Buko Pandan — young coconut and pandan jelly salad
Buko pandan is a Filipino dessert salad: strips of young coconut, cubes of pandan-flavoured green gelatin, condensed milk and cream, mixed together and chilled. It is a fixture of family parties, fiestas, and Christmas dinners.
i. Origin & history
Buko pandan is largely a 20th-century Filipino invention, combining native young coconut (buko) and pandan with the imported convenience of gelatin and condensed milk. It is one of the most popular Filipino desserts of the dessert-salad genre.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 400 g young coconut flesh, in strips
- 1 packet (10 g) pandan-flavoured green jelly powder
- 500 ml water (for jelly)
- 30 g sugar
- 400 ml all-purpose cream (or thick coconut milk)
- 200 ml sweetened condensed milk
- 100 g sago pearls, cooked
- 1 tsp pandan extract (optional)
iii. Method
- Make jelly per packet instructions; pour into a tray; chill until set; cut into 1 cm cubes.
- Combine coconut strips, jelly cubes, sago, cream, condensed milk and pandan extract in a large bowl. Mix gently.
- Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Buko salad is the broader Filipino fruit-salad-with-coconut category. Modern buko pandan sometimes adds nata de coco or kaong (sugar-palm fruit).
vi. Common questions
What is buko pandan?
Buko Pandan is young coconut and pandan jelly salad, from filipino cuisine. It is a fixture of family parties, fiestas, and Christmas dinners
Where is buko pandan from?
Buko Pandan is from the filipino dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does buko pandan keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 3 days refrigerated.