Vietnamese pandan waffles (bánh kẹp lá dứa) are a popular street food that are best eaten when they are fresh out of the waffle iron. A mix of tapioca starch, rice flour and all-purpose flour creates a fluffy and chewy interior tucked underneath a super crispy crust. Unlike most American-style waffles, this green-hued version is sweet enough on its own (thanks to the generous amount of sugar and coconut milk in the batter) so there is no need for any syrup or toppings. Pandan extract can range greatly in potency depending on the brand, so start with 2 teaspoons and add more until the coconut mixture is bright green and extremely fragrant.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (5 1/2 ounces) Vietnamese-style tapioca starch
- 2/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) Vietnamese-style rice flour (not Japanese-style, which is glutinous)
- 1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/3 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus additional for greasing
- 2 to 3 teaspoons (green) pandan extract
- 1 large whole egg plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature
Instructions
- Sift together the tapioca starch, rice flour, all-purpose flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk in the shredded coconut and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a small well in the center of the flour mixture.
- Whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, vegetable oil, pandan extract, whole egg and egg white in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour the mixture into the well in the flour mixture and whisk until mostly smooth. The batter does not need to be completely smooth and small lumps are ok. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Preheat a 7- to 9-inch round Belgian waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions for high heat. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and set aside.
- Brush a thin coating of vegetable oil onto the hot waffle iron and add one-quarter of the batter (about 3/4 cup) onto the iron. Use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula to spread the batter until it nearly reaches the edges of the iron. Close the top and cook until the waffle is cooked through, browned and crispy, about 4 minutes. The timing for this will depend heavily on your waffle iron. Transfer the cooked waffle to the cooling rack and repeat the process with the remaining batter to make 3 more waffles.
- Serve the warm waffles immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 625 |
| Total Fat | 32 g |
| Saturated Fat | 21 g |
| Carbohydrates | 83 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 20 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 47 mg |
| Sodium | 485 mg |