Pandan Beyond Cocktails: Savory and Sweet Recipes Using Southeast Asia’s Fragrant Leaf

A fragrant pivot for home cooks: pandan beyond cocktails

Struggling to capture authentic Southeast Asian aromatics at home? If your travel-era palate remembers pandan as a cocktail flourish or a single-note syrup, this guide rewrites the playbook. In 2026 pandan has moved from bars to bakeries and home kitchens worldwide—here’s a curated set of recipes that take pandan from drinks to desserts and savory dishes: pandan-infused butter for baking, pandan Viennese fingers (a green, floral take on a classic biscuit), and fragrant pandan rice to anchor weeknight dinners.

The evolution of pandan in 2026: why it matters now

Over the past 18 months pandan has jumped from a niche ingredient to a mainstream flavor in Western food scenes. Chefs and bakers are using pandan pastes, powders, and fresh leaves to create layered, floral-sweet profiles that play beautifully with coconut, toasted sesame, citrus, and chocolate. Mixologists first popularized pandan-infused spirits (see Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni as a notable example), but 2025–2026 saw a pivot: pastry chefs and home bakers have started using pandan to sculpt texture and aroma in cakes, cookies, and laminated doughs.

Two practical reasons for this shift: improved global supply chains that bring fresh leaves and stabilized pandan pastes to more markets, and better home techniques—simple extractions and clarified infusions—that lock in aroma without losing texture or color. The recipes below reflect those advances with actionable, reliable methods you can reproduce in a regular kitchen.

Quick primer: what to use and how to extract aroma (short and practical)

For clarity: there are three common forms of pandan you’ll encounter in 2026 kitchens.

• Fresh pandan leaves — best aroma, great for infusions and wrapping. Use the green part only; avoid thick white base unless blanching.
• Pandan paste or purée — concentrated, shelf-stable, easy for baking and coloring. Look for pastes with minimal additives.
• Pandan powder/extract — convenient for small batches and gluten-free baking. Often used where moisture is limited.

Best extraction method for home cooks: gentle heat. Roughly chop leaves, simmer for 5–10 minutes in just-off-boil water or milk, cool, and strain through muslin. For butter or eggs, macerate finely and strain through a fine sieve or coffee filter—this keeps butter silky without leaf fibers. Avoid over-blending raw leaves: the chlorophyll can go bitter and muddy the flavor.

Recipe 1 — Pandan-Infused Butter (the backbone for pandan baking)

Why this matters

Infusing butter captures pandan’s aromatic compounds in a fat medium so the aroma disperses evenly across batters and doughs. This butter works in cookies, cakes, Viennese fingers, and even laminated pastries where you want a detectable floral note without watery additions.

Yields & timing

• Makes: about 250g pandan butter
• Prep + infusion: 20–30 minutes active; 1–2 hours cooling/chilling

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 6–8 fresh pandan leaves (green part only) OR 1 tbsp pandan paste
• 1–2 tbsp neutral oil (optional, keeps butter spreadable)

Method

1. Roughly chop pandan leaves and bruise to release oils. If using paste, skip to step 3.
2. Place chopped leaves in a small saucepan with 50–75ml water or milk. Bring to a gentle simmer for 6–8 minutes, then remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Strain and reserve the liquid (you should have 40–60ml).
3. Beat the room-temperature butter in a bowl until soft and smooth. Gradually add the pandan reduction or 1 tbsp pandan paste, beating until evenly colored and aromatic. If you like a silkier finish, add 1 tbsp neutral oil.
4. Transfer to a container, chill until firm. Use within 10 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Pro tips

• For a deeper color without extra moisture, fold in ½ tsp pandan powder with the paste.
• If the butter separates when using warm pandan reduction, chill briefly and re-whip to regain emulsion.

Recipe 2 — Pandan Viennese Fingers (a floral take on a classic biscuit)

Inspired by Benjamina Ebuehi’s Viennese fingers and reworked for pandan: the texture remains melt-in-the-mouth while the butter and a hint of pandan create a soft, green-scented crumb perfect for afternoon tea.

Yields & timing

• Makes: 18–22 fingers
• Prep: 20 min; chill: 15 min; bake: 12–14 min

Ingredients

• 130g pandan-infused butter (see recipe above), very soft
• 50g icing sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 170g plain flour, sifted
• 1–2 tbsp milk (if needed for pipeability)
• 100g dark chocolate, melted, for dipping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (335°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Beat pandan butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. If the mixture is very thick, add 1 tbsp milk to help piping.
3. Fold in flour with a spatula until just combined; do not overwork.
4. Fit a piping bag with a large open-star nozzle (e.g., 8–10mm). Transfer dough and pipe 6–8cm long fingers about 3cm apart on the tray.
5. Chill the piped fingers in the fridge for 10–15 minutes—this helps them hold shape.
6. Bake 12–14 minutes until edges are just golden. Let cool on the tray 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
7. When cool, dip ends in tempered dark chocolate. Set on parchment until chocolate firms.

Troubleshooting and texture notes

• Too soft to pipe? Chill dough or add up to 1 tbsp more flour in small increments.
• Dough spread? Make sure butter isn’t overly warm—chill briefly then re-whip.
• Flavor not enough? Brush a light pandan syrup (1 tbsp sugar to 1 tbsp pandan water) on warm biscuits before chocolate-dipping.

Recipe 3 — Fragrant Pandan Rice (stovetop and rice-cooker methods)

Pandan rice is a simple, transformative staple. The leaf’s aroma infuses the grains so well it lifts grilled fish, curries, or a simple fried egg into something travel-memorable.

Yields & timing

• Makes: 4 servings
• Prep: 5 min; cook: 20–25 min

Ingredients

• 300g jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• 360ml water or 300ml water + 60ml coconut milk for richer flavor
• 3–4 pandan leaves, knotted
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: 1 pandan leaf finely sliced and fried in a tablespoon of oil for garnish

Stovetop method

1. Rinse rice and drain.
2. Combine rice, water/coconut milk, salt and knotted pandan leaves in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. When edges look set and steam starts to rise, reduce to the lowest heat, cover tightly, and cook 12–14 minutes without lifting the lid.
4. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes. Remove pandan leaves and fluff with a fork.

Rice cooker method

1. Add rinsed rice, water/coconut milk, salt and pandan leaves to the rice cooker and cook on normal white rice setting.
2. Remove leaves and fluff when finished. If using coconut milk, scrape a little of the rich crusty rice at the top (a treat) into the bowl.

Serving ideas

• Serve with grilled lemongrass chicken and pickled cucumber for a weeknight twist.
• Pair pandan rice with coconut sambal and fried shallots for texture contrast.

Savory fusion idea: Pandan-wrapped chicken skewers

For a quick savory application, use knotted pandan leaves to wrap marinated chicken cubes. The pandan acts like banana leaf—aroma and brief steam make meat fragrant. Marinate chicken in turmeric, coconut milk, garlic, and fish sauce for 30 minutes, wrap on skewers and grill 6–8 minutes. The result echoes southern Thai and Malaysian hawker flavors.

Advanced strategies for consistent pandan results (2026 home-kitchen techniques)

Pro cooks in 2026 are relying on a few reliable techniques to prevent pandan pitfalls—brown or muddy color, bitter overtones, and loss of aroma during baking. Use these steps to win every time:

• Cold infusion for butter and eggs: bruise leaves, steep in cold cream or egg mixture overnight in the fridge, then gently warm to 40–45°C to finish extraction and strain. This yields bright aroma without heat-induced bitterness. (See home-kitchen cold infusion tips.)
• Clarified pandan extract: simmer leaves in water, strain, then clarify through a coffee filter to remove solids. Use the clarified liquid for shiny glazes or piped icings.
• Color and flavor balance: if you want green color but little extra moisture, combine a small amount of pandan paste with a pinch of pandan powder. Use sparingly—aroma is more important than color.
• Freeze-ahead method: make pandan butter or paste in bulk and portion into ice-cube trays. Freeze and pop out cubes as needed for consistent results—this idea scales to micro-fulfilment kitchens and small-batch sellers.

Where to source pandan and what to avoid

In 2026 most major cities have multiple options: Asian markets (fresh leaves), specialty suppliers (pandan paste), and online retailers (freeze-dried powder and concentrated extract). Two sourcing tips matter:

1. Prioritize fresh leaves or minimal-ingredient pastes. Synthetic pandan flavorings exist and can be overly sweet, one-dimensional, or chemically intense.
2. Check origin and sustainability. As demand rises, look for vendors who document harvest practices—sustainably harvested pandan supports smallholder farmers across Southeast Asia.

Pairings and menu ideas: integrating pandan across meals

Pandan plays well with both sweet and savory partners. Here are pairing ideas to build a travel-inspired menu:

• Savory: pandan rice with grilled fish, pandan-wrapped chicken, coconut-laced soups
• Sweet: pandan Viennese fingers with dark chocolate, pandan custard (kaya) on toast, pandan panna cotta with lime
• Fusion desserts: pandan tiramisu layered with mascarpone, pandan-chocolate ganache tart, pandan macarons with coconut buttercream

Troubleshooting common problems

• Bitter or grassy flavor: avoid over-blending raw leaves; do a short, gentle simmer and strain quickly.
• Dull color: color doesn’t equal flavor—if aroma is right, small amounts of paste or powder can enhance color without changing texture.
• Spread in cookies: chill piped Viennese fingers before baking and make sure butter isn’t too soft.

Local color: real-world examples and inspiration

Take cues from innovative operators: Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni showed how pandan can transform drinks; pastry chefs in Singapore and Penang are now using pandan butter to make layered baked goods that travel well to the West. On the home front, 2025–2026 cookbook releases and food stalls have popularized pandan kueh, pandan chiffon cakes, and pandan custards—recipes that adapt beautifully into Western techniques when you swap in pandan-infused butter or clarified extract.

“Pandan is less a single-note gimmick and more a way to tie a dish to a place. Use it sparingly and thoughtfully.” — EatToExplore test kitchen

Make it a culinary travel project

Turn these recipes into a weekend itinerary: first morning, try pandan rice with grilled fish; mid-afternoon, bake Viennese fingers and bring them to a local coffee shop; finish with pandan panna cotta paired with black tea. If you love food-led travel, curate a themed day trip that matches these flavors—market visits, bakeries, and hawker stalls focused on pandan and coconut-based dishes.

Final tips and next steps (actionable takeaways)

• Start with the pandan-infused butter: it’s versatile and quick to make.
• Make one sweet and one savory pandan dish in the same weekend to understand how the aroma behaves in different matrices.
• Freeze small portions of paste or butter for consistent results across recipes.
• Document suppliers and batch results—note how much paste vs. fresh leaf you prefer for each recipe.

Related Reading

• Sustainable Packaging and Cold Chain Tips for Perishable Samples in 2026
• Micro‑Fulfilment Kitchens for Healthy Meal Makers: A 2026 Playbook
• Portable Checkout & Fulfillment Tools for Makers — Field Review (2026)
• Weekend Pop‑Up Growth Hacks: Kits, Inventory Tools, and On‑the‑Go Creator Workflows (2026)
• Grant-Writing for Policy Impact Studies: Funding a Study on ABLE Accounts and Health Benefits
• Data Sources and Biases When Studying Recent US Macroeconomic Strength
• Using 22 U.S.C. 1928f as a Case Study: When National Security Decisions Trigger Tax and Reporting Changes for Multinationals
• From Crisis to Opportunity: How Creators Can Pivot After an Account Reset or Outage
• Pet-Proof Party Planning for Dry January and Beyond: Alcohol-Free Celebrations That Keep Pets Safe

Call to action

Ready to bring Southeast Asia’s fragrant leaf into your home kitchen? Try the pandan butter this weekend and bake the Viennese fingers on day two. Share your photos and recipe tweaks with our community so fellow food travelers can replicate your success—join the EatToExplore newsletter for seasonal pandan recipes, sourcing guides, and destination-inspired itineraries coming in 2026.