Durian season is here, and the harvest period has been abnormally delayed by adverse hot weather conditions, and surging demand this year, so we are not as fortunate as those who have savoured the bumper crops in 2015. While the fruit is more expensive this season – an average price hike of 40% above past season’s prices – it is still not too difficult to indulge in the King of Fruits.
As with recent durian seasons past, it is customary for Singaporean chefs and confectioners have annually crafted unusual yet tasty dessert versions of our favourite thorny fruit (check them out here, you wouldn’t believe the lengths they had taken last year).
But this year literally takes the cake. With so many variations of this spiked fruit making its rounds in Singapore this period – from durian cheese cups to durian sticky rice with ice cream – we’ve cut through the noise and picked out some of the unique desserts that are truly worth trying.
Image: Sunlife Durian Puffs & Pastries
Forget traditional fillings like buttercream or chocolate ganache, this gem has luscious D24 durian flesh sandwiched between two delicate macaron shells. Two shell flavours are available – chocolate and vanilla.
Psst. Can’t get enough of macarons? Here’s our guide to the best macarons in Singapore.
$12 for a set of 6 macarons, from Sunlife Durian Puffs and Pastries, 1 Woodlands Square, Causeway Point Shopping Mall #B1-K10, Singapore 738099
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Image: Shout
Cheesecups are essentially cupcakes with the texture of a cheesecake, and they’re an original local creation by Singaporean brand Jara Petit – helmed by two female Singaporean entrepreneurs, Toh Jia Hui and Cara Tan (hence the amalgamated name, Jara).
The cheesecups at Jara Petit are freshly baked everyday and don’t use any preservatives or artificial flavourings – just premium cream cheese and fresh ingredients.
There’s a variety of flavours available, but go for the Durian Cheesecup which is made with fresh D24 durian pulp.
$3, from Jara Petit Cheesecups, 11 Orchard Rd #B1-35 Dhoby Xchange, Singapore, 238826
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Image: Daniel Food Diary
If you’ve tried Mei Heong Yuen before, you’ll know how light and airy their snow desserts are. Snow desserts are named for the flavoured ice that is finely shaved, giving it a snow-like and delicate feel. Unlike ice cream which is creamier and heavier on the palate, the ‘snow’ leaves a light and invigorating aftertaste. For durian lovers, this Durian Snow Ice – which comes drizzled generously with durian syrup – will really hit the spot.
$7, from Mei Heong Yuen, ION Orchard #B4-34, 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
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Image: Le Cafe
It’s time to ignore the cheese tart craze in Singapore and try bean curd tarts instead, which are a lot silkier and softer compared to regular cheese tarts, making it a great base for rich ingredients like durian. These tarts from Le Cafe are infused with Mao Shan Wang durian puree before being poured into moulded pastry crusts.
$12 for a box of 8 tarts, from Le Cafe (various locations)
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Image: Burpple (Durian Bingsu on the left)
There are many good bingsu places in Singapore, but you’d often need at least two people and half an hour to demolish this desert.
So step up your iced durian dessert game at Chot Nun, an eatery with a cup bingsu concept that is convenient for take-aways. The durian bingsu comes with chunks of durian meat and is topped with some durian puree instead of syrup.
Also, all their bingsus are served with dry ice so you can take your time getting that Insta picture right.
$9.50, from Chot Nun 14 Scotts Road, #01-16E Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213
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Image: Classic Cakes
The mille crepes at Classic Cakes are a combination of freshly-made vanilla cream, thin layers of crepe, and a caramelised sugar topping. And when fragrant layers of D24 durian are added to the mix, all we can say is, prepare to be mind-blown.
$85 for a cake, from Classic Cakes, 41 Sunset Way, Clementi Arcade #01-06, Singapore 597071
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Image: Daniel Food Diary
This creamy gelato from Alfero Gelato uses both a mix of Mao Shan Wang and D24 durian. Bonus, the gelato here is made without preservatives and is 96% fat free, so you’ll feel a little less guilty about indulging in this creamy Italian dessert.
$4.50 per scoop, from Alfero Artisan Gelato, #01-37, 81 Macpherson Lane, Singapore 360081
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Image: @mightyfoodie
Layers of moist sponge cake and cream is mixed with fleshy chunks of Mao Shan Wang durian. Durian cakes can sometimes be a little overwhelming, but the light, fluffy cream in this one provides a great counterbalance to the rich cake underneath.
From $125+ onwards, from Peony Jade (various outlets)
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Image: Sara Mahendran
One of the well known dim sum places in Singapore is Swatow, but we bet you didn’t know they sell mochis too.
These durian mochis are impeccable, and possibly one of the best mochis in Singapore. Its pillowy-soft skin is dusted with a light, powdery flour that melts in your mouth, but that’s nothing compared to the creamy and refreshingly cold durian filling encased in the mochi. Sadly this is only available at Swatow Garden’s Serangoon Gardens outlet.
$6 for 3 pieces, from Swatow Garden Seafood Restaurant, 22 Kensington Park Rd, Singapore 557271
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Image: Cat Eats in Singapore
For a delicate and simple way to have your durian, look no further than Dessert Bowl’s Durian Mousse. This silky, velvety mousse is topped with a hearty scoop of durian meat.
$5, from Dessert Bowl, 80 Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555976
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Image: Burpple
This warm cake oozes hot liquid Mao Shan Wang when you slice it open. Mop up the sauce with the cake, and have it with an ice cream flavour of your choice for instant durian heaven.
$14.80, from Ice Edge Cafe, 2 Kovan Road, #01-10 Simon Plaza, Singapore 548008
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Image: Sinpopo Brand
This cake marries two local favourites – durian and pandan. Rich durian pengat (a sweet broth made with coconut cream and gula melaka) filling is sandwiched between soft and spongy pandan cake – the perfect salute to our local flavours.
$37, from Sinpopo Brand, 458 Joo Chiat Road Singapore 427671
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Image: Burpple
We love our pretty pastries but sometimes more simple and comforting pastries do the trick.
In this Durian strudel, the thick and smooth durian paste is the perfect contrast to the crisp pastry casing. You can get a mini strudel for yourself, a half strudel to share with your man, or a full strudel if you want to share it with your girls over tea.
$5.90 onwards, from Ritz Apple Strudel (various locations)
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Image: Four Seasons Durians
This is the cheapest durian dessert on the list, for when you want a quick snack to satisfy that craving. The durian pancake at Four Seasons Durian is freshly made when you order, so you get a piping hot pancake, stuffed with fresh, chilled durian puree.
For more value-for-money food in Singapore, check out this guide we wrote.
$1.80, from Four Seasons Durians (various locations)
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Image: Burpple
It’s good to eat healthy snacks, but when you want to indulge, try these fried durian balls.
Trust us, you’ll want to keep popping these in your mouth. They’re small, but jam-packed with full-on flavour, and lots of durian goodness. The best part? These tasty treats are freshly fried upon ordering.
$1 per piece, from Lai Huat Seafood Restaurant, 72 Horne Rd, Singapore 209075
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Image: Burpple
The name of this dish might clue you into the fact that this is not your traditional Thai food. This dessert has sticky rice mixed with fried shallots (for a savoury kick), and is topped with a scoop of D24 durian ice cream. We love the symphony of flavours and textures here, which are unlike any of the other durian dishes on this list.
$10, from Tuk-Tuk viethai cuisine, Timbre+73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, JTC LaunchPad @ one-north, 139957
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