How Many Calories in Kuih Bahulu?

Little baked egg sponge cakes in fish and flower shapes. Sugar and egg, eaten by the handful.

275kcal / 5 pieces (~80g)

A serving of 5 kuih bahulu is around 275 calories, or about 55 calories a piece. They are baked egg and sugar sponges, so it is the sugar and the number you pop that add up.

Nutrition facts

Per 5 pieces (~80g) (80g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	275 kcal	344 kcal
Protein	5 g	6 g
Carbs	40 g	50 g
Fat	9 g	11 g

Where the calories come from

Egg + sugar sponge (5 pieces)50g

165 kcal

Flour25g

90 kcal

Egg yolk richness5g

20 kcal

The real talk

Kuih bahulu is the little fish and flower shaped baked sponge, and it is one of the few kuih with no coconut, just egg, sugar and flour baked in a mould. Per piece it is only around 55 calories, but they are tiny and moreish, so a handful of five is around 275 calories before you notice.

It is essentially a sweet little egg sponge. Not the worst treat, no added fat in the classic recipe, but the sugar is real and nobody stops at one. The cermai (button sized) ones are even easier to overeat because they are half the size.

Kuih Bahulu variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
1 piece	55 kcal	Fish or flower mould
Bahulu cermai (1 small)	32 kcal	Button sized
5 pieces (typical serving)	275 kcal	How they get eaten

How to eat it lighter

Count them, five is a serving and a tin disappears fast.
No coconut means slightly less fat than other kuih, but the sugar is still there.
Have a few with kopi, do not graze the whole tin.

Common questions

How many calories in kuih bahulu?

About 55 calories per piece, or around 275 for a typical serving of five. They are baked egg and sugar sponges with no coconut, so the sugar and the count are what add up.

Is kuih bahulu healthier than other kuih?

Slightly, because classic bahulu has no coconut or added fat, just egg, sugar and flour. But it is still a sugary treat and very easy to overeat by the handful.

How many bahulu in a serving?

People typically eat around five, which is roughly 275 calories. They are small and moreish, so counting them matters.

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

New to all this? Read how I went from 128kg to 86kg without cutting rice →