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Best Asian Inspired Wedding Desserts to Serve At Your Chinese Wedding

The History of Chinese Wedding Desserts 

In Chinese culture, marriage symbolizes the coming together of not only the couple but also of their families and ancestors. While many of the obligations and elaborate rituals related to Chinese weddings have been simplified and modernized over the years, serving and eating Chinese wedding desserts still remains very popular. 

One of the traditions that have survived is the practice of exchanging bridal pastries, one of the most popular types of Chinese wedding desserts. 

This dates back to the late Eastern Han Dynasty (161-223) when a warlord named Liu Bei married the widowed sister of Sun Quan, a warlord in the neighboring state of Eastern Wu. When Liu Bei arrived in Eastern Wu, he ordered his soldiers to give out pastries to the people to display his wealth and generosity.

This eventually evolved into the tradition of a groom’s family handing out bridal pastries in order to win over the family of the bride.

Traditional Chinese Wedding Desserts

Traditional Chinese wedding desserts are known to be sweet and soft. This dates back to when milk and cheese were not as readily available, so sweet rice and dough would be used instead to make into pastries or sweet rice ball soup filled with sesame paste and red beans. The “Sweet and Sticky,” texture also symbolizes the sweetness of the love shared by the bride and groom, and that the two will always stick together. 

Nowadays, Chinese wedding desserts and pastries come in many shapes, sizes, and flavors and are still commonly stuffed with lotus, red or green bean paste, sesame paste, and/or nuts. 

Popular motifs and Chinese wedding symbols such as the characters 囍 (double happiness) or 福 (luck) are also printed on the pastries. Choosing a Chinese wedding dessert often depends on your family traditions, heritage, and dialect. 

Here are the most common types of traditional Chinese wedding desserts:

Chinese Bridal Pastries

Traditional Chinese wedding bridal pastries are also known as “marry girl cake”, “dowry cake” or Xǐ Bǐng (喜饼) and come in many different types and flavors.

Xi Bing Traditonal Chinese Bridal Pastries Wedding Desserts

Source: Singapore Brides

 

Traditional Chinese Bridal Wedding Pastries

Source: Zolima City Mag

 

Traditional Chinese Bridal Pastries to Serve

Source: Bride & Breakfast HK

 

Traditional Colorful Chinese Bridal Pastries

Rice balls (Tāngyuán 汤圆) 

Tang Yuan Chinese Wedding Desserts

Source: Wedding Planners Singapore

 

Black Sesame Rice Balls

Black Sesame Rice Ball Soup Traditional Chinese Wedding Desserts

Source: Lady and Pups

 

Lotus Seed Sweet Soup

Lotus Seed and Red Bean Sweet Soup Chinese Wedding Desserts

Source: My Trials Kitchen

 

Red Bean Sweet Soup

Best Asian Wedding Desserts

Source: Omnivore's Cookbook

 

Black Sesame Soup

Best Asian Wedding Desserts

Source: Omnivore's Cookbook 

 

Sticky Rice Cakes with Red Bean Paste

Traditional Chinese Wedding Red Bean Sticky Rice Dessert

Source: Omnivore's Cookbook

 

Chinese Almond Tofu (Almond Jelly)

Chinese Almond Jelly Wedding Dessert

Source: China Sichuan Food

 

Modern Chinese Wedding Desserts

While traditional Chinese wedding desserts are yummy and great options to incorporate into your Asian-inspired wedding, nowadays, couples have many more modern Asian-inspired dessert options to choose from for their wedding. 

By combining classic Asian flavors like red bean, sesame, lotus, and custard with a modern twist, there are endless beautiful cakes, pies, and pastries that can serve as your modern Chinese wedding dessert.

Asian-Inspired Cakes

Modern Chinese Wedding Desserts

Source: Cakes Decor

 

Modern Mooncakes 

Modern Chinese Wedding Mooncakes

Source: Eatchofood

 

Fluffy Cheesecake 

Best Asian Wedding Desserts

Source: FoxyFolksy

 

Double Happiness Wedding Pie

Modern Chinese Wedding Pie Double Happiness

Source: Lady and Pups

 

Egg Tarts

Chinese Wedding Desserts Egg Tarts

Source: Taste of Asian Food

 

Asian-Inspired Decorated Cookies

modern asian wedding cookies

Source: Vangelis Photography

Chinese Almond Cookies

Best Asian Wedding Desserts

Source: Omnivore's Cookbook

 

Glazed Chinese Five-Spice Cookies

Glazed Chinese Five Spice Wedding Cookies

Source: Eatchofood

 

Fortune Cookies Chinese Wedding Fortune Cookies

Source: Alchemy Fine Events

 

Cupcakes

Double Happiness Cupcakes

Source: Creativien

 

Ginger Creme Brulee

Ginger Creme Brulee Modern Asian Wedding Desserts

Source: Omnivore's Cookbook

 

Double Happiness Macarons

Modern Chinese Wedding Desserts

 Source: mattaboutfood

 

Chinese Wedding Sweet Buns 

Best Asian Wedding Desserts

Source: Theresa Helmer Photography

 

Mochi Muffins

Mochi Muffins for Chinese Wedding Desserts

Source: Eatchofood

 

Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Cream Puffs

Cherry Blossom Sakura Cream Puffs

Source: Dessert First Girl

 

Scallion Popover S’mores

Asian Scallion Smores

Source: Lady and Pups

 

Sugar Egg Puffs

Sugar Egg Puffs

Source: Dessert First Girl

 

Glazed Tapioca Donuts with Peanut Dust

Tapioca Donuts Asian Desserts for Weddings

Source: Lady and Pups

 

Your wedding is the time to indulge and treat yourself and your guests to whatever your sweet tooth desires. From traditional Chinese wedding pastries to modern Asian-inspired fusion desserts, we hope this list inspired you with ways you can incorporate your culture on your big day.

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