12 pandan desserts for those who want more colour in their lives

Fragrant puddings, colourful cakes and creamy concoctions, southeast Asia's answer to the vanilla bean comes in the form of pandan and we double dare you to give it a swirl.

Coconut and pandan crème brûlée Source: Chris Middleton

1. #BringBackTheClassics

Who doesn't love a lamington? Here’s a colourful variation on the great Aussie classic. For best success, the cake should be a day old so it absorbs the icing better. 

Pandan lamingtons Source: China Squirrel

2. Scream for this green

There's a little bit of Asia in every bite of these pale green ice-cream cones. And we're recommending the fancier waffle cones because you're worth it.

Pandan ice-cream with toffee pecans in a waffle cone Source: Petrina Tinslay

3. Bite-size boom

Kuehs are a general description for bite-size nibbles. These traditional delights come in many different forms and are either sweet or savoury. Ondeh ondeh are infused with pandan juice and filled with palm sugar, then rolled in coconut.

Source: Adam Liaw

4. Here comes the hotcake-stepper

With its musky vanilla overtones, pandan works well in breakfast pancakes, crepes, hotcakes and the like. If you can’t be bothered dealing with fresh leaves here, just substitute pandan essence (either clear or green) to taste. Use honey instead of the palm sugar syrup if you’re short on time; but do try and get Sugar or Lady Finger bananas if you can.

Source: China Squirrel

5. Forget custard powder

Packing a beautiful vibrant green, this Thai dessert is so easy and within 30 minutes you'll have silky smooth custard at your tips.

Pandan custard Source: Sharyn Cairns

6. Sticky sensations

Black glutinous rice, coconut cream and fresh mango create a refreshing dessert and this recipe gives you a hint of chilli for a pleasant kick.

Pandan-infused black sticky rice with mango and chilli sugar Source: Petrina Tinslay

7. The holy trinity

Like most Malaysian street sweet snacks, cendol's flavour profile is based on the holy trinity of Southeast Asian dessert ingredients – coconut, pandan and palm sugar – delicious and refreshing!

Cendol Source: China Squirrel

8. A cracking idea

It's mesmerising and makes a sensational finish to any dinner party, this crème brûlée excites. What's great about is you can prepare it the day before serving – just make sure they're chilled before you caramelise the top.

Coconut and pandan crème brûlée Source: Chris Middleton

9. Vanilla Slice Slice Baby

Check out that crisp pastry! SBS Food and Black Star Pastry have teamed up to pop a twist on an Aussie classic. Pop some pandan into your custard and you'll never look back.

Vanilla Slice Slice Baby available at Black Star Pastry. Source: Matthew Venables

10. Some like it hot... steaming hot

The texture of this steamed cake is really quite interesting - a cross between marshmallow and bread, with the flavour of custard. Simply substitute your vanilla for pandan paste here and watch a perfect tea cake unfold.

Source: Poh & Co.

11. Fruit salad 2.0

The ginger and pandan-infused syrup combined with coconut jelly lend a Thai influence to this tropical fruit salad. Hot tip, to intensify the flavour, marinate the berries and watermelon in the syrup overnight.

12. On a roll

Filled with grated coconut and palm sugar, green pancakes have a place on everyone's plate. If you can’t get fresh pandan leaves for the pancakes, substitute 1 teaspoon of pandan paste and watch your cakes go even brighter!

Want more? Check out our pandan collection right here.

Brand-new series Food Safari Earth airs Thursdays at 8pm on SBS then on SBS On Demand. For recipes and more visit the program site right here. #FoodSafari