Nyonya kueh is a true favourite among Singaporeans and Malaysians. From the rainbow-hued Lapis Sagu to the gula melaka-filled Ondeh Ondeh, these are the desserts you ate as a kid before the onset of cafes and ondeh-ondeh soft-serves.

Here’s a list of kueh you should know about! To those aspiring to get more connected with your Peranakan roots or even those who just simply love kueh, you will enjoy this list.

ANG KU KUEH

These squishy kueh are one of the most popular kueh in Singapore, originating from Fujian in China. It’s shaped like a tortoiseshell and its exterior is made from glutinous rice so it has a mochi-like sticky texture. The kueh is filled with peanuts, red bean paste and sometimes desiccated coconut. It’s said that eating an Ang Ku Kueh will bring prosperity!

Photo Credit: Instagram

BIKA AMBON

Hailing from Indonesia, this kueh is made from tapioca, eggs, sugar, yeast and coconut milk. Resembling a small disc-like cake, it can come in all sorts of flavours such as durian, chocolate and even savoury cheese! It has a squishy and chewy texture that’s super satisfying to munch on.

Photo Credit: Instagram

HUAT KUEH

Huat Kueh are fluffy steamed cakes that can come in a whole spectrum of colours. They’re often infused with natural flavours such as pandan, rose and gula melaka. They are traditionally eaten for Chinese New Year and are popular among children as it’s easy to eat. Their texture can be likened to a cloud-like Japanese milk loaf.

Photo Credit: Instagram

KUEH DADAR

These pandan pancake rolls are also a hot favourite in kueh-lovers’ books. They’re flavoured with pandan leaves and filled with a sweet filling made from gula melaka and desiccated coconuts. It’s a super sweet treat that can be enjoyed by people of all ages!

KUEH KO SUI

Photo Credit: Instagram

This kueh is made from both tapioca and rice flour, combined with sweet gula melaka. It’s also sometimes infused with natural pandan flavour. The chewy kueh is tossed in sweetened desiccated coconut for a nice texture and contrast in colour. It also kind of looks like a brown Turkish delight!

KUEH LAPIS

A must-have at every family gathering on Chinese New Year, this indulgent treat is everyone’s favourite guilty pleasure snack. It’s a layered cake enriched with an ungodly amount of egg yolks and some pandan flavour. It comes in all sorts of colours and flavours nowadays such as chocolate, rainbow and raisin. Memories over calories, as they say!

KUEH SALAT

Made with chewy, sticky glutinous rice, coconut milk and a pandan egg custard, this kueh is also super popular. It requires a meticulous and arduous process to make but once it reaches the table, it’s usually gone within seconds. Occasionally, the white glutinous rice is tinted with blue pea flower for a pretty marbled effect.

Photo Credit: Instagram

LAPIS SAGU/RAINBOW KUEH

The prettiest face of Peranakan kueh, lapis sagu is something everyone had as a child. Growing up, these multi-coloured kuehs would line up at traditional bakeries and kueh stalls in a pleasant spectrum of pastel colours. Made with coconut milk, tapioca and rice flour, the kueh are simple yet so delicious! Peel the layers individually or just pop them into your mouth to enjoy it.

ONDEH ONDEH

Known for its vibrant green and white exterior, this kueh has been transformed into a local flavour that’s creeped its way into many desserts and sweet treats in cafes all over Singapore! It’s made with a glutinous rice and pandan exterior and filled with gula melaka syrup. The balls of kueh are then tossed in desiccated coconut. Ondeh ondeh is truly one of the most iconic kueh in Singapore.

Photo Credit: Instagram

KUEH TALAM UBI

This steamed kueh consists of tapioca, desiccated coconut and gula melaka. Looking like a sweet slice of fudge, this kueh is also one of the sweeter ones so it’s super popular with kids and those who have a sweet tooth. It has a nice “QQ” texture when you bite into it!

Photo Credit: Instagram

PURPLE YAM TALAM UBI

Despite its bright purple hue, this is actually a milder version of the gula melaka Talam Ubi kueh. Infused with sweet yam, it offers an earthy and mildly sweet edge to the coconut-tapioca kueh.

Photo Credit: Instagram

REMPAH UDANG

This kueh is made with glutinous rice and shrimp paste, wrapped in pandan leaves and the occasional banana leaf. The sticky glutinous rice is sometimes dyed with blue pea flower extract to give it a nice indigo shade. It’s one of our favourite savoury kueh, you simply have to try it!

Buttery, fragrant and dense, these are all the components that make up the perfect slice of kueh lapis. This popular, multi-layered Indonesian cake is a traditional dessert that Singaporeans love to indulge in, especially during tea-time.

lIf you’re hankering after a nostalgic slice of this goodness, we have here a list of 8 places that sell some of the best kueh lapis in Singapore.

ARTEASTIQ BISTRO 

The Rainbow Kueh Lapis (S$12) here at Arteastiq Bistro is a whimsical take on the classic kueh lapis and is served with red beans and a scoop of ambrosial durian gelato. Dense, fragrant and addictively buttery, the kueh lapis pairs really well with the light and creamy durian gelato.

Jewel Changi Airport
78 Airport Boulevard, #05-201
Singapore 819666
Daily: 9am — 3am
Nearest Station: Changi Airport

Photo Credit: Bengawan Solo 

BENGAWAN SOLO 

It would be a sin to do up an article on the best kueh lapis in Singapore and not include the OG of kueh lapis; Bengawan Solo. This well-loved brand has been selling these slabs of buttery goodness for years and they have never failed to provide us with the best quality kueh lapis.

Blk 500, Toa Payoh Lorong 6, #02-31
Toa Payoh Hub
Singapore 310500
Tel: +65 6354 1079
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Toa Payoh

Photo Credit: Deli-Indo 

DELI-INDO 

If you’re looking for a place that has a wide variety of kueh lapis, Deli-Indo is a great place to check out. Expect an array of interesting, scrumptious flavours such as Mocha, Original Spice and Prune that will surely whet your appetite.

You can order from them here. 

DON PIE 

Unlike many other commercial kueh lapis, Don Pie painstakingly steams and bakes each sponge strip layer by layer, which results in a moist yet less oily cake.Their kueh lapis is subtly sweet and fragrant and despite how dense and moist the cake is, it somehow manages to be incredibly light at the same time.

One Raffles Place
1 Raffles Place, #B1-06
Singapore 048616
Tel: +65 6536 0925
Mon to Fri: 8am – 8pm
Sat: 10am – 3pm
(Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays)
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

Photo Credit: Indochilli

INDOCHILLI

Indochilli is another place that sells an extensive array of kueh lapis. With flavours such as Durian, Surabaya and Plum you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice here at Indochilli.

54 Zion Road
Singapore 247779
Tel: +65 6445 1766
Mon – Thu: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Fri – Sun: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru & Somerset

You can also order from them here.

Photo Credit: Layers The Cake 

LAYERS THE CAKE 

Layers The Cake does up the traditional kueh lapis with a bold, unique twist. They sell five delicious flavours: Mom’s Recipe, Plummy Prune, Chocoholic, Death by Choc, Almond Gone Nuts and Awakening. Definitely a place to check out if you want to try something different!

You can order from them here.

Photo Credit: Ollella Singapore

OLLELLA 

Located at Takashimaya’s Food Hall, Ollella serves an array of decadent desserts, with one of them being their array of moist, buttery kueh lapis with flavours such as Prune Rum, Salted Egg and Nutella.

3 Petain Road, #01-01
Residences@Somme
Singapore 208108
Tel: +65 6291 4076
Nearest Station: Bendeemer & Farrer Park

You can order from there here. 

Photo Credit: Fungkeke

SWEE HENG 1989

Swee Heng’s smooth, buttery cakes are sure to make your day! We are absolutely addicted to these moist slabs of goodness that literally melt in your mouth. They also have eye-catching rainbow coloured kueh lapis we are in love with!

You can order from them here.