Add Pinoy Flair to Your Wedding with these 15 Uniquely Filipino Desserts

A sweet little treat after a hearty meal is a great way to cap off a wedding celebration. Most guests probably expect a cake or cupcake, so why not add a twist to your menu and serve Filipino dessert for your wedding in the Philippines?

With such a rich culinary culture, you’ll have a lot of delectable options for your menu!

15 Filipino Desserts to Serve at Your Wedding

We have gathered the most beloved traditional Filipino desserts that would surely be the perfect cap to our well-curated Filipino wedding food. Take your pick:

1. Bibingka

Bibingka is a type of kakanin or rice cake that’s traditionally cooked in terracotta pots lined with banana leaves that gives it a smokey flavor. It is sweet and has a soft texture comparable to cakes, so you can think of it as an alternative to wedding cakes.

But what makes bibingka so fun are the cheese and salted egg toppings that complete the Filipino flavor combination of sweet and savory.

Serve bibingka with banana leaves to add a barrio feel to your wedding.

2. Sapin-Sapin

If you want a more colorful dessert, you must serve sapin-sapin. This dessert has layers of kakanin with different colors and flavors, such as ube and jackfruit, which are blended with a creamy coconut base and topped with latik. This dessert is soft, chewy, and a little stretchy.

If you’re feeling experimental, you could even ask the caterer to change the sapin-sapin’s colors to match your wedding colors. You can serve them in a bilao and have guests or a server cut up pieces for a more traditional Filipino vibe or serve them directly on plates.

3. Biko

Biko is a decadent (and vegan!) kakanin made with glutinous rice, brown sugar, and coconut milk. This sticky brown dessert is also topped with toasty latik and caramelized coconut sauce. It is the perfect combination of sweet, smokey, and chewy.

This a classic pinoy dessert will surely satisfy your sweet tooth and fill you with energy for a night of singing and dancing.

4. Leche Flan

Leche flan is a classic dessert for weddings in the Philippines. At this point, it’s a must-have in any Filipino affair. And we’re sure that no one will say no to it.

This delicate custard with a sweet caramel sauce is velvety, sweet, and creamy. It’s the perfect dessert to follow a hearty dinner.

5. Kapit

Kapit, which means “to hold,” is a Kapampangan delicacy that features kalamay rolled around a latik and jackfruit filling.

This dessert is extremely appetizing. The bright white of the glutinous rice draws attention to the rich latik and jackfruit. Plus, when laid out together, the kapit resembles flowers from afar so that takes care of the presentation.

6. Ube Halaya

Everyone loves ube, so there’s no doubt that your guests will welcome ube halaya as dessert at your wedding reception. This vibrant purple dessert is made with purple yam and condensed milk. It is cooked and stirred for at least an hour to create the creamy, gooey jam.

The great thing about ube is that its versatile flavor can be applied to other desserts, too. You can serve ube cake, ube ice cream, or even ube donuts. You can be as daring as you want, but if you ask us, nothing beats the original ube halaya!

7. Maja Blanca

Maja Blanca is a little different from the other kakanin we’ve been suggesting so far. This Filipino dessert has a silky, almost jelly-like texture. It’s made with coconut milk and corn kernels and is usually topped with desiccated coconut flakes. It’s incredibly coconut-y and sweet, and a great vegan option.

8. Halo-Halo

Who doesn’t love halo-halo? No one! But halo-halo is not a common dessert for weddings in the Philippines. So, imagine how surprised and delighted your guests would be upon seeing halo-halo as an option at your wedding!

Surely, everyone would be excited to get their hands on the colorful concoction of our favorite sweets like ube, beans, macapuno, leche flan, and gulaman in ice and milk.

9. Sorbetes

Bring some nostalgia into your wedding with sorbetes or dirty ice cream. Hire a mamang sorbetero to your reception to scoop dirty ice cream into little cones or bread rolls. This dessert is guaranteed to be a hit not just for its flavors but also for the experience it brings.

10. Ginataang Bilo-Bilo

Ginataang bilo-bilo is a type of creamy soup of coconut milk with sticky rice balls, tapioca pearls, sweet potato, saba, ube, and jackfruit. This colorful concoction can be served cold or hot and is guaranteed to keep your guests satisfied.

As a plus, ginataang bilo-bilo is one of the many Filipino vegan desserts you can serve if you’re having a plant-based wedding.

11. Buko Pie

Of course, Filipinos have their own type of pie – made with young coconut meat enclosed in a flaky pie crust. Buko pie is succulent, crisp, and not too sweet – the perfect combo for both Filipinos and foreigners.

12. Buko Pandan

If you’re getting married in the summer, it’s best to give your guests something to cool them down like buko pandan. This cold dessert, or samalamig, is made with coconut, pandan-flavored jelly cubes, tapioca pearls, nata de coco, and evaporated milk.

13. Fruit Salad

If you want something a bit healthier, opt for the buko pandan’s sister, the fruit salad. This frozen dessert contains a variety of fruits, from papayas, pineapples, and cherries to sweets like kaong and nata de coco, and sometimes small pieces of cheese.

Fruit salad is a staple in any celebration and, surely, your family and friends will enjoy this timeless Filipino dessert at your wedding.

14. Sans Rival

Despite its obviously French name, Sans Rival is a Filipino creation (with French elements). Sans Rival is a cake made with meringue, buttercream, and chopped cashews.

This cake is chewy with a strong sweet and buttery flavor. It’s a well-loved dessert throughout the Philippines, but a little caution: not everyone may be a fan of its rich flavors. Nevertheless, Sans Rival can be a sophisticated, mouthwatering dessert that also showcases Pinoy ingenuity.

There’s Always Room for Dessert!

Thanks to our Filipino ancestors’ genius and sweet tooth, Filipino cuisine offers so many delicacies that make for great desserts for weddings. We hope that this list helps you complete your wedding menu with a sweet and sticky Filipino flair.

So, ditch the cake and take your pick from a variety of Filipino desserts for your wedding reception.

Which Filipino desserts will you serve at your wedding? Let us know in the comments!