Buko Pandan
Filipino buko pandan salad with young coconut, pandan gulaman, nata de coco, condensed milk, and cream.
Serves 8 · 40m total
The Story
Buko pandan is the green bowl that shows up at birthdays, Noche Buena, and office potlucks: young coconut, cubes of pandan jelly, nata de coco, and a cream that is really just condensed milk plus all-purpose cream. It is not halo-halo. There is no ice, no ube, no flan crown.
The smell should be pandan, not food coloring. Real extract or boiled pandan leaves in the gulaman water is the difference between dessert and a kids' party cup.
Chill it hard. Warm buko pandan is soup with identity issues.
Best paired with
Leche flan, fruit salad, or just a spoon straight from the fridge.
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Set the gulaman firmer than you think; it will soften in the cream.
- ✦Drain nata de coco well or the cream turns watery.
- ✦Chill the cream mixture before folding in jelly so it does not melt.
- ✦Pandan extract is strong—start with 1 tsp and taste.
Substitutions
- young coconut meat → bottled buko strips, drained
- pandan extract → 2 knotted pandan leaves boiled in the gulaman water
- all-purpose cream → heavy cream, lightly whipped
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Make the jelly: dissolve gulaman powder in water with sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring, until fully dissolved. Stir in pandan extract. Pour into a shallow pan. Chill until firm, then cut into small cubes.
- 2
In a large bowl, whisk chilled all-purpose cream, condensed milk, and coconut water until smooth.
- 3
Fold in buko strips, drained nata de coco, and gulaman cubes.
- 4
Chill at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- 5
Serve cold in bowls. Stir once before scooping so the cream is even.
Kitchen Timer · 25 min prep first
15:00
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