Hulled mung beans, cooked down with coconut cream and a hint of vanilla until smooth, create a dense, sweet, and nutty filling that balances perfectly against soft, cloud-like dough. These steamed mung bean buns rely on a classic Hong Kong-style bao technique to achieve their signature pillowy texture, offering a comforting bite that is neither too heavy nor overly sweet.

Preparing these from scratch involves coaxing the beans into a velvety paste and ensuring the dough is kneaded long enough to develop a fine, tight crumb. Once shaped and steamed, the buns emerge with a subtle sheen and a warm, milky aroma that makes them a reliable choice for a slow weekend breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack paired with a pot of hot tea.

Because the filling is prepared ahead of time, you can focus on the rhythmic process of rolling and folding the dough, which ensures the final result has that sought-after lift. Serving them while they are still steaming hot preserves the delicate softness of the wrapper, allowing the contrast between the tender exterior and the creamy, aromatic center to really stand out.

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Once you have mastered the art of working with yeasted dough, you will find that these mung bean buns share a similar steaming technique with our nutty whole wheat sesame buns. For those who enjoy exploring the gentle, comforting side of dim sum, this recipe pairs beautifully with a bowl of silky steamed milk, which offers a soothing contrast to the slightly denser bean filling.

Key Ingredients

Bao flour: Provides the soft, white structure required for the steamed bun exterior.
Hulled mung beans: Forms the dense, smooth base for the sweet filling.
Coconut cream: Adds a rich, tropical creaminess to the mung bean filling mixture.
Instant yeast: Essential leavening agent that allows the bun dough to rise effectively.
Pandan leaves: Infuses the mung bean filling with a distinct, aromatic herbal fragrance.
Glutinous rice flour: Helps thicken and bind the mung bean filling to a moldable consistency.
Unsalted butter: Used in the dough to ensure a tender and smooth crumb texture.

Explore More Traditional Steamed and Baked Favorites

Pandan Steamed Bun: If you enjoy the floral aroma of these mung bean buns, this version incorporates fragrant pandan for a vibrant, aromatic variation.
Matcha Red Bean Mochi Bread: This recipe is a perfect next step if you are a fan of sweet bean pastes and looking for a more distinct, chewy texture.
Pan Fried Chinese Beef Buns: For a savory contrast to your bean-filled sweets, try these pan-fried buns that showcase how versatile basic dough can be when prepared with a crispy bottom.

Steamed Mung Bean Buns

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Steamed Mung Bean Buns ingredients

Bun700 gr hong kong Bao flour100 gr castor sugar2 tsp instant yeast (6 gr)1 tsp salt1 tsp baking powder380-400 ml room temp milk25 gr soften unsalted butterFilling250 gr hulled mung bean, soak over night1/2 tsp salt100 gr sugar15 gr glutinous rice flour mixed with water100 ml instant coconut cream20 gr butter3 pandan leaves (optional)1/2 tsp vanilla essence(optional)

Steps

Filling1. In a pot, add water and mung beans bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and cook it for 40 mins or until tender, half covered. Remove2. mash with a sieve until smooth3. In a non stick pan, add the mung bean mixture, add the remaining ingredients and cook it down until most of the water evaporated, stirring it frequently.4. When done, remove from heat, and let it cool, discard pandan leaves5. Form mixture into 25-26 balls, with the weigh of 25 gr each. Set a sideBao1. Combine dry ingredients into mixer and mix them with chopsticks first, add milk and mix until incorporate then use the mixer to mix until combined2. Rub in butter on the surface of the dough and mix until smooth and non stick to the bowl for 10-15 mins3. Cover dough with kitchen cloth, Let it rise until double in size (45 mins- 1 hr)4. Then knead using hands for 5-10 mins to release most of the air bubbles5. then roll it into a log.6. Cut dough into 25-26 (50 gr each) pieces7. Take a piece of dough, Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle sized then roll it up like a swiss roll, repeat this 2 more times (see video). Finally, roll it into small balls and rest it for 15-20 mins cover, do remaining8. Take a ball, roll to Flatten into 3,5“ disc. Do the remaining and cover9. Take a flatten dough, Place filling in the center then bring the edges together to close (see video) and pinch the very end and close it tightly10. Place bao into a small parchment paper and cover11. Steam buns over boiling water for 5 mins, turn off the heat and let it rest in the steamer for 3-5 mins with the lid on and remove. Serve while hot

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