Snacks & Kuih

How Many Calories in Kuih Bom?

Kuih Bom is a deep-fried glutinous rice dough ball coated in sesame seeds and filled with sweet gula melaka grated coconut, a classic Malaysian kuih that is dangerously easy to eat more than one of.

210kcal / 1 piece
One Kuih Bom is around 210 calories for a 55g piece. That comes from the glutinous rice dough mixed with coconut milk (100 cal), the sweet gula melaka coconut filling (60 cal), sesame seed coating (20 cal), and the frying oil the dough soaks up (30 cal). It is a small ball but it is not a light snack. Worth knowing before you grab three off the kuih tray.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 piece (55g)AmountPer 100g
Calories210 kcal382 kcal
Protein3 g5 g
Carbs30 g55 g
Fat9 g16 g

Where the calories come from

Glutinous rice dough (flour + coconut milk)25g
100 kcal
Sweet grated coconut filling (gula melaka + coconut)18g
60 kcal
Sesame seed coating4g
20 kcal
Frying oil absorbed5g
30 kcal

The real talk

Kuih Bom is that round, golden, sesame-coated ball you see at kuih stalls and pasar malam. The dough is glutinous rice flour mixed with coconut milk, deep fried until puffed up, with a soft sweet coconut filling inside. At 210 calories per piece, it is not catastrophic if you eat one. The problem is nobody eats one. The calories come from three places: carbs from the glutinous flour, fat from the coconut milk in the dough plus the frying oil absorbed, and sugar from the gula melaka filling. Fair warning: these numbers are a ballpark estimate because detailed lab data for kuih bom specifically is thin, so treat it as a reasonable guide rather than a precise count.

What changes the number most is how much oil the dough absorbs during frying. Freshly fried pieces that have been properly drained will be on the lower end. Ones sitting in a tray soaked in oil, or fried at too low a temperature, absorb more fat and could push past 230 calories easily. The filling matters too: the chocolate variant in modern kuih shops runs about 230 calories versus the classic coconut version at 210. The sweet potato dough version (keledek) drops to around 185 calories because less glutinous flour is used. Two pieces of the classic version is already 420 calories, which is a full meal's worth of calories for some people. One is fine as a snack. Two is a decision you should make consciously lah.

Kuih Bom variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Sweet potato dough (keledek) version185 kcalDough made with mashed sweet potato replacing some glutinous flour; lower fat, slightly lower calories
Standard glutinous rice dough with grated coconut filling210 kcalClassic version; sesame-coated, deep fried, filled with gula melaka and grated coconut
Chocolate filling variant230 kcalChocolate filling adds extra sugar and fat versus coconut filling; sold in some modern kuih shops

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in Kuih Bom?
One Kuih Bom is around 210 calories for a standard 55g piece. This covers the glutinous rice dough, sweet coconut filling, sesame coating, and absorbed frying oil.
What exactly is Kuih Bom?
It is a Malaysian deep-fried kuih made from glutinous rice flour dough mixed with coconut milk, rolled in sesame seeds, then fried until it puffs up. Inside is a sweet filling of grated coconut cooked with gula melaka. Some modern versions use chocolate filling instead. You will find it at kuih stalls, pasar malam, and traditional bakeries.
Is Kuih Bom healthy?
It is a deep-fried sweet snack, so no, it is not something you eat for nutrition. At 210 calories per piece with 9g of fat and 30g of carbs, it is a treat. One piece occasionally is fine. The issue is portion control because they are small and easy to eat several at a time without noticing.

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See all Snacks & Kuih calories, ranked →

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.

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