Coconut Bread

Soft and fluffy coconut bread filled with a sweet buttery coconut mixture is a classic and traditional treat among Chinese bakeries like pineapple buns, Chinese hot dogs, cream buns, and garlic cheese breadsticks. The lightly golden crust and aromatic coconut filling make it a comforting snack or breakfast. You will like this sweet coconut bread recipe if you like coconuts and sweets! Let's learn how to make this authentic Cantonese-style coconut bread with step-by-step photos and a video tutorial to guide you through this sweet treat. 

Do you like bread? Check out these recipes for custard bun, taro bun, no-knead focaccia, ciabatta, sugar donuts, and Japanese milk bread rolls. 

What is coconut bread?

Coconut bread is a classic and traditional Cantonese-style bread, like pineapple buns, Chinese hot dogs, cream buns, and garlic cheese breadsticks. In Cantonese, we call it je4 si1 baau1  椰絲包 or yē sī bāo 椰丝包 in Mandarin Chinese, which translates as "shredded coconut bread." Some people will call it yeh yùhng bāau 椰蓉包. It is renowned worldwide among Hong Kong bakeries, Southern China, and Chinatowns.

Most Hong Kong-style bread and baked goods are influenced by Western pastries but adapted to suit Chinese tastes. This sweet coconut bread recipe is enriched milk bread filled with a sweet shredded coconut mixture. The bread is soft, fluffy, and enriched with butter, eggs, and milk, resulting in a tender and airy crumb. The filling combines butter, sugar, egg, and desiccated coconut; some like to add milk powder or condensed milk for extra richness. 

Typically, it is baked into individual buns or small loaves and finished with an egg wash for a glossy golden top. Some are shaped into spirals or folded buns, and the filling is swirled inside. These coconut buns are commonly enjoyed as a breakfast item or snack, with tea (yum cha), coffee, or as a light dessert.

What does coconut bread taste like?

Is this coconut bread similar to cocktail buns? 

Yes, it is very similar. Both use soft milk bread dough and sweet coconut filling. Cocktail buns (雞尾包) are oval. Typically, they are richer, with more butter in the filling. On the other hand, coconut bread 椰絲包 is round or spiral-shaped. It is simpler. Sweet coconut is the primary focus of the bread. The idea is very similar to American cinnamon rolls. 

What's the best way to serve with coconut bread?

You can serve it with warm tea, coffee, or milk. You can also lightly toast or air fry it for a crispy outside and gooey center.

How do I get the golden glossy top?

Cantonese-style bread commonly brushes the buns' tops with egg before baking.

Can I shape the bread differently?

Absolutely! Traditionally, the buns are round, but you can braid, roll, or make twists. You can make them like cinnamon rolls, ensuring even filling distribution and proper sealing.

What are the ingredients for Chinese sweet coconut bread?

What kind of shredded coconut do you use? 

Substitutions: 

Can I substitute butter?

Yes, you can use margarine or coconut oil (for a more potent coconut aroma).

I don't have custard powder. Can I skip this? 

If you don't have custard powder, it is okay to skip it. The purpose of the custard powder is to color and aroma. (If the filling is a little runny, put it in the refrigerator and let it solidify a little bit before spreading it on the flattened dough.) 

Do I have to use vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer?

No, you do not need to use them. However, they help provide the bread texture. If you don't have vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer, you can replace them with bread flour.

Storage: 

How do you store the leftovers?

You can put the leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top bag, leave them on the countertop for a day, or refrigerate them. 

How long can it last? 

If you refrigerate them, they can last for 3-4 days, or you can freeze them, which can last up to 2 months. 

How to warm up or reheat?

If it is from the refrigerator, cut or slice it. Then, you can microwave it for 15–20 seconds. Warm it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes. You can also toast or air fry it for 1-2 minutes. When frozen from the freezer, first thaw and reheat them.  

Cooking tips for how to make coconut bread: 

Dough: 

• Use milk, butter, egg, sweet condensed milk, sugar, yeast, salt, and bread flour for the dough.
• Run the dough in the mixer for 10 minutes, then add the diced butter. Let it run for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, like a film. The total takes about 20 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer is easier.
• Let the dough rise until it is doubled in size. My trick to speed up the rising time is to preheat the oven to 200F. Then, turn off the oven. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and put it in the oven for 30-45 minutes. 
• After that, divide the dough into 4 portions. If you don't want to make that much, you can half the dough and filling recipe to make 2 small ones. 

Filling: 

• Personally, I like filling this bread more. If you don't want too much filling, you can have half the filling ingredients in this recipe. 
• The filling ingredients are melted butter, sugar, egg, shredded coconut, custard powder, and vanilla extract. 
• Melt the butter in the microwave for 15 seconds. Then, mix the filling until it's moist but not runny. 

Combine: 

• Flatten the dough and spread the filling on the dough. Then, roll it up and fold both ends together. 
• Spray some oil in the tin foil tray. 
• Place the folded dough in the tray. Next, use a knife to cut the top to about ½- 1 inch depth. 
• Cover it with a wet cloth and let it rise for 15 minutes. (My trick to speed up the rising time is to preheat the oven to 200F. Then, turn off the oven and put the dough covered with a wet cloth in the oven for 15 minutes.)
• Then, brush the dough with egg for a shiny golden crust.

Baking:

• Preheat the oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, depending on size. It took around 25 minutes. When it is about 20 minutes, open the oven, cover the dough with foil to prevent the tops from burning, and continue baking for 5 more minutes.
• If your oven is smaller, remember to cover the top earlier to prevent burning the tops. 

FAQs: 

Instructions for how to make Chinese sweet coconut bread:

Dough:

1. Pour ½ cup of milk, add 4 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk into the Borsch mixer. After that, add 3 teaspoons of yeast and crack 2 large eggs. Turn on the mixer to the lowest setting, #1, and mix it a little bit. Let it wait for 5 minutes. 

2. Put 2 cups and 3 tablespoons of bread flour in a container. Then, add ½ tablespoon of vital wheat gluten, ½ tablespoon of dough enhancer, and ½ teaspoon of salt. (If you don't have vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer, you can replace them with bread flour.) Mix it well. 

3. Next, turn the Bosch mixer to the lowest setting #1. Add the flour mixture from Step 2 to the yeast mixture in Step 1. Let it run until the dough comes together. Cover the lid and adjust the mixer to medium-high #3. Let it run for 10 minutes. 

4. Dice 2 tablespoons of butter into small cubes. 

5. After 10 minutes, open the top lid and add the diced butter one at a time to the dough.

6. Let it run for another 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic enough to stretch like a film. 

7. Spray some oil and place the dough in a bowl. 

8. Cover the dough with a wet cloth. My trick to speed up the rising time is to preheat the oven to 200F, turn off the oven, and put the dough covered with a wet cloth in the oven for 30-45 minutes. 

Filling:

9. Put 3 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut (6.2 oz) into a chopper. Chop it until it's in small pieces—they don't need to be completely fine. 

10. After that, put the chopped coconut shred into a bowl. Add 2 large eggs, ¾ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of custard powder, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter (Put the butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.) 

11. Mix the filling well until it is like a paste. 

Combine:

12. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size. Then, divide it into 4 pieces. (If you want an even dough size, weigh the dough and divide it into 4.)

13. Take a piece of dough and flatten it into a rectangular shape. 

14. Divide the filling into 4 portions and spread one portion of the filling from step 11 on the flattened dough. 

15. Roll it up. 

16. Fold the ends together. 

17. Spray the tin foil trays ( 5.72" x 3.31" x 1.88") with oil and put the dough in. Repeat to finish the rest of the dough.

18. Next, use a knife to cut the top open around ½- 1 inch deep. Cover the dough with a wet cloth. My trick to speed up the rising time is to preheat the oven to 200F. Then, turn off the oven. Put the dough covered with a wet cloth in the oven for 15 minutes. 

19. Beat an egg and brush it on top of the dough. 

Baking:

20. Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the bread for 15-20 minutes at 350F. When it reaches 20 minutes, open the oven and cover the bread with foil to prevent burning the top. Then, bake for 5 more minutes. I did it for a total of 25 minutes. ( If your oven is smaller, please adjust the time and cover it with foil earlier.)

Enjoy this classic and authentic Cantonese bakery-style sweet coconut bread recipe! Also, check out these Korean strawberry milk, guava cheesecake, Taiwanese pineapple cake, hot and sour noodle soup, lobster yee mein, and turnip cake recipes. 

You May Also Like These Recipes: 

• Sesame Balls
• Crispy Noodles
• Chinese Sticky Rice
• Tomato Fish

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