Pandan gives pandan waffles their distinctive flavor and green color.
Pandan refers to the leaves of Pandanus amaryllifolius, a tropical plant widely used in Southeast Asian cooking. The leaves provide a sweet, fragrant aroma often compared loosely with vanilla, toasted rice, or coconut. Their juice or an extract colors the waffle batter a characteristic spring green.
Pandan waffles are especially associated with Vietnam, where they are commonly made with coconut milk as well as pandan flavoring. They are often cooked in cast-iron molds over charcoal or in electric waffle irons. The outside browns and crisps during cooking, while the interior can remain green, chewy, and aromatic.
The name can cause confusion because other green ingredients—such as matcha, mint, and pistachio—also flavor modern waffles. Those ingredients produce different flavors and are not the traditional source of pandan waffles’ identity. Pandan coloring may also be strengthened with food coloring, but the defining flavor comes from pandan itself.