Vegan Buko Pandan - Filipino Dessert (Vegan Style)

The first time I ever tasted this filipino dessert was when I visited my brother in Sacramento years ago.  A friend of his made this delicious dessert for my niece's birthday party.  And since then, I was hooked on finding out how to make this yummy treat.  I didn't ask my brother's friend for the recipe because I had a feeling that he wasn't going to give up his famous Buko Pandan recipe just like that, so instead, I searched the internet for the recipe.  So when I found one, I had to put my own spin because I felt that dessert was not creamy enough.  I finally perfected it and it was always a rave whenever I bring it to a party. My husband could never get enough of this delicious dessert and would always request it every now and then for our weekend splurge.

But when my husband and I became vegans, I had to convert most of our dishes including this sweet treat. It was actually tastier than my original recipe and since it's vegan, it has NO Cholesterol.  What made it so creamy was the coconut milk.  Yes, coconut milk is fattening, but it has the good kind of fats and has more benefits than milk.  Also, this dessert is absolutely perfect for those who are lactose intolerant. 

This dessert is very similar to Buko salad (another one of my favorite filipino desserts) except for the Pandan flavoring. Buko means "Coconut". And Pandan is a type of plant that has a very fragrant smell, and sometimes it is added to rice to give it that sweet and pleasant taste.

Buko Pandan is traditionally made with Coconut Gel or Nata de Coco, Pandan flavored gelatin, Tapioca, sweetened coconut string and dairy milk. My vegan version is made with the same set of ingredients except I substituted the milk with coconut milk and almond milk.

When you watch my video on how to make this dessert, I didn't add the Nata de Coco because I didn't have it at that time. I usually add it because I really love this ingredient but it's also optional if you didn't. All these ingredients are available in your local asian or oriental market.


BUKO PANDAN (Vegan style - No Cholesterol)
 
Ingredients 
1 19 oz can of Almond Jelly, 1 inch cubes
1 12 oz jar of Nata de Coco (optional)
1 12 oz jar of Coconut String (Macapuno)
1 cup of cooked Tapioca Pearl (How to cook Tapioca http://youtu.be/vi687wMeU6Y)
1 13.5 oz can of Coconut Milk
1 cup of Almond Milk (Sweet or Unsweetened, Vanilla flavor)
1 to 1 1/2 tsp Pandan extract  
*if it's not sweet enough, add 1 or 2 packets of stevia or regular sugar to taste

1. First, place the can molded Almond Jelly on a plate and tilt it on it's rounded side then slice it into 1 inch pieces. Then, for each slice, cut it into 4 equal parts. Turn the sliced piece on a 45 degree angle and cut it into 4 equal parts again, making it 16 cubes per slice.

2. Mix all the ingredients together (almond jelly, cooked tapioca, sweetened coconut string, coconut milk, almond milk and pandan extract)

3. Give it a good stir and chill it in a refrigerator for about 3o minutes to an hour, then serve.

Buko Pandan - Filipino Dessert (Vegan Style)

How to cook Tapioca Pearls (Mini Sago)

 

Below, is my original Buko Pandan recipe for those that are non-vegans. Try it and send me your Comment, let me know which one you prefer.

BUKO PANDAN (Non-Vegan style)

Ingredients
1 19 oz can of Almond Jelly, 1 inch cubes
1 12 oz jar of Nata de Coco
1 12 oz jar of Coconut String (Macapuno)
1 cup of cooked Tapioca Pearl (How to cook Tapioca http://youtu.be/vi687wMeU6Y)
1 qt of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 14 oz can of Condensed Milk
1 to 1 1/2 tsp Pandan extract

1. Mix all the ingredients together

2. Give it a good stir and chill it in a refrigerator for about 3o minutes to an hour, then serve.