Nam Khaeng Sai (น้ำแข็งไส) is Thai shaved ice topped with colorful jellies, fruit, sweet syrup, and condensed milk. Pick a few of your favorite toppings and make each bowl your own.
If you love cold Thai desserts, try my Ruam Mit, a colorful mixed dessert served with sweet coconut milk, or Tub Tim Grob, crunchy water chestnut rubies served over ice.
Nam Khaeng Sai is especially good after something spicy. Try it after Som Tum, Larb, or your favorite Thai curry for a fun way to cool things down.
Jump to:
A Childhood Favorite
Growing up in Thailand, Nam Khaeng Sai was one of those fun treats we'd buy from dessert vendors. You chose what you wanted in your bowl, then the vendor piled on the ice and finished it with colorful syrup and milk.
That's still my favorite thing about this dessert. There isn't one set combination. Pick a few toppings you like and make it your own.
At home, I like setting everything out so my kids can build their own bowls. It's an easy dessert for a hot summer day and really fun for a party.
Ingredients
Nam Khaeng Sai is more of a choose-your-own dessert than a strict recipe. You don't need every topping shown in my photos. Pick 3–5 toppings you like.
For the Shaved Ice
- Ice cubes, enough for about 4 cups finely crushed or shaved ice
Choose Your Toppings
- Grass jelly, cubed
- Toddy palm seeds
- Jackfruit in syrup, sliced
- Longan
- Coconut jelly or make your own coconut jelly here
- Sweet red beans
- Tapioca pearls or boba
- Colorful Thai-style jellies or noodles
- Some vendors in Thailand also offer pieces of bread as a topping. I remember seeing it growing up, but with all those colorful jellies to choose from, bread was never my pick.
Kitchen Tip: Don't feel like you need every topping in the photos. In Thailand, choosing what goes into your bowl is part of the fun. Three or four toppings are plenty.
Syrup and Milk
- Thai flavored syrup, such as red, green or blue Hale brand syrup
- Red sala syrup is the flavor I especially associate with Thai shaved ice. You'll find it at many Thai or Asian grocery stores, along with other colorful syrup flavors.
- Sweetened condensed milk
Helpful Equipment
- Shaved ice machine: I use a small shaved ice machine at home, especially during the summer. It makes the ice finer and fluffier than a blender.
- High-powered blender: No shaved ice machine? A good blender works too. Pulse the ice in short bursts and use it right away since it melts quickly.
- Squeeze bottles: I transfer my sala syrups into small squeeze bottles. They're easier to pour, less messy, and especially helpful when the kids make their own bowls.
How to Make Nam Khaeng Sai
- Prepare your toppings. Drain the canned fruits and jellies and cut larger pieces into bite-size portions. Prepare tapioca pearls or other toppings according to the package directions, if needed. Keep everything chilled until serving.
- Shaved the ice. Use a shaved-ice machine or pulse ice cubes in a powerful blender until fine and fluffy. If using a blender, work quickly and pulse rather than continuously blending so the ice doesn't begin to melt.
- Assemble. Add your chosen toppings to each bowl and pile the shaved ice over them. Drizzle generously with flavored syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately and dig your spoon all the way to the bottom to get a little bit of everything.
Suwanee's Top Tips
- Don't overthink the toppings. Three or four different textures are plenty.
- Keep canned toppings in their syrup until you're ready to use them. It keeps them moist and prevents them from sticking together.
- Work quickly with the ice. Shaved ice melts fast, especially when made in a blender.
- Make a shaved-ice bar. Set the toppings and syrups out separately and let everyone build their own bowl. This is especially fun with kids.
- Prepare everything except the ice ahead of time. Keep the toppings chilled, then shave the ice right before serving.
More Thai Desserts You'll Love
Looking for another Thai sweet? Try these light and refreshing desserts too.
FAQ
Look in the canned fruit and dessert aisles at Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, or other Asian grocery stores. Jackfruit, toddy palm seeds, longan, grass jelly, nata de coco, and colorful jellies are often sold canned or jarred.
Not quite. Both can contain ice and colorful toppings, but Nam Khaeng Sai is centered around shaved ice, syrup, and selected toppings. Ruam Mit is a mixed Thai dessert typically served with sweet coconut milk and may also include crushed ice.
No. I use a small shaved-ice machine at home, but a powerful blender works too. Pulse the ice in short bursts until it has a fine, snowy texture and use it immediately.
Not quite. Nam Khaeng Sai is built around shaved ice, flavored syrup, and toppings you choose. Ruam Mit is a mixed Thai dessert typically served with sweetened coconut milk and a variety of chewy toppings.
More Thai Desserts
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these Thai desserts as well.
Nam Khaeng Sai (Thai Shaved Ice Recipe)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Nam Khaeng Sai (น้ำแข็งไส) is Thai shaved ice topped with colorful jellies, fruit, sweet syrup, and condensed milk. Pick a few of your favorite toppings and make each bowl your own.
Ingredients
You do not need all the toppings. Choose 3–5 favorites.
- 6–8 cups ice cubes
- ½ cup grass jelly, cubed
- ½ cup jackfruit in syrup, drained and sliced
- ½ cup toddy palm seeds, drained
- ½ cup coconut jelly, drained
- ½ cup longan, drained
- ½ cup cooked tapioca pearls, optional
- 1 cup tapioca noodles (strains- see ingredient image)
- Red sala syrup, pandan syrup, or syrup of choice
- Sweetened condensed milk
How Much Syrup Should I Use?
Start small. For one bowl, I'd begin with approximately:
1½–2 cups shaved ice
2–4 tablespoons assorted toppings
1–2 tablespoons flavored syrup
1–2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Then taste and add more syrup if needed. Many of the canned toppings are already packed in syrup, so the bowl can become very sweet quickly.
Instructions
- Prepare your toppings. Drain the canned fruits and jellies and cut larger pieces into bite-size portions. Prepare tapioca pearls or other toppings according to the package directions, if needed. Keep everything chilled until serving.
- Shaved the ice. Use a shaved-ice machine or pulse ice cubes in a powerful blender until fine and fluffy. If using a blender, work quickly and pulse rather than continuously blending so the ice doesn't begin to melt.
- Assemble. Add your chosen toppings to each bowl and pile the shaved ice over them. Drizzle generously with flavored syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately and dig your spoon all the way to the bottom to get a little bit of everything.
Notes
- Don't overthink the toppings. Three or four different textures are plenty.
- Keep canned toppings in their syrup until you're ready to use them. It keeps them moist and prevents them from sticking together
- Work quickly with the ice. Shaved ice melts fast, especially when made in a blenderMake a shaved-ice bar. Set the toppings and syrups out separately and let everyone build their own bowl. This is especially fun with kids.
- Prepare everything except the ice ahead of time. Keep the toppings chilled, then shave the ice right before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Thai
Hi there, I’m Suwanee!
I’m the person behind this Thai food blog. I spent the first thirteen years of my childhood in Thailand, where I fell in love with the flavors of Thai cooking. What started as sharing recipes from my kitchen has grown into a journey from home cook to restaurant chef — and now one of just eight contestants chosen nationwide for PBS’s The Great American Recipe, Season 4. You’re in the right place if you love to cook Thai food. Come by often, and let’s get cooking!
Leave a Reply