Pandan in Pastry: Using Pandan the Bartender’s Way for Cakes, Custards and Sauces

Lose the guesswork: make pandan desserts that sing like a cocktail

Are you tired of recipes that leave pandan flat, muddy, or too artificial? You’re not alone. Home bakers and pastry pros tell me the same thing: pandan can be impossibly temperamental—its fragrance evaporates with heat, its color dulls, and store-bought extracts range from brilliant-but-chemical to weak and watery. In 2026, with cocktail culture increasingly crossing into pastry kitchens, the smart approach is to treat pandan the way bartenders treat aromatics: precise extraction, purposeful balancing with fat and acid, and finishing with a bright counterpoint.

The evolution of pandan in pastry — why the bartender’s approach matters in 2026

Late-2025 and early-2026 culinary trends show a continued love for crossovers: cocktail-inspired desserts, craft syrups, and naturally colored pastries. Bartenders—think Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni recipe that put pandan into a rice gin infusion—have sharpened techniques for capturing pandan’s true character: the floral, vanilla-like top notes, the grassy midnotes, and a slight resinous finish. Translating that into cakes, custards, and sauces gives you desserts that feel modern, balanced, and authentically Asian without resorting to artificial flavoring.

Source inspiration: Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni (The Guardian) popularized blitzing pandan in rice gin to keep aroma and color intact—an idea we’ll adapt for pastry.

Core principles: how bartenders think about pandan (and how pastry benefits)

• Extraction over imitation. Fresh pandan leaves or quality paste give a complex aroma. Choose extraction methods that preserve volatile aromatics.
• Fat carries flavor. Cream, butter, and egg yolks trap and release pandan’s fragrance slowly—perfect for panna cotta and custard-based cakes.
• Acid brightens, bitterness balances. A touch of citrus (lime or yuzu) wakes pandan; a restrained bitter element (grapefruit, a dash of amaro) echoes the negroni’s backbone.
• Color management. Chlorophyll is fragile. Minimize aggressive heat and long cooking times; use brief hot infusions, and consider sous-vide or alcohol-based extractions to preserve green hues.

How to extract pandan flavor (Bartender-tested methods)

1) Blender + spirit (fast, vivid aromatics)

Best when you want a punchy, fresh pandan note and don’t mind alcohol in the finished syrup or infusion. Bartenders often use rice gin, which, like many rice gins emerging in cocktail lists by 2024–26, complements pandan’s rice-like sweetness.

1. Trim 10–20 g fresh pandan leaves (green portion only), roughly chop.
2. Place in a blender with 100–200 ml neutral spirit (rice gin, vodka, or a high-proof neutral spirit) and blitz 20–30 seconds until very green.
3. Double-strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin. Press gently and discard solids.

Ratio guide: 10 g pandan per 175 ml spirit yields a strong tincture (adjust down for cooking). For desserts, use a tablespoon or two of tincture per 250–500 ml dairy depending on intensity desired.

2) Hot cream infusion (best for panna cotta and custards)

Use when you want pandan to marry fat. Heat gently to coax aromatics into dairy while avoiding a long simmer that destroys color.

1. Bruise and chop 15–20 g pandan leaves.
2. Warm 500 ml heavy cream (or a 1:1 mix of milk and cream) to 70–80°C (160–175°F) — do not boil.
3. Turn off heat, add pandan, cover, and steep 30–45 minutes. For a stronger result, blend briefly (20 seconds) and strain immediately.
4. Strain through cheesecloth. Use the infused cream in panna cotta, custard, or cake batters.

3) Simple pandan syrup (versatile, non-alcoholic)

Make a light syrup and finish with juice or paste for intensity. Ideal for glazes and drizzles.

1. Combine 200 g sugar and 200 ml water in a pan. Heat until sugar dissolves.
2. Add 10–15 g chopped pandan leaves; simmer gently 5–7 minutes. Turn off and steep 30 minutes.
3. Strain; optionally blend a small amount of pandan paste into the syrup for a deeper aroma.

4) Sous-vide or low-temp vacuum infusion (2026 trend)

Sous-vide preserves chlorophyll and aroma better than prolonged boiling. Seal pandan with cream or oil and infuse at 60–65°C (140–150°F) for 1–2 hours. The result is cleaner green color and brighter top notes.

Practical tips to retain fragrance and color

• Short heat, longer steep. Volatile aromatics disappear with prolonged boiling. Gentle heat, then steep, preserves them.
• Use alcohol or oil as carriers for raw applications. Alcohol captures top notes; neutral oil (or coconut oil for a Southeast Asian tilt) holds fat-soluble aroma.
• Add citrus late. Zest or juice should be folded in after cooking; acid dulls green color but brightens taste.
• Small baking soda trick (use sparingly). A pinch of baking soda can hold green longer in syrups, but it changes flavor slightly—test before scaling.
• Store concentrated pandan paste in the freezer. Small ice cube molds of pandan extract keep it bright for months.

Balancing pandan with dairy and citrus — the bartender’s balance

Think of pandan like a botanical: it needs a vehicle (fat), a clarifier (acid), and a counterpoint (bitter or saline). In cocktails the rice gin gives body, vermouth adds aromatics and subtle sweetness, and Chartreuse adds herbaceous complexity. In pastry:

• Fat: cream, butter, egg yolks—these keep pandan perfume rounded and lasting.
• Acid: lime, calamansi, or yuzu brighten the mid-palate. Add at the end to preserve color and aroma.
• Bitter/Herbal counterpoint: a light drizzle of grapefruit-amaro reduction or a scant teaspoon of green Chartreuse or herb liqueur (or an amaro reduction for non-alcoholic versions) lends elegance.

Recipe 1 — Pandan Panna Cotta (Bartender’s infusion method)

Yields: 6 small pots | Time: 4 hours (active 25 minutes)

Ingredients

• 500 ml heavy cream (or 350 ml cream + 150 ml whole milk)
• 100 g caster sugar
• 6 g (about 2 tsp) powdered gelatin, or 3 gelatin sheets (or agar-agar alternative—see vegan note)
• 15 g fresh pandan leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp pandan tincture (see extraction) or 1 tbsp pandan paste
• Zest of 1 small lime (finish)
• Optional: 1 tsp rice gin or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Bloom gelatin in 60 ml cold water (or prepare agar per package instructions).
2. Warm cream with sugar to 75°C; remove from heat. Add pandan leaves, cover, and steep 30 minutes. For stronger aroma, briefly blitz and strain immediately through muslin.
3. Reheat gently to dissolve gelatin; add the bloomed gelatin and stir until fully melted. Do not boil.
4. Stir in pandan tincture or paste for extra lift. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt to heighten flavor.
5. Pour into molds, cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 3 hours.
6. Finish with a sprinkle of lime zest and a few drops of a light bitter syrup (see drizzle recipe) just before serving.

Notes: To make vegan pandan panna cotta, replace gelatin with 4–6 g agar-agar and follow manufacturer’s heating instructions; texture will be slightly firmer.

Recipe 2 — Pandan Butter Cake (Fragrant, tender crumb)

Yields: one 23 cm (9-inch) loaf or 8–10 slices | Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 200 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 180 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 200 g plain flour (or 180 g + 20 g almond meal for added richness)
• 8 g baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 120 ml whole milk
• 60 ml pandan-infused milk (see below) or 1 tbsp pandan paste
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lime

Pandan-infused milk

Warm 120 ml milk with 10 g pandan leaves to 70–75°C, steep 30 minutes, strain.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (338°F). Grease and line a 23 cm loaf tin.
2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy (3–5 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a tablespoon of flour.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in dry ingredients alternately with milk and pandan-infused milk, starting and ending with dry.
4. Stir in vanilla and lime zest. Pour into tin and smooth top.
5. Bake 40–50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the top is golden. Cool 10 minutes in tin, then onto a rack.
6. Brush with pandan syrup while warm for extra shine and aroma.

Adaptations: For a lighter sponge, use 3 egg whites whipped with 60 g sugar and fold into half the batter. For gluten-free, substitute a 1:1 GF flour blend and reduce baking time as needed.

Recipe 3 — Pandan Drizzle (Negroni-inspired bittersweet drizzle)

This is the dessert echo of a pandan negroni: herbal, slightly bitter, and sweet. Use as a sauce for panna cotta, drizzle over cake, or glaze tarts.

Ingredients

• 120 ml pandan simple syrup (see extraction)
• 30 ml fresh grapefruit or yuzu juice
• 15–25 ml Campari or amaro (optional) — for non-alcoholic option, use 1 tsp gentian syrup or a small pinch of gentian root syrup
• 1 tsp lime zest
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Combine pandan syrup and citrus juice in a small saucepan. Warm gently and reduce by 10–15% to concentrate flavors (do not boil vigorously).
2. Remove from heat and whisk in liqueur or gentian syrup, lime zest, and salt. Chill to thicken slightly.
3. Finish with a few drops of pandan tincture if color or aroma needs a boost.

Serving idea: Spoon a teaspoon across panna cotta and finish with micro herbs like Vietnamese mint or Thai basil—herbal notes complete the cocktail-to-pastry translation.

Advanced strategies and 2026 tricks for professionals and home cooks

• Micro-dosing aromatics: Use tinctures to add precise bursts of pandan to frostings and whipped creams without altering texture.
• Layered flavor: Build pandan at multiple stages—pandan-infused butter for cake, pandan syrup brushed on bake, and pandan drizzle—so flavor persists through eating.
• Salt as a flavor amplifier: A trace of smoked salt on a finished panna cotta elevates the sweet and herbal interplay.
• Pairing matrix: Match pandan with coconut, toasted sesame, kaffir lime, lemongrass, condensed milk, or black sesame for complementary textures and flavors.
• Sustainability and sourcing: In 2026, buy fresh pandan from Asian produce suppliers or reputable online purveyors. Freeze fresh leaves in vacuum bags or use concentrated paste for reduced waste.

Common problems and fixes

• Flat pandan: Increase tincture, or fold in a fresh micro-dose of paste just before serving.
• Faded green: Use sous-vide infusion or add a touch of baking soda (very small pinch) to syrup—test first.
• Bitter or grassy harshness: Over-extraction can bring vegetal bitterness. Dilute with more cream or sugar and balance with acid.
• Too sweet: Counter with a bitter drizzle (see drizzle recipe) or a pinch of coarse salt.

Shopping list: tools and pantry must-haves

• Fresh pandan leaves or quality pandan paste/extract
• Muslin cloth or fine chinoise strainer
• Immersion blender or small high-speed blender
• Sous-vide setup (optional, recommended for pros)
• Small vacuum or freezer-safe containers for portioning paste
• Neutral spirit (rice gin, vodka) if you plan to make tinctures

Why these methods will matter for your baking in 2026 and beyond

As food trends lean into authenticity and craft, pandan stands out when approached with precision. The bartender’s toolkit—tinctures, short infusions, bittersweet counterpoints—solves the exact pain points dessert lovers have: unpredictability, artificiality, and fleeting aroma. Whether you’re a home baker aiming for a showstopping pandan layer cake or a restaurant pastry chef designing a tasting-menu finale, these techniques give you control and consistency.

Final tips before you start

• Always taste at every stage. Pandan intensity changes as it cools.
• Write down extraction ratios that work for you—small changes in leaf mass or steep time change outcomes.
• Don’t be afraid to borrow from cocktails: a teaspoon of an herb liqueur or a whisper of gentian can make your dessert sing.

Try it tonight — a simple pairing to practice your new skills

Make a quick pandan syrup, fold a tablespoon into whipped cream, and spoon over slices of leftover buttery pandan cake. Finish with a drizzle of the pandan-drizzle recipe and a few drops of lime juice. You’ll get a mini tasting of how extraction, fat, and acid interact.

Call to action

Ready to master pandan in pastry? Start by choosing one extraction method above and make the pandan panna cotta this weekend. Share your results, adjustments, and photos—your notes become a recipe that works for your kitchen. If you want curated ingredient links (pandan paste, quality rice gin, or sous-vide gear) and printable recipe cards, sign up for our newsletter or shop our recommended kit for pandan bakers.

Make fragrant desserts that feel crafted, not contrived. Pandan, used like a bartender would use a prized botanical, will change how you think about Asian flavors in pastry.

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