Rose Pandan Coconut Sago. A light and refreshing sweet dessert featuring sago in a rose pandan flavored coconut milk. This easy recipe comes together with 5 ingredients and 30 minutes.
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What is Rose Pandan Coconut Sago?
Rose Pandan Coconut Sago is a light, sweet, creamy dessert featuring tapioca pearls in a coconut milk dressed with rose syrup and pandan extract. Coconut milk and sago are common ingredients used in South-East Asian desserts. However, this dessert is a unique Asian-inspired dessert that you wouldn't normally find in most Chinese dessert shops. I adapted it from my coconut mango sago dessert soup. I just love the light creamy milky texture it has but I wanted to incorporate the rose and pandan flavors.
Furthermore, pandan extract is a concentrated liquid made of pureed pandan leaves and water. It has a grassy vanilla taste. However, you can purchase the pre-made pandan extract online or at select Asian grocery stores. Rose syrup is a common western ingredient made of rose petals, water and sugar. This syrup has a sweet floral taste. Combined with coconut milk and sago and they make for a tasty cold dessert idea!
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Your Asian grocery store will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
- Small pearl tapioca: avoid using the large tapioca pearls
- Pandan extract
- Rose syrup
- Light coconut milk
- Maple syrup
How to make Rose Coconut Pandan Sago
- In small pot filled halfway with water, bring to a boil on high heat. Once the hot water reaches boiling point, add small tapioca pearls. Reduce to medium high heat or to a rolling boil, boil for 10 minutes. Do not cover and stir occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for another 10 minutes until the pearls have softened and are completely translucent. Note: If you see a small white dot in the center of the pearls, they will need another 2-3 minutes to sit covered in the hot water to become translucent.
- Strain the cooked pearls in a fine mesh sieve and rinse off the excess starch with cold running water or in a bowl of cold water, until cool to touch. Allow the tapioca to sit in the cold water and set aside. This prevents the tapioca from sticking to each other.
- In a medium size bowl, combine light coconut milk and maple syrup. Mix well.
- Strain the tapioca and mix it into the coconut mixture. Pour half of this mixture into another medium bowl.
- Into one of the bowls, add 1 tablespoon rose syrup and mix well.
- In the second bowl, add 1 tablespoon pandan extract and mix well.
- Divide and layer the rose and pandan coconut sago mixtures among 4 small dessert glasses or bowls. Enjoy cold!
Storage
This dessert is best consumed immediately. But if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and it should last up to 2 days.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the tapioca is cooked through. If you still see a white spot in the center of it, its not cooked. Allow it to sit in the hot water covered until they are completely translucent.
- Rinse and keep tapioca in cold water until you're ready to mix with the coconut milk.
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📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Rose Pandan Coconut Sago
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup tapioca pearl small kind
- ½ teaspoon pandan extract
- 1 tablespoon rose syrup
- 1 cup light coconut milk chilled
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- In small pot filled halfway with water, bring to a boil on high heat. Once the hot water reaches boiling point, add small tapioca pearls. Reduce to medium high heat or to a rolling boil, boil for 10 minutes. Do not cover and stir occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for another 10 minutes until the pearls have softened and are completely translucent. Note: If you see a small white dot in the center of the pearls, they will need another 2-3 minutes to sit covered in the hot water to become translucent.
- Strain the cooked pearls in a fine mesh sieve and rinse off the excess starch with cold running water or in a bowl of cold water, until cool to touch. Allow the tapioca to sit in the cold water and set aside. This prevents the tapioca from sticking to each other.
- In a medium size bowl, combine light coconut milk and maple syrup.
- Strain the tapioca and mix it into the coconut mixture. Pour half of this mixture into another medium bowl.
- Into one of the bowls, add 1 tablespoon rose syrup and mix well.
- In the second bowl, add 1 tablespoon pandan extract and mix well.
- Divide and layer the rose and pandan coconut sago mixtures among 4 small dessert glasses or bowls. Enjoy cold!
Daniel
Coconut milk 1 tablespoon a typo? Supposed to be 1 cup? Please verify. Thanks!
Christie Lai
Thanks for flagging this! I've updated the recipe card to reflect 1 cup, not 1 tbsp.
Nina
Do you think jasmine syrup could be used in place of the rose syrup? It’s the one thing I forgot at the Asian grocery...thanks!
christieathome
Hi Nina, sure! You can try that. I haven’t personally tried that. But after googling what it should taste like, it sounds very similar to Rose syrup so it should work well!
Kyllie
Hi, what is coconut beverage exactly?
Thanks
christieathome
It is a lighter version of canned coconut cream. It’s more thinner like a milk, unlike coconut whole fat cream.
Katerina
You have sold me on Pandan extract - I really need to look for it. And these rainbow colours are so pretty. What an impressive dessert, Christie!
Sherri
Love how quickly this beautiful dessert comes together! And I love your positivity with everything that is going on! Taking walks has definitely been helping me and my family to feel good. 🙂
christieathome
Thanks Sherri! I appreciate your kind words on my dessert. I'm glad walks are helping you and your family feel good during this time.
Molly
This tasted so good! It was really easy to make. I love your recipes!
Rosemary Squires
I am still in awe at how beautiful this is!! It reminds me of bubble tea-- but even better. I'm happy you're staying positive through all of this. There is always something to be grateful for.
Katherine | Love In My Oven
I just can't get over the color! This would definitely impress guests (whenever we will have guests again, ha)! Looks terrific Christie!
Never Ending Journeys
What a delicious dessert! I love desserts that use tapioca.
Leanne
I need to try Pandan extract! This is so pretty Christie. And I love an easy dairy-free dessert, so this is perfect for me! Happy weekend. I hope you're doing well.