It’s the weekend and for me that means one thing: time to cook a comforting and delicious pudding. If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know by now how much I love using pandan leaf and coconut milk in my dessert recipes. This Vietnamese Pandan Rice Pudding with Corn is a perfect example – it ticks both boxes, making it one of my all-time favourite treats. it’s fragrant, creamy, soft, a little crunchy. For me, it’s proper comfort food, and a brilliant pudding to enjoy over the weekend.
A classic Vietnamese dessert
The beauty of this Pandan Rice Pudding with Corn lies in its simplicity. Glutinous rice is soaked in fresh pandan juice, giving it that naturally vibrant green hue and an irresistible fragrance. It’s then slowly cooked until melt-in-your mouth soft, with sweet corn added to bring texture and a lovely pop of flavour. Finished with a creamy coconut sauce, this pudding is a treat you can enjoy both wam and chilled, making it a perfect dessert for any season.
I honestly find it incredibly soothing to make. And once you get the hang of it, it’s the kind of dish you’ll want to come back to again and again.
What you’ll need
To make Pandan Rice Pudding with Corn, I use Vietnamese glutinous rice. It’s known for its round grains and subtle aroma, but really, any type of glutinous rice you can find will work well. I blend pandan leaves with water to extract that beautiful green pandan juice, which is used to soak the rice for an hour or two before cooking.
You’ll need a sharp knife to slice the corn kernels off the cob. Don’t throw the cobs away, pop them in the pot to cook along with the rice. They add an extra depth of sweet, corn flavour that makes a difference.
To sweeten the pudding, I use caster sugar. And for the final touch, a rich coconut milk dredging makes this dessert truly indulgent. Follow my simple coconut sauce recipe here, honestly, it’s easier than you think.
How to make Vietnamese Pandan Rice Pudding with Corn
Start by transferring your soaked glutinous rice and pandan juice into a large pot. Add enough water to reach the 2-litre mark. Drop in the corn cobs and a pinch of salt and bring everything to a boil over medium high heat. Stir regularly to stop the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once the rice is nice and soft, remove the corn cobs and stir in the corn kernels. Simmer for another 15 minutes, just until the corn is fully cooked.
Add the caster sugar and stir well. Let the pot come back to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat. That’s it – your Chè Bắp Nếp Lá Dứa is ready to serve.
Time to serve
Ladle the warm pudding into individual bowls and spoon over the coconut sauce. The contrast between the soft, fragrant rice and the slight crunch of sweetcorn is absolutely lovely. The richness of the coconut sauce brings it all together, creating a bowl of pudding that’s soothing, naturally fragrant and just the right amount of sweet.
You can enjoy this pudding warm in winter or chilled on a summer’s day. It’s truly versatile.
A note on pandan
If you can’t find fresh pandan leaves, don’t worry. A few drops of pandan extract can do the job beautifully. I sometimes use a drop or two myself, especially when I want a brighter green colour in the final pudding.
So next time you’re in the mood for something comforting, try making this Pandan Rice Pudding with Corn. It’s simple, satisfying and a little taste of Vietnam in your kitchen.
Don’t forget to try my other dessert recipes, including:
Chè Khúc Bạch – Vietnamese Panna Cotta Sweet Soup
Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail Pudding (Hoa Quả Dầm)
Vietnamese Rainbow Pudding (Chè Sương Sa Hạt Lựu)
Pandan Rice Pudding with Corn (Chè Bắp Nếp Lá Dứa)
Description
This Vietnamese pandan rice pudding with corn (Chè Bắp Nếp Lá Dứa) is a classic comfort dessert made with glutinous rice soaked in pandan juice, sweet corn, and finished with a rich coconut sauce. Lightly sweet, naturally fragrant, and easy to make, it’s a delicious treat you can enjoy warm or chilled — perfect for any time of the year.
Ingredients
For the pudding
For the coconut sauce
Instructions
-
Prepare pandan juice
- Blend pandan leaves with 200ml water and strain to extract the juice.
-
Soak the rice
- Rinse the glutinous rice, then soak it in the pandan juice for 1-2 hours.
-
Slice the corn
- Use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off the corn cobs.
- Reserve the cobs.
-
Cook the rice
- In a large pot, add the soaked rice, pandan juice, corn cobs and around 1.3 litres of water to reach 2 litres.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil stirring occasionally.
-
Simmer
- Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cobs
-
Add corn and sugar
- Stir in the corn kernels and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Add sugar to taste and bring to a gentle boil.
- Turn off the heat.
-
Make the coconut sauce
- In a small saucepan, heat coconut milk, sugar and salt.
- Stir in cornflour slurry to thicken slightly.
-
Serve
- Ladle the pudding into bowls and drizzle with coconut sauce.
- Enjoy warm or chilled.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 10
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 316.11kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 9.65g15%
- Saturated Fat 7.61g39%
- Sodium 49.36mg3%
- Potassium 265.47mg8%
- Total Carbohydrate 58.49g20%
- Dietary Fiber 3.46g14%
- Sugars 28.75g
- Protein 4.2g9%
- Vitamin A 34.59 mcg
- Vitamin C 7.8 mg
- Calcium 98 mg
- Iron 5.96 mg
- Vitamin E 0.02 mg
- Vitamin K 0.12 mcg
- Thiamin 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin 0.08 mg
- Niacin 1.5 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.25 mg
- Folate 42.35 mcg
- Phosphorus 106.44 mg
- Magnesium 53.39 mg
- Zinc 1.02 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Can't find fresh pandan leaves? Use a few drops of pandan extract instead.
- Adjust sugar to your preferred sweetness level.
- This dessert keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
