Thai Coconut Ice Cream

Tie a few Pandan leaves into a knot and place them in a medium saucepan. Pour in the Full-fat coconut milk, Coconut cream and Evaporated milk, then add the Granulated sugar and a pinch of Sea salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is fragrant—do not boil.

While the coconut mixture warms, whisk together the Tapioca starch with a few tablespoons of Water to make a smooth slurry with no lumps.

Bring the coconut mixture to a gentle simmer, then slowly whisk in the tapioca slurry. Cook for 2–4 minutes until the liquid slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and fish out the pandan leaves. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt if needed.

Let the base cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least 4 hours or overnight). Chilling is important for a smooth texture.

Churn the chilled base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. If you don’t have a machine, freeze the mixture in a shallow, wide container and vigorously stir or whisk every 30 minutes until evenly frozen to avoid large ice crystals.

When the ice cream is nearly set, fold in the drained, shredded Young coconut meat and the small, chewy Palm seeds (attap chee) so they’re distributed but not pulverized. Fold gently to keep the texture.

Transfer the ice cream to a lidded container and freeze until firm, at least 2–4 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle in some chopped Roasted peanuts and a few Toasted sesame seeds for crunch, reserving a little for garnish.

To serve in the traditional Thai street style, scoop the ice cream alongside warm Sticky rice (glutinous rice) or tuck a scoop into a split Small sweet bread roll (Thai-style hot dog buns) for a delightful sweet-salty sandwich. Garnish with extra peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.