Coconut bun or cocktail bun (雞尾包) is a classic and popular bread among Hong Kong bakeries. This is the best homemade Hong Kong cocktail bun recipe. It is soft, sweet and delicious! You can’t stop eating after trying these warm and fresh baked Chinese coconut buns.
Love Asian breads? Check out these popular pineapple buns, custard buns and Chinese hot dogs recipes as well.
What is coconut bun?
Coconut bun also called cocktail bun (雞尾包) in Chinese literal translation of chicken tail bun. It is a sweet bun with shredded coconut filling. Also, it is originated in Hong Kong and very popular among Hong Kong bakeries like pineapple buns and Chinese hot dogs.
A final egg wash gives a shiny and golden brown color on the top after baking. Usually Hong Kong style coconut bun has two stripes decorate toward the ends and sparkles with some sesame seeds.
Why it called cocktail bun?
Back in 1950s, a bakery owner didn’t want to waste breads that not sold. Therefore, he grounded up the old breads and mix with sugar and coconut to make a tasty filling and wrap around with a fresh bread dough to make Chinese coconut bun.
It named cocktail bun (雞尾包) because the filling was mixed with different breads which is similar to cocktail drink that mixed with different ingredients.
What are the ingredients in Chinese cocktail bun?
Even though it is named cocktail bun, it doesn’t have any alcohol ingredients. Basically, the ingredients are flour, sugar, milk, heavy cream, butter, egg, yeast and shredded coconut.
Most people like to call it Chinese coconut bun because it contains a sweet coconut filling. In this Hong Kong cocktail bun recipe, the ingredients are divided into three parts: bread dough, filling and topping.
Cooking tips for how to make the best Chinese coconut buns at home:
- Make sure milk, heavy whipping cream, butter and egg at room temperature. (I normally leave them out for 30-1 hour before making it)
- Divide 9 bigger dough or 12 smaller ones. Roll the dough into oval shape and put the filling on it. Then, wrap and close the dough and roll a little bit to shape it like a long oval.
- Bake at 350F for 18-22minutes until it’s golden brown.
For bread dough:
- Add milk, heavy cream, egg, sugar and yeast into a mixture bowl and wait for 5 minutes
- In another bowl, mix bread flour (1.5 cup first), cake flour, salt, vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer and mix well. Slowly adding to the yeast mixture.
- The dough is little sticky then slowly add 1/4 cup of bread flour.
- Let the dough rise and cover with a wet cloth. If in room temperature will take an hour or so to rise. It depends on what is your house temperature.
- I suggest preheat oven at 200F and turn off. Then, let the dough rise in the oven, it will shorten time for rising the dough in around 30 minutes.
For filling:
- Use unsweetened shredded coconut
- Put the shredded coconut into a chopper to chop them fine and small
- Beat butter, add sugar, dry milk, cake flour and chopped coconut and mix them well
- The filling is a little crumble, so use hands to press it to make like an oval or long shape. It can make 9 bigger or 12 smaller ones.
For topping:
- Melt butter in microwave for 5 seconds. Just little melt, but not too much.
- Mix well with sugar and cake flour
- If you melt the butter too much, it will be runny. Let it cool off, then it will harder a little bit.
- Put the topping dough into a small ziplock bag. Then, cut a small hole at the corner of the bag and push pressure to pipe two lines on the bread
FAQs:
What it the temperature to bake Chinese cocktail bun?
Bake at 350F for 18-22minutes until it’s golden brown.
What it the texture and taste like for coconut bun?
The bun is soft and slightly sweet which is a typical Hong Kong style sweet bread. The filling is a little dense, rich and sweet because of the coconut, butter and sugar.
Do I have to use a mixer to make the dough?
You don't have to use a mixer to make the dough, but it is easier and faster if you use a mixer. Personally, I really like to use Bosch bread mixer to make dough because the dough is well mixed and evenly.
How long does it take the dough rise?
It depends on what is your house temperature. Normally, it takes around an hour or more. I suggest to preheat oven at 200F and turn off. Then, let the dough rise in the oven, it will shorten the time for rising the dough in around 30 minutes.
Can you refrigerate the bread?
Yes, you can refrigerate them and will last about a week.
How to warm up Chinese cocktail bun?
If Chinese cocktail bun is at the room temperature, normally I will warm up in microwave for 5-10 seconds. If it is out from refrigerator, I will microwave for 20-30 seconds. Also, you can warm them up in a toaster oven for 1-2 minutes.
Instructions for how to make the best homemade Hong Kong coconut buns:
- Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar into a mixer. Mix them a little bit. Cover the lid and wait for 5 minutes.
- At the same time, in a bowl add 1 & 1/2 cup of bread flour, 1/2 cup of cake flour, 1/2 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten, 1/2 tablespoon of dough enhancer, 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well.
- After that, slowly add the flour mixture into the yeast mixture until the dough is formed. At this moment, the dough is a little sticky. Then, slowly add 1/4 cup of bread flour. Let the mixer run for 3-5 minutes at setting 3 if you use Bosch bread mixer.
- Next, put the dough into a bowl and cover with a wet cloth. Let the dough rise double size. (Normally, take around an hour or more. I suggest to preheat oven at 200F and turn off. Then, let the dough rise in the oven, it will shorten the time for rising the dough in around 30 minutes.)
- While waiting the dough rise, work on the filling. First, put 2 cups of shredded coconut into a chopper to chop them until it's smaller pieces. Then, beat 1.5 sticks of butter in a bowl. After, add 1 & 1/4 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of dry milk, 1/4 cup of cake flour, chopped fine shredded coconut and mix them well.
- Divide the bread dough into 9 bigger or 12 smaller, the same as filling. (The filling is a little crumble, so use hands to press it to make like an oval or long shape.)
- Roll the dough into oval shape and place the filling in the middle of the dough. Then, fold and close it. Roll it like a long oval shape.
- Place them on a tray and cover with a wet cloth and let it rise. (I suggest to preheat oven at 200F and turn off. Then, let the dough rise in the oven, it will shorten the time for rising the dough in around 15-30 minutes.)
- At the meanwhile, work on the topping. In a small container melt 1 tablespoon of butter in microwave for 5 seconds. Just little melt, but not too much. Then, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cake flour. Mix them well. Put the topping dough into a small ziplock bag. Then, cut a small hole at the corner of the bag and push pressure to pipe the topping dough.
- Beat an egg and brush egg on bread.
- Pipe two lines on the bread and sprinkle some sesame seeds and ready for baking.
- Preheat oven at 350F. Bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes until it's golden brown.
Enjoy this Hong Kong cocktail bun recipe. Also, check out these no knead rosemary garlic bread and the best dinner rolls recipes.
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Coconut bun (Chinese cocktail bun)
Ingredients
Bread dough:
yeast mixture:
- 1/2 cup Milk 2% (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup
Heavy whipping cream
(room temperature) - 1 Egg Large (room temperature)
- 1
tablespoon
Active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup Sugar
Flour mixture:
- 1
teaspoon
Salt - 1/2
tablespoon
Dough enhancer
- 1/2
tablespoon
Vital wheat gluten
- 1 & 3/4 cups Bread flour
(add 1 and 1/2 cup first and slowly add 1/4 cup later)
- 1/2 cup
Cake flour
Filling:
- 2 cups
Unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1.5 sticks Butter (soften at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup Cake flour
- 3/4 cup
Instant non fat dry milk powder
- 1 &1/4 cups Sugar
Topping:
- some Sesame seeds
- 1 Egg (for brushing the bread before baking)
topping dough:
- 1
tablespoon
Butter (soften at room temperature) - 1
tablespoon
Sugar - 1
tablespoon
Cake flour
Instructions
- Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar into a mixer. Mix them a little bit. Cover the lid and wait for 5 minutes.
- At the same time, in a bowl add 1 & 1/2 cup of bread flour, 1/2 cup of cake flour, 1/2 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten, 1/2 tablespoon of dough enhancer, 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well.
- After that, slowly add the flour mixture into the yeast mixture until the dough is formed. At this moment, the dough is a little sticky. Then, slowly add 1/4 cup of bread flour. Let the mixer run for 3-5 minutes at setting 3 if you use Bosch bread mixer.
- Next, put the dough into a bowl and cover with a wet cloth. Let the dough rise double size. (Normally, take around an hour or more. I suggest to preheat oven at 200F and turn off. Then, let the dough rise in the oven, it will shorten the time for rising the dough in around 30 minutes.)
- While waiting the dough rise, work on the filling. First, put 2 cups of shredded coconut into a chopper to chop them until it’s smaller pieces. Then, beat 1.5 sticks of butter in a bowl. After, add 1 & 1/4 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of dry milk, 1/4 cup of cake flour, chopped fine shredded coconut and mix them well.
- Divide the bread dough into 9 bigger or 12 smaller, the same as filling. (The filling is a little crumble, so use hands to press it to make like an oval or long shape.)
- Roll the dough into oval shape and place the filling in the middle of the dough. Then, fold and close it. Roll it like a long oval shape.
- Place them on a tray and cover with a wet cloth and let it rise. (I suggest to preheat oven at 200F and turn off. Then, let the dough rise in the oven, it will shorten the time for rising the dough in around 15-30 minutes.)
- At the meanwhile, work on the topping. In a small container melt 1 tablespoon of butter in microwave for 5 seconds. Just little melt, but not too much. Then, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cake flour. Mix them well. Put the topping dough into a small ziplock bag. Then, cut a small hole at the corner of the bag and push pressure to pipe the topping dough.
- Beat an egg and brush egg on bread.
- Pipe two lines on the bread and sprinkle some sesame seeds and ready for baking.
- Preheat oven at 350F. Bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes until it’s golden brown.
Video
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make the best coconut buns at home:
- Make sure milk, heavy whipping cream, butter and egg at room temperature. (I normally leave them out for 30-1 hour before making it)
- Divide 9 bigger dough or 12 smaller ones. Roll the dough into oval shape and put the filling on it. Then, wrap and close the dough and roll a little bit to shape it like a long oval.
- Bake at 350F for 18-22minutes until it’s golden brown.
For bread dough:
- Add milk, heavy cream, egg, sugar and yeast into a mixture bowl and wait for 5 minutes.
- In another bowl, mix bread flour (1.5 cup first), cake flour, salt, vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer and mix well. Slowly adding to the yeast mixture.
- The dough is little sticky then slowly add 1/4 cup of bread flour.
- Let the dough rise and cover with a wet cloth. If in room temperature will take an hour or so to rise. It depends on what is your house temperature.
- I suggest preheat oven at 200F and turn off. Then, let the dough rise in the oven, it will shorten time for rising the dough in around 30 minutes.
For filling:
- Use unsweetened shredded coconut
- Put the shredded coconut into a chopper to chop them fine and small
- Beat butter, add sugar, dry milk, cake flour and chopped coconut and mix them well
- The filling is a little crumble, so use hands to press it to make like an oval or long shape. It can make 9 bigger or 12 smaller ones.
For topping:
- Melt butter in microwave for 5 seconds. Just little melt, but not too much.
- Mix well with sugar and cake flour
- If you melt the butter too much, it will be runny. Let it cool off, then it will harder a little bit.
- Put the topping dough into a small ziplock bag. Then, cut a small hole at the corner of the bag and push pressure to pipe two lines on the bread.