also another highlight. It’s where you’ll get an original milk pudding but with more oomph. The creaminess is beyond imagination, sliding across your tastebuds to engulf your mouth with milky delight.
Address: The Flow@East Coast, 66 East Coast Road, #01-03, S(428778)
Opening hours: Daily, 11.30am – 10.30pm
Tucked in a cosy neighbourhood in Jurong West, Kim Lotus Dessert is a popular spot in the area, with desserts starting from $2! There are over 30 dessert choices and they’re all super delicious! With its steady stream of customers, you can be certain that this is one of the best traditional dessert shop in Singapore! From hot traditional Chinese desserts like Cheng Tng and Gingko Barley, to refreshing cold desserts like ice kacang and Chendol you will be spoilt for choice.
Address: Block 463 Jurong West Street 41, #01-568, S(640463)
Opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 8.30am – 7.30pm
Sun: 8.30am – 5.30pm
Within Clementi’s JK Village lies Tang Tavern. With an extensive menu serving traditional Chinese desserts like steamed milk pudding and fusion desserts like taro mochi and durian chendol, it is definitely worth a visit! Especially when you are feeling the munchies in the middle of the night, Tang Tavernis a lifesaver as the place is open till midnight on most days! Their desserts are also less sweet, making it one of the best traditional dessert shops in Singapore!
Address: 6 Clementi Road, #01-08 Jk Village, S129741)
Opening hours:
Mon – Thurs: 5pm – 12am
Fri – Sat: 5pm – 2am
Sun: 12pm – 12am
It’s already tough to ascertain what Singapore’s national food is, so it’s not any different with desserts. But we’re confident the following are the best desserts in Singapore. And that makes them deserving of the “national dessert” title!
Traditional Chinese desserts are called tang shui in Mandarin, which literally means sugar water. You can expect these desserts to be sweet and delightful, offering a great refreshment in Singapore’s hot weather while packing rich flavours! Since the cuisine is so diverse, it’s no surprise that it’s hard to pinpoint which is the best traditional dessert in Singapore – much less the most popular one. But here are some traditional Chinese desserts that have made it onto the “most popular” list in Singapore!
Thanks to its shaved ice that provides a great respite from our hot, humid weather, the chendol is not just tasty but extremely refreshing! Other than shaved ice, the chendol also features ingredients like coconut milk and gula melaka. There’s also those green worm-like jellies. These are actually made with rice flour, and colouring extracted from pandan leaves.
Translated from Hokkien, “cheng tng” literally means “clear soup”. Touted as one of the best traditional Chinese desserts in Singapore that’s perfect for sore throats and heatiness, cheng tng is subtly sweet and can be served hot or cold. This dessert is usually preferred over creamy desserts as it’s more refreshing to have cheng tng at any time, especially on those sweltering days!
Bubur cha cha is a coconut milk dessert that many of us would’ve had in our childhood. That sweet and milky base is filled with colourful chunks of sweet potato, taro and tapioca jelly. There are also those little blobs of sago that add a contrasting texture to make bubur cha cha an extremely delicious dessert!
Tang yuan are glutinous rice balls that are usually filled with peanut or black sesame. These tang yuan have a chewy texture that’s absolutely addictive. They’re usually white in colour but can also come in a variety of colours like pink or green!
Pulut hitam is a healthy and satisfying dessert, loved by many in Southeast asia. This porridge-like dessert is actually made with black glutinous rice. It’s usually boiled and once that’s done, coconut milk and palm sugar are added to create a lovely dessert that’s not too sweet.
Orh nee can usually be found at the end of wedding dinners and they’re a warm dessert that’s light on the stomach. This dessert is actually a yam paste that has been cooked with shallot oil. You’ll also get gingko nuts or pumpkin paste with this dessert.
Tau suan is a dessert that most of you would have gotten for your elderly parents and/or grandparents. It’s a sweet dessert that has a somewhat gooey texture. Tau suan consists of steamed mung beans and sugar syrup that’s boiled with pandan leaves. Some versions also use gula melaka to help thicken the sugar and water mixture. But the best thing about this traditional Chinese dessert is how it’s usually paired with you tiao (dough fritters) in Singapore!
These different pastes are made with peanut, almond and sesame respectively. These pastes are also not overwhelming, so they’re perfect as a treat for any time of the day. Some dessert shops also have yin and yang versions. Two pastes are served together in the same bowl. But trust us, this combination is absolutely heavenly!
Red and green bean soups are the OG (original)! We remember digging into these traditional desserts back in preschool. These are one of the best traditional desserts in Singapore that’s not only easy to make but they’re also delicious. They may seem simple but these red and green bean soups pack a flavourful punch!
Whether you’re team chendol or team cheg tng, we hope you’ve found the best traditional dessert shop in Singapore to indulge in some traditional Chinese desserts in Singapore! Interested in some other desserts? Get these popular local snacks or dig into some amazing cakes with these best cake delivery places. If you’re a durian lover, hit up these best durian buffet spots in Singapore and remember to stock up on some of the best durian puffs!
This article was updated on 23 July 2024. Additional research done by Liew Shu Wen.
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