Best Butter for Irresistible Kaya Toast

 ( today my generous friend shares a bottle of homemade kaya with my family. So happy 😊 😃 😀 )

What To Know

● Kaya toast, a beloved Singaporean breakfast staple, is a symphony of flavors that hinges on the perfect combination of kaya (a coconut jam) and butter.

● While kaya is the star of the show, butter plays a crucial role in enhancing its richness and adding a velvety texture.

● White bread or Pullman loaf are popular choices for kaya toast due to their neutral flavor and ability to absorb the flavors of the butter and kaya.

Kaya toast, a beloved Singaporean breakfast staple, is a symphony of flavors that hinges on the perfect combination of kaya (a coconut jam) and butter. While kaya is the star of the show, butter plays a crucial role in enhancing its richness and adding a velvety texture. Let's embark on a culinary journey to discover the best butter for kaya toast, unlocking the secrets to an unforgettable taste experience.

The Contenders: Types of Butter

● The Criteria: Evaluating Butter for Kaya Toast

● The Top Picks: Our Recommendations

● The Impact of Butter Quality

● Tips for Perfect Kaya Toast

Navigating the world of butter can be overwhelming, but understanding the different types will empower you to make an informed choice:

● Unsalted Butter: A culinary canvas that allows the flavors of kaya to shine through without any interference.

● Salted Butter: A balanced blend of salt and creaminess that enhances the savoriness of kaya toast.

● Cultured Butter: Made with cultured cream, this butter boasts a rich, tangy flavor that complements the sweetness of kaya.

● European-Style Butter: Known for its higher fat content and denser texture, it adds a luxurious touch to kaya toast.

The Criteria: Evaluating Butter for Kaya Toast

When selecting the best butter for kaya toast, consider these essential criteria:

● Flavor: Should complement the sweetness of kaya without overpowering it.

● Texture: A smooth, velvety texture that melts seamlessly into the kaya.

● Aroma: A pleasant, buttery scent that enhances the overall sensory experience.

● Spreadability: Should spread easily on toast without tearing or crumbling.

The Top Picks: Our Recommendations

After rigorous testing, we present our top recommendations for the best butter for kaya toast:

 ♠︎ Lurpak Unsalted Butter: A classic choice that allows the flavors of kaya to take center stage.

♥︎ Kerrygold Salted Butter: A harmonious blend of salt and creaminess that elevates the savoriness of kaya toast.

◆ President Cultured Butter: A tangy touch that adds complexity and depth to the kaya experience.

♣︎ Elle & Vire French Butter: A luxurious option with a dense texture and rich flavor that transforms kaya toast into a culinary masterpiece.

The Impact of Butter Quality

The quality of butter significantly influences the overall taste and texture of kaya toast. High-quality butter, made from fresh cream and churned to perfection, delivers:

●  Richer Flavor: Enhanced creaminess and a more pronounced buttery aroma.

●  Smoother Texture: A velvety spread that melts seamlessly into the kaya, creating a harmonious blend.

●  Longer Shelf Life: Proper storage and handling ensure a longer shelf life, preserving the freshness and flavor of the butter.

Tips for Perfect Kaya Toast

To elevate your kaya toast experience to culinary perfection, follow these expert tips:

●  Use fresh, high-quality bread that is toasted to a golden brown.

●  Spread the butter generously on the toast while it is still warm, allowing it to melt and soak into the bread.

●  Apply a generous layer of kaya on top of the butter, ensuring an even distribution.

●  Enjoy immediately for the perfect balance of flavors and textures.

The Culinary Alchemy: Pairing Butter with Kaya

The pairing of butter and kaya is a culinary alchemy that transforms simple ingredients into a taste sensation. The richness of the butter complements the sweetness of the kaya, creating a harmonious balance that tantalizes the taste buds. The smooth texture of the butter allows the kaya to spread evenly, ensuring a delightful experience with every bite.

The Bottom Line: Unlocking the Perfect Pairing

Choosing the best butter for kaya toast is an art form that requires an understanding of the different types of butter, their flavors, and textures. By carefully considering the criteria outlined in this guide, you can elevate your kaya toast experience to new heights. Embrace the culinary symphony of butter and kaya, and discover the perfect pairing that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving for more.

Frequently Discussed Topics

1.Q: What is the best type of bread for kaya toast?

A: White bread or Pullman loaf are popular choices for kaya toast due to their neutral flavor and ability to absorb the flavors of the butter and kaya.

2.Q: Can I use margarine instead of butter for kaya toast?

A: While margarine can be used as a substitute, it may not provide the same rich flavor and velvety texture as butter.

3.Q: How long can I store kaya toast?

A: Kaya toast is best enjoyed fresh, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat it in a toaster or microwave before serving (not recommended).

4.Q: Can I make my own kaya¹?

A: Yes, you can make your own kaya using coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and pandan leaves. However, it requires time and effort to prepare.

5.Q: What are some variations of kaya toast?

A: Some popular variations include adding a fried egg, grated cheese, or a drizzle of condensed milk on top of the kaya toast.

make my own kaya¹?

¹Kaya (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.

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. 

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 this kaya recipe and  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

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.

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. 

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.

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.

---

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

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

• Coconut Milk
• Cornstarch
• Eggs
• Pandan Leaves
• Sugar
• Water

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.

---

How To Make This Recipe

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.

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.

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.

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.

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COOK’S TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE 10-MINUTE KAYA SUCCESSFULLY

1. Use coconut cream

Do not use coconut milk as this is more diluted and you won’t be able to make this kaya in 10 minutes for sure! IMPORTANT TIP: Do not shake the can before opening the coconut cream. The top is usually cream and the bottom usually has some water. I scoop all the cream out from the can and trying not to scoop out any of the water. The less water you have, the better chance you can get this done in 10 minutes. I like to use this brand for coconut cream. You can use Thai brand like Aroy-D or Chaokoh as well. I’ve used those before too.

Coconut cream

2. Use palm sugar (gula melaka) or coconut sugar 

This will save one step from having to caramelize sugar (I don’t like to caramelize sugar!). Palm sugar or coconut sugar is a perfect addition to achieve that golden brown and add a nice aroma to the kaya

3. Separating egg yolks from the white

Make sure you separate the egg yolks from the white very carefully. Leaving as little trace of egg whites as possible when separating. If there is a trace of egg whites, you can run the egg yolks through the sieve. This is to ensure you don’t get any lumps in the kaya. Otherwise, beat the yolks until smooth. Just using a regular fork is fine. Run it through the sieve if you want to

Easy Authentic 10-Minute Kaya Jam (Palm Sugar Kaya or Pandan Kaya)

HOW TO MAKE 10-MINUTE REGULAR KAYA JAM OR PANDAN KAYA

1. Separate the yolks from the white

2. Cook the coconut cream mixture

Place coconut cream, sugars, pandan leaves (for regular kaya), pandan extract (for pandan kaya) in a saucepan over medium heat and just cook until the sugar melted. It shouldn’t be boiling, just heated to warm

3. Temper the egg yolks

With one hand still beating the egg yolks, the other hand holding the saucepan with coconut cream, very gradually pour 1/4 of the coconut cream mixture

Then you can pour the egg mixture back to the saucepan. Stir to mix everything and then place this on the stove over medium heat

4. Continue to stir

At around 2 minutes, the kaya jam can coat the spatula but still runny

At around 4 minutes mark

At around 6 minutes mark

At around 8 minutes mark, the kaya is thick enough

So, please ask me again if I will ever make kaya the traditional way again or not! The answer is HELL NO! No way! This 10-minute kaya recipe is the only recipe I ever need now! Thank you so much, KT for this incredibly easy 10-minute kaya recipe! Such a lifesaver!

MAKE THIS SINGAPORE KAYA TOAST SET

Now that you have this really good and quick kaya jam recipe, you gotta check out this How To Make The Best Singapore Kaya Toast! and also the Kopitiam Soft-boiled eggs! Like..For real!

How To Make The Best Singapore Kaya Toast

COOK’S TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE 10-MINUTE KAYA SUCCESSFULLY

1. Use coconut cream
Do not use coconut milk as this is more diluted and you won’t be able to make this kaya in 10 minutes for sure! IMPORTANT TIP: Do not shake the can before opening the coconut cream. The top is usually cream and the bottom usually has some water. I scoop all the cream out from the can and trying not to scoop out any of the water. The less water you have, the better chance you can get this done in 10 minutes. I like to use this brand for coconut cream. You can use Thai brand like Aroy-D or Chaokoh as well. I’ve used those before too.

2. Use palm sugar (gula melaka) or coconut sugar 
This will save one step from having to caramelize sugar (I don’t like to caramelize sugar!). Palm sugar or coconut sugar is a perfect addition to achieve that golden brown and add a nice aroma to the kaya
3. Separating egg yolks from the white
Make sure you separate the egg yolks from the white very carefully. Leaving as little trace of egg whites as possible when separating. If there is a trace of egg whites, you can run the egg yolks through the sieve. This is to ensure you don’t get any lumps in the kaya. Otherwise, beat the yolks until smooth. Just using a regular fork is fine. Run it through the sieve if you want to

HOW TO MAKE 10-MINUTE REGULAR KAYA JAM OR PANDAN KAYA

1. Separate the yolks from the white

2. Cook the coconut cream mixture
Place coconut cream, sugars, pandan leaves (for regular kaya), pandan extract (for pandan kaya) in a saucepan over medium heat and just cook until the sugar melted. It shouldn’t be boiling, just heated to warm


3. Temper the egg yolks
With one hand still beating the egg yolks, the other hand holding the saucepan with coconut cream, very gradually pour 1/4 of the coconut cream mixture


Then you can pour the egg mixture back to the saucepan. Stir to mix everything and then place this on the stove over medium heat

4. Continue to stir
At around 2 minutes, the kaya jam can coat the spatula but still runny

At around 4 minutes mark

At around 6 minutes mark

At around 8 minutes mark, the kaya is thick enough

So, please ask me again if I will ever make kaya the traditional way again or not! The answer is HELL NO! No way! This 10-minute kaya recipe is the only recipe I ever need now! Thank you so much, KT for this incredibly easy 10-minute kaya recipe! Such a lifesaver!

MAKE THIS SINGAPORE KAYA TOAST SET

Now that you have this really good and quick kaya jam recipe, you gotta check out this How To Make The Best Singapore Kaya Toast! and also the Kopitiam Soft-boiled eggs! Like..For real!