One of the biggest requests from my mom is to do a pandan creme brulee recipe, and I finally got around to it this year! Pandan is one of my favorite flavors of all time especially in desserts. Whether that be pandan mochi pancakes or pandan ice cream, this flavor gives that dessert a little something extra.
What is pandan?
Pandan is a tropical plant that grows in parts of Southeast Asia. Taste wise, it has a sweet, grassy, and vanilla-like flavor, but it is way more interesting than vanilla. Personally, I think it tastes similar to coconut. Other than the taste, it is also known for its signature bright green color which comes from the juice harvest from the plant’s leaves.
This flavor is extremely popular in Southeast Asian countries. In Vietnam, we use it to create desserts like Banh Bo Nuong (a spongy green cake), Banh Da Lon (steamed layer cake), or pandan jelly to use in che.
Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream adds richness to the custard.
- Egg yolks – Egg yolks form the base of the custard, and they give the dessert a rich flavor.
- Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness to the dish.
- Pandan paste – This paste adds the green color and pandan flavor to the creme brulee. Pandan paste can be found on Amazon or at large Asian grocery stores. Use either pandan paste or pandan extract.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla adds flavor to the custard. Substitute with 1 vanilla bean or an equal amount of vanilla paste.
How to make pandan creme brulee
Making the custard
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Heat up heavy cream over medium heat so that it’s hot but not boiling. You can eyeball it by seeing if smoke is wafting off your cream.
After heating up your cream, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a small bowl. Make sure you have a smooth consistency. The next step is called tempering. Basically, you want to raise the temperature of your egg yolks, so they don’t cook when you combine the cream and eggs. To do this, add 1/4 cup of cream to the egg mixture. Whisk well until everything is well incorporated. Then pour the egg mixture into the hot cream. Stir together until all the ingredients are mixed well. Add the pandan extract and vanilla extract and stir. Remove from the heat.
Add 4 ramekins to a baking dish. I used 4 8oz ramekins in a 9×9 baking dish. Ladle the custard over a fine mesh sieve into the ramekins. Pour 2 cups of hot water into the baking dish to create a water bath for the custard. This helps control the temperature of the custard, so it doesn’t overcook.
Baking the pandan creme brulee
Bake for 35-40 minutes. Take out the creme brûlée at 35 minutes to check if it’s cooked through. To check if they’re done, shake them a bit, and if they move the same way jello moves, they’re done. If they seem a bit loose in the centre, bake them for a few more minutes.
Cool for 2 hours at room temperature and then overnight in the fridge. Add a thin layer of sugar on top and shake off any excess. Use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar and serve.
Pandan Creme Brulee Video
What if I want more pandan flavor?
If you want more pandan flavor, add more pandan paste. As a bonus, you can also steep the heavy cream in pandan leaves. If you want to use pandan leaves, microwave the heavy cream for 1 minute and then add the pandan leaves. Let it steep for 20 minutes. Discard the leaves and use the cream according to the directions in step 2 of the recipe.
Tips on how to make the perfect pandan creme brulee
Use a spoon to scoop out any bubbles
Whisking your custard causes bubbles to form at the top of your mixture. It’s not a huge deal, but I like to spoon them off so I can see the solid color of the creme brûlée. This is an optional step.
Make sure the water comes halfway up your ramekins
I used a 9×9 square baking dish for the water bath, but you can use any size baking dish you wish. If you use a larger baking dish, make sure the water comes halfway up your ramekins. This ensures your creme brûlée cooks at a consistent temperature and doesn’t overcook.
Bake the creme brûlée in the center of the oven.
Placing the creme brûlée in the center of the oven allows heat to hit it from all sides, so that it cooks evenly. Placing it too high or too low in the oven causes the top or bottom to burn without the center cooking fully.
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Pandan Creme Brulee
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp pandan paste see note 5
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C).
- Heat up heavy cream over medium heat so that it’s hot but not boiling. You can eyeball it by seeing if smoke is wafting off your cream.
- After heating up your cream, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a small bowl. Make sure you have a smooth consistency.
- The next step is called tempering. Basically, you want to raise the temperature of your egg yolks, so they don't cook when you combine the cream and eggs. To do this, add 1/4 cup of cream to the egg mixture. Whisk well until everything is well incorporated. Then pour the egg mixture into the hot cream. Stir together until all the ingredients are mixed well.
- Add the pandan extract and vanilla extract and stir. Remove from the heat.
- Add 4 ramekins to a baking dish. I used 4 8oz ramekins in a 9×9 baking dish. Ladle the custard over a fine mesh sieve into the ramekins.
- Pour 2 cups of hot water into the baking dish to create a water bath for the custard. This helps control the temperature of the custard, so it doesn't overcook.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. Take out the creme brûlée at 35 minutes to check if it's cooked through. To check if they’re done, shake them a bit, and if they move the same way jello moves, they’re done. If they seem a bit loose in the centre, bake them for a few more minutes.
- Cool for 2 hours at room temperature and then overnight in the fridge.
- Add a thin layer of sugar on top and shake off any excess. Use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar and serve.
Notes
- My #1 tip for creme brulee. The most common mistake I see is accidentally cooking the eggs. It is not a pleasant experience getting small bits of egg in your dessert. Tempering your eggs means raising the temperature of your eggs, so they don’t cook. To do this, add 1/4 cup of the hot cream to your egg yolks and stir until well incorporated. Now, it’s safe to add your eggs to the hot cream.
- Use a spoon to scoop out any bubbles. Whisking your custard causes bubbles to form at the top of your mixture. It’s not a huge deal, but I like to spoon them off so I can see the solid color of the creme brûlée. This is an optional step.
- Make sure the water comes halfway up your ramekins. I used a 9×9 square baking dish for the water bath, but you can use any size baking dish you wish. If you use a larger baking dish, make sure the water comes halfway up your ramekins. This ensures your creme brûlée cooks at a consistent temperature and doesn’t overcook.
- Bake the creme brûlée in the center of the oven. Placing the creme brûlée in the center of the oven allows heat to hit it from all sides, so that it cooks evenly. Placing it too high or too low in the oven causes the top or bottom to burn without the center cooking fully.
- What if I want more pandan flavor? If you want more pandan flavor, add more pandan paste. As a bonus, you can also steep the heavy cream in pandan leaves. If you want to use pandan leaves, microwave the heavy cream for 1 minute and then add the pandan leaves. Let it steep for 20 minutes. Discard the leaves and use the cream according to the directions in step 2 of the recipe.
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by Becca Du