16 Delicious Street Food Dessert Ideas From Around The World

Street food is not all about the main course! And here are 16 reasons why

When you think about street food you may think it’s just about the main course. Gourmet burgers, wood-fired pizza, and fish tacos. However, street food nowadays is a lot more than this.

There is a whole range of delicious street food desserts on offer, from across the world to satisfy your sweet tooth. You got the old classics such as ice cream, but also some desserts you may have never heard of before.

So if you are looking for dessert ideas for a street food business and want something that may be a little bit different then read on.


1. Mango sticky rice

Street food desert: Mango sticky rice

Origin: Thailand

A very popular street food dessert in Thailand. Freshly ripened mango, and sticky rice, which is slightly salted with sweetened coconut milk.

You can also add coconut ice cream to it for extra indulgence.

Get recipe here

2. Ice Cream

Street food dessert: Ice cream

Origin: Italy

The old street food dessert classic – Chocolate, caramel, strawberry, you name it, it comes in pretty much any flavor.

However, food vendors are now giving this dessert a modern update, with the like of dairy-free ice cream for vegans made with organic milk.

Get recipe here

3. Crepes

Street food dessert: Crepes

Origin: France

A very popular French street food dessert. A very thin pancake that you can have both sweet and savory.

My absolute favorite is the sweet crepes with Nutella and banana. Now that’s what I am talking about.

Get recipe here


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4. Waffles.

Street food desserts: Waffles

Origin: Belgium

Crispy on the outside and fluffy and doughy in the middle. Made with flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, milk, and butter, these little Belgian treats are a go-to street food dessert.

You can add a range of sauces and toppings to them, such as dark chocolate or caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Get recipe here

5. Donuts

Street food desserts: Donuts

Origin: America

I’m not talking about any type of doughnut here, but gourmet doughnuts with a range of very creative fillings (the doughnut in the image is Nutella-filled.

These types of street food desserts seem to have become quite popular over the last few years in the UK

Get recipe here


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6. Coconut ice cream

Street food desserts: Coconut ice-cream

Origin: Thailand

Another popular Thai street food dessert, which I haven’t actually seen outside of Thailand.

This dessert is a great non-dairy option, made simply from coconut milk, sugar, and salt and churned. It is then served in coconut halves with toppings such as peanuts and chocolate sauce.

Get recipe here

7. Ice cream rolls

Street food deserts: Ice-cream rolls

Origin: Thailand

They don’t call Thailand the home of street food for nothing. Popular throughout Thailand and now catching on in the United Kingdom and North America.

Ice cream rolls are quite the crowd-puller, due to how it’s made.

Liquid ice cream is squirted on a cold flat steel surface and as the ice cream solidifies, is scraped into rolls with metal spatulas. You can then add all sorts of wonderful toppings.

Get Recipe here

8. Paletas

Street Food Desserts: Paletas - Mexican ice lollies

Origin: Mexico

The word “Paleta” actually means small stick in Spanish and refers to traditional Mexican ice lollies, made from fresh fruit, pure cream, and sugar.

There is a great street food vendor, named Simply Paletas based in Bristol UK, that sells a lovely range of fruit-flavored Paletas.

Get recipe here

9. Cannoli’s

Origin: Italy

An Italian dessert favorite, originating from the island of Sicily. Cannoli are tubed-shaped fried pastry shells filled with sweet creamy fillings.

I last had Cannoli at a food hall in Rome’s Centrale station and was probably the best I have ever tasted.

Get recipe here

10. Smoothies

Street food recipes: Smoothies

Origin: West Coast of America

Smoothies are not only a good way to get your 5 a day, but very tasty and you will find it pretty hard to run out of taste combinations.

Coffee smoothies are becoming popular now as people want their health and caffeine fix in one.

Get recipe here

11. Smoothie bowls

Street food desserts: Smoothie Bowls

Origin: Brazil

Known in Brazil as an “acai” bowl and in other parts a smoothie bowl.

Smoothie bowls are a pretty new concept and take smoothies to another level.

It’s basically a thick smoothie blended into an almost ice-cream consistency served with a range of toppings. Think nuts, seeds, and berries.

Get recipe here

12. Pastel de nata

Street food desserts: Pastel de nata

Origin: Portugal

A Portuguese favorite and a street food dessert that is very moreish.

It is known as a Portuguese egg tart pastry that is sprinkled with cinnamon.

Get recipe here

13. Baklava

Street food desserts: Baklava

Origin: Turkey

Baklava is a sweet dessert pastry made with layers of filo pastry and filled with nuts and honey.

I haven’t seen this type of dessert sold much at street food markets, although this has steadily been changing, even so, there could possibly be a gap in the market.

Get recipe here

14. Thai roti

Street food deserts: Thai roti

Origin: Thailand

Thailand has a wide range of different types of street food and certainly does not disappoint in the dessert department.

Thai roti or pancake is similar to a crepe or Indian bread roti. The trick is to get the bread as thin as possible, which is then fried and served with banana, chocolate sauce, or condensed coconut milk

Get recipe here

15. Muffins

Street food desserts: Muffins

Origin: England

There is a lot you can do with the humble English muffin making it a very good street food dessert.

From chocolate chips and gooey toppings to lemon drizzle or crunchy caramel and beyond.

Get recipe here

16. Gulab jamun

Street food desserts: Gulab jamun

Origin: India

This dessert is made from milk-based solids which are reduced to the consistency of soft dough with some added flour.

The dough is then shaped into small balls and fried and soaked in light syrup with cardamom and rose water.

It is often garnished with nuts such as almonds

Get recipe here


So there you have it, 16 street food dessert ideas for a new business. If you want to add any to the list just leave a comment below.

Author

  • Gavin D

    Gavin D is the founder of Street Food Central and Tru Foo Juice Bar Co. and has worked in the mobile catering industry for over 7 years.

    Gavin D rgarhgdsjkfskyuiysu@g.com

Gavin D is the founder of Street Food Central and Tru Foo Juice Bar Co. and has worked in the mobile catering industry for over 7 years.