Buko Pandan is a creamy, tropical dessert made with strips of coconut and pandan-flavored jelly. It’s refreshing and perfect for get-togethers or simply as an afternoon snack.
Ingredients and Substitutions
*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these ingredients!
Gulaman: Also known as Filipino dried agar. You can buy this from most Filipino or Asian grocery stores in convenient packets in powdered form.
Buko Strips: Buko is known as young coconut. You can find buko strips in most Filipino groceries in the frozen section. Let it defrost completely prior to using.
Heavy Cream, Condensed Milk, Evaporated Milk: This mixture will give the dessert its iconic rich, milky taste. Heavy cream can be replaced with the more traditional all-purpose creamer. Evaporated milk can be replaced with fresh milk.
Sago Pearls: You can use either small tapioca pearls or sago pearls for this recipe so long as they’re tiny. A couple of my go-to brands include: Cock Brand or Bob’s Red Mill.
Buko-pandan extract: If you wanted an even stronger buko-pandan flavor, adding a few drops of this stuff can help tremendously.
Pinipig (flattened glutinous rice): This ingredient is optional, but it gives a good crunchy element to the dessert. You can find this in Filipino groceries, either kept at room temperature or frozen (to increase its shelf life). You can also use any crunchy topping such as corn flakes, rice crispies, or even toasted shredded coconut.
Instructions
*The Recipe Card below includes all the full detailed instructions!
Prepare your jelly/gulaman according to packaged instructions and let set while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
Cook the tapioca pearls until chewy.
Create the cream mixture. Mix until smooth.
Once the jelly is firm, cut into cubes. Combine everything into a large bowl and mix to combine. Let chill in the refrigerator overnight prior to serving.
Quick Tips
Drain and wash your Buko: Buko juice contains enzymes which can cause the dessert to spoil and curdle at a faster rate (especially since we’re using lots of milk and cream in this). To avoid this issue, drain the juice from the Buko completely, and briefly rinse the strips with warm water prior to incorporating it with the cream.
Taste and adjust as you go: This is one of those recipes where you don’t have to follow the instructions to the T. Use it as a guide, but ultimately, you can adjust the sweetness and creaminess as you go.
Let chill in your refrigerator prior to serving: Chilling before serving accomplishes two things. Firstly, it allows the flavors of the jelly and buko strips to seep into the cream mixture, overall making your whole dessert much more tasty. Secondly, it thickens up the sauce to make it thicker and luxurious when eaten.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
How many does this serve?
This particular recipe is great for potlucks -seriously, it makes a lot (around 12 to 15 servings). If you’re only planning to serve it for your household or for a few people, you can cut the recipe by half.
How do I store this?
Buko Pandan can last for up to 4-5 days refrigerated in an airtight container. You can prepare this a day in advance to serve to your guests the next day. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this, as it can alter the over all texture of the cream and jelly!
Looking for more delicious dessert ideas? You might love these:
Buko Pandan
12-15
servingsBuko Pandan is a creamy, tropical dessert made with strips of coconut and pandan-flavored jelly. It’s refreshing and perfect for get-togethers or simply as an afternoon snack.
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Ingredients
1 pack buko pandan-flavored gulaman
1/3 cups uncooked mini sago or tapioca pearls
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups condensed milk, more or less to taste
3/4 cups evaporated milk
3 cups shredded young coconut (buko) strips
3 to 5 drops buko-pandan extract, for a stronger taste (optional)
Pinipig, toasted (optional)
Directions
- Begin by preparing your gulaman (jelly) by following the packaged instructions. Transfer the liquid mixture into a large heat-proof container to chill and set while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Prepare the pearls by bringing a pot of water a boil. Once boiling, add in the pearls and turn down the heat to a medium-low. Let the pearls cook for around 15 minutes (stirring constantly to avoid sticking/burning), or until the pearls are translucent and no longer white in the centre. Drain, and rinse with cold water immediately to retain their chew. Set aside.
- In a large container or bowl, combine together the heavy cream, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Whisk to combine until smooth.
- Once the jelly is firm, slice into 1-inch cubes.
- Add the cubed jelly, cooked tapioca pearls, and young coconut strips into the cream mixture (you may also add drops of buko-pandan extract at this time if you prefer to intensify the flavor). Stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust the flavor to your preference, with more condensed milk for a sweeter taste or more evaporated milk for a looser consistency.
- Let chill in the refrigerator overnight for best flavor and texture. Sprinkle with toasted pinipig prior to serving.
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I’m anxious to try this recipe! I have a question. I cannot eat cream. Would coconut cream work?
Hi Shelly, I haven’t tried this with coconut cream before, though I’d imagine it would work perfectly with the tropical dessert! Hope all goes well! 🙂