You can’t have Chinese New Year without nian gao! It’s sweet, sticky, chewy and super addictive. I gave mine a little twist with coconut milk and pandan leaves for extra fragrance and aroma. Honestly, it’s easier to make than you think!
Table of Contents
- Watch How to Make It
- What is Pandan Coconut Nian Gao?
- Ingredients to Make Pandan Coconut Nian Gao
- How to Make Pandan Coconut Nian Gao
- Top Tips for Making Nian Gao
- Frequently Asked Questions
Watch How to Make It
What is Pandan Coconut Nian Gao?
Nian gao (年糕), or leen go in Cantonese, is a sweet, sticky and chewy traditional dessert made primarily from glutinous rice flour and brown sugar. It’s usually eaten during Chinese New Year and symbolises a “year higher” (年高). Because 年糕 sounds like 年高, it represents prosperity, growth and progress for the year ahead.
Nian gao is traditionally steamed, but for serving, my favourite way to eat it is pan-fried, with a crispy, caramelised exterior and a soft, chewy centre. It’s genuinely one of the most addictive desserts ever, and I wish we didn’t just eat this for Chinese New Year!
My twist on nian gao uses coconut milk and pandan leaves for a little Southeast Asian twist. The coconut milk adds richness, while pandan brings a light, grassy, vanilla-like aroma that makes the whole dessert more fragrant and aromatic.
Quick disclaimer: my desserts are usually “not too sweet” (Asian-mom approved hehe). For reference, I always order 30% sugar in my boba. If that’s your sugar tolerance, this recipe would be perfect for you! If not, feel free to adjust to taste.
Ingredients to Make Pandan Coconut Nian Gao
Here are a few key ingredients to note. You’ll find the full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Glutinous Rice Flour
This is the base of nian gao and what gives it that signature sticky, chewy, mochi-like texture. Make sure you’re using glutinous rice flour and not regular rice flour, they’re very different! You can usually find it in the flour section of an Asian supermarket, or online on Amazon.
Wheat starch
Instead of using only glutinous rice flour, I like adding a small amount of wheat starch. It helps tone down the stickiness, gives the nian gao a firmer, chewier bite and makes it a lot easier to slice. You can find wheat starch at most Asian supermarkets, or online on Amazon.
Coconut Milk
Instead of using just water, I like adding full-fat canned coconut milk for extra richness and a subtle Southeast Asian twist. It makes the nian gao softer, creamier, and more fragrant. I highly recommend using full-fat canned coconut milk rather than coconut milk drink for the best texture and flavour.
Pandan leaves
This is totally optional, since traditional Chinese nian gao doesn’t usually use pandan and it still tastes great without it. Lately though, I’ve been loving adding it for that light grassy, vanilla-like aroma. It’s actually very subtle, but I like that it adds a nice Southeast Asian touch and it works so well with the coconut milk.
Chinese slab sugar
Nian gao is traditionally a brown sugar dessert, and the sugar really important here. You’ll want to use Chinese slab sugar (片糖, pian tang), not refined sugar. It has a gentle, earthy sweetness with a light caramel, almost molasses-like flavour, and it’s a lot milder than regular brown sugar (not too sweet!). This is pretty essential for that classic nian gao taste.
You can easily find Chinese slab sugar in any Asian supermarket.
Ginger
I love adding a few slices of ginger to balance out the sweetness of the nian gao and add a gentle warmth and mild spiciness. I’ve also seen people use ginger powder, which makes the flavour a tiny bit more noticeable, and I’d love to try that next time, maybe around 1/8 tsp!
How to Make Pandan Coconut Nian Gao
1) Make the syrup
In a saucepan, combine the Chinese slab sugar, salt, water, ginger slices and pandan leaves. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sugar has fully dissolved. Turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and let it steep for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the pandan leaves and ginger.
While the syrup is still hot, stir in the coconut milk and vegetable oil until fully combined. Set aside.
2) Prepare the batter
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour and wheat starch. Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, adding about one quarter at a time. Stir continuously until the batter is smooth, thick and lump-free.
3) Steam and cool the nian gao
Lightly grease a glass food container or heatproof dish with oil. Pour the batter through a sieve into the dish to ensure a smooth consistency, then cover tightly with foil.
Bring water to a boil in a wok or steamer. Reduce the heat to medium and steam the nian gao for about 1 hour. Depending on how deep your dish is and how thick the rice cake is, steaming time may range from 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes. To check if it’s done, insert a wooden skewer into the centre. It should come out clean or with minimal residue. If there’s white, raw batter, it needs more time.
Remove from the steamer and let the nian gao cool completely at room temperature. Transfer the entire container to the fridge and chill overnight. This step is highly recommended as it helps the nian gao firm up, making it much easier to remove, slice and pan-fry.
4) Slice and pan-fry the nian gao
Once chilled, slice the nian gao into ½-inch thick pieces. To serve, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pan-fry the slices on both sides until crispy and golden. The nian gao will become very sticky as it cooks, so leave some space between each piece and flip carefully to prevent sticking. Serve immediately.
Top Tips for Making Nian Gao
1) Optional pandan – adds a subtle grassy, vanilla-like aroma that goes really well with the coconut milk.
2) Chill first – after steaming, chill the nian gao in the dish overnight. It firms up, making it a lot easier to remove from the container and slice.
3) Pan-fry carefully – the nian gao softens and gets really sticky while cooking, so leave space between slices and fry over medium heat for a golden, crispy crust.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! Traditional Chinese nian gao doesn’t use pandan, and it will still taste amazing. I just love the subtle grassy, vanilla-like aroma it adds.
I wouldn’t recommend it. Chinese slab sugar gives nian gao its signature mild caramel flavour and earthy sweetness that regular sugar just can’t replicate.
I highly recommend it. Chilling helps the nian gao firm up, making it way easier to slice and pan-fry without sticking.
Insert a wooden skewer into the center. It should come out clean or with minimal residue. If there’s raw batter on it, steam a bit longer.
Of course! I keep mine “not too sweet,” but you can add more sugar to suit your taste.
Let it cool completely first, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Pandan Coconut Nian Gao (年糕)
15
servings15
minutes1
hourCelebrate Chinese New Year with homemade Pandan Coconut Nian Gao, a sweet, chewy dessert that symbolises prosperity and growth.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
250 g Chinese slab sugar
25 g pandan leaves, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 slices ginger (15g)
1/4 tsp salt
350 ml water
350 g glutinous rice flour
150 g wheat starch
200 g canned full-fat coconut milk
4 tbsp vegetable oil
Directions
- In a saucepan, combine the Chinese slab sugar, salt, water, ginger slices and pandan leaves. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sugar has fully dissolved. Turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and let it steep for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the pandan leaves and ginger.
- While the syrup is still hot, stir in the coconut milk and vegetable oil until fully combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour and wheat starch. Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, adding about one quarter at a time. Stir continuously until the batter is smooth, thick and lump-free.
- Lightly grease a glass food container or heatproof dish with oil. Pour the batter through a sieve into the dish to ensure a smooth consistency, then cover tightly with foil.
- Bring water to a boil in a wok or steamer. Reduce the heat to medium and steam the nian gao for about 1 hour. Depending on how deep your dish is and how thick the rice cake is, steaming time may range from 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes. To check if it’s done, insert a wooden skewer into the centre. It should come out clean or with minimal residue. If there’s white, raw batter, it needs more time.
- Remove from the steamer and let the nian gao cool completely at room temperature. Transfer the entire container to the fridge and chill overnight. This step is highly recommended as it helps the nian gao firm up, making it much easier to remove, slice and pan-fry.
- Once chilled, slice the nian gao into ½-inch thick pieces. To serve, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pan-fry the slices on both sides until crispy and golden. The nian gao will become very sticky as it cooks, so leave some space between each piece and flip carefully to prevent sticking. Serve immediately.
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i want to try making this for CNY with my partner but they’re celiac. would you say the wheat starch is necessary or can i just leave it out and only use glutinous rice flour? thank you!!
Hi Ericka! Yes you can leave out the wheat starch, just note that it will be softer and much chewier (like mochi) since the wheat starch helps to add firmness and structure to the nian gao!
What size of glass container is suitable for this recipe? Thank you.
The container I used was 21cm (L) x 15cm (W) x 7cm (H)!