Slow Cooker Coconut and Pandan Rice Cake Breakfast Pudding

Name: Slow Cooker Coconut and Pandan Rice Cake Breakfast Pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 cup (200 g) jasmine rice, long-grain, rinsed and drained; 1½ cups (360 ml) unsweetened coconut milk, full-fat; 1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; ½ cup (120 ml) water; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh pandan juice or pandan extract, freshly extracted or bottled; 3 whole (150 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ½ cup (100 g) palm sugar (gula melaka), lightly packed, finely chopped or grated; ½ teaspoon (2½ g) fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract; ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted, toasted until golden, for serving (optional); store-bought salted caramel sauce, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A silky, custard-like rice cake pudding infused with the distinctive floral aroma of pandan and rich coconut milk. Jasmine rice becomes tender and creamy as it cooks slowly with eggs and palm sugar, creating a comforting Thai-inspired breakfast or brunch dish with a delicate green hue and light sweetness. Best served warm with a drizzle of caramel and fresh coconut.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: —
Wait: 3 hr
Total: 3 hr 15 min
Makes: One 6-cup (1.4 L) slow cooker pudding, 6 servings

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Steps

Before you start

Rinse jasmine rice under cold water until water runs mostly clear, then drain well
Lightly oil the slow cooker insert so the pudding doesn't stick
Extract juice from fresh pandan leaves by blending with 1/4 cup water and straining through cheesecloth, or use 2 tablespoons bottled pandan extract
Have all ingredients measured and ready (mise en place)

1
Whisk egg custard
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 room-temperature eggs, 0.5 cup palm sugar, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract until pale and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the 3 tablespoons pandan juice or extract until the mixture is evenly tinted pale green.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale, smooth, and evenly colored
Tip: Whisk well to fully dissolve the palm sugar and ensure even distribution of pandan color
2
Combine wet and dry ingredients
- Pour the egg mixture into the lightly oiled slow cooker insert.
- Add the 1 cup rinsed jasmine rice, 1.5 cups coconut milk, 1.5 cups whole milk, and 0.5 cup water.
- Stir gently but thoroughly with a spoon to combine, ensuring no rice grains stick to the bottom and the liquid is evenly distributed.
- The mixture will look loose and soupy, which is correct.
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Ready when: All ingredients are combined and no dry rice is visible at the bottom
Tip: Stir gently to avoid splashing but thoroughly to prevent settling; the pudding needs even moisture distribution
3
Cook on low in slow cooker
- Cover the slow cooker and set it to low heat.
- Cook for 3 hours (180 minutes), stirring gently every 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Start at 0 minutes, then stir at the 45-minute mark, 90-minute mark, and 135-minute mark.
- Do not cover the slow cooker during stirring.
- After the final stir at 135 minutes, cover and let finish cooking.
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Ready when: Rice grains are completely tender, mixture is creamy and thick but still pourable, top has a slight film, no liquid separates when you tilt the slow cooker
Tip: Stirring prevents the rice from settling and sinking, and breaks up any curds forming at the edges, ensuring an even custard texture
4
Check for doneness
- At the 3-hour mark, remove the lid and inspect the pudding.
- The rice should have absorbed most of the liquid and become very tender.
- The texture should resemble a thick rice pudding—creamy throughout with rice grains soft and no bite.
- If the pudding still looks quite soupy (more liquid than solids), stir well and cook on low for another 15–20 minutes with the lid off, checking again.
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Ready when: Rice is completely tender, pudding is thick and custard-like, grains do not move freely in excess liquid
Tip: Slow cookers vary in moisture retention; if yours tends to create excess liquid, leave the lid off for the final 15 minutes of cooking
5
Cool and rest
- Turn off the slow cooker and let the pudding rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- This allows the texture to set slightly as it cools and makes serving easier.
- The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.
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Ready when: Pudding has cooled enough to spoon without running too freely
Tip: Do not skip this step; it dramatically improves the texture from soupy to creamy
6
Serve warm
- Spoon the warm pandan rice pudding into bowls.
- Top with toasted coconut if using, a light drizzle of caramel sauce, and a pinch of fleur de sel for contrast.
- Serve immediately while still warm.
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Tip: Serve within 1 hour of finishing for the best warm, creamy texture; pudding hardens as it cools further

Good to know

Tips

Fresh pandan juice (made by blending fresh pandan leaves with water and straining) is superior to extract in flavor, but bottled pandan extract works reliably; avoid pandan flavoring, which is often artificial tasting
Stirring every 45 minutes is essential—it breaks up cooked curds at the edges and prevents the rice from settling into a hard, compressed layer at the bottom
The pudding firms up as it cools; what looks thin and pourable when hot will be creamy and spoonable at room temperature
For extra richness, whisk a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk into the egg mixture before combining with the other ingredients

Make ahead

Prepare the pudding the night before (through Step 2), cover the slow cooker insert with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. In the morning, place the cold insert into the slow cooker base and cook on low for 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes, stirring as directed. The pudding may take slightly longer since it starts cold.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature (up to 2 hours): Cover loosely with foil. Refrigerator (up to 3 days): Transfer to an airtight container; reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring occasionally, or microwave in a bowl covered loosely for 1–2 minutes at 50% power, stirring once. Freezer: Not recommended, as the custard texture breaks down upon thawing.

Substitutions

fresh pandan juice or pandan extract → 1 tablespoon pandan paste (concentrated) mixed with 2 tablespoons water, or 2 tablespoons bottled pandan extract. Pandan extract is more stable than fresh juice; use the same total volume. If using paste, dissolve it fully in warm water before adding to the egg mixture to avoid lumps.
palm sugar (gula melaka), lightly packed → 0.5 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar. Palm sugar has a unique caramel depth; coconut sugar is a close match, while brown sugar will work but tastes less distinctly Thai. Adjust sweetness to taste.
whole milk, at room temperature → Additional coconut milk (3 cups coconut milk, 0.5 cup water total). This creates a richer, more intensely coconutty pudding; reduce water to 0.5 cup to maintain proper consistency.
jasmine rice, long-grain → Sweet rice (glutinous rice) or short-grain white rice. Sweet rice creates a stickier, more custard-like pudding; short-grain is slightly firmer. Long-grain jasmine is traditional for a lighter texture.