Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract

Pandan leaves blended with water to create an aromatic extract perfect for baking and other desserts. This two-ingredient pandan extract is simple to make and will definitely enhance the flavor of your desserts.

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract | Cooking with a Wallflower

Pandan. Have you heard of it before? In Vietnamese, it’s called lá dứa.

It’s definitely an Asian flavor, and it might not be easy to find unless your local Asian market has it in stock.

It’s just I’ve been obsessed with this flavor for awhile now so I thought I’d share it with you. Just venturing briefly away from my usual “easy to find ingredients” niche.

Whenever I’m at an Asian bakery or dessert shop, I’m constantly looking for something pandan flavored. Have you ever had pandan flavored baked goods or desserts? You might have. It’s soo flavorful and just plain addictive. And they’re kinda distinctive since almost anything pandan flavored will most likely also be green in color. That delicious aroma from the green waffles? Pandan. That green jelly in your Vietnamese dessert? Pandan.

So of course, that meant that I wanted to try to create that flavor at home.

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract | Cooking with a Wallflower

I’ve tried the store bought pandan extract before, and I didn’t quite like it. There was something about it that tasted a little off, a little artificial. So I bought a package of frozen pandan leaves from my local Asian supermarket and set about making my own.

Fresh pandan extract actually doesn’t taste as strong as I’d like, but it does enhance the flavor of your desserts.

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract | Cooking with a Wallflower

Allow the frozen pandan leaves to defrost for a few minutes. Take about 22 pandan leaves, which is almost the whole package, and cut them into smaller pieces, about 1 inch sections.

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract | Cooking with a Wallflower

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract | Cooking with a Wallflower

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract | Cooking with a Wallflower

Place these pandan leaves into a blender, preferably a strong one, and add about ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth. If your blender has trouble blending, add about 2-3 tablespoons of water to help with the blending.

Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or a cup. Pour the pandan into a fine mesh sieve and press with a spoon to squeeze out all the water into the bowl or cup.

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract | Cooking with a Wallflower

Save this two-ingredient pandan extract for your desserts! There’s going to be one coming up soon =)

Hope you’ll like this as much as I do!

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract | Cooking with a Wallflower

Come join me and other food bloggers at Fiesta Friday where you will find so many recipes!

Two-Ingredient Pandan Extract
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Pandan leaves blended with water to create an aromatic extract perfect for baking and other desserts. This pandan extract is simple to make and will enhance the flavor of your desserts.
Author:
Recipe type: Extract
Serves: ½ cup
Ingredients
  • 22 pandan leaves, defrosted
  • ½ cup water, more if needed
Directions:
  1. Take about 22 pandan leaves and cut them into smaller pieces, about 1 inch sections.
  2. Place these pandan leaves into a blender, preferably a strong one, and add about ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth. If your blender has trouble blending, add about 2-3 tablespoons of water to help with the blending.
  3. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or a cup. Pour the pandan into a fine mesh sieve and press with a spoon to squeeze out all the water into the bowl or cup.
  4. Save this pandan extract for your desserts!

 

 

 

 

 

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