Thai Kabocha Squash Coconut Dessert

This Thai Kabocha Squash coconut dessert recipe is a sweet treat using just five ingredients. This warm dessert using coconut milk and palm sugar for flavoring is a light and creamy recipe, perfect for cold days and any time of the year.

For other Thai desserts that you will enjoy, check out the uber-popular Mango sticky rice. Another lesser-known Thai dessert is this Coconut Ice Cream Recipe eaten with sweetened sticky rice and hotdog buns. Be sure to come back and tell me how delicious these recipes are!

This sweet kabocha squash dessert recipe is a lesser-known Thai dessert that only a few seem to know about. It’s so unassuming as a sweet dessert, especially with the use of a pumpkin, that some may not even want to give it a chance. For those that are adventurous, your curiosity will be greatly rewarded. The naturally sweet and creamy texture of cooked Kabocha squash absorbs the sweet and silky taste of coconut milk making this dessert one of the most satisfying sweet treats out there.

Ingredient notes 

This Thai pumpkin dessert recipe is amazingly simple using just a handful of ingredients. The cooking also doesn’t take long. The most involved part of the recipe will be prepping and cutting the kabocha squash before cooking it on the stove stop. Worry not, I have step-by-step instructions with detailed photos on how to cut the kabocha squash for you. Check it out here: LINK

• Kabocha squash. (pictured below) You can find the squash almost all year-round at most Asian markets. They last a long time too—sometimes months! Especially if they are kept in the refrigerator or in a cool place. Read about what is Kabocha Squash and how to cut it.

• Coconut Milk. Use the unsweetened full fat coconut milk, and Thai brands preferably. Chao Koh or Aroy-D are my go-to brands. 
• Palm sugar. (Image below) You can find palm sugar at most Asian markets. It comes in many different forms. Some in small, medium, or large half-circle pucks. Some are soft and melted in a plastic tub, and some are sealed tight like a paste in plastic bags. You will find some form of palm sugar in your local Asian markets. To learn more about this ingredient read about what is palm sugar here.

Substitutes for Thai Kabocha squash coconut dessert

• Thai bananas or young bananas that aren’t as ripe yet
• Calabaza pumpkins
• Sweet potatoes
• Japanese sweet potatoes
• Ube potatoes
• Taros

How to make Thai Kabocha squash coconut dessert

1. Cut the Kabocha squash into 1 ½-2-inch cube, place in a saucepan. You can leave the skin on as it’s perfectly edible and that’s how it would be eaten in most traditional Thai dishes. See the notes below for more info. Here are my detailed instructions on what is Kabocha Squash and how to cut it.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the kabocha, milk, and water together until it boils, carefully test with a fork to see if the kabocha is tender enough for eating. 
3. Add the sugar and salt and gently stir as not to break the squash until the palm sugar dissolves.
4. Remove from the stove and let cool a few minutes before serving. Best to serve warm or at room temperature. Overnight is fine too but knows that the squash will get a bit mushy or creamy depending on how you look at it. Still very good though! Just only a personal preference really! Enjoy!

Kitchen notes

• You can leave the skin on or not. Typically, the skin will be left on for the squash because it gets tender when cooked. And the skin helps to hold the soft and creamy meat of the kabocha together during cooking. 
• Best to serve warm or at room temperature. Overnight is fine too but knows that the squash will get a bit mushy or creamy depending on how you look at it. Still very good though! It just depends on your personal preference. Enjoy!
• You can use brown or granulated sugar if you can’t find palm sugar, just know that your dessert will be sweeter if not using palm sugar.

Related recipes

• Red Thai curry with chicken and Kabocha squash
• What is Kabocha squash
• Dessert: Mango sticky rice
• Coconut Ice Cream Recipe

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Thai Kabocha Squash Coconut Dessert

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Suwanee
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This Kabocha Squash dessert recipe is a Thai sweet treat using just five ingredients. This warm dessert using coconut milk and palm sugar for flavoring is a light and creamy recipe, perfect for cold days and any time of the year.

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Ingredients

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3 cups kabocha squash, cut into 1.5-2 inch long pieces

1 can coconut milk, 13.5 oz

1 cup water

¾ cup palm sugar, shaved into thin small pieces for quick melting

½ tsp salt

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Instructions

1. Cut the Kabocha squash into 1 ½-2-inch cube, place in a saucepan. You can leave the skin on as it’s perfectly edible and that’s how it would be eaten in most traditional Thai dishes. See the notes below for more info. Here are my detailed instructions on what is Kabocha Squash and how to cut it.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the kabocha, milk, and water together until it boils, carefully test with a fork to see if the kabocha is tender enough for eating. 
3. Add the sugar and salt and gently stir as not to break the squash until the palm sugar dissolves.
4. Remove from the stove and let cool a few minutes before serving. Best to serve warm or at room temperature. Overnight is fine too but knows that the squash will get a bit mushy or creamy depending on how you look at it. Still very good though! Just only a personal preference really! Enjoy!

Notes

• You can leave the skin on or not. Typically, the skin will be left on for the squash because it gets tender when cooked. And the skin helps to hold the soft and creamy meat of the kabocha together during cooking. 
• Best to serve warm or at room temperature. Overnight is fine too but knows that the squash will get a bit mushy or creamy depending on how you look at it. Still very good though! It just depends on your personal preference. Enjoy!
• You can use brown or granulated sugar if you can’t find palm sugar, just know that your dessert will be sweeter if not using palm sugar.

• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 15
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Boiling
• Cuisine: Thai

Keywords: Thai Kabocha Squash Coconut Dessert, Thai pumpkin dessert, Thai pumpkin coconut dessert