How Many Calories in Bubur Pulut Hitam?

Bubur pulut hitam is around 290 calories a bowl. Black rice sounds healthy, the coconut milk says otherwise.

290kcal / 1 bowl

A bowl of bubur pulut hitam is about 290 calories. The black glutinous rice and sugar make up most of it, and then the coconut milk drizzle on top adds roughly 100 calories on its own. It tastes like a healthy dessert but that santan is doing real work.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 bowl (250g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	290 kcal	116 kcal
Protein	5 g	2 g
Carbs	48 g	19 g
Fat	9 g	4 g

Where the calories come from

Black glutinous rice160g

150 kcal

Coconut milk topping45g

100 kcal

Palm sugar25g

40 kcal

The real talk

Pulut hitam tastes like a healthy dessert because it is black rice, full of fibre and antioxidants, but bro that santan they drown it in is where 100 plus calories are hiding. The rice and sugar already put you around 190, then the coconut milk topping shoves you to 290.

It is not a bad dessert at all. You actually get some fibre and a bit of protein out of it. Just respect that it is a 290 calorie bowl and not the free health food it pretends to be. If you want it lighter, the move is simply less santan on top.

How the portions compare

145 kcal

Half bowl

290 kcal

1 bowl

380 kcal

Large bowl, extra santan

Bubur Pulut Hitam variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
Standard santan topping	290 kcal	the usual hawker serving
Light santan	210 kcal	ask them to go easy on the coconut milk
Extra santan and sugar	380 kcal	the indulgent version

How to eat it lighter

Ask for less coconut milk on top, that alone saves around 80 to 100 calories
Have a smaller bowl, half a portion is a satisfying 145 calories
Skip the extra scoop of sugar, the rice is already sweetened in the pot

Common questions

Is bubur pulut hitam healthy?

It has good things going for it, black rice gives you fibre and antioxidants. But at 290 calories a bowl, mostly from coconut milk and sugar, treat it as a dessert and not a free pass.

Why is pulut hitam so high in calories?

The coconut milk is the main reason. That topping alone is around 100 calories. Glutinous rice and palm sugar do the rest.

Can I eat pulut hitam on a diet?

Yes, just account for it. Ask for less santan and keep the portion reasonable and a bowl fits fine into a normal day.

Related foods

See all Desserts 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.

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