Tang yuan is a beloved Chinese dessert that symbolizes togetherness and warmth, like sesame balls. These soft and chewy glutinous rice balls are filled with black sesame paste (芝麻湯圓). The texture is similar to sticky rice cake and red bean mochi. Tang yuan is usually served in a soothing ginger-sugar soup, making it the ultimate comfort food for cold days and special occasions. Whether celebrating the Lantern Festival, Chinese New Year, Winter Solstice, or simply craving a cozy treat, this easy-to-follow tang yuan recipe with step-by-step photos and a video will guide you to sweet perfection.
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What is tang yuan?
Tang yuan is a Mandarin Chinese word (湯圓 or 汤圆) that translates as soup balls. It is a traditional Chinese dessert with glutinous rice balls. The texture is chewy and soft. These glutinous rice balls are typically served in a sweet or savory soup.
Glutinous rice flour is mixed with water to form balls and cooked in boiling water. If it is a sweet version, it is served with sweet ginger soup or sugar soup. Some have fillings, and some do not have fillings. The sweet filling is usually black sesame, red bean, and peanut butter.
On the other hand, if it is savory, it is often served with minced meat or vegetables. The glutinous rice balls usually do not have fillings if they are savory. Savory tang yuan is less common for festive versions.
When do people eat tang yuan soup?
Tang yuan is popular during festive occasions like the Lantern Festival during Yuan Xiao (元宵), the Winter Solstice Festival (冬至), and the Lunar/ Chinese New Year. It is because the shape is round, symbolizing reunion and togetherness, making it a staple food for family gatherings and celebrations in Chinese culture.
What are popular fillings for tang yuan?
The fillings usually are black sesame paste, peanut butter, and red bean paste for a sweet dessert. Some glutinous rice balls are filled with sugar, and the modern versions are filled with chocolate.
Savory tang yuan usually does not have filling and is served with minced meat and vegetables.
How do you cook tang yuan?
First, boil water in a pot. Then, gently drop the tang yuan into the boiling water. Let it cook until it floats to the surface, about 5–7 minutes. For the stuffed tang yuan, make sure they are cooked through. Next, serve the tang yuan with sweet ginger soup.
Why does my tang yuan break apart during cooking?
It can happen:
- If the dough is too dry or overworked.
- If the filling is not sealed correctly.
- If the water is boiling too vigorously. Use a medium-small fire and gentle boil to prevent breaking apart.
Can I make glutinous rice balls in advance?
Yes! You can freeze uncooked glutinous rice balls. To do so, lay them out on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag or container. When you are ready to eat them, cook them frozen without thawing.
What are the ingredients for tang yuan soup?
In this homemade tang yuan recipe, I used black sesame filling. Also, I like to add some ginger to make sugar water, which adds more flavor to the syrup. The ingredients are glutinous rice flour, water, black sesame seeds, sugar, brown sugar, butter, and ginger.
Substitution:
For sweet fillings:
You can use another filling like sweet red bean paste, almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter, or a piece of rock sugar or chocolate.
For soup:
You can use sugar syrup if ginger is unavailable for the soup.
Storage:
Can I freeze leftover glutinous rice balls?
Yes, you can freeze the uncooked tang yuan. Cooked glutinous rice balls are not suitable for freezing because the texture changes.
How long does tang yuan last?
You can freeze the uncooked glutinous rice balls in the freezer for up to 1 month. The cooked tang yuan can be stored in the fridge in its soup for up to 2 days. Consuming it as soon as possible is recommended.
How do you warm up tang yuan soup?
You can use the stovetop method or microwave to reheat them. First of all, place the tang yuan soup in a small pot. Turn on low to medium heat to warm them. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, but gently avoid damaging it.
For a microwave, you can place the tang yuan soup in a microwave-safe container. Cover the bowl with a wet paper towel, heat it for 1-2 minutes, then check. Stir gently and repeat in 30-second intervals until thoroughly warmed.
Cooking tips for how to make homemade tang yuan with black sesame filling (芝麻湯圓):
Filling:
- Prepare the black sesame filling the day before.
- Wash and rinse black sesame seeds a few times to remove dust and impurities. Then, turn on low heat to pan-fry sesame seeds. It aims to dry the sesame seeds, and the scent will come out. Do not over-pan fry them; turn off the heat while it's dry.
- After that, use a blender or chopper to chop the black sesame seeds until they are fine. Add sugar and unsalted butter and mix it until it is smooth.
- Using unsalted butter is very important.
- I like to put the paste in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before rolling it like a ball. In this way, it is easier to form a ball.
- Then, lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze them overnight. You can save some fillings and do not have to use them all.
- You can make tang yuan when you want to because the black sesame filling can be stored in the freezer.
Dough:
- Add 2 teaspoons of water slowly in glutinous rice flour dough if it is too dry.
- If the dough is too dry, dip some water in your hand and roll the dough.
Cooking:
- When water is boiling, add tang yuan and let it boil until it floats on top. It is a good sign to know it is ready.
- If you make glutinous rice balls bigger, it will take a little longer to cook.
- Let the sugar water and ginger simmer for 5-10 minutes so the ginger flavor will release.
FAQs:
Yes, you can freeze them. It can last more than 2 months in the freezer.
Do not defrost them before cooking. Boil water in a pot and wait until it is boiling, then put frozen glutinous rice balls. Let it simmer until they are floating on top.
Dip some water in your hand and roll the dough until it's not too dry and cracked.
Instructions for how to make Chinese tang yuan soup with black sesame filling:
Filling:
1. Wash and rinse ½ cup black sesame seeds a few times to remove dust and impurities.
2. Then, pan-fry them on a pan with low heat until it's dried.
3. After that, put the black sesame seeds into a chopper. Chop until it is fine and small. Then, add ½ cup of sugar and chop with the black sesame seeds.
4. Next, add 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter and chop until it is mixed well.
5. After, put the black sesame paste filling in a freezer for 5-10 minutes, making it a little harder and easy to roll.
6. Then, roll the black sesame paste filling into little balls. Freeze the black sesame balls overnight. (You can roll them into balls and save the rest. You do not need to use them all at once.)
Dough:
7. Add 1 cup of glutinous rice flour and ½ cup of warm water in a container.
8. Mix them and knead them into a dough. (If it is too dry, add 2 teaspoons of water little by little. You can double the flour dough recipe if you want to use all the black sesame balls.)
9. Roughly divide the dough into small pieces.
Combine:
10. Flatten the dough into a circle shape. Try to make the side thinner but the middle thicker. Put the frozen black sesame ball in the middle of the dough.
11. Close up and roll into a ball. (If the dough is too dry, dip some water in your hand and roll the dough.) Finish the rest of the dough.
Cooking:
12. Pour 6 cups of water into a pot. Turn on the high fire and let it boil. When the water is boiling, turn the fire to medium small, add tang yuan to the water, and let it cook until they float on the top (around 5-7 minutes). It is a good sign to know they are ready when they are floating on top.
13. Meanwhile, pour 2 cups of water, ½ cup of brown sugar, and 4 slices of ginger (cut them into strips) into another pot. Let it boil for 5-10 minutes.
14. When the tang yuan is ready, drain them, pour the sugar water from step 13, and prepare to serve.
Enjoy this tasty homemade Chinese tang yuan soup recipe! Also, check out these black sesame soup, sweet red bean soup, glutinous rice dessert soup, homemade ho fun, tomato fish, and snow skin mooncake recipes.
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Tang Yuan
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Chopper
Video
Ingredients
Filling:
- ½ cup Black sesame seeds
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 stick Unsalted butter
Dough:
- 1 cup Glutinous rice flour
- ½ cup Warm water (If the dough is dry add 2 teaspoons little by little)
Soup:
- 2 cups Water
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 4 slices Ginger (Cut them into strips)
Boil Tang Yuan:
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Wash and rinse ½ cup black sesame seeds a few times to remove dust and impurities.
- Then, pan-fry them on a pan with low heat until it's dried.
- After that, put the black sesame seeds into a chopper. Chop until it is fine and small. Then, add ½ cup of sugar and chop with the black sesame seeds.
- Next, add 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter and chop until it is mixed well.
- After, put the black sesame paste filling in a freezer for 5-10 minutes, making it a little harder and easy to roll.
- Then, roll the black sesame paste filling into little balls. Freeze the black sesame balls overnight. (You can roll them into balls and save the rest. You do not need to use them all at once.)
- Add 1 cup of glutinous rice flour and ½ cup of warm water in a container.
- Mix them and knead them into a dough. (If it is too dry, add 2 teaspoons of water little by little. You can double the flour dough recipe if you want to use all the black sesame balls.)
- Roughly divide the dough into small pieces.
- Flatten the dough into a circle shape. Try to make the side thinner but the middle thicker. Put the frozen black sesame ball in the middle of the dough.
- Close up and roll into a ball. (If the dough is too dry, dip some water in your hand and roll the dough.) Finish the rest of the dough.
- Pour 6 cups of water into a pot. Turn on the high fire and let it boil. When the water is boiling, turn the fire to medium small, add tang yuan to the water, and let it cook until they float on the top (around 5-7 minutes). It is a good sign to know they are ready when they are floating on top.
- Meanwhile, pour 2 cups of water, ½ cup of brown sugar, and 4 slices of ginger (cut them into strips) into another pot. Let it boil for 5- 10 minutes.
- When the tang yuan is ready, drain them, pour the sugar water from step 13, and prepare to serve.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make homemade tang yuan with black sesame filling (芝麻湯圓):
Filling:
- Prepare the black sesame filling the day before.
- Wash and rinse black sesame seeds a few times to remove dust and impurities. Then, turn on low heat to pan-fry sesame seeds. It aims to dry the sesame seeds, and the scent will come out. Do not over-pan fry them; turn off the heat while it's dry.
- After that, use a blender or chopper to chop the black sesame seeds until they are fine. Add sugar and unsalted butter and mix it until it is smooth.
- Using unsalted butter is very important.
- I like to put the paste in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before rolling it like a ball. In this way, it is easier to form a ball.
- Then, lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze them overnight. You can save some fillings and do not have to use them all.
- You can make tang yuan when you want to because the black sesame filling can be stored in the freezer.
Dough:
- Add 2 teaspoons of water slowly in glutinous rice flour dough if it is too dry.
- If the dough is too dry, dip some water in your hand and roll the dough.
Cooking:
- When water is boiling, add tang yuan and let it boil until it floats on top. It is a good sign to know it is ready.
- If you make glutinous rice balls bigger, it will take a little longer to cook.
- Let the sugar water and ginger simmer for 5-10 minutes so the ginger flavor will release.
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