There’s something deeply nostalgic about Ondeh Ondeh, that burst of molten gula melaka, the fragrance of pandan, and the light aromatic coating of coconut. This Ondeh Ondeh Pandan Rolls recipe takes those familiar flavours and transforms them into a soft, fluffy roll that’s comforting, slightly indulgent, and still unmistakably Ondeh Ondeh at heart.

Instead of the traditional chewy exterior, these rolls are made with a tender pandan milk dough, wrapped around a rich gula melaka and coconut filling (similar to Ondeh Ondeh). The result? A pull apart bake that’s soft, aromatic and just the right balance of sweet and salty.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Uses real pandan juice for natural flavour, with possible substitution using pandan extract
  • Filling is stabilised, and slightly thickened with shredded coconut to prevent leakage
  • Soft, fluffy texture with a molten centre
  • Balanced sweetness, not overly “jelak”

Tips for Success

  • Don’t over hydrate the dough
    Pandan juice and coconut milk already add moisture. A slightly firmer dough is easier to handle and holds the filling much better!
  • Stabilise your filling
    The addition of coconut and cornstarch helps prevent the gula melaka from melting too quickly and leaking out during the baking process.
  • Expect a soft, enriched dough
    It may not feel as stretchy as plain bread dough. Instead, focus on a smooth, cohesive texture and an almost perfect windowpane.
  • Use parchment paper when shaping
    This helps prevent sticking and makes rolling easier, especially wiht a delicate dough. Make sure to roll tightly for neat rolls!

These Ondeh Ondeh Pandan Rolls are truly a celebration of flavour. They’re familiar, comforting and just a little playful. They’re not meant to replace the traditional kuih, but to reimagine it in a way that’s approachable and satisfying in its own right.

If you’re a fan of pandan, gula melaka, and coconut, this is one bake that’s well worth making. Feel free to check out my Ondeh Ondeh inspired recipes including Ondeh Ondeh Butter Cake, Ondeh Ondeh Chiffon Cake and Ondeh Ondeh Steamed Cake.

Without further ado, the recipe!

Ondeh Ondeh Pandan Rolls Recipe
by Javier Tan April-18-2026

These Ondeh Ondeh Pandan Rolls are a celebration of flavour, familiar, comforting and a little playful, reimainging the traditional kuih!

Ingredients – Fluffy Pandan Bread Rolls

  • 1/4 Cup + 2 Tsps or 60ml of Milk
  • 2 Tbsp + 2 Tsp or 40ml of Coconut Milk
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 Tsp or 20ml of Water
  • 8 Pandan Leaves, Cut
  • 2 Cup + 1 Tbsp or 250g of Bread Flour
  • 2 Tbsp + 1 Tsp or 30g of White Sugar
  • 1 Tsp or 4g of Salt
  • 2 Tsp or 6g of Instant Dry Yeast
  • 1 Large Egg, weighed approx 60g inclusive of shell
  • 2 Tbsp or 30g of Softened Butter

Ingredients – Gula Melaka Coconut (Ondeh Ondeh) Filling

  • Approx 3/4 or 160g of Gula Melaka
  • Approx 1/2 Cup or 40g of Lightly Toasted Shredded Coconut (suggest to toast 100g, 60g for topping)
  • 1 and 1/2 Tbsp or 20g of Softened Butter
  • 1.5 Tsp of Cornstarch
  • Pinch of Salt
  • (Optional) Finished topping, melted gula melaka or coconut milk

Instructions

  1. Blend milk, coconut milk, water and pandan leaves until smooth, strain and set aside. This would be the pandan juice.
  2. Then, in a large bowl, mix bread flour, sugar, salt, yeast, 1 egg and the pandan juice. Knead 5 – 6 mins until the dough comes together.
  3. Next, add in softened butter and continuing kneading until it passes the windowpane test, approx 5 more mins. The windowpane test is when you grab a piece of dough, and it shouldn’t break when you stretch it gently.
  4. Cover the dough and proof until doubled in size, approx an hour. In the meanwhile, mix all the gula melaka coconut (ondeh ondeh) filling together until of a single colour.
  5. Unwrap, knead lightly for 2 mins before transferring to a floured surface or parchment paper. Roll until it’s approx 30cm x 20cm.
  6. Spread filling at the centre, leaving a 2cm gap from the edges before rolling the dough and cutting into 9 even slices.
  7. Transfer to a 8 inch square baking tray lined with parchment paper and proof 30 – 40 mins.
  8. Once ready, bake 170C for 19 – 22 minutes until nicely golden brown. If it browns too much, cover with aluminium foil and continue baking.
  9. Once cooled, you can top with melted gula melaka or coconut milk, and shredded coconut.
  10. Serve and enjoy!

Details

  • Prep time: 1 hour 10 mins
  • Cook time: 35 mins
  • Total time: 1 hour 45 mins
  • Yield: 9 Ondeh Ondeh Pandan Rolls

Notes:

  1. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing and for free, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  2. Serve fresh at room temperature (on the day itself and up to 2) or in a fridge (up to 5 days). If refrigerated, recommended to microwave the rolls before serving.
  3. Please do not copy and paste the recipe without my permission, but feel free to link back here!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan