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Slightly crisp on the edge and chewy at the center, these cookies are flavored with pandan flavor and will become your new favorite. They are so easy to make and without any butter.
Being raised in Southeast Asia, I can’t help but love things flavored with pandan. I told my kids “Pandan is the vanilla of Southeast Asia”. I tried to “pandanize” lots of desserts, bread, cookies, and whatnot. These soft and chewy pandan cookies are inspired by the popular American snickerdoodle cookies. My kids love snickerdoodles! We love the chewy texture of these cookies. In a way, I should probably named this pandan snickerdoodles 🙂
Why you’ll love these cookies
1. Easy
They are so easy to make and you only need one mixing bowl and a spatula and/or whisk to mix things. No other kitchen gadget is needed
2. No butter
This cookie recipe requires no butter. They are made with oil. I use avocado oil (at least it’s healthier than butter!)
3. Love the texture
They are slightly crisp at the edges, but thick and chewy at the center!
Soft and Chewy Pandan Cookies
Ingredients
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 100 g oil I use avocado oil
- 50 g egg from 1 large egg
- ½ tsp pandan essence
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
For coating:
- 26 g coconut sugar or use brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for conventional oven. Please lower the temperature by 20 F / 15 C for convection oven
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
Prepare the cookie dough:
- In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg, and pandan essence with a whisk or spatula. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, a good few minutes
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until you form a dough.
- The dough feels a bit oily, which is normal for cookie dough that uses oil. If the dough feels too sticky, cover the mixing bowl and chill them in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Cold dough is easier to work with. I have no problem with this though. The dough is pretty easy to work with
- Pinch off a portion of a dough to form a dough ball, about the size of a walnut in a shell, about 20 grams.
- The dough is soft and won't hold its shape in round balls and slightly flattened. Roll this dough ball in the coconut sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart
Baking:
- I recommend baking one tray at a time. Place the baking pan in the middle rack and bake for about 8 minutes. Do not overbake the cookies. The edge should be just slightly set and the center appears soft
Cool down:
- Let the cookies cool down on the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to let them cool down completely
Storage:
- Store them in an air-tight container for about 3 days, about 1 month in the freezer. Simply thaw at room temperature before serving
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
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How to make ahead and bake later
The dough can be prepared ahead and bake later. Prepare until you flatten the cookies on a baking sheet. Then put the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour to flash freeze. Then transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-friendly container and can be kept frozen for up to one month. When ready to bake, do not thaw. Simply bake in the preheated oven and add about 1-2 minutes to the baking time. You can try with 2-3 cookies first to see how much time you need. It is important not to overbake these cookies.
How to freeze baked cookies
Let the baked cookies cool down completely on a cooling rack. Transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-friendly bag and keep for up to one month. When ready to serve, simply thaw at room temperature and serve
