Pandan extract is a bit of a niche product – we on the Western side of the world usually use vanilla extract for this type of flavoring, which unfortunately makes us miss out on this unique and delicious flavoring agent that’s so popular in Southeast Asian cooking!
However, if you’ve had the chance to try pandan extract or want to experience it for the first time, you want to use the best stuff – it’s not as popular as something like vanilla extract, so you may not know what to look for when buying this stuff…
And that’s where we come in. We’ve reviewed many pandan extracts, testing them to see which ones actually deserve your money and time! Not all products are made equal, and so we’ve created this list based on our tests, ranking the best pandan extracts you can buy!
Let’s check them out!
What is pandan extract?
Pandan extract is mainly made in two different ways. The first way is done by putting pandan leaves (usually chopped up) in unflavored alcohol and letting it steep for a long period of time. The alcohol acts to extract the tasty properties of the pandan leaves before being strained, leaving us with pandan extract.
The other way, and the way that seems to be most popular, is done by chopping and blending pandan leaves mixed with water in a blender or food processor. The resulting paste is then strained, giving us a pandan extract that we can use immediately!
Regardless, pandan extract has a unique taste and smell that’s perfect for flavoring desserts and drinks. It has a vanilla, rose, coconut, and sometimes even almondy aroma that leaves a taste similar to vanilla – but more grassy and slightly coconut-y. It’s mainly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, but should definitely be considered in many more cuisines!
A cool thing about pandan extract is that it’ll add a green hue to a dish!
How to use pandan extract in recipes
Pandan extract is mainly used as a flavoring agent similar to vanilla extract. The flavors are similar to fragrant basmati rice, and some communities and chefs will mix pandan and regular rice to mimic the more expensive basmati rice!
However, it’s mainly used as a substitute to vanilla extract to get a more earthy flavor. It works great in both sweet and savory dishes, adding its grassy flavor to create some really unique dishes and drinks!
You’ll want to substitute it for vanilla extract at a 1:1 ratio, but I recommend halving that amount for the first couple of dishes you make. This will help you balance the flavor and color that you get in your dish, so that you can get used to it and avoid overpowering any flavors – pandan extract is strong!
For beverages, start with 1-2 drops of pandan extract, then add more as desired – it’s always easier to add more flavor than it is to take away!
3 great recipes to use your pandan extract
You’ll find that you can take advantage of pandan extract’s unique flavor profile the more you use it, and you’ll be able to utilize its delicious taste in place of vanilla extract:
- Coconut flour crepes: Since pandan extract’s flavor is on the verge of coconut, this recipe is perfect for it! Simply replace the vanilla extract it calls for – I recommend using about half of the measurement for pandan extract to start with, then you can experiment with adding more once you’re more comfortable with it. Enjoy these delicious crepes!
- Almond flour waffles: Here’s another great breakfast food! Pandan extract has notes of almond, vanilla, and coconut in its grassy flavor profile, making it the perfect companion to these almond flour waffles! Just replace it for the vanilla extract like we talked about, and you’ll add a whole new dimension to this amazing recipe!
- Almond flour pancakes: We’re going to keep the almond flour train going and use pandan extract in this wonderful pancake recipe! This moist and fluffy creation will really come to life with a bit of pandan extract, providing a new take on a classic. Start with about ½ to ¾ of pandan extract for what the recipe calls for with vanilla extract – for example, use half a teaspoon of pandan extract if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract!
How to choose the best pandan extract
It’s not the most popular flavoring agent in the Western side of the world, so we’ve done all the research for you already! Pandan extract is very unique, and we’ve created a list of criteria that helped us find the best ones:
- Ingredients: It’s hard to get pandan extract without some artificial flavoring, but we still emphasized natural ingredients. That’s mainly because it’s not super popular on this side of the world, so there are not a whole lot of options!
- Consumer feedback: We value the input of actual customers, so we scour reviews of each pandan extract to see what the people actually liked or disliked!
- Track record: A brand’s track record says a lot about their products, including how transparent their ingredient lists are, if they were involved in any scandals, if they use ethical practices, and more!
- Price: There are expensive and affordable options, so we’ve included pandan extracts for everyone’s budget!
Let’s jump right into the rankings!
#1 Best Overall: Butterfly
The best overall pandan extract comes from Butterfly!
They have the best ratings on this list, boasting a 4.4 out of 5 stars with nearly 900 reviews! And those great ratings are well deserved – Butterfly pandan extract is delicious, with a great balance of vanilla, coconut, and earthy elements to it.
It contains some artificial ingredients, which is unfortunately the norm for most pandan extracts in North America. However, Butterfly managed to make a really natural tasting pandan extract that is top notch – it’s also priced fairly at $5.50 per fluid ounce, making it the third most affordable extract on this list!
Definitely check this one out, you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients: Glucose syrup, sorbitol syrup, artificial pandan flavor, propylene glycol, coloring (FD&C Yellow #5), modified starch, artificial vanillin flavor, coloring (FD&C Blue #10), ethyl maltol.
#2 Best Value: Dragonfly
The best value pandan extract is from Dragonfly!
On top of being a very solid pandan extract with some great flavors, Dragonfly offers some amazing value!
You get a 6-pack of pandan extract, with each individual pack being 14 fluid ounces – that’s 84 fluid ounces of pandan extract per purchase! That should last you a very long time, so you can comfortably enjoy this without worrying about running out too quickly.
However, the real value comes with the price here. This costs just $0.31 per fluid ounce, making it the most budget-friendly pandan extract on this list by far!
Ingredients: Water, pandan leaves extract, sugar, FD&C yellow 5, FD&C blue 1.
#3 Runner-Up: Bio Nutricia
Rounding out the top 3 is the pandan extract from Bio Nutricia.
This is a really great product, and is non-GMO, dairy-free, and is “manufactured naturally” with no chemicals according to a statement by Bio Nutricia – that sounds pretty great to us!
They’ve also got some great ratings, and we understand why – the pandan extract is delicious, providing a great concentrated flavor that you’ll be reaching for over and over again for its delicious taste!
The main reason this isn’t higher on the list is because it is a little pricier, coming in at $7.65 per fluid ounce.
However, it’s well worth it!
Ingredients: Pandan Leaf Extract & Fructooligosaccharide.
#4 Trusted Brand: McCormick
McCormick has been one of our most trusted brands for many of our flavoring agents. You’ve likely used their products, and even more likely heard of them! McCormick comes up in nearly all flavoring agent talks.
Now, their pandan extract is great, providing a wonderful flavor profile that will take your Asian cuisine to the next level! McCormick is a safe choice nearly all the time, and with something fairly unknown in Western cuisine like pandan extract, this is a great product to choose if you’re unsure.
It is a bit more expensive than some of the others on this list, coming in at $7.03 per fluid ounce, but you’ll know it’s worth it!
Ingredients: Water, Alcohol (34%), Natural and Artificial Flavors, and FD&C Yellow 5.
#5 Best Keto: Halo Pantry
If you’re looking for a pandan extract that’ll fit your keto diet, look no further than Halo Pantry!
This is a less-known brand than something like McCormick, but they offer a high-quality pandan extract that’s really delicious! Plus, there are no artificial flavors or colors, and is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and sweetener-free!
Halo Pantry is perfect for keto diets, but you might also want to pick it for the lack of artificial ingredients – which doesn’t mean they sacrifice flavor, might I add. This pandan extract has a strong and delicious flavor profile, and will surely meet your needs – for the price of $9.99 per fluid ounce, which is definitely on the expensive side…but definitely worth it!
Ingredients: Water, Natural Flavors, Alcohol, Propylene Glycol.
#6 Honorable Mention: Koepoe Koepoe
We want to give a shout-out to Koepoe Koepoe’s product here, as it’s a unique pandan flavoring agent that you should definitely consider checking out!
It’s a paste, not an extract, but they’re similar in terms of baking. It has a great flavor that’s perfect for making pancakes, waffles, frosting, and anything else that you want to get creative with!
It might be a bit more convenient mixing pandan extract into things like drinks, but this paste will be great for any baking and cooking uses, as it mixes really well with other ingredients! You can enjoy it for $4.11, which is on the more affordable side of things here!
Ingredients: Glucose syrup (contains sulphite preservative), synthetic pandan flavor, sorbitol syrup, propylene glycol carrier, synthetic vanilla flavor, coloring (tartrazine CI 1940, brilliant blue FCF CI 42090), ethyl maltol.
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