• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Greedygirlgourmet
  • Recipes
  • SEO for Food Blogs
  • Authentic South East Asian Recipes
  • Privacy policy
  • Subscribe
  • Accessibility

Greedy Girl Gourmet

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Chinese New Year
  • Recipes
  • Blogging
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Chinese New Year
    • Recipes
    • Blogging
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » 5 or less ingredients

    Published: Sep 19, 2022 by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pandan Syrup

    Sharing food makes everyone happy! :)

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy homemade pandan syrup recipe is made using only 2 natural ingredients. It's super fragrant, naturally green and perfect for desserts, cocktails and drinks! (I also show you how to get an almost colorless version if you don't want to dye your food.)

    A glass bowl full of vegetal green natural pandan syrup.
    Jump to:
    • What is Pandan?
    • Ingredients
    • Variations
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • How to Store
    • How to Use
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Pandan Syrup

    What is Pandan?

    Also known as screwpine or pandanus amaryllifolius, pandan is a tropical plant with a unique aroma. Its aromatic, long, pointy leaves are used in many Thai and Southeast Asian dishes, from rice to desserts, cakes and drinks.

    Some examples are Singaporean kueh dadar, steamed bread, pandan chiffon cake and these sweet and savory pandan recipes. Recently, pandan has been seen in many cocktails too. It's so ubiquitous that it's no wonder it's called the "vanilla of the East!"

    Flavoring & Natural Coloring

    Pandan is primarily used for flavoring and coloring foods naturally in Sri Lanka, Singapore and many other countries in Asia.

    For flavoring: the long, dark green leaves are bruised, knotted then added to the foods directly. They're very fibrous so they're discarded after cooking. (The foods will have the pandan fragrance but won't turn green, as with this Singapore Chicken Porridge recipe.)

    For coloring: the pandan leaves are blended for a few minutes to make pandan juice then sieved to remove the fibrous pulp. This juice is then added to foods to make it aromatic and green-colored. Click here for more details on how to make pandan juice and extract.

    Tip: Pandan is perfect for coloring Christmas desserts such as trees and wreaths!

    Taste

    Personally, I don't think it tastes anything like vanilla as it's not floral but almost grassy and earthy.

    It has a warm, slightly nutty undertaste and goes very well with other Asian ingredients such as lemongrass, coconut and gula melaka sugar.

    Homemade pandan flavor syrup will not have the same fluorescent bright green color (or red color) as artificial pandan. Instead, it will have a much more pleasing and natural green color, as shown below, and is perfect for flavoring drinks such as pandan milk.

    3 kueh dadar or pandan coconut rolls on a plate.
    Made with natural pandan juice
    2 green pandan plain tang yuan and 1 filled with sesame in a bowl of ginger longan soup.
    Made with artificial pandan essence. The color makes me feel like I'm eating an alien!

    Ingredients

    The 3 ingredients needed for homemade pandan syrup on a cream bakground.

    You will only need 2-3 simple ingredients to DIY pandan syrup:

    • pandan extract: This is made from pandan leaves and water. These leaves can be found in Asian supermarkets and should be cut into small pieces. Fresh is preferred but frozen can also be used. Alternatively, you can use pandan juice (for a lighter syrup) or artificial pandan paste/ extract/ essence (if you don't mind eating neon-colored foods! See photo above, under "Taste.")
    • sugar: I use white granulated sugar to allow the pandan aroma to shine, but you can also use brown sugar or gula melaka (as I did in this lemongrass simple syrup.) Use an equal amount of sugar and liquid to make a simple syrup or double the amount of sugar to make a rich syrup.

    Tip: if you live somewhere warm, like Florida, it is easy to grow your own pandan plant! For more Asian edible plants, click here.

    Variations

    • Coconut Pandan Simple Syrup: Substitute the water with coconut water and keep everything else the same.
    • Vanilla Pandan Simple Syrup: add some vanilla extract to the pandan syrup. The amount will depend on whether you want the vanilla or the pandan to be the dominant flavor.
    • Vegan Pandan Simple Syrup: Use a bone-char free sugar.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    There are several ways to make Pandan Leaf Syrup:

    Pandan juice and sugar simmering in a pan.

    Method 1: for green-colored pandan syrup

    1. Heat pandan extract and sugar on medium. Once the sugar is dissolved, switch off the fire.
    2. The syrup will separate. You will need to shake or stir before using to get a uniform green color.

    Note: Pandan extract is the thicker "sediment" that forms at the bottom of pandan juice when it settles. You can also use pandan juice, the syrup will still be dark green but the flavor will not be strong.

    Pandan leaves, water and sugar simmering in a pot.

    Method 2: for a very light colored pandan syrup

    1. Bring bruised pandan leaves, sugar and water to the boil.
    2. Boil for 5 minutes then switch off the fire and allow to steep till cool.
    3. Strain and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Optional for best taste: Once cool, wring with your hands to extract all the flavor. (You can also blitz in but your syrup will be greener.)

    2 pandan syrups side by side, 1 from pandan juice and 1 from pandan extract.
    The smaller, lighter syrup is made using Method 2 (pandan leaves) and the darker, vegetal green one using Method 1 (pandan juice/ extract.)

    (Method 3) Using artificial pandan paste, essence or extract: make a simple syrup with the sugar and water, then stir in the pandan extract etc after the sugar has dissolved.

    How to Store

    Store the syrup in the fridge in an airtight container, preferably sterilised. It should keep for at least a week. (If you use more sugar to water, as in a Pandan Rich Syrup, it will last longer.)

    Do not leave it at room temperature or it will go bad. If it turns moldy, it's time for it to go!

    How to Use

    You can use it like any regular simple syrup:

    • in Pandan Latte
    • as Buko Pandan syrup (a Filipino dessert)
    • In Es Campur or Ice Kacang (an Indonesian/ Singaporean shaved ice dessert)

    Alcohol Pairings for Cocktails

    Pandan goes well with mellower types of alcohol that are usually mixed with fruits and spices, as well as rum (thanks to the coconut notes), Gin and Tequila.

    Tip: you can also infuse the pandan leaves in alcohol.

    Expert Tips

    A glass of tiger milk tea with green pandan stripes on the walls.
    Pandan flavored Tiger Milk Tea, anyone?

    Tip #1: If you blitz the pandan leaves, a lot of juice will be trapped in the pulp. Use a coffee filter, strainer or, ideally, a cheesecloth to filter out the pulp and squeeze to ensure you get every drop of juice!

    Tip #2: If you heat a bit of tapioca flour or glutinous rice flour with your pandan syrup, you can create a nice and thick syrup to coat the walls of your glass, like with Brown Sugar Milk Tea. (See above.) Alternatively, use artificial pandan paste, which is pretty thick!

    Recipe FAQs

    What flavors go well with pandan?

    Pandan is often used with lemongrass, turmeric, coconut, brown sugar and gula melaka sugar. To be honest, it's added to almost everything in South East Asia, even Vietnamese coffee!

    A glass of tiger milk tea with green pandan stripes on the walls.

    Enjoyed this Homemade Pandan Syrup Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY found it useful, a comment would make my week! Thank you and have a great day!

    A glass of tiger milk tea with green pandan stripes on the walls.

    Pandan Syrup

    Zen
    This easy homemade pandan syrup recipe is made using only 2 natural ingredients. It's super fragrant, naturally green and perfect for desserts, cocktails and drinks! (I also show you how to get an almost colorless version.)
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 3 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Course Dessert, Drinks
    Cuisine Filipino, Malay, Nyonya, singaporean, Southeast Asian, Vietnamese
    Servings 1 Cup
    Calories 1479 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pot
    • sieve If using Method 2 to make an almost colorless syrup

    Ingredients
      

    For Green-colored Pandan Syrup

    • 1 Cup pandan extract Click here for the pandan extract recipe. Substitute: 1 Cup pandan juice but the result will be a less intensely flavored yet still green syrup (see Notes)
    • 1 Cup White Sugar Substitute: brown sugar, gula melaka etc

    For Almost Colorless but still aromatic Pandan Syrup

    • 1 Cup pandan leaves bruised and cut into 1" pieces (or smaller). Approximate weight is 1oz/ 28g.
    • 1 Cup White Sugar Substitute: brown sugar, gula melaka etc
    • 1 Cup Water Substitute: coconut water if you want to make pandan coconut syrup.

    Instructions
     

    For Green-colored Pandan Syrup

    • Pour the thick, dark green pandan extract and sugar into a pot. Heat on medium till the sugar has all dissolved.
    • Allow to cool then store in the fridge in a sterilised, airtight container.

    For Almost Colorless but still aromatic Pandan Syrup

    • Bring bruised pandan leaves, sugar and water to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes then switch off the fire and allow to steep till cool.
    • Strain and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
    • Optional for best taste: Once cool, wring with your hands to extract all the flavor. (You can also blitz in but your syrup will be greener.)

    Notes

    Be careful as heated sugar is VERY hot!
    Pandan extract vs Pandan Juice
    Pandan extract is the thicker "sediment" that forms at the bottom of pandan juice when it settles. Syrup made with pandan juice will still be green but less flavorful.
    To make pandan rich syrup: Use 2 Cups of sugar to 1 Cup of liquid (pandan juice/ Pandan paste + water.)
    Method 3 to make pandan syrup using artificial pandan paste, essence or extract: make a simple syrup with the sugar and water, then stir in the pandan extract etc after the sugar has dissolved.
    Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity. The information about pandan is from Myfitnesspal and Healthline.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1479kcalCarbohydrates: 355gSodium: 18347mgCalcium: 7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GreedyGirlGourmet or tag #greedygirlgourmet!

    Let me know what you used this Pandan Syrup for in the comments!

    I have other recipes you may like here! :)

    • Muah Chee (Peanut Mochi) (5 Methods)
    • Traditional Chinese Peanut Cookies (CNY)
    • Chinese Sour Plum Drink (Suanmeitang)
    • Easiest Osmanthus Sugar & Syrup Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Greedygirlgourmet eating 2 sandwiches in Scotland

    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18 but after living abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years and having to cook for myself, I now love cooking for friends and family. Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

    More about GGG ->

    Chinese New Year

    • Shrimp Mei Fun (Fried Rice Noodles)
    • Chinese Almond Cookies 2023 (Buttery)
    • 23 Asian Recipes with Tofu for 2023
    • Best Vermicelli Substitutes

    Popular Dishes

    • Quick Eryngii Mushrooms (3-ingredients)
    • Best Poached One Pot Soy Sauce Chicken
    • Yuzu konnyaku jelly recipe (15 minutes)
    • Tiger Milk Tea Boba (3-ingredients)
    • Traditional Chinese Peanut Cookies (CNY)
    • 10 Longevity Noodle Recipes for CNY 2023
    • 33 Vegetarian Chinese New Year Recipes
    • 23 Best Chinese New Year Desserts 2023

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Greedygirlgourmet
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • All Recipes

    Newsletter

    • Sign up here!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Buy Me a Coffee :)

    As an Amazon Associate, at no cost to you, I earn from qualifying purchases :)

    Copyright © 2023 GreedyGirlGourmet