5 Chinese Desserts You Haven't Heard Of And Need To Try

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Chinese cuisine is as widespread as pizza, and in the U.S., Chinese food has transformed into its own distinct menu of Chinese-American classics that aren't commonly eaten in China. Egg rolls, beef with broccoli, and General Tso's chicken may be regulars on the menu of your local Chinese food restaurant, but they're hardly traditional in China. Furthermore, the only desserts you might be familiar with at a Chinese food restaurant are the fortune cookies that come with the check. We're here to tell you that traditional Chinese food encompasses a wide range of delicious savory dishes — and many desserts that you're missing out on.

We consulted Derek Chan, the R&D manager of Mamahuhu – a Chinese-American restaurant with three locations in San Francisco — for his favorite Chinese desserts. Some of them may be familiar and others might have you raising an eyebrow. But they're all delicious and worth a try. Chan's list of five desserts includes: tong yuen, egg tarts, ma lai go, steamed milk custard, and osmanthus and water chestnut jello. Read on to discover how each dessert is made, descriptions of their tastes and textures, and tidbits from Chan about where to find them or how easy they are to make at home.

The first Chinese dessert on the list, tong yuen, isn't a staple at American Chinese food restaurants, but, says Derek Chan, "These sweet dumplings can be purchased at many Chinese grocery stores." He adds, "Serve them in lightly sweetened warm syrup. Just use water, rock sugar, and a little slice of ginger." If you don't have a Chinese grocery store nearby, you can also order glutinous rice balls online. These Zaoian rice balls come in assorted roasted and steamed varieties, coated in black sesame and stuffed with different traditional ingredients.

Tong yuen are essentially glutinous rice balls that may or may not contain a stuffing served in a sweet syrupy broth. The glutinous rice has a satisfyingly chewy texture similar to some types of Japanese mochi, and these glutinous rice dumplings have diversified to encompass many different shapes, colors, and flavors. The ginger and rock sugar broth Chan describes is a popular dessert broth for the dumplings, but other infusions include sesame and vanilla-like pandan leaves. Stuffing ingredients include crushed peanuts, black sesame, red bean paste, and even lotus seed paste.

Tong yuen were originally, and still are, popular sweets to enjoy during the Lantern Festival, a centuries-old festival that rings in the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The name and round shape of these sweet dumplings symbolize reunion, and they're now consumed at many family gatherings, including weddings and birthday celebrations.

One of the simpler pleasures, egg tarts are still an elusive treat. Derek Chan was quick to proclaim his love for them: "A good egg tart. They're hard to find!" Egg tarts have a delicate taste and texture, with a flaky crust and a rich, cloud-like, and subtly sweet egg custard center. They're baked in small bite-sized rounds. They might sound familiar to you, because egg tarts are a popular European dish with roots in both Portugal and England. 

The Chinese egg tart is a product of European imperialism, as the recipes were brought to colonial China by the Portuguese and the British. There are thus two different types of Chinese egg tarts: the Macau egg tart is a take on the Portuguese egg tart, while the Cantonese or Hong Kong-style egg tart is a take on the English egg tart. The Hong Kong egg tart has been a fixture in bake shops around the city since the mid 20th century. 

They swap the English shortbread crust for a puff pastry like these Athens mini phyllo shells, while the egg stuffing is pudding consisting of sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Macau-style egg tarts are more widespread, even appearing on the menu of KFC in China. The main difference between the two tarts is that the Macau style has a brûléed topping. If egg custards are hard to find at your local bakery, you can always try making them yourself using our recipes for Portuguese egg tarts and Hong Kong-style egg tarts.

Ma lai go is a Chinese dessert that Derek Chan thinks you should try, but, like the egg tarts, it comes from elsewhere. In fact, this Malaysian cake comes from Malaysia by way of England, as the cake itself is a twist on English sponge or tea cake. Says Chan: "Ma lai go. Literally 'Malaysian cake' is a steamed cake that makes appearances on dim sum menus. The best ones use high quality brown sugars. This is an easy one to make at home, too." Steaming is the clever Chinese technique for an extra moist sponge cake that you can do on the stove without ever having to turn on the oven. 

While the original ma lai go uses a fermented starter like sourdough to leaven and impart a bubbly, ultra-light crumb, homemade versions swap fermentation for baking soda or baking powder. The rest of the ingredients are eggs, flour, vanilla, vegetable oil, evaporated milk, and, as Chan advises, high quality brown sugar. Brown sugar is a type of sugar that has both a light and a dark variety. Dark brown sugar like this one from Imperial on Amazon really packs a powerful richness that also turns the cake crumb a beautiful gingerbread hue. However, if the dark brown sugar is too intense, you can use a blend of light and dark brown sugars to balance the molasses flavor with a lighter caramelized taste.

Another Cantonese specialty served all over Hong Kong, steamed milk custard is essentially a milk pudding that combines milk and cream for a well balanced custard. Milk, cream, and white sugar are heated together to form the milky base, to which egg whites are added. The mixture is then doled into ramekins or small bowls to steam until a delicate milky skin forms on the top and the pudding itself becomes creamy and thick. You can enjoy the custard warm or cold. Derek Chan told us that steamed milk custard "sounds simple, but is absolutely incredible. My favorite one's [served] at Australia Dairy Company in Hong Kong." 

Many of the recipes for homemade steamed milk custard are modeled off Chan's favorite Hong Kong rendition. In fact, you can follow this TikTok recipe that talks about the popularity of the Australia Dairy Company that he refers to, which the video creator assures is a wholly Chinese company. Steamed milk custard has a creamy and indulgent texture, with a rich and sweet flavor profile that is often likened to creme brûlée. You can also infuse the milk with other flavors, like ginger or this McCormick vanilla extract on Amazon. Another way to embellish the pudding is with different toppings, such as fruit, granola, or toasted nuts.

Derek Chan saved the most unique dessert for last. "Osmanthus and water chestnut jello. Sounds weird, right?" he says, adding, "Osmanthus has a lovely floral aroma and the water chestnuts create a nice contrast in texture." Osmanthus and water chestnut jello is a light and popular Chinese dessert that's easy to make and fun to eat. Also known as sweet olive or tea olive, osmanthus is a member of the olive family and a popular flavoring agent in drinks, savory meat dishes, and desserts in China. 

The jello can be made using a clear powdered jello mix or even water chestnut powder (both available on Amazon) for a vegan version. Some recipes use jelly powders like this Pure brand Konjac gum powder as another vegan binding and thickening agent. The osmanthus flowers are blended into heated water and sugar before adding the gelatinous powder and water mixture. The floral sweetness of the jello is delicate and bright. 

The mixture is then poured into a large mold or floral-shaped molds like these silicone ones by homEdge on Amazon, to which diced water chestnuts and the underrated superfood goji berries are added. The melt-in-your-mouth jelly along with the pop of crunch from the water chestnuts and the fruity chew of the goji berries has got to be one of the more delightful textural experiences. Plus, the healthful ingredients make this dessert a guilt-free indulgence.