Hi, I’m Krizell, a third culture kid and second-generation Filipino American. I’m passionate about preserving our Filipino heritage through food and hope you give these recipes a try!
Krizell
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March 19, 2025
Buko pandan is a popular Filipino dessert made with pandan (a tropical plant) jelly, shredded young coconut meat (aka buko), table cream, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. It is believed to have originated on the island of Bohol in the Eastern Visayas region. This dessert is my favorite Filipino dessert!!!! I love it with a scoop of ice cream on top and toasted rice crisps for a little crunch.
For the jello, you can use green agar agar, the long green sticks on the left, or a ready-made buko pandan jelly mix like the Nora brand on the right. You can also adjust the sugar content to your preference for green agar agar since it is not pre-sweetened, which is nice. I used the ready-made mix in the video for convenience, but both work equally well. I also found buko pandan condensed milk at Island Pacific, but you can use regular condensed milk. To save time you can also make the jello and tapioca balls beforehand.
Prepare agar agar/jello mix (1 package) according to the package. When jello is cooled, cut into bite-sized cubes.
Cook tapioca balls (1 cup) by adding them boiling water (3 cups). Let simmer for 15-20 minutes stirring frequently until almost translucent.
Strain and rinse.
The balls will end up clumping together but don't worry about it because they'll separate once you mix them into the rest of the ingredients at the end!
In a large bowl combine evaporated milk (1 can), condensed milk (1 can), table cream (1 can), and pandan flavoring (2 tsp).
Next, add shredded coconut (2 bags) and tapioca pearls. Mix well to combine.
Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to thicken.
Serve with a scoop of ice cream and pinipig on top. Enjoy!
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