Pandan is a tropical plant known for its sweet, pleasant aroma. In Southeast Asia, it’s used in cooking to add flavor, color, and fragrance — especially in desserts. If you’ve never tried pandan before, these recipes are a great place to start.
Here are 3 simple and delicious pandan desserts you can try at home.
1. Pandan Sticky Rice
This dessert is soft, chewy, and full of coconut and pandan flavor. It’s a favorite in many Asian households.
What you need:
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Glutinous (sticky) rice
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Pandan leaves or pandan extract
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Coconut milk
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Sugar and a pinch of salt
Instructions:
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Soak the rice for a few hours or overnight.
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Simmer pandan leaves in water, then strain the green pandan water.
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Steam the rice with the pandan water.
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Mix warm cooked rice with sweetened coconut milk.
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Optional: top with sesame seeds or shredded coconut.
2. Pandan Layer Cake
Also known as steamed jelly cake, this dessert has soft, chewy layers and a sweet pandan scent. It’s fun to make and even better to eat.
You’ll need:
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Tapioca starch, rice flour
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Pandan juice or extract
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Mung beans (optional, for yellow layers)
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Coconut milk and sugar
How to make it:
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Make two mixtures: one with pandan, one with mashed mung beans.
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Pour the mixtures into a mold in layers, steaming each layer before adding the next.
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Let cool, cut into pieces, and enjoy.
3. Pandan Mung Bean Sweet Soup
This light dessert is perfect warm or chilled. It’s creamy, naturally sweet, and very soothing.
Ingredients:
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Mung beans (split and peeled)
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Pandan leaves or extract
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Sugar
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Coconut milk
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Tapioca starch (optional)
Steps:
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Cook mung beans until soft.
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Add pandan and simmer for flavor.
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Stir in sugar to taste.
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Mix a little tapioca starch with water and add for thickness.
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Serve with coconut milk on top.
Tip: Where to Get Pandan
Can’t find fresh pandan? No problem. Dried pandan leaves or pandan extract are great alternatives. Just soak or simmer to release the aroma.
Try It Yourself
These three pandan desserts are easy to make and full of natural flavor. Whether you’re cooking for your family or just curious to try something new, pandan is a great ingredient to explore.
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