Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam)

4.62 from 57 votes
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Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam) - Kaya is a delicious Malaysian jam made with coconut, eggs and caramel. Rich and aromatic jam which is perfect for toast and a cup of coffee.

Malaysian traditional kaya jam made with coconut, eggs and caramel in a mason jar.
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What Is Kaya

Kaya is one of my favorite Malay words.

The reason is simple: it carries two of my favorite meanings in Malaysian language.

First being rich; secondly, it means an utterly delicious coconut egg jam which is wildly popular in Malaysia and neighboring country Singapore.

In this post, I am going to teach you how to make kaya, a jam that gets me all excited waking up in the morning…the silky smooth jam that goes on warm, crispy buttery toasts, and served with a cup of aromatic Malaysian dark coffee.

Ahh…

Kaya, also known as srikaya, seri kaya, is a confiture made of eggs, coconut milk, sugar and infused with the fragrant aroma of pandan leaf.

The mere mention of kaya conjures up a lot of my childhood memories.

I grew up mostly with my late grandmother—a much celebrated Nyonya cook and kuih (local sweet cake) maker.

The majority of my childhood days were spent in the kitchen, watching my late grandmother and my aunt preparing her many orders.

One of the things that we would always make is kaya, the coconut egg jam that would go on the beautiful blue-color Nyonya kuih called pulut tai tai

My aunt would always be the designated helper making the kaya.

She would beat the eggs, coconut milk, and sugar mixture with a traditional springy egg beater, and then the mixture would go into an antique yellow color enamel double-boiler sitting over a charcoal burner.

Whenever she made kaya, she would religiously sit in front of the charcoal fire, stirring the kaya diligently for hours, yes, laborious hours!

The kaya that came out from our home kitchen was always silky, smooth, with the richest and freshest taste, complete with a golden brown hue and color unrivaled by any kaya I have ever encountered.

It was pure perfection.

A perfect ten confiture.

Once in a while, my aunt would ask me to help, and I would eagerly take her seat and help with the chore.

Mundane was an understatement, but I often derived a sense of satisfaction watching the egg mixture slowly transformed into a silky and thicker consistency, and then the pale yellowish color transformed to a golden amber color with the addition of caramel.

It was magical…and the taste of the end product was absolutely delicious.

Asian authentic coconut egg kaya jam pasted on white toasted bread next to a jar of kaya jam.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Delicious and tasty kaya snack jam, ready to serve.

There are many variations of kaya, some are yellowish in color, while others are greenish, or brownish.

The texture varies, too; some are runny, while others are thicker.

My favorite is always the ones which is thick and rich in texture (I don’t like runny and thin kaya), golden brown in color, a color derived from the addition of caramel towards the end of the making process.

While the traditional way of double-boiling is probably the best way to make kaya, nowadays, you can actually make this prized jam in less than an hour.

When I called my aunt for the recipe, she even told me to “cook” the kaya, and skip the hours of stirring.

My kaya recipe below is quick and easy and takes about 30 minutes.

With the help of modern kitchen appliances, the texture is smooth as silk, and the taste is as close as the ones that my aunt used to make.

If my late grandmother were to taste this kaya jam, I am sure she would be so proud of me. It’s sweet, creamy, aromatic, and without any lumps, it’s simply decadent.

Try my kaya recipe and in the next post, I will teach you how to turn your plain old toast into kaya toast that you will soon be hooked on.


Ingredients

This image shows the ingredients used in this recipe.
  • Coconut Milk
  • Cornstarch
  • Eggs
  • Pandan Leaves
  • Sugar
  • Water

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.


How To Make This Recipe

This image shows the egg mixture being strained.

Step 1: Crack the eggs into a big bowl or container, follow by the coconut cream, coconut milk, and sugar. Whisk well, or using an electronic hand mixer, whisk the mixture well. Filter the mixture with a strainer.

This image shows the Pandan Leaves and Cornstarch being added into the mixture.

Step 2: Transfer the egg mixture into a sauce pan (non-stick preferred). Add the pandan leaves into the egg mixture and turn on the heat to medium low. Using a wood spatula or a pair of wooden chopsticks, keep stirring the mixture until they are cooked, about 20 minutes. To thicken the kaya, add the corn starch mixture, stir to combine well with the kaya. Please take note that lumps will form in the jam.

This image shows the caramel being added into the mixture.

Step 3: In the meantime, heat up the sugar for the Caramel in a sauce pan until the sugar melts into caramel. When the color becomes golden brown, add the caramel into the kaya, stir to combine well. The color of the kaya should be golden brown. Turn off the heat.

This image shows the Kaya Egg Jam in a container ready to be served.

Step 4: Let the kaya jam cool down, discard the pandan leaves and transfer the kaya to a blender. Blend until it reaches a silky smooth consistency and without lumps. Transfer the kaya to a jam bottle. You can keep it in the fridge for about a week.


Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Calories Per Serving?

This recipe is only 199 calories per serving.

Asian authentic coconut egg kaya jam pasted on white toasted bread next to a jar of kaya jam.

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4.62 from 57 votes

Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam)

Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam) – Kaya is a delicious Malaysian jam made with coconut, eggs and caramel. Rich and aromatic jam which is perfect for toast and a cup of coffee.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 10 people
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Ingredients  

  • 4-5 eggs
  • 200 g (7 oz) sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 3 pandan leaves, tie into a knot
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tbsp water

Caramel:

  • 50 – 75 g (1¾ – 2¾ oz) sugar

Instructions 

  • Crack the eggs into a big bowl or container, follow by the coconut cream, coconut milk, and sugar. Whisk well, or using an electronic hand mixer, whisk the mixture well. Filter the mixture with a strainer.
  • Transfer the egg mixture into a sauce pan (non-stick preferred). Add the pandan leaves into the egg mixture and turn on the heat to medium low. Using a wood spatula or a pair of wooden chopsticks, keep stirring the mixture until they are cooked, about 20 minutes. To thicken the kaya, add the corn starch mixture, stir to combine well with the kaya. Please take note that lumps will form in the jam.
  • In the meantime, heat up the sugar for the Caramel in a sauce pan until the sugar melts into caramel. When the color becomes golden brown, add the caramel into the kaya, stir to combine well. The color of the kaya should be golden brown. Turn off the heat.
  • Let the kaya jam cool down, discard the pandan leaves and transfer the kaya to a blender. Blend until it reaches a silky smooth consistency and without lumps. Transfer the kaya to a jam bottle. You can keep it in the fridge for about a week.

Video

Notes

Use fresh coconut cream and coconut milk if possible. I used Kara brand coconut cream and coconut milk. If you like your kaya lighter color, use 50 g of sugar for the caramel. I used 75 g. My aunt told me that I can use 3, 4, or 5 eggs, so it’s totally up to you. I like my kaya rich, so I used 5 eggs. I also like my kaya to have a thicker consistency instead of runny, as I don’t like the “watery” part of the kaya making my toast “soggy.”

Nutrition

Serving: 10people, Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 28mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





160 Comments

  1. Kavi says:

    5 stars
    Thank you Iโ€™m missing Malaysia and our foods ? Canโ€™t go home country this summer ???your recipe helped definitely!โ™ฅ๏ธโ™ฅ๏ธโ™ฅ๏ธ

  2. Eveyn says:

    4 stars
    Thank you for the recipe.
    Failed at the caramel part and had to substitute with pandan paste as didn’t want yellow coloured kaya. Tasted amazing. Thanks.

  3. Eveyn says:

    4 stars
    Thank you for the recipe.
    Failed at the caramel part and had to substitute with pandan paste as didn’t want yellow coloured kaya. Tasted amazing. Thanks.

  4. Wai says:

    5 stars
    this looks very similar to my โค๏ธ grandma’s recipe! love the dark caramel colour!
    Thanks for sharing! โค๏ธ

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Awesome yes please try. I DO NOT like yellow or green color kaya, it looks very unappetizing.

  5. Wai says:

    5 stars
    this looks very similar to my โค๏ธ grandma’s recipe! love the dark caramel colour!
    Thanks for sharing! โค๏ธ

  6. Erwin Siawan says:

    I like the recipe ????????โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Awesome!

    2. Chin yaw says:

      OMG… This is not the pure recepi.. Pure Kaya making will not put corn starch..

      1. Rasa Malaysia says:

        Chin, why don’t you try the recipe and let me know whether or not this is pure kaya? The regular kaya always has a bit of water content, which I do not like. I used a little bit of cornstarch to seal in the water, hence the kaya is thick and smooth and perfect for days.

        1. Jimmy says:

          5 stars
          I agree to leave out the cornstarch. It will smooth on the spread. I was raised in the coffeeshop. Keep it chill n it will last a week or so.

      2. Sharada says:

        Can we omit Pandan.leaves. As I live in India so.here we.dont.get.

        1. Rasa Malaysia says:

          Yes.

  7. Ling says:

    Why do you need to add cornstarch?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      To thicken it.

  8. Bernice Yeoh says:

    Is it supposed to foam up when heating and stirring?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Bernice, I don’t think it foams.

  9. Julie Mohd Daud says:

    Oh my Goddd!!! Your kaya is SO SEDAP!!! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe ?. I just finished making it for the first time. Since this MCO, my 3 sons and I have been making our own bread, so tomorrow morning I’ll surely have steamed bread with butter and kaya. I used low GI sugar, as my husband is diabetec type 2, so it helps me feel less guilty lah ?. I used 75g of sugar (also low GI) for the caramel and I added a pinch of salt. My eldest son has a sweet tooth like me and he just practically cleared the blender with his finger. Sangat sedap! Thank you so much, may God bless you and your loved ones, and keep you all safe and well especially during this MCO. When I post the kaya on my IG I will tag you. ??

      1. Kathy Kamala says:

        Never knew kaya making was so easy. My kaya turned out well & the blender sure did the trick of smoothing out the lumps. I cut down the sugar as dont like my kaya too sweet. It was just nice. Thank you

        1. Rasa Malaysia says:

          Awesome!

  10. Kelly Sui says:

    Hi Bee, I must say I love love LOVE your recipes. I have been missing my Penang grandmotherโ€™s Kaya (caramel style) which she used to spend hours over the stove cooking it for her grandchildren. As kids, we were impatient enough to wait for the Kaya to be ready and would often steal a spoon of it behind her back. It is lock-down time in ?? in our efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19. With some time in hand, making the Kaya is my agenda for today. Great that you have reduced the cooking time to just under 30 minutes. Will keep you posted on how it turns out. Cheers.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Kelly, awesome I hope you like this recipe.

      1. Kelly Sui says:

        Loved it while cooking & loving it more when eating. Hehe ?