Best Penang Desserts: Cendol, Ais Kacang & Sweet Treats (2026)

The 1936 original, founded by Tan Teik Fuang and still trading from 27 & 29 Lebuh Keng Kwee, 9am–6.30pm daily. Green rice-flour jelly noodles sit in shaved ice, rich santan and dark gula melaka, with red beans on the side; a January 2026 diner post priced the original bowl at RM8.90. The business has since grown into a chain of more than 20 mall counters from Alor Setar to Johor Bahru — in Penang, at Gurney Plaza and Queensbay Mall, where the Queensbay counter trades later (10am–9.30pm) — and, since 1 September 2025, a first overseas stall at Far Eastern SOGO Taipei Fuxing. Beyond the original bowl, the brand added a Musang King Durian Chendul in April 2026 (dine-in and takeaway, selected outlets only), and its mall outlets now sell a Mini Chendul lunch set from RM19.90. Google Maps lists this stall under "435B Lebuh Pantai", but the pin and the brand's own outlet page both put it on Lebuh Keng Kwee. Expect a queue, especially on weekends.

Photo: Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul

The classic corner kopitiam at 475 Jalan Penang, where it meets Lebuh Keng Kwee, right beside the famous chendul stall. Inside are savoury vendors — the char kuey teow counter now trades as Penang Road Famous Jin Kor Char Kuey Teow — and regulars carry cendol in from the lane to eat at a table, which makes it the easiest way to do sweet and savoury in one sitting. Google Maps lists it at 9.30am–5pm daily, so it closes 90 minutes before the chendul stall. One thing worth knowing: the cafe changed hands around 2016, and the original Penang Road Famous Laksa vendor moved out to its own shoplot further down Lebuh Keng Kwee — so the laksa stall inside today is not the one the street was originally known for.

Image: Ais kacang — Andrew Bogott (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

A family business tracing back to 1923 and now run by the fourth generation of the Lee family — which is why you'll also see it signed as 'Lee Ice Kacang'. After decades as a street stall on Swatow Lane, it moved into its own shoplot inside New World Park (102 Jalan Burma) in 2017 and was restyled as a sit-down kopitiam. The signature ais kacang is piled with attap chee, red beans, sweet corn and syrup over finely shaved ice, and cendol is on the menu too. It runs 11.30am–9.30pm daily per Google Maps — the only stop on this list open after dinner — and the indoor food-court setting makes it the easiest one with young kids or older relatives.

Image: Swatow Lane Ice Kacang

A stall inside Batu Lanchang Market Food Court (Medan Batu Lanchang, Taman Sri Damai, Jelutong) whose signature move is a scoop of peanut butter ice cream on top of the ais kacang instead of the usual vanilla. Each bowl gets thinly shaved ice, two syrups, chunky red beans and a drizzle of condensed milk under that scoop. The cendol is worth ordering too — shaved ice, coconut milk, gula melaka, red beans and rice-flour jelly — and it has been posted at RM3.80 a bowl (2024), less than half the George Town flagship price. Google Maps lists 11am–6.15pm daily; long-time regulars ask for less sugar and the stall will adjust.

Photo: Batu Lanchang Tony Ais Kacang

Operating since 1933 and a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand pick in both the 2025 and 2026 guides, this is one of Penang's oldest Nyonya kuih makers — tucked down Jalan Masjid, just off Lebuh Chulia. The working kuih factory sits beside a sit-down canteen where you can try more than 20 kinds, from kuih talam and kuih lapis to ang koo kuih and rempah udang. MICHELIN lists the spend as roughly RM1–RM20, so this is a cheap sit-down stop rather than a splurge. Google Maps now shows 10am–5pm seven days a week, but Yelp and several guides still list a Monday closure and a 10.30am start — call 012-415 2677 before a special Monday trip.

Image: Nyonya kuih — Sharon Hahn Darlin (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

Stall 29 inside Batu Lanchang Food Court (Lintang Batu Lancang, Jelutong), also listed as Kheng Kaya & Nyonya Kuih. It's a deliberately short menu done well: pulut tai tai (kaya kuih), kuih talam, kuih bingka, pulut inti, tao bah kuih, kuih lapis and ang koo, all handmade in daily batches. The stall's own Facebook page gives its hours as 1pm until sold out — not the 3pm–5pm window some directories still print — and a diner who arrived at 1.30pm on a Thursday found everything available except the kuih made only on Saturdays. Once a tray is gone, it's gone for the day; call 04-658 9405 to check.

Image: Nyonya kuih — Yun Huang Yong (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

Established in 1856, Ghee Hiang is Penang's oldest and best-known biscuit house, famous for tau sar pneah — flaky pastry filled with sweet or savoury mung bean paste. On Ghee Hiang's own online store a 12-piece box is RM14.90 and the 16-piece Small Tau Sar Pneah box is RM12.90, the better per-piece buy for sharing. The brand is equally known for its pure sesame oil. It has four Penang shops: 216 Jalan Macalister, the main bakery (Sun–Thu 9am–7pm, Fri–Sat 9am–9pm); 144 Jalan Burma (daily 9am–6pm); the heritage shop at 95 Beach Street (Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, closed Sundays); and Sunshine Central Mall in Air Itam (daily 10am–10pm, the latest option). This is the one item on the list built to travel.

Photo: Ghee Hiang