If you’ve never tried pandan before, homemade pandan ice cream is a lovely place to start. It’s one of my favourite flavours, and it brings back memories of growing up with my mom’s cooking.

Pandan has a very distinct taste, so I know it’s not for everyone. Some people describe it as a mix of vanilla, coconut, and almond, with a light floral note. My husband says it reminds him of good green tea. I find it hard to compare to anything else, which is part of what makes it so interesting.

What Exactly is Pandan?

Pandan comes from the Pandanus amaryllifolius plant, which has long, green leaves with a wonderful fragrance. The leaves are used throughout Southeast Asian cooking to add aroma and flavour to both sweet and savoury dishes.

For me, pandan has always been part of home cooking. I grew up watching my mom tie the leaves into knots and add them to a pot of rice, use them when making Hainanese chicken, or incorporate them into desserts for their fragrance and natural green colour. It was something I saw her do so often that I didn’t think much about it back then. Now, whenever I smell pandan, it reminds me of those familiar dishes and the food I grew up with.

Pandan is used in all kinds of Southeast Asian cooking, and I love how it works in both savoury and sweet dishes. You can tie the leaves into knots and add them to a pot of rice for extra fragrance, simmer them in water to make tea, or blend them to make pandan extract for baking.

Pandan is especially popular in desserts, where its aroma and flavour come through beautifully in cakes, puddings, and ice cream, and since ice cream is one of my favourite ways to enjoy pandan, I wanted to share my homemade version.

The Appeal of Homemade Ice Cream

One thing I love about making ice cream at home is being able to choose the ingredients. I can keep the recipe simple and know exactly what goes into each batch.

This pandan ice cream is egg-free and can easily be made vegan, depending on the ingredients you use. Instead of egg yolks, it gets its creaminess from coconut milk and vegan cream, along with sugar for sweetness. The coconut adds a lovely richness that works well with pandan’s distinct aroma and flavour.

I also like that I don’t need to make a custard or worry about cooking eggs. The base is simple to put together, leaving the pandan as the star of the show.

The Essentials

A Touch of Sugar: Just enough to sweeten the deal and keep the texture soft and scoopable.

Coconut Milk & Vegan Cream: These provide that rich, velvety base we love in a good scoop.

Pandan Leaves: Pandan leaves are the star ingredient in this recipe, lending their unique aroma and flavour to the ice cream. Blending the pandan leaves with water helps to extract their essence, infusing the mixture with their distinct tropical flavour.

1. Tying Leaves in Knots: This is a simple, traditional way to use pandan. Tie the leaves into knots and simmer them with the milk to infuse it with their fragrance and flavour. The result is usually more subtle, so this is a good option if you prefer a milder pandan taste.
2. Blending the Leaves:  If you want a stronger pandan flavour and a more vibrant green colour, try blending the leaves with water and straining the mixture before adding the pandan liquid to your ice cream base. This helps release more of the leaves’ colour and flavour. It’s my preferred method when I want the pandan to really come through.

Pandan Extract (optional): Pandan extract adds a little extra pandan flavour and gives the ice cream a more vibrant green colour. I sometimes like the extra boost, but honestly, you can leave it out. The pandan leaves already bring plenty of flavour.

Serving Suggestions

There are plenty of ways to enjoy homemade pandan ice cream. I usually keep it simple and serve it in a bowl or cone, but if you like a bit of crunch, try adding toasted coconut flakes or some crushed nuts on top. One of my favourite ways to serve it is with a warm slice of pandan chiffon cake. The soft, fluffy cake with a scoop of cold, creamy ice cream is such a good combination.

I love being able to make pandan ice cream at home and adjust the sweetness and flavour to my liking, and of course, there’s something special about finally scooping it into a bowl and getting that first taste, especially when it’s a flavour that reminds me of home.