Bubur Sumsum – Indonesian Coconut Rice Flour Pudding

Bubur Sumsum is a traditional Indonesian dessert made from rice flour and coconut milk, resulting in a creamy, pudding-like treat. It is served with a sweet, aromatic pandan and palm sugar sauce that adds a caramel-like sweetness, making it a comforting and very satisfying treat. It tastes like you take a bite out of a cloud!

“Bubur” means porridge or congee, and “Sumsum” refers to the velvety, smooth texture of the dessert.

This delicious Javanese version of rice pudding is commonly eaten as a dessert or a sweet snack. Either cold or hot. It is really easy to make with just a few ingredients, and you can have it ready in 15 minutes!

Bubur Sumsum Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will still be tasty, but it may not look as appealing as when you just made it.

You can eat it chilled or room temperature. If you want to eat it warm, reheat it over low heat. Add a bit of water if needed to reach the desired consistency.

Indonesian Ingredients to Make Bubur Sumsum

You can get authentic ingredients for Bubur sum sum, like palm sugar and pandan leaves, at your local Asian grocery store or online at Amazon.

Gula jawa (unrefined palm sugar) is a natural sweetener made from the sap of palm trees. It has a sweet and rich, caramel-like flavor and is commonly used in Indonesian desserts. Use coconut or brown sugar as substitutes.

Related: How to Make Gula Jawa Palm Sugar Syrup.

Pandan leaves, known as “daun pandan” in Indonesian cuisine, add a subtle, sweet, fragrant flavor to rice, desserts, and savory dishes. If fresh pandan leaves aren’t available, you can substitute with dried pandan
leaves, though the flavor may be less intense. To use dried leaves, soak them in hot water to rehydrate and release their aroma before adding them to the dish.

Bubur Sumsum (Coconut Milk Rice Flour Pudding)

Bubur sumsum is a classic Indonesian dessert featuring a creamy coconut milk rice flour pudding topped with sweet palm sugar syrup.This Indonesian dessert fits gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diets.

5 from 4 ratings

Print recipe

Prep

5 mins

Cook

15 mins

Total

20 mins

Servings

4

Ingredients

Porridge

• 400 ml coconut milk1 can
• 50 g rice flour
• pinch salt

Sauce

• 100 g unrefined palm sugargula jawa
• 1 pandan leaf
• 100 ml water

Instructions

1. Divide the coconut milk into two portions.
2. In a bowl, mix half of the coconut milk with rice flour and salt. Stir until smooth.
3. Heat the remaining coconut milk in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Pour in the rice flour mixture and cook on low heat. Stir constantly and bring to a boil slowly. Cook until thickened, about 5-10 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
4. Grate or break the gula jawa palm sugar into smaller pieces.
5. In a separate saucepan, combine the palm sugar, water, and pandan leaf. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes syrupy. Simmer for a few minutes to infuse the pandan flavor. Remove from heat.
6. Serve the porridge in a bowl and pour the syrup on top. Enjoy warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Per serving (1)

Calories

337 kcal

Carbs

38 g

Protein

3 g

Fat

21 g

Fiber

0 g

Sugar

25 g

Sodium

47 mg

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Recipe by Deborah Green

Did this recipe make you want more?
Here are some of my favorite Indonesian Bubur dessert recipes you can try:
Bubur Kacang Hijau – Mung Bean Pudding
Bubur Ketan Hitam – Black Rice Pudding
Bubur Nasi Manis – Sweet Coconut Rice Pudding

Deborah Green

I'm Deborah Green, Dish Full of Memories is where I share my recipe collection, a blend of Asian-Indonesian family recipes, Dutch favorites, and a pinch of New York. Join me in cooking the dishes and the flavors that have shaped my life. When I'm not in the kitchen, I enjoy gardening and photography.