Asia
Singapore Kaya Toast with Soft-Boiled Eggs
Chef-tested recipe
Crisp toast layered with pandan coconut kaya and cold butter, served with soft eggs, soy, and pepper
The classic Singapore kopitiam breakfast pairs crisp kaya toast with barely set eggs seasoned with dark soy sauce and white pepper. Kaya is a slow-cooked coconut-and-egg custard perfumed with pandan. The toast should be thin and crisp, while cold salted butter creates a firm, savoury layer against the warm bread and sweet jam. The eggs are served loose in a bowl for dipping.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 breakfast sets
- Prep Time
- 20 mins
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Chilling Time
- 30 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hour 50 mins
- Cuisine
- Singaporean
- Course
- Breakfast and brunch
- Cooking Method
- Double-boiler custard cooking, toasting, and hot-water egg setting
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with Singapore kopi, kopi-c, teh, or another hot unsweetened drink.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Medium saucepanpaid link
- Heatproof mixing bowlpaid link
- Balloon whiskpaid link
- Fine-mesh strainerpaid link
- Silicone spatulapaid link
- Stick blenderpaid link
- Heatproof pot with lidpaid link
- Digital thermometerpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the pandan kaya
- Full-fat coconut milkpaid link: 500 ml
- Large eggs: 300 g
- Egg yolks: 120 g
- Granulated sugarpaid link: 350 g
- Fresh pandan leaves, washed and tied into knots: 80 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 2 g
For the toast
- Thin white sandwich bread: 720 g
- Salted butter, chilled and thinly sliced: 240 g
- Prepared pandan kaya: 360 g
For the soft-boiled eggs
- Pasteurised large eggs, at room temperaturepaid link: 720 g
- Boiling water: 3000 ml
- Dark soy saucepaid link: 60 ml
- Ground white pepper: 3 g
Preparation Overview
Wash the pandan carefully and tie it into compact knots. Whisk and strain the eggs for the kaya before heating. Keep the butter cold until the toast is assembled, and bring the serving eggs to room temperature for more predictable soft setting.
Method
Whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt gently until the sugar begins dissolving without incorporating excessive foam.
Whisk in the coconut milk, then strain the mixture into a heatproof bowl and add the pandan knots.
Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, ensuring the base does not touch the water.
Cook for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring continuously near the end, until the kaya thickly coats a spatula and reaches at least 82°C.
Remove the pandan, blend briefly if necessary for smoothness, transfer to a clean container, and chill for 30 minutes.
Trim the bread crusts if desired and toast the slices until evenly crisp and pale golden.
Spread half of the toast slices with kaya, cover with cold butter slices, add the remaining toast, and cut each sandwich into fingers.
Place the room-temperature eggs in a heatproof pot, pour over the boiling water, cover, and leave for 7 minutes.
Crack two eggs into each serving bowl, checking that the whites are softly set and the yolks remain fluid.
Season each bowl with dark soy sauce and white pepper and serve immediately with the kaya toast for dipping.
Beginner Technique Notes
Use indirect heat for kaya because direct high heat quickly scrambles the eggs.
Stir the base and corners of the bowl frequently as the custard thickens.
Soft eggs carry a higher food-safety risk, so use pasteurised eggs or cook them fully for vulnerable diners.
Toast the bread before adding butter so the cold slices retain their characteristic firm texture.
Tips and Variations
Prepare the kaya up to one week ahead and keep it refrigerated in a clean sealed container.
A Hainanese-style brown kaya can be made by caramelising part of the sugar before combining it carefully with coconut milk.
Adjust egg setting by 30-second intervals because egg size and starting temperature vary.
Serve the kaya at room temperature for easier spreading while keeping the butter chilled.
Serving Ideas
- Present one bowl of two seasoned soft eggs beside four kaya-toast fingers so the toast can be dipped into the yolks.
Storage
Refrigerate homemade kaya in a sterile covered container for up to 7 days. Assemble toast and cook eggs only when serving. Do not store partially cooked eggs at room temperature or freeze the finished set.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains egg, coconut, milk, gluten, and soy. Bread and soy sauce may contain additional allergens or cross-contact. Use pasteurised eggs when undercooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is cold butter used in kaya toast?
The firm salted butter creates a cool, savoury contrast with warm crisp toast and sweet kaya.
Why did my kaya become grainy?
The heat was too high or the custard was not stirred often enough. Cook it over barely simmering water.
How soft should the eggs be?
Kopitiam-style eggs have loose whites and fluid yolks, though they may be cooked further for safety or preference.
Can I make kaya without pandan?
Yes, but pandan supplies the characteristic fragrance associated with the green style of kaya.
