As a big fan of fresh coconut water living in a tropical, hot, and humid climate, this coconut jelly lychee is my easy, refreshing dessert I can never get enough of. It helps to cool down and stay hydrated while enjoying my dessert without feeling heavy.
It’s simple to make in just 5 minutes, similar to my Clear Coconut Water Jelly Agar-Agar recipe, but with lychee, and is firmer in texture.
Table of Contents
- Why I Make Coconut Jelly with Fresh Lychee
- Why you should try this coconut jelly lychee
- Health Benefits of Coconut Jelly and Lychee
- Ingredients to Make Lychee Coconut Jelly
- How to Make Coconut Jelly with Lychee
- Useful tips:
- Other Related Refreshing Dessert Recipes
Why I Make Coconut Jelly with Fresh Lychee
With lychee in season, I had to take advantage of its fresh, juicy sweetness. Growing up, the lychee jelly I usually had was always in a can with its sweet brines. You can use the canned lychee in this recipe too, but if you can get your hands on fresh ones and they’re not too pricey, trust me, it’s so worth it
If you enjoy tropical desserts and are looking for a light, refreshing way to stay hydrated, this coconut jelly lychee could be your next favorite.
It’s a simple dessert that:
☑️ Quench your thirst
☑️ Satisfy your sweet tooth
☑️ Hydrates & cools your body temperature down
Why you should try this coconut jelly lychee
Authentic flavor of Southeast Asia – Fresh coconut infused with pandan leaf and fresh lychee is a combination of refreshing flavors that make this Southeast Asian dessert easy to love!
Natural, plant-based dessert – Sweet jelly made with natural ingredients packed with plant-based benefits. This defeats a commercial jelly, heavily sweetened with artificial coloring and flavoring.
Simple to make – Just 5 minutes of active cooking to put this coconut lychee jelly together, and the rest is the cooling time!
Great as a palate cleanser – Thanks to its light and refreshing taste, it’s perfect for balancing out heavy flavors or cutting off any lingering aftertaste. Especially after barbequed meat and seafood dishes!
Perfect refreshment on a hot sunny days or during summer. It’s light, soothing, and cools your throat with every bite.
Health Benefits of Coconut Jelly and Lychee
Rich in electrolytes – Coconut water contains potassium, magnesium, and sodium, which offer extra hydration to your body. This helps replenish the water, especially during the times when you sweat the most.
Rich in antioxidants – 1 cup of Lychee contains 151% of vitamin C (Source: USDA & Healthline). Apart from its skin-glowing benefits, vitamin C is one of the powerful antioxidants that may reduce the risk of diseases, help strengthen the immune system, and have anti-aging benefits.
Cool your body naturally – Thanks to its electrolytes, coconut water helps regulate body temperature. This coconut jelly with lychee is a refreshing way to cool down on hot days or when you’re feeling under the weather, like during a fever.
Gluten-free and vegan – No gluten-containing ingredients. It’s made with plant-based ingredients that contain polyphenols, which are beneficial to your body.
Low fat – Compared to coconut milk, coconut water doesn’t contain any fat.
Ingredients to Make Lychee Coconut Jelly
- Lychee – I use fresh lychees for their natural sweetness. If you can find a fresh one, especially when it’s not the season, a canned lychee works too.
- Coconut Water – Fresh coconut water is best. If you use the one from the box, go for an unsweetened one and as natural as possible.
- Agar-Agar – I find that agar-agar powder works best for firm jelly recipes, it dissolves faster and is easier to work with. But if agar-agar strips are what you have on hand, feel free to use them — I’ve included the measurements in the recipe card below.
- Pandan leaf – Used to infuse the aromatic flavor, enhancing the flavor of coconut water.
- Sugar – White sugar keeps the jelly clear and white. If you don’t mind a slightly amber color, coconut sugar can be a great unrefined alternative.
Each fresh coconut water gives different levels of sweetness. Sometimes, if I’m lucky to get an extra sweet one, I omit the sugar. Plus, the lychee can also contribute to the sweetness.
- Water – You’ll need water to dissolve the agar-agar and sugar. If you plan to use part of the coconut water for this, note that boiling or simmering the coconut water can reduce its nutritional value.
How to Make Coconut Jelly with Lychee
- Dissolve the agar-agar
In a medium-sized pot, combine water, agar-agar powder, sugar, and pandan leaf. Bring it to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to a simmer once boiling.
Stir until the agar-agar and sugar are fully dissolved. The water should look completely clear to know they have fully dissolved. It usually took me about 3 minutes with agar-agar powder and 8-10 minutes with agar-agar strip. - Mix the base with coconut water & lychee.
Once fully dissolved, turn off the heat immediately and remove the pot from the stove. Slowly pour in the coconut water (room temperature) and stir as you go. Simmering or boiling coconut water reduces its health benefits.
Once the liquid is fully mixed, add the lychee into the pot to let them absorb the agar-agar. - Pour the solution into a container.
Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a container or ice cube mold. This helps catch the lychee and pandan, plus ensures the jelly is smooth and clear. You can remove the pandan leaf too. - Arrange, garnish (optional), and let it cool.
Arrange the lychees in grid, and garnish with dried rose petals (optional). You can also tear the lychee into smaller pieces.
Leave it on the countertop until it hardens to keep the lychee in its position. Once set, transfer it to the fridge to cool for another hour or two. - Cut into cubes and enjoy them cold!
Once cold, cut them into squares or, depending on your lychee sizes. It is ready to enjoy!
Useful tips:
- Agar-agar powder makes the best firm coconut jelly and takes a shorter time to dissolve than the strip.
- Use room-temperature coconut water when pouring it into a hot agar-agar and sugar solution. Cold water will thicken the jelly during the mix.
- Once the lychees are arranged, let the jelly set on the counter for a while before transferring it to the fridge. This helps keep the lychees in their grid position.
Other Related Refreshing Dessert Recipes
Lychee Coconut Jelly
2
servings3
minutesFirm coconut jelly with lychee in cubes infused with pandan leaf. This delicious light dessert is so hydrating and cooling.
Ingredients
1 whole Coconut Water (800ml) Unsweetened
100 g Lychee (Fresh/canned) – Pitted
4 tsp Agar-Agar Powder / 12g Agar-agar strips
3 tbsp Sugar
1-2 p Pandan leaf
1 cup Water
Rose bud – for garnishing (optional)
Directions
- Dissolve the agar-agar.
In a medium-sized pot, combine water, agar-agar powder, sugar, and pandan leaf. Bring it to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to a simmer once boiling.
Stir until the agar-agar and sugar are fully dissolved. The water should look completely clear to know they have fully dissolved. It usually took me about 3 minutes with agar-agar powder and 8-10 minutes with agar-agar strip. - Mix the base with coconut water & lychee.
Once fully dissolved, turn off the heat immediately and remove the pot from the stove. Slowly pour in the coconut water (room temperature) and stir as you go. Simmering or boiling coconut water reduces its health benefits.
Once the liquid is fully mixed, add the lychee into the pot to let them absorb the agar-agar. - Pour the solution into a container.
Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a container or an ice cube mold. This helps catch the lychee and pandan, plus ensures the jelly is smooth and clear. You can remove the pandan leaf too. - Arrange, garnish (optional), and leave it to cool.
Arrange the lychees in a grid, and garnish with dried rose petals (optional). You can also tear the lychee into smaller pieces.
Leave it on the countertop until it hardens to keep the lychee in its position. Once set, transfer it to the fridge to cool for another hour or two. - Cut and enjoy the cold!
Once cold, cut them into squares or, depending on your lychee sizes. It is ready to enjoy!
🥣 Did you try this recipe? Let me know how it goes in the comments below.
