Klepon Recipe | Balinese Pandan Rice Balls with Palm Sugar

Klepon are bright green pandan-flavored rice balls with a hidden pocket of melted palm sugar inside. They burst with sweetness when you bite into them.

Klepon are one of Bali's most beloved traditional sweets. These bright green balls are made from glutinous rice flour colored with pandan juice, filled with a nugget of palm sugar that melts during cooking. When you bite in, the liquid sugar bursts out - it is a surprise every time.

The pandan color must come from real pandan leaves, not food coloring. Blend 5-6 pandan leaves with a splash of water, strain, and use the vivid green juice in the dough. This gives both color and the distinctive pandan fragrance.

Ingredients: 200g glutinous rice flour, 100ml pandan juice, 50ml warm water, pinch of salt, 100g palm sugar (chopped into small pieces), 150g freshly grated coconut mixed with a pinch of salt.

Method: Mix rice flour, pandan juice, water, and salt into a smooth dough. Take a marble-sized piece, flatten, place a small piece of palm sugar in the center, and seal by rolling into a smooth ball. Boil in water until the balls float (about 3-4 minutes). Remove and immediately roll in salted grated coconut.

The trick is sealing the ball properly so the palm sugar does not leak during boiling. In our Balinese Dessert Class, the chef shows you the exact pinching technique that creates a perfect seal every time.