Snacks & Kuih · Thailand

How Many Calories in Khanom Krok?

Also known as ขนมครก, Thai Coconut Pancakes, Kanom Krok, Coconut Rice Cakes.

Little coconut and rice flour pancakes cooked in a dimpled cast iron pan, crisp on the outside and custardy in the middle, sold in pairs with corn, spring onion or taro on top. A morning market staple at 20 to 30 baht a box.

360kcal / 1 box (8 pieces)
A standard box of 8 khanom krok (4 pairs), about 130g, is roughly 360 calories. Each half shell is about 45 calories. Two things drive the number: the coconut cream in the top layer, about 120 calories per box, and the sugar in the batter, about 80. The pan is oiled between every batch too.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 box (8 pieces) (130g)AmountPer 100g
Calories360 kcal277 kcal
Protein4 g3 g
Carbs48 g37 g
Fat17 g13 g

Where the calories come from

Rice flour batter60g
130 kcal
Coconut cream topping45g
120 kcal
Sugar20g
80 kcal
Pan oil4g
35 kcal

The real talk

Khanom krok looks light because each piece is the size of a thumb. The maths does not care about the size. Rice flour batter is 130 calories per box, the coconut cream topping is 120, the sugar is 80 and the oil brushed into the pan is another 35. That is 360 for something you finish walking from the stall to the motorbike. A box every morning with your coffee is 2,500 calories a week, about a third of a kilo of fat a month.

The MGR calorie table lists 2 pairs at 210, which puts a pair at 105. That is a big pair. Most market boxes have 8 smaller shells and the batter is thinner, so 90 per pair is closer to what you are eating. Either way, one box is a dessert, not a snack, and 48g of carbs with almost no protein means it does nothing for hunger. You will want lunch at the normal time.

There is no low calorie khanom krok. The whole thing is coconut fat and rice starch, and the version with taro or corn on top is the same number with 5 extra calories of vegetable. What works is buying half a box. Four shells at 180 calories with a black coffee is a reasonable morning. The full box plus a cha yen is 660 before 9am.

How the portions compare

180 kcal
4 pieces (2 pairs)
360 kcal
1 box, 8 pieces
540 kcal
Large box, 12 pieces

Khanom Krok variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Plain khanom krok, 1 pair90 kcalThin market style
With corn or spring onion, 1 pair95 kcalTopping adds 5
Thick custard style, 1 pair105 kcalMGR table figure
Extra coconut cream drizzle, 1 box390 kcalSome vendors add a spoon on top

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in one khanom krok?
About 45 per half shell, or 90 per pair, for thin market style pieces. Thick custardy ones are closer to 105 a pair.
Is khanom krok healthy?
It is rice flour, coconut cream and sugar, about 360 calories a box with 4g of protein. Treat it as dessert.
Is khanom krok gluten free?
Yes, the batter is rice flour and coconut. Check the stall does not add wheat flour, some do for crispness.
What is the difference between khanom krok and apam balik?
Khanom krok is a small coconut pancake at about 45 calories a piece. Malaysian apam balik is a large folded pancake with sugar and peanuts at 300 to 400 for one.

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical street stall or food court serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on MGR Online Thai calorie table (ขนมครก 2 pairs = 210 kcal); scaled to 90 kcal per thin market pair, 8 pieces per box. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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