This Pandan Cold Brew Coffee is made by soaking coffee grounds with water and pandan pulp overnight. The pandan pulp infuses the coffee with an aromatic flavour and the overnight soak produces a mild tasting, less acidic coffee. For additional pandan flavour, add homemade Pandan Simple Syrup to the coffee and be transported to the tropics!
What is cold brew?
Cold brew is a method of making coffee by soaking coffee grounds with cool water and letting it sit in the fridge overnight.
It's a simple passive process that extracts the flavour of coffee compared to traditional methods of brewing with hot water.
Why cold brew over other methods?
Cold brew coffee produces a coffee that tastes much more milder and less acidic.
It takes longer to extract the coffee flavour using cool water, compared to hot brewed coffee, which happens in minutes.
This slow extraction makes the coffee taste less bitter.
Cold brew is very concentrated, so a little bit goes a long way.
What is pandan?
Pandan (also known as screwpine) is an aromatic, tropical plant with a vanilla-like flavour.
I talk more about what pandan is in my Pandan Simple Syrup post.
Ingredients
There's only 2 ingredients for cold brew coffee.
Just coffee grounds and cool water.
But today, we're making Pandan Cold Brew, which involves flavouring the coffee with pandan. you'll need:
- coffee grounds: you can use your favourite coffee beans and grind them up (about medium coarseness)
- cool water: I like using previously boiled, filtered water
- pandan leaves or pandan pulp (from making Pandan Simple Syrup): you can find pandan leaves in Asian grocery stores.
How to make it
Make the Pandan Simple Syrup. Save the pandan pulp from the recipe.
Alternatively, if not making the syrup, you can blend the pandan leaves with ½ C cool water.
Add the pandan pulp, coffee grounds, and cool water to a large jar. Top with the remaining 3 ½ C water.
Cover with a lid and set it into the fridge overnight.
The next morning, strain out the coffee grounds and pandan pulp into a clean jar.
Tip: You can also use a coffee filter to strain the cold brew.
How to serve
Add 1-2 tablespoon of Pandan Simple Syrup to a glass.
Add ice cubes, and pour in pandan cold brew.
Top with milk if you desire. (Coconut milk would be a perfect addition)!
Give it a stir and enjoy.
How to store cold brew
Store the Pandan Cold Brew Coffee in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Tip: If you like strong coffee, you can freeze the Pandan Cold Brew in ice cube trays and just add the coffee ice cubes to your glass with a little milk.
Other recipes you may like
For more recipes using pandan, check out:
Bubur Cha Cha (Malaysian Coconut Milk Dessert)
Mini Kueh Dadar (Rolled Coconut Crepes)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Pandan Cold Brew Coffee
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- ½ C coffee grounds about medium coarse ground
- 4 C (1 L) cool water
- pandan pulp from making Pandan Simple Syrup
- OR
- 8 pandan leaves + ½ C cool water
- 1-2 tablespoon Pandan Simple Syrup to taste
- ice
- milk of your choice optional
Instructions
Make the cold brew:
- Make the Pandan Simple Syrup. Save the pandan pulp from the recipe.
- Add the pandan pulp, coffee grounds, and 4 C of cool water to a large glass jar.
- OR
- If not making the syrup, blend the pandan leaves with ½ C cool water.
- Add the blended pandan pulp, coffee grounds, to a large glass jar.
- Top with the remaining 3 ½ C cool water.
- Cover with a lid and set it into the fridge overnight.
- The next morning, strain out the coffee grounds and pandan pulp into a clean jar.
Serve:
- Add 1-2 tablespoon of Pandan Simple Syrup to a glass.
- Add ice cubes, and pour in pandan cold brew.
- Top with milk if you desire.
- Give it a stir and enjoy.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Jill
I love making cold brew at home. And now I'm excited to try and find pandan!
estee
soooo cool!!! I've got to try this- we always go for cold coffee in the summer!
Andrea
Cold brew is a favorite of mine. Never thought of infusing anything in it like this pandan version. Sounds wonderful.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Certainly I've never tried Pandan (I don't actually think I was familiar with this plant!) But I like learning about new things, so I really enjoyed reading both posts. I'm a bit surprised that it offers warm, vanilla notes (That's not something green products can offer you often lol.) Anyway, this coffee sounds great, and I bet you'll find many more ways to use the syrup.
Tara
Oh wow! I absolutely love pandan. This cold brew sounds amazing with the homemade simple syrup too. Beautiful styling with the pandan leaf.
maryanne
I love cold brew, and the pandan gives it an interesting twist that also looks really fun to drink!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
I live on cold brew coffee in the summer months and I am loving the idea of the pandan simple syrup. Can't wait to try it!
David @ Spiced
This sounds delicious, Michelle! Laura really got into a cold-brew kick last summer. With the weather warming up (well, maybe...sorta...) I'm thinking we should try a batch of this pandan cold brew. I do love strong, bold coffee...but I don't love the acidity which often comes with that. Either way, thanks for sharing this fun recipe!
Raymund
Ohh this is something new, definitely that pandan would give it an interesting vanilla like flavour. We use a lot pandan on cooking and some drink but not in a coffee.
Lara
Such a good idea to put pandan and cold brew together! I made this, had it with the pandan simple syrup, and the end result was the perfect summer drink! Thank you for the recipe!
Michelle
Glad you enjoyed it Lara, and thanks for sharing your creation with me on Instagram too! 🙂