Learn how to make soft yet lightly chewy onde onde filled with aromatic coconut sugar. The first bite will create that burst of melty coconut sugar inside your mouth. Made with natural pandan and blue pea flower extract for natural colors. All the tips you need to know.
My kids love Onde Onde or Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls I made. I was thrilled that she does because another reason of me cooking so much is that so I can share with my kids the food I grew up eating (I think I’ve said that 10,000 times! forgive me!) Onde onde or ondeh ondeh is one of the popular snack/desserts in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, they are called klepon too. It was also one of my Dad’s favorite sweets. Making this Onde Onde was rather a bittersweet feeling. Sweet because it was so easy to make and such a tasty snack. Bitter because I don’t think I have yet fully recovered from losing my Dad and this reminded me of him. I know he’s smiling from up there seeing me making this Onde Onde. This is for you Dad (and your two grandkids you’ve never met in person)
SPECIAL INGREDIENTS FOR ONDE ONDE
1. Glutinous Rice flour
Glutinous rice flour is not the same with rice flour. So make sure you get the right one as the regular rice flour will not give the same texture. DO NOT substitute with any other starches. There is no substitute for glutinous rice flour in this recipe.
2. Unsweetened grated coconut
This is usually available at Asian grocery store,usually in the frozen form. Make sure you get the finely grated and not long shredded pieces.
3. Palm sugar / Coconut sugar
This is the “star” of onde onde. The filling of onde onde is made with only palm sugar. Known as gula Melaka or gula Jawa/ Gula Aren in Indonesia. They are usually in dark brown color. Closest substitution is coconut sugar, which is what I use
HOW TO MAKE ONDE ONDE FROM SCRATCH (PANDAN FLAVOR AND BLUE PEA EXTRACT)
1. STEAM GRATED COCONUT
If the grated coconut is a bit wet, squeeze out any excess liquid. Steam the grated coconut with a bit of salt over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside
2. PREPARE PANDAN DOUGH
Mix glutinous rice flour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Bring pandan juice to a boil
Pour this into the flour mixture
Use a spatula to stir to combine at first because it is still too hot to knead the dough with your hand
When it’s not too hot anymore, use your hand to knead into a rough dough
Add the oil and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside
3. PREPARE BLUE PEA FLOWER DOUGH
Repeat the same steps for this dough. Pour the hot boiling juice into the flour mixture.
Use a spatula to stir to combine at first because it is still too hot to knead the dough with your hand. You will get a ragged dry dough at this point. When it’s not too hot anymore, use your hand to knead into a rough dough. Add the oil and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside
4. FILL AND SHAPE
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat before you start filling and wrapping. You want to boil the onde onde right away after you fill and shape them. The longer they sit, the more likely they are going to be leaking out sugar when you boil them. Divide each dough into 15 pieces and roll into balls.
Work with one ball at a time while keeping the rest covered. Use your thumb to make an indentation on the ball
Fill it up with coconut sugar
Gather the sides to seal and roll into a smooth ball. It is important to roll it into smooth balls. Dab your fingers with some water if necessary to make sure that it’s smooth when you roll it. Any seam is a potential for the coconut sugar to leak out when you boil them
5. COOKING
The water should be simmering by now. Boil the onde onde right away and then continue to fill and shape the next one and boil until they float to the top
Once they float to the top, let them cook for another 1-2 minute
6. ROLL WITH GRATED COCONUT
Remove with a slotted spoon and roll in the grated coconut. Serve at room temperature, as a dessert or your afternoon tea snack
IMPORTANT TIPS
1. MAKE SURE THE LIQUID IS BOILING HOT
It is important to bring pandan juice and the blue pea flower extract to a boil and pour it directly into the flour mixture. This is the part that creates that flexible dough that won’t crack when you shape them
2. ADD THE OIL LAST
Adding the oil last and continuing to knead will give you smooth non-sticky dough that is easy to work with. Don’t skip the oil. You need it
3. DAB WITH WATER IF NECESSARY
After you fill the dough with palm sugar, make sure you roll it really smooth. If the dough feels dry, which it shouldn’t if you keep them covered and use hot boiling water to make the dough, then dab the dough with a bit of water with your fingers and roll until it is smooth and no cracks. Any cracks will leak out the melted coconut sugar when you cook them later
4. BOIL THE ONDE ONDE RIGHT AWAY
Once you have wrapped the filling, you want to boil them right away. If you let them sit longer, the sugar will start to leak out. This is very important
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT ONDEH ONDEH
STORAGE: Ideally ondeh ondeh is best consumed on the same day. BUT, if you have leftovers, you can transfer them to a container with a tight lid and keep them in the refrigerator.
REHEATING: They will harden after refrigeration. You can reheat by using moist heat like a steamer. Steam them over boiling heat for 2-3 minutes and they will soften again. You can also reheat them in the microwave. Cover them with a wet paper towel and then microwave on high for about 10 seconds or less, you need to monitor.
HOW TO STORE UNCOOKED ONDEH ONDEH
IN THE REFRIGERATOR: I won’t recommend storing in the fridge anymore as the sugar moisten the dough and turn into a sticky mess!
IN THE FREEZER: For longer storage, keep them in the freezer. Put the shaped ondeh ondeh on a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper, not touching each other. Let them freeze for 1 hour. Then transfer to a freezer-friendly container or bag and seal tightly to prevent freezer burn. You can keep in the freezer for no more than one month for the best result. Simply boil in the water without thawing when you are ready to serve. Cooking time may be slightly longer because they are frozen
DID YOU MAKE THIS ONDEH ONDEH / KLEPON RECIPE?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
The recipe was first published in 2017 and updated in August 2020 after a few rounds of testing to update with a better recipe and process, and also to update with new photos, and a video.
Onde Onde (Ondeh Ondeh) - Klepon
Ingredients
Pandan Dough :
- 125 gr glutinous rice flour 1 cup + 2 Tbsp, or more as needed
- 13 gr sugar 1 Tbsp
- 80 ml pandan juice 5 Tbsp, or more as needed
- 1 ½ tsp cooking oil
Blue Pea Flower Dough:
- 125 gr glutinous rice flour 1 cup + 2 Tbsp
- 13 gr sugar 1 Tbsp
- 10 gr dried blue pea flowers 1 1/2 Tbsp
- 100 ml water 7 Tbsp
- 1 ½ tsp cooking oil
Filling :
- 100 gr palm sugar 4 oz, (gula Melaka, gula Jawa)
Coat with:
- 200 gr grated coconut (unsweetened) 8 oz
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- If the grated coconut is a bit wet, squeeze out any excess liquid. Steam the grated coconut with a bit of salt over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside
- Cut or shave the block of gula Melaka/gula Jawa into small tiny pieces. Set aside
To prepare pandan flavor dough:
- Mix glutinous rice flour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Bring pandan juice to a rolling boil and then pour this into the flour mixture immediately. Use a spatula to stir to combine at first because it is still too hot to knead the dough with your hand. You will get a ragged dry dough at this point. When it's not too hot anymore, use your hand to knead into a rough dough. Add the oil and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside
To prepare blue pea flower dough:
- Put the blue pea flower in a saucepan with 100 ml of water and bring to a boil and then turn off the heat and let the flower steep in the hot water for 10 minutes. Strain and pour this back into the saucepan and bring it back to a rolling boil and then measure out to get 80 ml of juice. Make sure the juice is really hot
- Pour the hot boiling juice into the flour mixture. Use a spatula to stir to combine at first because it is still too hot to knead the dough with your hand. You will get a ragged dry dough at this point. When it's not too hot anymore, use your hand to knead into a rough dough. Add the oil and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside
Fill, shape and boil right away:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat before you start filling and wrapping. You want to boil the onde onde right away after you fill and shape them. The longer they sit, the more likely they are going to be leaking out sugar when you boil them
- Divide each dough into 15 pieces and roll into balls. Work with one ball at a time while keeping the rest covered. Use your thumb to make an indentation on the ball and then fill it up with coconut sugar. Gather the sides to seal and roll into a smooth ball. It is important to roll it into smooth balls. Dab your fingers with some water if necessary to make sure that it's smooth when you roll it. Any seam is a potential for the coconut sugar to leak out when you boil them
Boiling:
- The water should be simmering by now. Boil the onde onde right away and then continue to fill and shape the next one and boil until they float to the top. Once they float to the top, let them cook for another 1-2 minute
Roll in grated coconut:
- Remove with a slotted spoon and roll in the grated coconut. Serve at room temperature, as a dessert or your afternoon tea snack
20 comments
Love love love 💕 💕 💕 this recipe!! So easy to do! Use super boiling hot water instead of the more traditional way of boiling a small ball of dough! Onde Onde is my super fav kueh and making your recipe brings such a joy to my house! I use only 10g of dough for each ball making them bite sized. And I wrapped up plenty of gula melaka in each ball!! Sure, they leaked! 🤣🤣🤣 But it’s ok – I always have extra gula melaka on the side to eat with my Onde 😅. Having done this a few times I now know that I need to reduce my gula melaka and really pinch close all the gaps / seams. And boil them slightly longer to ensure they fully cook through and not stay hard. 😋 😋 😋
Hi Sue, I’m glad you enjoy them. I love onde onde too. I’m always tempted to stuff as much gula melaka as I can too lol!
Can we make the balls a day ahead, store it in the fridge then boil the next day?
I haven’t tried storing them in the fridge but you can try to store them in an air-tight container so the dough won’t dry out and crack. After you shape them, dust with some glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking. I recommend keeping them in the fridge for a day or two is okay, but not too long. If by any chance the dough has some cracked, wet your palms and then try to roll them out smooth again otherwise, the filling may leak out when you boil. I hope it makes sense
I tried your recipe and followed it to the dot.
Somehow the dough turned out to be very sticky, so sticky that I cant get it off my hand.
Wonder where I went wrong?
I further added more flour and oil but to no avail.
Hmm…I’m not sure what could have gone wrong. The two things I can think of where things may have gone wrong are: The liquid needs to be rolling boil and not just hot, otherwise, it won’t work. Also you want to make sure you use the right flour, glutinous rice flour (mochiko flour) and not regular rice flour.
yummmm.. love the blue pea ondeh ondeh! made it, its beautiful and didnt have enough! lol
thank you Marvellina for the recipe!
Hi Lilian, I’m so glad you like them 🙂
Thank you for generously sharing! Can I freeze the shaped balls before cooking them another day?
Hi Min, yes you can. Just make sure you seal the onde onde really good or the sugar tends to “leak” during boiling
Hi, I only have desiccated coconut. What do I do to make this recipe with it? Thanks.
Hi Alison, you can try to steam the desiccated coconut to moisten it or soak it in some coconut milk to let the coconut absorbs some of the liquid, then just wring out any excess liquid before using so they won’t be soaking wet. I hope it makes sense
Hi Marv, the dough was very sticky and I had to add some glutinous rice to get the dough off my hand and mixing bowl. Hope it is alright to do so. Also, most of my boiled balls had pin hole leak! Also, I boiled for 5 mins and not all sugar melt completely. What did I do wrong? Your comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Did you add some oil to help you knead the dough? You need to make sure that the water is really rolling boil and not just hot, otherwise the dough won’t be flexible and when you try to roll them, they will “crack” (pin holes) and the filling will leak when you boil. Finely chop the sugar will help it melt faster during cooking too.
Hi Marv, I did what you mentioned but I still had pin hole leak in each ball. How long do you rest your dough before you roll them? Do you boil each ball as you roll? My balls seems fine but I realized they started to leak when I make more balls. Not too sure what I did wrong again.. arg.. I really like your easy recipe and hope they will all come out without any leaks.. 🙁 Anymore advice?
Hi Lee Han, I didn’t rest it for very long. I pretty much worked on the dough to fill it up. I didn’t boil each ball as I roll either. I did that after I was done filling and rolling. It sounds to me that the shaped ball may have dried out a bit as you work on others. Maybe you can try to cover them with a damp cloth while working on others. At any point when you roll them into balls and if you feel that the dough is a bit dry, you can always wet your palms and roll it smooth again with no cracks whatsoever.
I tried the recipe but the texture when I bite it turns out to be hard. Why is this so? Is it because of tapioca flour?
This recipe uses “glutinous rice flour” NOT tapioca flour/starch. You can’t substitute glutinous rice flour with tapioca starch. They won’t give the same result.
Hi,
Can you make the dough with a stand mixer or soes it have to be by hand? I’ve done it with hand & it gets pretty hard to knead
Thx before
Hi Angie, yes you can definitely use a stand mixer to knead the dough. Another method that I’ve tried, instead of cooking a small portion of the dough, is by boiling the pandan juice and then pour it to the flour mixture and then stir to mix and when it’s cool enough to handle, knead by hand. It’s much easier to knead because the dough is flexible now. You can of course also do this with a stand mixer.