Have you ever heard of Buko Pandan? It’s a Filipino dessert filled with tender young coconut and pandan jelly, all mixed into a smooth coconut base. My version is lighter and more hydrating because I use more coconut water instead of milk or cream.

Because Southeast Asian countries are often hot and humid, many traditional desserts are designed to be light, refreshing, and hydrating rather than overly rich. “Buko” means young coconut, which is softer, higher in water content, and lower in fat compared to mature coconut meat.

That’s what gives this dessert its soft texture and refreshing quality. Pandan adds its signature green color and fragrant aroma. In traditional medicine, pandan is known for its calming and anti-inflammatory properties.

When you combine young coconut and pandan, you get a dessert that feels very cooling, lightly sweet, and perfect for hot weather.

There are so many good toppings that go into this dessert!

Buko Pandan

Buko pandan is a popular Filipino dessert made with young coconut, pandan jelly, and a lightly sweet coconut base. This refreshing dessert is hydrating, fragrant, and perfect for warm weather.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Course Dessert

Cuisine Filipino

Servings people

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Ingredients

Coconut sauce

8-10 pandan leaves
1 cup coconut water
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp palm sugar, to taste
½ cup coconut syrup, syrup coming from the can of coconut jelly or young coconut

Toppings

2 cups shredded young coconut, or canned
1 can nata de coco, coconut jelly, cubed
1 can pandan jelly, cubed
1 can lychees
1 cup tapioca pearls

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Instructions
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Add the pandan leaves and coconut water to a blender and blend until pandan juices come out. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to extract the pandan liquid; set aside.
8-10 pandan leaves, 1 cup coconut water
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the palm sugar and cook until fully dissolved.
1 cup coconut milk, 1 Tbsp palm sugar
Remove from heat and stir in the strained pandan liquid and coconut syrup until well combined. Let the mixture cool.
½ cup coconut syrup
In a large mixing bowl, combine the young coconut, coconut jelly, pandan jelly, lychee, and tapioca pearls. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
2 cups shredded young coconut, 1 can nata de coco, 1 can pandan jelly, 1 can lychees, 1 cup tapioca pearls
Pour the cooled coconut sauce over the mixture and stir to combine.
Serve chilled by refrigerating for at least 1–2 hours before serving, or serve immediately over ice.

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Hi, I’m Tam!

I’m a Vietnamese American and the creator behind this recipe blog. I was previously a scientist but now do recipe development and content creation. I turned my love for research and food into intentional, science-backed cooking…

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