How Many Calories in Kuih Lapis?

The peelable rainbow kuih. Almost pure starch and sugar, with coconut milk for a little fat. Carbs are the whole story.

150kcal / 1 piece (~50g)

One piece of kuih lapis is about 150 calories. It is essentially layers of rice and tapioca flour set with sugar and a little coconut milk, so it is almost pure carbs with very little protein.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 piece (~50g) (50g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	150 kcal	300 kcal
Protein	2 g	4 g
Carbs	30 g	60 g
Fat	4 g	8 g

Where the calories come from

Rice + tapioca flour layers35g

110 kcal

Coconut milk + sugar15g

40 kcal

The real talk

Kuih lapis is the fun peelable rainbow one, and it is basically sweetened starch. Rice flour, tapioca or sago flour, sugar and a bit of coconut milk, layered and steamed. That makes a piece around 150 calories, almost all carbs, with barely any protein since there is no egg in it.

It is a treat, plain and simple. Nothing wrong with one piece, just do not kid yourself that peeling it layer by layer makes it healthy. The carbs are the carbs whether you eat it in one bite or ten.

Kuih Lapis variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
Rainbow / standard lapis	150 kcal	Per ~50g piece
Lapis sagu (chewier)	155 kcal	Sago heavy
Thick bakery slab (~70g)	220 kcal	Bigger cut

How to eat it lighter

One piece is the move, these are easy to overeat because they are fun.
Zero protein here, so it does not fill you up. Do not treat it as a snack that holds you over.
Have it with a kosong drink, not a sweet one.

Common questions

How many calories in kuih lapis?

About 150 calories for a standard piece. It is mostly rice and tapioca flour set with sugar, so it is almost entirely carbs with very little protein.

Is kuih lapis healthy?

It is a treat, not a health food. Around 150 calories of sweetened starch with no real protein, so it does not keep you full. One piece is fine.

Why is kuih lapis low in protein?

There is no egg or dairy in it, just rice and tapioca flour, sugar and coconut milk, so it is essentially pure carbohydrate.

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 →