Island Vibes with Pandan Iced Coffee

This post has taken me quite some time to get to... mostly due to actually having pandan and experimenting with the recipe.

What is pandan you ask? Pandan is wildy popular in most Asian counties mostly used to flavor desserts. It is an aromatic plant with a sweet floral fragrance, a flavor combination of earthy vanilla.

At first I tried using actual pandan leaves, found in the frozen section of Asian grocery stores. I had to clean it, cut it down, cook it and blend it... the results were not all that great... it was super messy and the taste wasn't as crisp, maybe a bit too overpowering to work with.

After that experiment, I decided to look into extracts. Extracts create the best color, the green really stands out in pandan extract but most are artificially flavored.

So lastly, I moved on to pandan powder. I found an easily accessible natural one, Suncore Emerald Pandan Leaf Powder. The color was not as vibrant green but the flavor was there and you can control how much to use.

Setup

Blue Bottle Dripper
Kalita wave coffee paper filter
Comandante C40 @ 26'
Purified water: 160g @ 94C
Coconut milk, similar to Silk brand: 1/2 cup (~120 ml)
Pandan powder: ~1 tsp (did not weigh in grams)
Agave syrup: 2 tbsp (or to taste)

Pandan Milk Process

Make the pandan milk first. Put 1/2 cup of coconut milk into a jar, you can use coconut cream for a thicker base but you will need to dilute a bit to get the right texture when adding powder. I believe if you use pandan extract, it would mix better with the cream.

Add 1 tsp of powder slowly while mixing it in evenly into the milk. The milk will turn a very very faint green. Cap jar and shake vigorously to cream volume and some foam, then put in fridge.

Process

Continue with the Iced Pourover Method with your favorite beans but keep in mind to use a coffee with not too much additional flavor profiles as they might interfere with the taste of pandan. I'd keep it more of a basic coffee blend. Get it ready and set aside.

Add agave syrup as a layer on top of the iced coffee. 2 tbsp might be too much or not enough for some, so adjust accordingly.

Next, shake the jar of pandan milk again and pour slowly, layering on top of the agave.

Lastly, mix thoroughly to get the sugar and milk blended nicely then enjoy!

thoughts

This is a quick way to try out something new, pandan flavored iced coffee. If the tast of pandan is up your alley, I would experiment with adding pandan to a simple syrup. This allows the pandan color to really shine and it is currently more lack-luster in powder form.

I believe this can be made into a hot latte form but who really wants an island coffee without ice? Not I!

Quick tip, add some coconut whip on top to really get the island vibe going.