Pandan Syrup - How to Make

This pandan syrup is simple syrup with fresh pandan extract. It is natural, easy and perfect for making pandan based desserts and drinks!

With only 3 ingredients, this pandan syrup comes in a pretty emerald green color and is absolutely fragrant. It lasts well, so it is perfect to have a bottle of this pandan infused syrup to flavor your drinks and desserts anytime you want.

What is pandan?

Pandan is a green plant with long, thin, blade-like leaves. It is dark green in color and is used widely in cooking the the Southeast Asian region.

Pandan leaves are known as screwpine in English. They are not only used in making sweet dishes and drinks, they are also widely used in savory dishes. Pandan is well known for its fragrance and aroma. The fragrance is often imparted into food by directly adding the leaves into the dishes while cooking. In almost all cooking, the leaves are discarded soon after cooking and never directly consumed. When used in this manner, it is only the aroma that gets infused in the food and not the color.

To use pandan as a natural colorant, it is ground with water and then the green juice is squeezed out. The pulp is discarded and the green pandan juice is used for both its natural color as well as fragrance.

The pandan syrup on this recipe is a simple syrup made with equal amounts of water and sugar. The process begins by extracting the pandan juice (by processing it with water) and then cooking it with sugar to make the simple pandan syrup.

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How to Make Pandan Syrup

Ingredients

• Pandan leaves
• Sugar
• Water

Extracting the fresh pandan juice

1. Wash and pat the pandan leaves dry.
2. Cut them into small 1-inch sizes and add them into a food processor.
3. Add water and blend the leaves until fine.
4. Strain the pandan juice with a cheesecloth or a strainer with fine mesh. I find it more effective to use the cheesecloth over a strainer to hold the cloth in place as I pour the blended leaves into the cloth. It is also easier to squeeze the juice in a cloth as compared to a strainer as press too much can break the strainer.

Making the syrup

1. In a small pot, add the sugar.
2. Pour in the pandan juice.
3. Turn on the heat and cook the syrup on medium low fire.
4. Continue to cook (stir occasionally) until the sugar is all dissolved.
5. Turn of the heat and let the syrup cool down to room temperature before using or before storing it in the fridge.
6. The syrup is ready for use. Use it as indicated in your recipe.

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Notes

Where can you find pandan leaves?

• You can find pandan leaves in Asian markets. They are available both fresh and frozen. Both the fresh and the frozen ones are suitable in making this simple syrup.

Can you increase or reduce the amount of pandan leaves in the syrup?

• Technically, you can. The pandan leaves in the syrup are only for taste and color. Adjusting them will not change the consistency of your syrup.
• If you like a stronger pandan taste in your syrup, you can increase the pandan leaves to 4. If you prefer a lighter pandan infused syrup, you can reduce the pandan leaves accordingly.

How to make pandan infused syrup without the green color?

• This recipe makes green colored pandan syrup. Despite the green color of the syrup, the color is not strong and when used in drinks and desserts, the color is almost unnoticeable.
• If you prefer your syrup without the bright green color, when making the syrup, you need to skip the steps that require grinding the leaves and extracting of the green juice.
• Instead, simply knot the pandan leaves (or cut them into small 2-inch sizes) and add them to the water in the recipe. Boil the water with the pandan leaves. Once fully boiled, add the sugar and continue to cook until sugar is all dissolved. Strain the syrup and discard the leaves, and you have a pot of aromatic and fragrant, pandan infused simply syrup without the color green in it.

How long does the pandan syrup last?

• This pandan syrup can last for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. It is not advisable to keep it out at room temperature for more than one day.

Can you store the syrup at room temperature?

• No, the syrup should not be stored at room temperature. Always keep it chilled.

What is the best substitute for fresh pandan leaves?

• If you are not able to get hold of fresh pandan leaves, you can also use the frozen ones for this recipe.
• And if you are also not able to get the frozen ones, the best substitute would be to use store bought pandan extract or pandan essence. If you want to make colorless, pandan infused syrup, use the pandan essence (make sure it is colorless).
• If you like the pandan simple syrup with is pretty emerald green color, use the pandan paste. Pandan paste is commercially produced, concentrated paste. It has both the color and fragrance of pandan leaves. You only need to add a tiny bit of the paste to your syrup to flavor and color it.

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Like this pandan syrup recipe? Here are my other posts you might want to check out:

• Pandan Cake - Easiest Pandan Flavored Pound Cake
• Pandan Cookies with Coconut and Gula Melaka - An Easy Recipe
• Honey Lemonade - 3 Ingredients Natural Goodness
• Pandan Jelly with Coconut (Agar Agar Pandan)

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Recipe (Printable)

Here is the full printable version of my super easy pandan syrup recipe.

And that's that. Easy, homemade and natural pandan syrup recipe for your drinks and desserts!

Enjoy!