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12 pandan desserts for those who want more colour in their lives

Fragrant puddings, colourful cakes and creamy concoctions, southeast Asia's answer to the vanilla bean comes in the form of pandan and we double dare you to give it a swirl.

Coconut and pandan crème brûlée

Coconut and pandan crème brûlée Source: Chris Middleton

Who doesn't love a ? Here’s a colourful variation on the great Aussie classic. For best success, the cake should be a day old so it absorbs the icing better. 
Pandan lamingtons
Pandan lamingtons Source: China Squirrel
There's a little bit of Asia in every bite of these pale . And we're recommending the fancier waffle cones because you're worth it.
Pandan ice-cream with toffee pecans in a waffle cone
Pandan ice-cream with toffee pecans in a waffle cone Source: Petrina Tinslay
Kuehs are a general description for bite-size nibbles. These traditional delights come in many different forms and are either sweet or savoury.  are infused with pandan juice and filled with palm sugar, then rolled in coconut.
Ondeh ondeh - Destination Flavour Singapore
Source: Adam Liaw
With its musky vanilla overtones, pandan works well in , crepes, hotcakes and the like. If you can’t be bothered dealing with fresh leaves here, just substitute pandan essence (either clear or green) to taste. Use honey instead of the palm sugar syrup if you’re short on time; but do try and get Sugar or Lady Finger bananas if you can.
Pandan pancakes
Source: China Squirrel
Packing a beautiful vibrant green, is so easy and within 30 minutes you'll have silky smooth custard at your tips.
Pandan custard
Pandan custard Source: Sharyn Cairns
Black glutinous rice, coconut cream and fresh mango create a refreshing dessert and gives you a hint of chilli for a pleasant kick.
Pandan-infused black sticky rice with mango and chilli sugar
Pandan-infused black sticky rice with mango and chilli sugar Source: Petrina Tinslay
Like most Malaysian street sweet snacks,  flavour profile is based on the holy trinity of Southeast Asian dessert ingredients – coconut, pandan and palm sugar – delicious and refreshing!
Cendol
Cendol Source: China Squirrel
It's mesmerising and makes a sensational finish to any dinner party, this  excites. What's great about is you can prepare it the day before serving – just make sure they're chilled before you caramelise the top.
Coconut and pandan crème brûlée
Coconut and pandan crème brûlée Source: Chris Middleton
Check out that crisp pastry! SBS Food and Black Star Pastry have teamed up to pop a twist on an Aussie classic. Pop some pandan into your custard and you'll never look back.
Pandan custard vanilla slice
Vanilla Slice Slice Baby available at Black Star Pastry. Source: Matthew Venables
The texture of is really quite interesting - a cross between marshmallow and bread, with the flavour of custard. Simply substitute your vanilla for pandan paste here and watch a perfect tea cake unfold.
Steamed sponge cake
Source: Poh & Co.
The ginger and pandan-infused syrup combined with coconut jelly lend a Thai influence to this . Hot tip, to intensify the flavour, marinate the berries and watermelon in the syrup overnight.
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Filled with grated coconut and palm sugar,  have a place on everyone's plate. If you can’t get fresh pandan leaves for the pancakes, substitute 1 teaspoon of pandan paste and watch your cakes go even brighter!
Balinese-coconut-pancakes.jpg
Want more? Check out our pandan collection right

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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only.
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3 min read
Published 5 December 2017 9:58am
Updated 4 June 2018 10:05am
By SBS Food bite-sized
Source: SBS


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