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    Home / Dessert / Samoan Panipopo

    Samoan Panipopo

    Samoan panipopo recipe: soft, pillowy sweet buns baked in a luscious coconut caramel sauce. The comforting taste of Samoan Sundays, fresh from the oven.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 30 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 DessertCategory
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    Samoan Panipopo

    Panipopo — ‘sweet buns’ in Samoan — arrived with missionaries and traders and became a Pacific icon. Yeasted dough is shaped into soft rolls, baked until golden, then soaked in a warm, sweet coconut cream sauce that pools around each bun.

    Pull a bun apart while it is still warm: feathery crumb, sticky caramelised coconut, and a sauce so good you will spoon up the last drops. Perfect with coffee for breakfast or as an afternoon treat.

    Samoa recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm milk, melted butter and egg; stir into a soft dough.
    2. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
    3. Punch down, divide into 12 balls and place in a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and rise for 30 minutes.
    4. Meanwhile, whisk the coconut cream, brown sugar and 1/4 tsp salt in a small pot over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
    5. Pour the coconut sauce over the risen buns. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until golden and the sauce is bubbly.
    6. Cool for 10 minutes and serve warm, spooning the sauce over each bun.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Do not skip the second rise — it gives the soft, airy crumb panipopo is famous for. The sauce will thicken as it cools; rewarm gently before serving.

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    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook30 min
    Servings4
    CategoryDessert
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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