Some Of The Best Desserts To Try In Chiang Mai

When I was planning for my Chiang Mai trip and pondering about all the food I will get to try, I did not put much thought into sweets and was pleasantly surprised to find a decent variety of desserts available. I found that in past travels, South Asian countries aren’t big on super sweet stuff, which is what I prefer. Rather, their desserts are simpler and less sweet, like fruit or sticky rice. Luckily, that’s not the case in Chiang Mai. Read on to see my list of the best desserts in Chiang Mai!

Coconut ice cream served in coconut shell | ฿140 Baht

best desserts in Chiang Mai - coconut ice cream

Ice cream in coconut shell, a yummy treat after spending a long day in the sweltering Chiang Mai heat

Coconut ice cream in coconut shell is common in Chiang Mai, but not so with toppings. Kintim is one of the few shops that serves ice cream in cute arrangements and offers many side toppings. I chose palm’s seed, blue sweet sticky rice, Koko Krunch and coconut jelly to compliment my coconut ice cream.

Update: Kintim is no longer running, but you can easily find coconut ice cream in Chiang Mai for a fraction of the price.

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Haagen-Dazs ice cream | ฿352 Baht

best desserts in Chiang Mai - haagen dazs thailand

Haagen-Dazs paradise creation with salted caramel, cookies and cream, vanilla caramel brownie, strawberry cheesecake, matcha, and royal milk tea

Since I don’t live near any Haagen-Dazs shops in Toronto, I have a ritual of eating ice cream from this brand at least once whenever I am in a country that has Haagen-Dazs shops. I call it my annual vacation treat; that’s my excuse.

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Thai stir-fried ice cream | ฿140 Baht

best desserts in Chiang Mai - ice manias

Thai-stir fried ice cream from Ice Manias. My favorite flavor is Thai milk tea ice cream with caramel sauce and chocolate chips

Thai-stir fried ice cream is often said to be the freshest ice cream you’ll eat, since it is made directly in front of you once you put in your order. This cold dessert is made with milk poured on an ice grill and mixed with different toppings of your choice. Once the milk hardens into ice cream, each slab is then rolled into wafer-like shapes and served in a cup.

Ice cream popsicle | ฿80 Baht

Mint chocolate ice cream popsicle from Annette

If you’re not in the mood for ice cream in a cup, you can easily find ice cream popsicle (s?) in super cute shapes and delicious flavor combinations. Chiang Mai weather is hot and consuming ice cream popsicle is a great excuse to stay cool.

Khao Neeo Mamuang (Mango sticky rice) | ฿80 Baht

best desserts in Chiang Mai - mango sticky rice

Mango sticky rice, a relatively healthy dessert

Mango sticky rice is a classic Thai dessert that is satisfying and is a typical street food in Chiang Mai. This flavourful treat is made with glutinous rice, fresh mango and coconut milk cooked in banana leaves.

Bingsu (shaved ice with toppings) | ฿129 Baht

I was happy to come across a shop that served Korean bingsu dessert since it is rare to find other ethnic desserts in Chiang Mai. Also, I wasn’t particularly pleased the first time I tried bingsu in Singapore, namely because I didn’t do a good job picking toppings. This brownie bingsu totally redeemed itself; I am now a bingsu fan.

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Thai mini pineapple

best desserts in Chiang Mai - mini pineapple

Mini pineapple in Chiang Mai, a must try if you like pineapple

This cute mini pineapple is a must try if you like pineapple. Unlike its larger counterpart, this mini fruit is crunchier and a tad less sweet. I have no idea what the price of this fruit is since our tour guide graciously bought some for us, but seeing how inexpensive fruit is in Thailand, I imagine it’s a very cheap eat.

You will notice from my Chiang Mai street food post that dessert is pricey compared to regular meals, sometimes costing two to three times more than a regular meal. My tour guide during my Chiang Rai trip speculates it’s due to sugar and dairy being more expensive than other ingredients. Either way that shouldn’t stop you from trying these delicious desserts.

Some Of The Best Desserts To Try In Chiang Mai