Cold, creamy, coconut milk loaded with tropical fruits and chewy jellies that is nothing short of refreshing on a hot summer day. This is Che Thai, a Vietnamese fruit cocktail that takes 10 minutes to come together and requires zero cooking to make. It's so easy, you'll wonder why you haven't made it more often!
My take on Che Thai is more familiar to what I grew up eating, so although it doesn't have the red water chestnuts, it requires no cooking which is always a win in my book!
If you're craving this but trying to add some more nutrition to your day, you'll love my Che Thai Chia Pudding!
What is Che Thai?
Che Thai is a Vietnamese fruit cocktail that's part drink, part dessert. In Vietnamese, 'che' refers to any sweet treat that comes in liquid form - think puddings, sweet dessert soups, or drinks. You can sort of think of it like bubble tea if bubble tea had other jellies and fruit in it.
The 'Thai' in the name Che Thai comes from its inspiration and adaptation of tub tim krob, a Thai dessert featuring red rubies, or water chestnuts, in coconut milk. Vietnam adapted the dessert and added jellies and fruits to be what we know today as che Thai.
Why you'll love this Che Thai recipe
- Comes together in 10 minutes - It's as easy as opening a can (or 7)!
- Customizable - Use whichever fruits you like and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- No cooking required - Since we're omitting the water chestnuts, everything can quickly be thrown together in a bowl and served!
- Uses shelf-stable ingredients - Buy the ingredients ahead of time and make them whenever! All the ingredients we're using are shelf-stable and are not time-sensitive. I like to stock up on a couple cans of each for future me!
- Great for large gatherings - I bring this to parties and backyard BBQs every summer!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Canned Lychee: Any brand works. Longan, which I did not include in this recipe, is also commonly used, so if you're having trouble finding canned lychee, longan can be used as a substitute.
- Canned Green Aiyu Jelly: Also called xuong sam or suong sam. Pandan jelly can also be used, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Canned Toddy Palm Seeds: Avoid the toddy palm seeds in heavy syrup as these aren't as easy to drain. I buy the whole ones so I can slice it to my desired thickness.
- Canned Jackfruit: Avoid young green jackfruit, as that texture is completely different. Look for the bright, whole, yellow jackfruit.
- Coconut milk: Use canned coconut milk as opposed to the ones in cartons you'd use for your latte.
- Condensed milk: Adds sweetness to the coconut milk.
- Evaporated milk: Regular milk or half and half works too.
- Nata de coco: Coconut jelly that usually comes in a glass jar.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Che Thai
- Step 1: Drain all the canned fruits and jellies.
- Step 2: Cut the jackfruit into thin strips.
- Step 3: Cut the aiyu jelly into cubes.
- Step 4: Cut the toddy palm seeds into thin slices.
- Step 5: Give the coconut milk a good shake before opening. In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk until combined. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired.
- Step 6: Add in all the fruit and jellies and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until chilled. When ready to enjoy, add crushed ice to a cup or bowl and the che Thai and enjoy!
Top tip
To serve it immediately: 1. Add large ice cubes! This will chill it faster without making it too watery or 2. Chill the fruit cans in the fridge beforehand!
Substitutions and Variations
Different fruits to try:
- Longan - similar to lychee with a slightly different flavor. This is commonly found in Che Thai but I usually choose one or the other, between lychee or longan.
- Rambutan - Not as easily found canned, but another great alternative to lychee with a firmer texture.
- Coconut meat - Adds in extra coconut flavor and texture!
- Water chestnut - Technically not a fruit, but water chestnuts are commonly found in Che Thai and can be added if you have time to cook them! Dice up canned water chestnut, mix them with optional red food coloring, coat them in tapioca starch and boil them until they float. Rinse them in cold water and add them to your Che Thai!
Different jellies to try:
- Pandan jelly - Homemade or store bought works great and adds a more natural green color with a pandan aroma.
- Grass jelly - Also known as herbal jelly is a black canned jelly that has a slightly more medicinal taste, but would go great with the coconut milk!
- Tapioca pearls - The boba in bubble tea is not traditional, but can add a nice chewy texture.
Alternative milk options:
- Light coconut milk - For a lower calorie alternative!
- Low fat milk - I like to substitute evaporated milk with Fairlife lactose free milk when I want a little more protein and less calories.
- Half and half - For a creamier Che Thai, half and half is a great substitute in place of evaporated milk.
- Vegan Che Thai - Substitute the evaporated milk and coconut milk for light coconut milk or any neutral plant-based milk. Additionally, you can substitute the sweetened condensed milk with sugar or sweetened condensed coconut milk. Adding more full fat coconut milk will make the coconut flavor overpowering, so a light coconut milk would be best to use in place of regular coconut milk, if using it for the entire recipe.
How to store Che Thai
Store Che Thai covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. For better quality, store it in an air tight container.
FAQ
Definitely! Although it will be a little more time consuming to peel and deseed all of the fruit, fresh fruit works great too!
Absolutely! Substitute the evaporated milk and coconut milk for light coconut milk or a neutral plant-based milk. Substitute the sweetened condensed milk with sugar or sweetened condensed coconut milk. Note: adding more full fat coconut milk will make it very coconutty, so a light coconut milk would be best so it doesn't overpower the dessert.
These tropical canned fruits can be found at Asian grocery stores in the canned fruit aisle. Stores like HMart, 99 Ranch, or your local Chinese or Vietnamese supermarket are the best places to look but they can also be found on Amazon!
This can be customized to your tastebuds! Although this is more traditional to what I had growing up, you can swap out the fruit for some of your favorites! Just note the flavor may be different.
It is common for canned coconut milk to separate if there are no preservatives, starches or gums to keep it together. To avoid this, always give canned coconut milk a good shake before opening or whisk vigorously when mixing. If it's still grainy, you can blend it until it's smooth before adding it to your Che Thai.
Other recipes to try:
Che Thai (Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail)
Equipment
- Can opener
Ingredients
- 1 can lychee
- 1 can aiyu jelly
- 1 can toddy palm
- 1 can jackfruit
- 1 jar coco de nato
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 3 tablespoon condensed milk
Instructions
- Drain all the canned fruits and jellies.
- Cut the jackfruit into thin strips.
- Cut the aiyu jelly into cubes.
- Cut the toddy palm seeds into thin slices.
- Give the coconut milk a good shake before opening. In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk until combined. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired.1 13.5 oz can coconut milk, 1 12 oz can evaporated milk, 3 tablespoon condensed milk
- Add in all the fruit and jellies and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until chilled. When ready to enjoy, add crushed ice to a cup or bowl and the che Thai and enjoy!
Notes
- 1. Add large ice cubes! This will chill it faster without making it too watery
- 2. Chill the fruit cans in the fridge beforehand!
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