15 Traditional Chinese Dessert Recipes You Need to Try Today

I’m excited to share my favorite Asian dessert recipes with you. These include Chinese desserts passed down through generations. You’ll find everything from sesame balls to mango pudding, and egg tarts. These desserts are not just tasty but also hold a special place in many hearts.

Exploring Chinese dessert recipes shows the diversity of ingredients and flavors. You’ll see black sesame, mung beans, and coconut milk used in these treats. With over 25 traditional Chinese desserts to try, you’ll have plenty of choices. Some are perfect for special occasions, while others are great as street food snacks.

Whether you’re after easy recipes or more complex ones like osmanthus jelly, there’s something for everyone. The trend of lighter, less sweet desserts is growing. So, let’s dive into the world of Chinese and Asian desserts together. We’ll discover the wonders of traditional Chinese sweets.

Discovering the Sweet World of Chinese Desserts

Exploring chinese dessert recipes, I find a world full of variety and richness. Almond jelly’s delicate taste and fried dough sticks’ crunchiness show Chinese cuisine’s creativity. These desserts have a long history, blending new ingredients with tradition.

Chinese desserts stand out for their fresh ingredients and old methods. This makes them loved worldwide, often enjoyed at big cultural events and family get-togethers. Favorites include Tanghulu, fruits in a hard candy shell, and red bean mochi bars, made with glutinous rice flour and red bean paste.

Here are some traditional chinese desserts:

• Chinese almond cookies, often associated with celebrations
• Hong Kong bubble waffles, characterized by their crispy exterior and soft interior
• Chewy sesame balls, filled with sweet red bean paste

These desserts show the cultural importance of chinese dessert recipes. They also reflect a shift towards plant-based and healthy options. With vegan-friendly desserts like coconut peanut mochi, traditional chinese sweets are adapting to new tastes and diets.

Essential Tools and Ingredients for Chinese Dessert Recipes

To make easy chinese desserts, you’ll need some key tools and ingredients. Rice flour, sugar, and eggs are staples in traditional Chinese sweets. The quality of chinese dessert ingredients greatly affects the taste and texture of your treats.

Other important ingredients include taro, sago, and coconut milk. For instance, a taro sago dessert soup has 9 ingredients, including water, and serves 10 people. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 1 hour and 5 minutes to cook.

Here are some key chinese dessert ingredients to remember:

• Rice flour
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Taro
• Sago
• Coconut milk

Having these essential tools and ingredients ready will help you make delicious Chinese desserts. Whether you’re making easy chinese desserts or more complex ones, the right ingredients are crucial.

Red Bean Paste Buns (Dou Sha Bao)

To make delicious red bean paste buns, start with quality ingredients and traditional Chinese cooking. The red bean paste filling is key. It’s made from red beans, sugar, and water. Boil the beans until tender, then mash and mix with sugar for a smooth paste.

Red bean paste buns are a classic in chinese dessert recipes. To make them, you need dough made from flour, cornstarch, and more. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then rest for 15 minutes after dividing. Steam the buns for 10-12 minutes for a soft texture.

Here are some key ingredients and steps to make red bean paste buns:

• 150g red beans
• 135g brown sugar
• 270g all-purpose flour
• 30g cornstarch
• 180g whole milk, lukewarm

With these ingredients and steps, you can make delicious red bean paste buns. They’re great for snacking or as a dessert. Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat by steaming for a few minutes. Enjoy your homemade chinese dessert recipes, including these tasty red bean paste buns!

Sweet Egg Custard Tarts (Dan Tat)

To make these tasty Chinese dessert recipes, you need to prepare the egg custard filling and the crust. For the crust, you’ll need 200 gm plain flour, 25 gm cake flour, 125 gm butter, 55 gm icing sugar, 1 egg, and a dash of vanilla extract.

The custard ingredients are 2 eggs, 70 gm caster sugar, 150 gm hot water, 75 gm evaporated milk, and ½ tsp vanilla extract. To bake the egg custard tarts, preheat the oven to 200°C. Then, lower the heat to 180°C for the final baking.

Here are the steps to follow:

• Roll out the crust to a thickness of 0.5 cm.
• Place the crust in a 3-inch wide and 1-1/2-inch deep tart tin.
• Pour the egg custard filling into the crust.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, then lower the heat and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

The result is a delicious and creamy egg custard tart, perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth. With these Chinese dessert recipes, you can make approximately 14-16 egg tarts, each with a calorie count of 180 kcal.

Authentic Chinese Dessert Recipes for Special Occasions

Traditional Chinese desserts are key to making any special occasion unforgettable. They come in a variety of flavors and textures. You can find everything from fruity and creamy treats to cakes and cookies.

The Chinese New Year is a big time for these desserts. People enjoy treats like Nian Gao, Fa Gao, and Peanut Dumpling. These desserts are tasty and carry deep cultural meanings, wishing for good fortune and prosperity.

Some beloved traditional Chinese desserts for special events include:

• Red Bean Bun
• Egg Tong Sui
• Red Bean Soup
• Red Bean Rice Cake
• Red Tortoise Cake

Modern Chinese dessert recipes also offer something new. They use ingredients like coconut, almonds, and sesame seeds. This gives traditional flavors a unique twist.

Whether you prefer traditional or modern Chinese desserts, there’s plenty to choose from. These desserts add richness and cultural depth to any celebration, making it unforgettable.

Dessert	Ingredients	Occasion
Red Bean Bun	Red beans, flour, sugar	Chinese New Year
Egg Tong Sui	Eggs, sugar, water	Special occasions
Red Bean Soup	Red beans, sugar, water	Winter months

Eight Treasure Rice Pudding (Ba Bao Fan)

Exploring Chinese dessert recipes, I’m captivated by the eight treasure rice pudding. It’s a key dish during the Lunar New Year. Making it is a detailed and patient process.

The recipe starts with 200 grams of glutinous rice. It also includes red bean paste, with black sesame paste as an option. The pudding is filled with a mix of dried fruits and nuts like jujube, apricot, and walnuts.

To cook the pudding, steam it for 50 minutes. Make sure there’s at least 1 cm of space around the rice. Use a 15 cm diameter, 7 cm high bowl for steaming. You can keep it in the fridge for 3 days or freeze it for 2 months.

The pudding is delicious warm or at room temperature. You can add honey for extra flavor. The eight treasure rice pudding is a gem in Chinese desserts, showing the variety and richness of traditional sweets.

Here are some key ingredients and tips for making eight treasure rice pudding:

• Glutinous rice: the main ingredient
• Red bean paste or alternative fillings: adds flavor and texture
• Mixed dried fruits and nuts: provides a sweet and crunchy contrast
• Steaming time: 50 minutes
• Storage options: refrigerator or freezer

Mango Pudding with Coconut Milk

Mango pudding is a favorite in easy Chinese desserts. It’s refreshing and creamy, perfect for hot weather. Choose sweet, juicy mangoes for the best taste.

Making mango pudding takes just 15 minutes. But, it needs 6 hours or overnight to chill. Each serving has about 159 calories.

Selecting the Right Mangoes

Use fresh mango puree for the best taste. Frozen or canned mango works too, but fresh is better. The mix of mango and coconut milk is just right, making it creamy and sweet.

Here’s what you get in each serving:

• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
• Cholesterol: 4mg
• Sodium: 26mg
• Potassium: 257mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 18g
• Vitamin A: 956 IU
• Vitamin C: 32mg
• Calcium: 56mg
• Iron: 1mg

This mango pudding is an easy Chinese dessert. It’s creamy and sweet, great for any occasion or a cool treat anytime.

Sweet Soup Desserts (Tong Sui)

Exploring Chinese dessert recipes, I find sweet soup desserts, or Tong Sui, fascinating. These desserts are a big part of Chinese cuisine, rich in history and culture. “Tong Sui” means “sugared water,” showing they’re less sweet than Western desserts.

People believe these desserts help with digestion and are enjoyed after meals. Ingredients like red dates, goji berries, and snow fungus are common. “Leng Chee Kang” is a favorite, with lotus seeds, snow fungus, ginkgo nuts, and red dates.

Sweet soup desserts are perfect for those wanting something light and refreshing. You can find sweet ginger broth and sweet fermented rice soup among them. These soups can be served hot, warm, or cold, making them great for any season.

Sweet soup desserts also hold cultural significance. In Southeast Asia, dessert soups are a big deal, using tropical ingredients. “Pengat” is a Nyonya-style sweet broth, tied to the Lantern Festival. Whether you’re into traditional Chinese desserts or something new, sweet soup desserts are a must-try.

Sesame Balls (Jian Dui)

To make delicious sesame balls, also known as Jian Dui, you need a simple recipe. It requires basic ingredients like glutinous rice flour, sugar, and sesame seeds. This classic Chinese dessert is often enjoyed at special occasions.

Making the glutinous rice flour is key. Mix 130g of glutinous rice flour with 65g of white sugar and 120g of boiling water. This creates a soft but non-sticky dough, like the texture of an earlobe.

After preparing the dough, shape it into small balls. Coat them with 95g of white sesame seeds and 250g of water. Then, deep-fry the balls in oil at 120°C to 130°C for 5 minutes. Increase the temperature to 170°C for 2-3 more minutes.

This process gives the balls a crispy outer layer and a chewy inner layer. Serve them warm or at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 170°C for 7-8 minutes to regain crispiness.

Here is a summary of the ingredients and cooking time for the sesame balls recipe:

Ingredient	Quantity
Glutinous rice flour	130g
White sugar	65g
Boiling water	120g
White sesame seeds	95g
Water for coating	250g
Cooking time	10-12 minutes

This Chinese dessert recipe is a must-try for sesame ball lovers. It’s easy to make at home. Enjoy these delicious treats with your family and friends.

Moon Cakes and Their Fillings

Moon cakes are a key part of chinese dessert recipes. They are enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. This festival happens on the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar. A traditional moon cakes recipe makes 12 moon cakes, each weighing 50 grams.

Making moon cakes takes about 60 minutes. Cooking them takes 10 to 12 minutes. The recipe needs 100 grams of plain flour, 60 grams of golden syrup, 28 grams of vegetable oil, and ½ teaspoon of alkaline water. The filling includes 420 grams of lotus seed puree and 6 salted egg yolks.

Ingredient	Quantity
Lotus seed puree	420g
Salted egg yolks	6
Plain flour	100g
Golden syrup	60g

Moon cakes are a tasty and traditional chinese dessert recipes enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. With a traditional moon cakes recipe, you can make these sweet treats at home. Share them with your loved ones.

Black Sesame Soup (Zi Ma Wu)

Exploring chinese dessert recipes, I’m captivated by unique flavors and ingredients. Black sesame seeds are a key part of the black sesame soup recipe. This dessert is not only tasty but also full of nutrients.

Health Benefits

Black sesame seeds are loaded with minerals and vitamins like iron, magnesium, and vitamins B and E. They keep their hulls, which changes the flavor and texture of the soup. To make the black sesame soup, you’ll need 250g of black sesame seeds, 600 ml of water, 3-4 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of rice flour.

The cooking process involves simmering the mixture for about 10 minutes. Then, let it rest for at least 30 minutes to enhance the flavors.

Here are some key points to note when making the black sesame soup recipe:

• Use 250g of black sesame seeds for the best flavor and texture.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste, ranging from 3-4 tablespoons.
• Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

Tips for Perfecting Your Chinese Desserts

Creating easy chinese desserts requires patience and persistence. A few simple tips can make your desserts stand out. Remember, the quality of your ingredients matters a lot. Fresh, seasonal fruits like mangos, pineapples, and lychee can greatly enhance flavor and texture.

Using high-quality ingredients is crucial. Traditional Chinese cooking techniques, like steaming and stir-frying, are key. Steaming makes pastries tender and fluffy. Stir-frying gives fruits a crispy, caramelized taste.

Avoid common mistakes to make better desserts. Overmixing batter can make desserts tough. Not enough sugar can make them taste bland. Follow these tips to avoid these mistakes and impress everyone with your desserts.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind:

• Use a variety of ingredients, including nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, to add texture and flavor to your desserts.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ingredients and techniques to create unique and innovative desserts.
• Pay attention to presentation, as the visual appeal of your desserts can make a big difference in the overall dining experience.

Follow these tips and keep practicing. You’ll soon be making delicious, easy chinese desserts that impress. Whether you’re experienced or new to cooking, these tips will help you create stunning desserts that taste great and look amazing.

Traditional vs Modern Chinese Dessert Variations

Exploring Chinese desserts has been a fascinating journey. Traditional desserts have ancient roots, filled with symbolic ingredients and methods. These desserts, like mooncakes and Dragon’s Beard Candy, show the art and tradition of Chinese cooking.

But today, we also see new Chinese desserts. They mix old recipes with new flavors and methods. For example, baked Nian Gao and Tanghulu on TikTok show how old desserts are being updated for today’s fans.

Whether you love traditional sweets or modern twists, Chinese desserts are captivating. As I keep trying these treats, I’m excited to see how they’ll evolve and inspire cooks in the future.

FAQ

What is the cultural significance of Chinese desserts?

Chinese desserts are deeply rooted in culture. They play a big role in festivals and celebrations. They carry symbolic meanings and show the rich culinary history of China.

What are the essential tools and ingredients for making Chinese desserts?

Making Chinese desserts needs basic tools and ingredients. You’ll need rice flour, sugar, eggs, and traditional cooking methods. Using top-quality ingredients and methods is key for real flavors and textures.

What are some popular traditional Chinese dessert recipes?

Popular Chinese desserts include red bean paste buns and sweet egg custard tarts. Also, eight treasure rice pudding, mango pudding with coconut milk, and black sesame soup are favorites.

How do I select the right mangoes for mango pudding?

For mango pudding, pick mangoes that are sweet, ripe, and bright. The mango’s quality greatly affects the pudding’s taste and texture.

What are the health benefits of black sesame seeds?

Black sesame seeds are full of nutrients and antioxidants. They also have benefits for traditional Chinese medicine.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when making Chinese desserts?

Avoid using the wrong ingredients and not following traditional cooking methods. Also, don’t rush. Making these desserts well takes patience and practice.

How have traditional Chinese desserts evolved over time?

Chinese desserts have changed, with new flavors and techniques added. Yet, their cultural importance and traditional recipes are still cherished and shared.