With instant vanilla pudding, banana slices, bouncy tapioca pearls, tender vanilla wafers, and a silky coconut sauce, this layered dessert is a playful mashup of American banana pudding and chè chuối, a coconut-forward Vietnamese tapioca treat. The pudding gets an aromatic upgrade from pandan extract — a concentrated flavoring made from soaked pandan leaves that imparts a nutty, floral flavor and vibrant green hue. The longer the pudding rests, the more the vanilla wafers soften and meld with the other flavors. For fully soaked, delightfully cakey cookies, chill the pudding for the full 24 hours.
What is pandan?
Pandan is a flowering tropical plant that grows in Southeast Asia and is commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine. Pandan leaves have a slightly grassy, floral, subtly sweet fragrance. The leaves have a slightly grassy fragrance with subtle sweetness. When cooked, they develop nutty notes with hints of vanilla and coconut, making them ideal for a moist pandan-coconut cake or for adding a floral touch to a refreshing pandan-infused cocktail.
Is there a difference between boba and tapioca pearls?
All boba are tapioca pearls, but not all tapioca pearls are considered boba. Both are made from tapioca starch, but boba typically refers to the large, black pearls commonly found in bubble tea. Tapioca pearls, on the other hand, can vary in size and color — ranging from small, white pearls to larger, translucent ones when cooked.
How do I know when tapioca pearls are fully cooked?
Tapioca pearls are white and opaque when raw, and they turn translucent as they cook. Fully cooked pearls should be mostly translucent with no white center. Properly cooked tapioca should be bouncy and chewy, not hard or gummy in the middle. The best way to check their doneness is to taste one.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tapioca pearls are small spheres made from tapioca starch. Find them at most Asian grocery stores or online at amazon.com. Pandan extract is also available at Asian markets or online at target.com.
