Palm Sugar Rice Balls (Klepon)

Name: Palm Sugar Rice Balls (Klepon)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Indonesia
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) glutinous rice flour; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pandan paste, or 4 fresh pandan leaves blended with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water and strained; 3/4 cup (180 ml) warm water, plus a little extra if needed; 3.5 oz (100 g) palm sugar (gula jawa or gula melaka), chopped very fine; 1 1/2 cups (150 g) fresh finely grated coconut, or unsweetened desiccated coconut soaked in warm water and drained; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 8 cups (2 L) water

klepon Say it: KLEH-pon

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 4, 2026.

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Klepon are bite-sized rice balls from Java, made from glutinous rice flour and scented with pandan, which gives them their soft green colour. Inside each ball is a nugget of dark palm sugar that melts to syrup as the klepon boil. They are rolled while warm in lightly salted fresh coconut, so every bite is chewy, cool and fragrant, then flooded with caramel sweetness. Sold in markets and made at home for snacks and celebrations, they are one of Indonesia's best-loved sweet treats.

Palm Sugar Rice Balls (Klepon)

klepon

Pronounced KLEH-pon

Serves: 4
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 50 min
Level: Easy

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

For the dough

2 cups (250 g)250 g (2 cups) glutinous rice flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml)5 ml (1 teaspoon) pandan paste, or 4 fresh pandan leaves blended with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water and strained
3/4 cup (180 ml)180 ml (3/4 cup) warm water, plus a little extra if needed

For the filling

3.5 oz (100 g)100 g (3.5 oz) palm sugar (gula jawa or gula melaka), chopped very fine

For the coating

1 1/2 cups (150 g)150 g (1 1/2 cups) fresh finely grated coconut, or unsweetened desiccated coconut soaked in warm water and drained
1/4 teaspoon salt

For boiling

8 cups (2 L)2 L (8 cups) water

Method

If using pandan leaves, blend them with the 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water until finely broken down, then strain through a sieve and keep the green liquid. Stir the pandan paste or pandan liquid into the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl. Add the warm water a little at a time, mixing with a spoon, then knead by hand for 2–3 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and only slightly tacky; work in a teaspoon more water if it crumbles or a teaspoon more flour if it sticks to your fingers.
In a shallow bowl, rub the grated coconut together with the salt and set it aside for the coating.
Divide the dough into 20–24 equal pieces, roughly 1 tablespoon each, and keep them under a damp cloth so they do not dry out and crack.
Flatten one piece of dough into a disc about 2 inches (5 cm) across, press a shallow hollow in the middle and put in about 1/2 teaspoon of the finely chopped palm sugar. Draw the edges up and pinch firmly to seal completely, then roll gently between your palms into a smooth ball; repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.
Bring the 8 cups (2 L) water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Lower in the balls in batches of 8–10 and stir once gently so they do not settle and stick. They will sink at first, then rise to the surface; once they float, cook for 2 minutes more, until they look glossy, slightly translucent and feel firm when nudged with a spoon.
Lift the cooked balls out with a slotted spoon, let them drain for a few seconds, and while still warm roll them in the salted coconut until evenly coated.
Pile the klepon on a plate, scatter over any leftover coconut, and serve at room temperature.

Regional variants

Without pandan the dough stays white, giving paler klepon with the same filling; some cooks work a little mashed sweet potato or taro into the dough for colour and a softer bite.

Cook's notes

Seal every ball completely with no cracks or thin patches, or the palm sugar will leak out into the boiling water.
Chop the palm sugar as finely as you can so it melts into an even syrup and does not punch through the dough.
Roll the klepon in coconut while they are still warm, when the surface is tacky enough for the coconut to cling.

Serve with

Serve as an afternoon snack with hot tea or black coffee.

Make ahead and storage

Best eaten the day they are made; cooked klepon keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and should be steamed briefly and rolled in fresh coconut before serving.

Palm Sugar Rice Balls (Klepon)