Simple kuih Raya recipes
It wouldn’t be a proper celebration in Malaysia without an abundance of food. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is no different – it’s marked by meaningful reunions with family over good food to signal the end of the Ramadan month. Sure, we can look forward to the essential lemang, rendang, and ketupat at the dinner table. But the festive season is incomplete without jars of Raya cookies, cakes and kuih muih to munch on. As this time of the year can be understandably hectic, we rounded up 10 simple kuih Raya recipes to make celebrations all the more sweeter.
Table of Contents
1. Dahlia Biscuits
Like the Scottish butter cookies but make it Malaysian, Dahlia Biscuits – also known colloquially as kuih semperit – are little morsels of buttery goodness with a light melt-in-your-mouth texture. These moreish Raya cookies are typically shaped in – you guessed it – a dahlia flower.
As pretty as these cookies already look, here’s an easy recipe for Dahlia Biscuits with an added tinge of pink to elevate its aesthetics and impress everyone you know.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (250g) room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cup (150g) icing sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (122g) cornflour or cornstarch
- 1 cup (125g) custard powder
- 1 ¾ cups (218g) all-purpose flour
- Food colouring of choice
- Topping of choice – candied red cherry or pearl sugar drops recommended
- Piping tip – closed star nozzle recommended
Makes about 100 Dahlia Biscuits, depending on the size of the piping tip used.
Steps:
- Use a whisk or electric mixer to beat butter and icing sugar together until creamy.
- Add in and mix egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- Add in and mix cornflour, custard powder, and all-purpose flour until batter is combined.
- Combine cookie dough into a ball using a spatula.
- Separate the dough into two, and place one portion into another bowl.
- Add a few drops of food colouring to portioned cookie doughs – knead until colour is evenly spread.
- Take a ping pong-sized portion from each dough and roll together to form a small log-shaped dough.
- Pipe the dough to form a flower shape on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Garnish with your topping of choice.
- Preheat oven to 160-170ºC and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool and serve.
Recipe adapted from: Surianti Kitchen
2. Mini Nutella Cups
Image credit: The Hectic Cook via Website
Though slightly unconventional when it comes to kuih Raya, Mini Nutella Cups are modern variations that have been quickly embraced by many alongside more traditional goodies. This is not much of a surprise – these dainty-looking, doll-sized cups are filled with a moat of oozy Nutella spread.
They are extremely easy to make too – almost as easy as it is to pop them in your mouth one after another.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (130g) caster sugar
- ¾ cup (130g) brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 3 tbsp (350g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- Nutella spread, or any chocolate hazelnut spread of choice
- Mini paper cups
Makes about 80 Mini Nutella Cups.
Steps:
- Use whisk or electric mixer to beat butter with caster sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs in one at a time – whisk after each addition.
- Beat in vanilla extract.
- Sift in flour, baking soda and salt.
- Use a spatula to fold the ingredients until a dough is formed.
- Press the dough batter to form mini cups on a greased mini cupcake pan.
- Preheat oven at 180ºC and bake cookies for 8-10 minutes.
- Leave the cookie cups to cool before piping Nutella spread into the cups.
Recipe adapted from: Fried Chillies
3. Honey Cornflakes Cups
Honey Cornflakes Cups are a classic treat. These golden, brittle clusters that smell and taste buttery sweet are delectable treats that many look forward to during Raya. The best part about them? They only require four simple ingredients to make – and you probably already have them in your pantry.
Ingredients:
- 5 cups (130g) cornflakes
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (85g) honey
- 1.5 tbsp (19g) sugar
- Mini paper cups
- Optional garnish: nuts, sprinkles, and chocolate chips
Makes about 100 Honey Cornflakes Cups.
Steps:
- Crush cornflakes slightly.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat – add in and stir honey and sugar.
- Pour the mixture over slightly crushed cornflakes.
- If adding nuts or chocolate chips, pour them into the bowl and mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Use a teaspoon to scoop portions into mini paper cups.
- Garnish with sprinkles.
- Bake at 150ºC for 10-12 minutes.
- Let cool and store.
Recipe adapted from: Che Nom
4. Kek Batik
Image credit: Kek Batik Hani via Facebook
A recipe that everyone needs during hectic festivities is one that’s super quick, fuss-free and delicious. Kek Batik is one of these treats. This whole cake requires no oven to whip up, but you’ll get to satiate your sweet tooth over a glorious slab of chocolate heaven.
Ingredients:
- 1 pack (230g) Marie biscuits
- ¾ cup (200g) unsalted butter
- 80 grams sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups (120g) Milo powder
- ¼ cup (20g) cocoa powder
- A pinch of salt
Makes about 15 Kek Batik slices.
Steps:
- Break Marie biscuits into smaller pieces and set aside.
- Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan – add condensed milk and give it a light stir.
- Add and mix Milo powder, cocoa powder, and salt until combined.
- Remove saucepan from heat, and add in Marie biscuits while mixture is still hot.
- Mix until biscuits are well coated.
- Pour everything into a baking tin or a springform pan lined with parchment paper.
- Press mixture evenly and smoothen the top of the cake – be sure to fill the corners of the tin with the biscuit mixture!
- Store in a fridge overnight, before slicing and serving.
Recipe adapted from: Cooking with Hel
5. London Almond
Image credit: @shahizzie via Instagram
A sweet staple in every household during the Hari Raya celebrations are London Almond. These bite-sized cookies coated in lush dark chocolate crumbles delightfully and reveals a single toasted almond when you take a bite.
Though there are debates over its name, we can all agree that these cookies are dangerously addictive.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup and 2 tbsp (250g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80g) caster sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (200g) cornflour/cornstarch
- ½ cup (50g) almond flour
- Almonds for filling and almond nibs for topping
- Dark or milk chocolate for coating
- Mini paper cups
Makes about 80 London Almond pieces.
Steps:
- Use a hand mixer or electric mixer to beat softened butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add in and beat egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- Sift in all-purpose flour and cornflour – mix well on low speed if using an electric mixer.
- Add almond flour and use a spatula to fold the ingredients together until dough is formed.
- Pinch off a teaspoon of dough and flatten it on your palm. Place an almond in the middle and seal the dough around almond until it is completely hidden. Roll the dough and shape it into an almond.
- Preheat oven at 150ºC and bake cookies for 30 minutes.
- Melt chocolates in a bowl over a boiling pot of water while waiting for cookies to cool.
- Dip almond cookies into melted chocolate once cool until fully coated – place finished products into separate paper cups.
- Garnish with almond nibs, and refrigerate cookies until chocolate is set.
Recipe adapted from: Ani’s Home Recipe
6. Rainbow Onde-Onde
Image credit: Spice N’ Pans via Website
Reminiscent of a glutinous rice ball, Onde-onde – also known as klepon – is a familiar traditional snack in Malaysia. There are variations of this snack that exists in neighbouring countries too.
Its soft and chewy skin, usually flavoured with pandan, encases aromatic palm sugar filling that bursts inside your mouth. This multi-coloured variation might seem tedious to make, but this recipe proves that it’s surprisingly easy to serve up a bunch of these rainbow delicacies.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (450g) glutinous rice flour
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour or cornstarch
- 285ml water
- 150g palm sugar, small chunks
- 3 cups (300g) shredded coconut
- 4 food colouring
- Pandan extract
Makes about 40 Onde-onde pieces.
Steps:
- Mix tapioca flour or cornstarch with 85ml of water in a saucepan over low heat, until a slurry forms.
- Add slurry into glutinous flour and mix lightly to combine – add 200ml of water gradually into the mixture until dough comes together.
- Divide dough into four portions.
- Add drops of different food colouring to each portion of dough – do note that green food colouring is not needed if pandan extract is used for the green portion of the dough.
- Sprinkle some glutinous flour on a flat surface to keep dough from sticking.
- Knead each dough into a workable consistency, and roll into long log strips.
- Pinch off a small chunk of dough and flatten it on your palm. Place a chunk of palm sugar in the middle and seal the dough until sugar is completely covered.
- Roll dough into a small ball.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in several onde-onde to boil for a few minutes.
- Take them out 1-2 minutes after they float to the surface of the boiling water.
- Toss them in shredded coconut.
- Let cool and serve.
Recipe adapted from: Spice N’ Pans
Image credit: Cookies and Cups via Website
Besides packing multiple flavours in a single bite, Checkerboard Cookies are impressively artistic and festive looking too. Their design, which resembles a ketupat, makes them look deceptively complex to make. But the dough itself is fairly simple to whip up.
While putting together the checkerboard pattern might be slightly time consuming, you can call on your family members to join the baking process for a family-fun, bonding activity.
Image credit: 17andbaking
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (222g) margarine, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Makes about 30 Checkerboard cookies.
Steps:
- Use whisk or electric mixer to beat softened margarine and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add in and beat egg yolk and vanilla extract to combine.
- Sift in all-purpose flour and cornstarch – use a spatula to fold batter until a dough forms.
- Divide dough into two equal portions. Add cocoa powder into one half of the dough, and knead to incorporate the cocoa powder evenly throughout the dough.
- Roll out dough until they are about 1cm thick. Cut the dough into long strips.
- Repeat process with other half of the dough.
- Lay a piece of vanilla dough strip, a piece of chocolate strip, and another vanilla strip next to each other. Next, top each of the strips with alternating strip colours. Repeat this for another layer, so you’ll end up having three layers in a square log with alternating coloured-strips.
- Press log tightly together and wrap in a clingfilm to keep its square shape.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and slice into 1cm-thick squares when dough has hardened.
- Place on a tray lined with baking sheet and bake at 170ºC for 20-25 minutes.
Recipe adapted from: Sis DaMia
8. Green Pea Mazola Cookies
Image credit: Selera Puteri via Website
Touted as a no-brainer recipe, nutty and creamy Mazola Cookies are ridiculously easy to make and delicious. It’s a household favourite during Raya – with this recipe, you’ll have a batch of these cookies in a festive green colour as they are made with peas instead of peanuts.
Ingredients:
- 120g green pea flour
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 20g milk powder
- ½ cup + 3 tbsp (100g) icing sugar
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup Mazola oil
- Egg wash as garnish
Makes about 100 Mazola Cookies.
Steps:
- Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.
- Pour in oil and use a spatula to mix until a dough is formed.
- Roll a teaspoon amount of dough into a ball and place it onto a lined baking tray.
- Brush egg wash on the cookies.
- Preheat oven to 160ºC before baking cookies for 20 minutes.
- Let cool and serve.
Recipe adapted from: Selera Puteri
9. Cheese Bangkit
Image credit: What To Cook Today via Website
The traditional kuih bangkit that we all know and love can be quite a pain to make, but this recipe is easier, and cheesier. These Cheese Bangkit – also known as sagu keju from Indonesia – tapioca cookies studded with cheese. Akin to the wonderfully melty kuih bangkit, these cookies entice with a great crunch as you bite into them and dissolve in your mouth like a dream, with hints of savoury cheese that offsets the sweet exquisitely.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup (125 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (80 grams) icing sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup (150 grams) tapioca flour
- 1 cup (160 grams) corn starch
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) milk powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (100 grams) shredded cheddar cheese
- Cookie cutters
Makes about 80 cookies
Steps:
- In a bowl, combine the tapioca flour, corn starch, milk powder, and salt with a whisk, and then set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, cream together the butter and icing sugar for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk and cream again until everything is combined.
- Sift in the flour mixture, and add in the shredded cheese.
- Using your hands, gently knead the mixture until a dough is formed.
- Place the dough onto a parchment paper, cover the top with another piece of parchment paper, and roll the dough out with a rolling pin until about 1 cm thick.
- Flour your cookie cutter slightly, and press onto the cookie dough to cut out a shape. Alternatively, you could also use a kuih bangkit mould if you have one.
- Place the cut out cookies onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake the cookies at 160C for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
Recipe adapted from: What To Cook Today
10. Raya Brownies
Image credit: Kitchen Stories via Website
Turn a basic brownie into a festive one with these Raya Brownies. And when we say festive, we mean indulgence. These brownies are basically chocolate on chocolate – a whole fudgy chocolate slab crowned with lush Nutella and any other cheeky snacks that you desire.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (45 grams) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup (30 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups (250 grams) granulated sugar, divided equally in two bowls
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅖ cup (50 grams) nutella
- Toppings of choice: Oreo cookies, chocolate chips, m&m chocolates, sprinkles, almond slices, etc.
Serves about 16
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder, and salt. Set the bowl of dry ingredients aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter, oil, and half the sugar. Stir the mixture frequently until everything is melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, and the remaining sugar, until everything is well combined. Add in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the warm butter mixture into the egg mixture slowly, whisking constantly until everything is well-combined.
- Then, add in the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold the brownie mixture gently.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the brownie is set, and its top is shiny and cracked.
- As the brownie is cooling, prepare the Nutella frosting. Add the Nutella into a piping bag and snip off the tip of the bag. Pipe the frosting all over the brownie, and add toppings as desired.
Recipe adapted from: Kuali
Quick and easy kuih Raya recipes for everyone
With feasts aplenty in Malaysian households celebrating Raya, end your meals on a sweet note with these Raya treats – they’ll be all the more better and sincere when they are homemade with love.
For more cooking recipes, check out these cooking hacks that’ll simplify recipes and easy meals that you can make in under 30 minutes. Opt to try out these easy air fryer recipes that can also be whipped up in under 30 minutes.
Cover image adapted from: The Hectic Cook, Food That Serves, Spice N’ Pans, @shahizzie via Instagram
This article was first published on 21st April 2023, and last updated on 21st March 2024.