The hubby wanted me to make one of his favorite Vietnamese desserts, coconut pandan sticky rice. It’s not something I’ve had before but after I made it, it’s become a favorite with everyone in the family.

I used pandan extract which is made from pandan leaves which can be found at your local Asian supermarket. I’m told that pandan extract to Asian dessert is what vanilla extract is to western bakers.

I’ve had desserts made with pandan extract before but never thought to make it myself since it looked complicated, but this recipe is quite easy.

You can also cook it in a rice cooker but don’t expect it to be cooked after one time, you may need to try it 2 or 3 times to get it cooked.

You can also cover the rice with a piece of parchment paper in the rice cooker to help trap the steam even more.

Coconut Pandan Sticky Rice Recipe 

This recipe is really, really good. While I was nervous about making this rice recipe the first time, I’m so glad that my husband persisted and I gave it a go. It’s been a huge hit with the family every single time that I make it and I can tell that by their words and by the fact that they’re always asking for seconds!

I used a bamboo steamer and placed the entire bowl inside and it’s sitting in a wok and water at the bottom. I like this set up because the bamboo steamer is quite large. I also like to steam veggies and fish in it.

All of the ingredients are added to the bowl.

 When you mix the ingredients together, it turns into a green sticky rice soup, don’t worry about how it looks, it will turn out to be delicious.

I dry roasted sesame seeds to give them more flavor. This doesn’t have to happen but I find that it adds just a whole other layer of tastiness to this simple rice recipe.

And this is what you get after it’s finished steaming. We love this, it’s not super sweet and very delightful after a heavy meal.

The kids have really come to think of it as a treat so I’m happy that they think that. It’s better than all those other sugary options out there that they want and ask for after dinner.

Ways to Serve this Coconut Pandan Sticky Rice Recipe 

When it’s cool, add it to a bowl and add one or two tbsp of sugar. When the rice has cooled you serve it with the remaining shredded coconut and toasted sesame seeds/sugar mixture.

You can use crushed peanuts instead of sesame seeds if you like or both even.  You can find shredded coconut in the freezer section of the Asian supermarket or use the dehydrated kind from the baking aisle. It’s super easy and delicious.

You can also add other toppings of your choice to this recipe but it’s totally up to you. We all tend to like making it a little bit different in our family so dishing it up in individual bowls and letting everyone add on their own toppings is a great way we can all get what we want.

If you happen to have any leftovers of this sticky rice recipe, you can easily store it in the fridge for later. The best part about this recipe is that it’s crazy easy to make and also tastes great the next day, too. I’ve even had this for breakfast because I was too excited to wait until lunch or dinner!

Have you had a pandan sticky rice recipe that you love? I’d love to hear about it.

More Vietnamese Recipes

Vietnamese Butter Beef Recipe

Vietnamese Coconut Sticky Rice with Black Eye Beans Recipe