Name: Thai Pandan Coconut Jelly Dessert
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon agar-agar powder; 8 pandan leaves; 3.5 cups water ((divided into 3 cups and 0.5 cup)); 1/2 cup white sugar; 1 tablespoon agar-agar powder; 1/2 cup water; 2 cups coconut milk; 1/2 cup white sugar; 1 teaspoon salt

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This Thai pandan coconut jelly dessert recipe is creamy, fun, and perfect for keeping cool all summer long—kids love it, and so will you! It’s a refreshing treat that’s light, perfectly sweet, and just a little wobbly.

Thai pandan coconut jelly deserved served on a black dish.

This recipe calls for pandan leaves (or essence) and coconut milk, which are also delicious in other Thai desserts like khanom chan or a refreshing pandan drink.

What is pandan jelly

Pandan jelly is a Southeast Asian dessert made from pandan, which gives it a natural green color and a subtly sweet, floral flavor. It’s typically set with agar agar powder and often combined with coconut milk, making it vegan-friendly.

Recipe highlights

Vegan + family friendly: Made with agar-agar powder, not gelatin—making it the perfect dessert for plant-based diets.
Adjustable sweetness: Easily customize the sweetness to match your taste.
Make-ahead perfect: Stores beautifully in the fridge for up to 5 days and becomes perfectly chilled—ideal for hot days or after a spicy meal!
Easy to follow: Straightforward steps and minimal ingredients make this a fun, unique, and do-able recipe for any home cook!
Two layers: A creamy, firm coconut layer on top with a soft, jelly pandan layer beneath.
Versatile: Enjoy as a layered dessert, or make just the coconut or pandan layer on its own.

Three slices of Thai pandan coconut jelly dessert ready to eat.

What is agar-agar powder

Agar-agar is a plant-based alternative to gelatin, derived from red algae. It comes in dried strips or powder form and is used in making jellies, puddings, and custards. Agar-agar dissolves when boiled in water, setting at room temperature for a firm texture.

Package of agar-agar powder with agar powder in glass cup. — A package of agar-agar powder.

Ingredient notes

You can grab all these ingredients at your local Asian market or grocery store, and I’ve got all the measurements ready for you in the recipe card at the end of this post!

Pandan layer ingredients

Ingredients for pandan layer: pandan leaves, agar-agar powder, white sugar, and water.

Pandan – If you can’t find fresh pandan leaves, look for frozen ones at an Asian supermarket or use pandan essence.
Agar-agar powder – This key ingredient gives both layers their firm, jelly-like texture. You can also use it to make puddings, panna cotta, and mousses. Get it Amazon.
White sugar – Feel free to adjust the amount to your taste, but stick with granulated sugar; avoid brown sugar or palm sugar.
Water – Water is crucial for the soft texture in the pandan layer.

Coconut layer ingredients

Ingredients for coconut layer: coconut milk, agar-agar powder, white sugar, and salt.

Coconut milk – Use full-fat coconut milk for that rich flavor and creamy texture in this coconut pandan dessert.
Agar-agar powder
White sugar
Salt

Step-by-step image instructions

Making this pandan coconut jelly might seem tricky at first, but trust me, it’s easier than it looks—it’s just like making a jelly cake!

First we make the pandan layer

Agar-agar powder with water mixture in glass cup.

Step 1: Start by thoroughly mixing the agar-agar powder with 0.5 cup water in a small bowl. Now let it rest for 15 minutes.

Cutting pandan leaves into pieces on a cutting board.

Step 2: Cut the pandan leaves into 1-inch sized pieces.

Roughly blended mixture of pandan leaves and water in a blender.

Step 3: Toss the sliced pandan leaves into a blender, add the remaining 3 cups water, and roughly blend.

Step 4: Next, pour the fresh pandan juice into a bowl and use a cheese cloth to catch the blended leaves. The finer your filter, the smoother your pandan layer will be.

Adding agar-agar powder to a pandan and water mixture in a wok.

Step 5: Simmer the filtered pandan juice in a wok, skillet, or cooking pot over low to medium heat for 1 minute. Then, add the agar-agar mix from step 1, but first give it another good stir.

Backside of a large black plastic spoon with traces of agar-agar powder.

Step 6: Cook and stir until the agar-agar powder is completely dissolved, no longer than 5 minutes. The agar has to be fully dissolved before moving on. You can dip a spoon and check the back to see if there’s still traces of agar.

Adding white sugar to pandan layer cooking in wok.

Step 7: Once the agar-agar has dissolved, it’s time to add the sugar. Keep cooking and stirring until the sugar has also dissolved.

Step 8: Gently pour or scoop the pandan layer into a baking mold, glass cup, or any bowl you like. Let it rest at room temperature to become firm for about 30 minutes until it firms up.

Now we make the coconut layer

Step 9: Next, we can make the coconut layer. Just like in step 1, combine the agar-agar with 0.5 cup water in a bowl and stir. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Agar-agar mixture added to coconut milk in wok.

Step 10: Wait 15 minutes and then pour the coconut milk into a pan or skillet and simmer it gently over a low to medium heat. Once the edges start to bubble, add in the agar mix. Let it cook until the agar-agar powder is completely dissolved, no longer than 5 minutes.

Adding sugar to coconut milk layer in wok.

Step 11: Add sugar and salt, cook until the sugar is fully dissolved (2 min) and remove from heat.

Jelly dessert with coconut and pandan layer in two glass cups.

Step 12: Use your finger to check if layer 1 has firmed up. When firm, use a large spoon to gently layer on the creamy coconut mixture.

Step 13: Let the jelly dessert rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. After that, you can dig in straight away, or pop it into the fridge to enjoy chilled. I like to slice the dessert into equally sized pieces right before serving.

Kitchenware

Here’s what you’ll need to make this pandan jelly with coconut milk:

Small bowl and spoon (for mixing agar-agar powder)
Blender (for blending pandan leaves)
Cheesecloth (or fine mesh strainer for filtering pandan juice)
Wok, skillet, or cooking pot (for simmering pandan juice)
Baking mold, cups, or bowls (for setting the jelly) I’m a big fan of using a round or square baking mold to pour in the layers!
Pan or skillet (for heating coconut milk)
Large spoon (for layering the coconut mixture)

Tips for making the perfect jello

Firm pandan layer: Make sure the pandan layer is firm enough before adding the coconut layer on top. If this is your first time making a double layered jelly dessert, you can use a small cup as a “test cup”.
Stir agar mixture: Before adding the agar-agar and water mixture to your dessert, give the mixture another quick stir.
Green color: Older pandan leaves give a deep green color, while younger leaves may be more bright green. For a richer hue, add a drop of green color liquid or pandan essence after blending. The essence will also boost the pandan flavor and fragrance.
Layering: At the food markets in Thailand, this dessert is often seen with multiple layers. 2, 4 or 6, anything is possible. I suggest starting out with 2 layers if this is your first time making jelly.

Thai coconut pandan jelly dessert served.

More pandan dessert recipes you can’t miss

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