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Prep 30 minutesmins
Cook 1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total 2 hourshrs
Let’s make an iconic and incredibly delicious Vietnamese che dessert. Che ba mau, or Vietnamese three-color dessert, is the perfect refreshing dessert to cool you down on the hottest day!
Stay cool this summer with this easy che ba mau dessert made with layers of bouncy pandan jelly, sweet red beans, and creamy mung beans, topped with a delicious coconut cream. It’s a classic Vietnamese dessert that is perfect for your warm-weather get-togethers.
If you are looking for a refreshing, hot-weather dessert for the summer—Che Ba Mau is that girl. The beautiful, colorful layers have contrasting textures and incredibly delicious sweet and savory flavors.
Chè ba màu in Vietnamese translates to “three color dessert.” It is a very popular Vietnamese dessert and can be found in almost any Vietnamese restaurant. “Che” refers to a traditional Vietnamese sweet beverage, dessert soup, or pudding. Other popular che are che Thai (Vietnamese fruit cocktail) and cendol (che banh lot).
Chè ba màu consists of three vibrant layers of creamy mung beans, hearty, sweetened red beans, and bouncy, grassy, floral, pandan jelly. The cups are filled to the brim with crushed ice and topped with a coconut sauce, which swirls together with the sweetened beans to create a refreshing cold dessert drink with fun textures and flavors.
Ingredients
You can find all of the ingredients for this che ba mau recipe at your local Asian or Vietnamese grocery market. Full measurements and links to the ingredients I used are listed in the recipe card below.
Pandan Extract: is a tropical plant that has a vanilla-like aroma with nutty and grassy undertones. A little goes a long way for the pandan jelly. For a more elevated pandan jelly, check out my coconut pandan jelly (thach rau cau la dua).
Peeled Split Mung Beans: are a yellow, slightly sweet mildly flavored legume that is very popular in Vietnamese desserts. Be sure to soak the mung beans overnight for even cooking.
Adzuki Red Beans: small reddish brown beans that are popular in Asian desserts. They have a slightly sweet, earthy flavor. They need to be soaked overnight and have a longer cooking time so you may need to plan in advance.
Coconut Cream: is the base of the coconut layer. It has a thicker and richer coconut flavor than coconut milk.
Agar Agar: is a seaweed-based vegan gelatin that has a crisp and more brittle texture than gelatin. Agar agar is used to make the pandan jelly. It’s also used to make my popular Vietnamese coffee and cream jelly (Thach Ca Phe).
Tapioca Starch: acts as a thickener for the coconut cream layer.
Granulated Sugar: the main sweetener of che ba mau that sweetens every element.
Salt: to season and enhance the flavors of the ingredients and balance out the sweetness.
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Gelatin: an alternative for agar agar.
Palm sugar: an alternative to granulated sugar.
Coconut milk: an alternative to coconut cream thats dense in coconut flavor.
Red Kidney Beans or Pinto beans: Instead of adzuki beans, you can use canned red kidney beans or pinto beans and soak them in simple syrup overnight.
Cendol (Pandan worms): instead of Pandan jelly, you can opt for making cendol instead for a different texture and shape.
Additions
Pandan Leaves: for added vanilla, grassy pandan flavor in the coconut milk.
Fruits: canned fruits like jackfruit, longan, lychee, palm toddy seeds, or coconut strips.
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this che ba mau recipe.
Pandan Jelly
In a small saucepan over medium high heat, mix together the agar agar, sugar, and water. Add pandan extract and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to medium low or low heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
Then remove from heat and transfer to a heat safe container and let it cool on the counter. Once cool, remove from the container and cut into thin strips or small cubes.
Red Bean
Soak the adzuki red beans in water over night.
Bring the soaked adzuki beans and water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, mix in the sugar and salt. Then lower the heat to medium, cover and simmer stirring occasionally for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Mung Bean
Soak the mung beans. Soak the mung beans in water over night.
In a small saucepan, over medium high heat, bring the soaked mung beans and water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium low add the sugar and salt, mix until dissolved, cover and simmer stirring periodically for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid the last 5 minutes and cook until the water has soaked into the mung beans.
In a food processor or blender, blend the mung beans and then place them in the refrigerator to cool.
Coconut Sauce
In a medium pot over medium high heat, mix the coconut cream, water, sugar and salt and bring to a gentle simmer.
Then slowly pour the tapioca starch slurry in and whisk until the coconut sauce has slightly thickened. Remove from heat and refrigerate to cool.
Assemble
In a cup, add the mung beans, red beans, pandan jelly and top with coconut sauce and ice. Serve the che ba mau immediately and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Keep every part cold. Che ba mau is best served cold, so store each part in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Alternatively cook the mung beans in a rice cooker.. The quickest and easiest way to soften the mung beans is by using the rice cooker. Simply add the soaked mung beans, 1 cup of water, and sugar into a rice cooker mix until the sugar has dissolved and then cook.
If using canned red kidney beans, instead of adzuki beans, you can soak them in simple (1:1 sugar: water) syrup overnight or for a minimum of at least 5 hours.
For more flavor in the coconut milk, steep 2 pandan leaves in the coconut milk. Simmer the pandan leaves in the coocnut milk for at least 7-10 minutes. You will be able to taste the pandan leaves in the coconut milk the longer it steeps.
Taste and adjust. Taste and adjust each component with your desired amount of sugar and salt.
Storage Instructions
You can store each layer of the che ba mau in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend storing them separately to prevent the coconut milk from getting muddy over time.
Pairing Suggestions
Che ba mau is typically served with crushed ice for dessert, but you can pair it with the following suggestions for a complete meal.
What is the difference between che ba mau and halo halo?
Chè Ba Màu originates from Vietnam, while Halo Halo originates from the Philippines. While both refreshing desserts share similarities with their vibrant colors and mix of ingredients, the specific components and presentation of each dessert distinguish them from each other.
Is che ba mau vegan?
Yes, this che ba mau recipe is vegan and vegetarian friendly.
Do I need to soak the mung beans and red beans?
Yes, I recommend soaking the beans for even cooking. However, if you forget to soak the beans overnight, you will just need to cook them a little longer until they are softened.
Let’s make an iconic and incredibly delicious Vietnamese che dessert. Che ba mau, or Vietnamese three-color dessert, is the perfect refreshing dessert to cool you down on the hottest day!
Make the pandan jelly. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the agar agar, sugar, and water, and mix until combined. Then add the pandan extract and heat until it reaches a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to medium-low or low heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Make sure that all of the agar agar has completely dissolved.
Cool the pandan jelly. Then remove from heat and transfer to a heat-safe container, and let it cool on the counter. Pop any big bubbles with a toothpick. Once cool, remove from the container and cut into thin strips or small cubes.
Red Bean Layer
Soak the red beans. Soak the adzuki red beans in water overnight.
Cook the red beans. Place the soaked adzuki beans in water and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, add the sugar and salt. Mix until dissolved. Then lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until softened.
Mung Bean Layer
Soak the mung beans. Soak the mung beans in water overnight.
Cook the mung beans. In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, add the soaked mung beans and water and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, add the sugar and salt, and stir until dissolved. Cover and simmer, stirring periodically, for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid during the last 5 minutes and cook until the water has been absorbed by the mung beans and the mixture has thickened.
Blend the mung beans. In a food processor or blender, add the cooked mung beans. Blend until pulverized. Place in a bowl in the refrigerator to cool.
Coconut sauce
Cook the coconut cream. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the coconut cream, water, sugar, and salt and stir until dissolved. Then bring the coconut milk to a gentle simmer.
Add tapioca starch slurry. In a small mixing bowl, mix the tapioca starch and water until combined. When the coconut milk reaches a simmer, slowly pour the slurry in and whisk until the coconut sauce has slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Then remove from heat and refrigerate to cool.
Assemble
Serve. In a cup, add the mung beans, red beans, and pandan jelly, and top with coconut sauce and ice. Mix and enjoy.
Notes
See the Expert Tips section above for more guidance.
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
1) You don’t need to soak the mung beans if you are using a rice cooker. If you steam the mung beans instead, then you will need to soak the mung beans for an even soft texture.
2) And you will need to knead the pandan jelly until it just comes together to form a pliable dough.
I’m going to attempt this 🙂
1/ Most recipes call for the split mung beans to soak overnight?
2/ How long do I knead the pandan jelly dough?
Thanks!
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
1) You don’t need to soak the mung beans if you are using a rice cooker. If you steam the mung beans instead, then you will need to soak the mung beans for an even soft texture.
2) And you will need to knead the pandan jelly until it just comes together to form a pliable dough.