A delicious french toast recipe packed with sweet fragrant pandan flavors! This quick and easy pandan french toast is ready in 10 minutes with minimal ingredients. Great for breakfast, as a snack or dessert for the whole family to enjoy!
Jump to:
Pandan French Toast features white bread dipped in a pandan-flavored egg batter with coconut milk and pan fried until golden brown. It's best served with maple syrup, butter, and fresh fruit like berries!
I love this Asian-style french toast because the pandan flavors are so deliciously unique and tastes like vanilla with a tropical twist! It's truly one of my favorite flavors of Asia.
If you've never tried pandan, it's a herbaceous tropical plant that grows in Southeast Asia. It's a very fragrant plant thanks to it's vanilla and floral grass scent.
The plant looks similar to a palm with vibrant green long and pointy leaves. The leaves are used in many Southeast Asian desserts and dishes and often to flavor ingredients like cooked rice.
Pandan is sold in many forms from the natural leaf to extract, paste or powder at select Asian grocery stores. For the purposes of ease, we'll be using pandan extract or concentrate as pandan leaves are harder to source.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- White Bread: or substitute with milk bread. Tip: stale bread actually works the best for this recipe.
- Large Egg
- Pandan Extract (aka Pandan Concentrate): or sometimes known as "pandan essence". You can find this green-colored liquid extract at select Asian grocery stores or online. Avoid using pandan powder for this recipe.
- Full Fat Coconut Milk: whole fat coconut milk works best for best flavor. Or substitute with light coconut milk.
- Butter: unsalted or salted both work to pan fry the french toast. Or substitute with coconut oil or any neutral oil.
Expert Tips
- Use stale white bread! This makes the coating process easier as the bread won't easily break apart if you use fresh soft bread. It also creates a better texture.
- Heat the pan first before dipping the bread into the batter so you can immediately transfer it straight into the pan. Or the battered bread will stick to the plate you set it aside on.
- Don't over dip the bread in the batter or soak it or the bread will fall apart.
- Pan fry just until golden brown and don't over cook the french toast.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make pandan french toast:
- In a large shallow bowl, whisk together egg, pandan extract, and coconut milk and set aside.
- Next melt butter in a large non-stick pan on medium heat.
- Then briefly coat both slices of bread into the egg mixture and do not over soak or the bread will fall apart and transfer into the hot pan.
- Pan fry the french toast on both sides until golden brown. Serve with fresh fruit, butter and maple syrup. Enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag after cooling down and frozen up to 1 month. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.
Pairing Suggestions
Pandan french toast serves well with:
- coffee, tea, milk or fruit juice
- fresh fruit like berries, cherries, bananas, apples, pears or tropical fruit
- Pandan Pancakes, Pandan Crepes, or waffles
- danishes or pastries
- bread or toast
- cooked eggs, breakfast sausage, ham, or bacon.
FAQ
Pandan french toast can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
📖 Recipe
Easy 10-minute Pandan French Toast
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread use stale bread for best results
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon coconut milk full fat
- 1 teaspoon pandan extract store-bought
- 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a large shallow bowl, whisk together egg, pandan extract, and coconut milk and set aside.
- Next melt butter in a large non-stick pan on medium heat.
- Then briefly coat both slices of bread into the egg mixture and do not over soak or the bread will fall apart and transfer into the hot pan.
- Pan fry the french toast on both sides until golden brown. Serve with fresh fruit, butter and maple syrup. Enjoy!
Katherine
Very delicious and simple to make. I love pandan so I knew this was perfect for me.
V
I want more PANDANNNNNNNNN