Chinese Steamed Custard Buns | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (2024)

by Daphne Goh

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Many people love the Chinese Steamed Custard Buns which is a classic cantonese dim sum dessert. Likewise, they make these soft and fluffy custard buns with leavened dough and the sweet fillings with creamy lava custard. Besides, they make sweet lava custard fillings with traditional ingredients including salted egg yolks, milk powder and custard powder. Plus evaporated milk, butter and sugar. For my gluten free recipe of Chinese steamed custard buns, I am using vegan custard powder and corn starch. As well as agave sugar, maple syrup and vegan butter for the sweet fillings. My Chinese steamed custard buns recipe is not only gluten free. But also vegan, dairy free, soy free, egg free, nut free, refined sugar free and allergy friendly.

Chinese Steamed Custard Buns | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (1)
Chinese Steamed Custard Buns | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (2)

History of Chinese Bao Buns

According to a legendary folktale, a Chinese scholar and military strategist named Zhuge Liang created baozi or buns. When three-party states divided and ruled China during the Three Kingdoms era (AD220-280). Namely Wei, Wu and Shu, after the Han dynasty and before the Jin dynasty. While many different parts of contemporary China have different Chinese cultures. Likewise, buns are an extremely popular food staple and are broadly available. Moreover, they eat buns most commonly for breakfast and as a snack or even as a meal itself.

Chinese Steamed Custard Buns | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (3)

Variety of Chinese Bao Buns

They often make soft and fluffy bao or baozi leavened with yeast. A type of steamed filled bun or bread like bun in Chinese cuisines. There are countless number of variations to the fillings and methods of preparing these buns. These buns are similar to the traditional Chinese mantou, they stuff them with meat or vegetables and sweet fillings. They frequently serve buns or baozi in a push cart in Yum Cha restaurants as dim sums. Moreover, they often dish up three buns or baozi together in a bamboo steamer.

There are many different variation of buns available, the fillings can be sweet or savoury. The variety of buns include many all-time favourite dim sum. For instance char siu bao, sweet red bean paste buns (doushabao) and Chinese steamed custard buns (naihuangbao). As well as lotus seed bun and black sesame paste buns (zhimabao). In addition, meat buns include pork buns (bah-pau), and large bao (normally filled with pork, eggs and vegetables). Plus tangbaozi (soup-filled buns), shaobao (filled with any fillings of chicken, pork or salted eggs) and Shanghai xiaolongbao. There is also another variation of bun popular in Malaysia and Singapore. They called these popular buns pandan kaya buns. Besides, they fill these pandan kaya buns with kaya jam prepared with coconut, eggs and pandan. Other variety of mantou include shengjian mantou, a small Shanghai fried mantou stuffed with minced meat.

Chinese Steamed Custard Buns | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (4)

Chinese Steamed Custard Buns | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (5)

Chinese Steamed Custard Buns

Chinese Sweet custard buns (naihuangbao) are a favourite Cantonese dim sum dessert served in a Yum Cha restaurant. They are soft and fluffy with sweet and creamy custard fillings.

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Buns, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Asian Desserts, Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Vegan

Keyword: Bao, Baozi, Custard, Custard Buns, Dairy Free, Dim Sum, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Bao Buns, Gluten Free Chinese Bao, Gluten Free Dim Sum, Gluten Free Dim Sum Dessert, Gluten Free Dim Sum Recipe, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 buns

Calories: 312.96kcal

Author: Daphne Goh

Ingredients

MetricUS Customary

  • some gluten free flour for dusting work surface

For the dough:

    Dry Ingredients:

    Wet Ingredients:

    For the Custard Filling:

    Instructions

    For preparing the dough:

    • In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk together all the dry ingredients except agave sugar. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.

    • Warm the rice milk in a small pot for around 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Add in the rice bran oil or extra virgin olive oil and agave sugar and mix well until all the agave sugar has dissolved.

    • Pour the warm rice milk mixture in step 2 into the well in the large mixing bowl, add the vanilla extract, stir and combine well with the flour.

    • Then use your hands to knead the dough until you have a smooth dough. Add 1 tablespoon rice milk if required.

    • Divide the dough into 2 portions. Seal in ziplock bags and let the dough rest on the benchtop for 1 hour.

    For the filling:

    • Mix the corn starch with all the water.

    • Combine and mix well all the ingredients for the custard filling including the corn starch mixture in step 6 into a non-stick frying pan. Stir and mix on medium to low heat for 5 mins or until the custard mixture is smooth and has thickened.

    • Remove the frying pan from heat and let the custard filling cool for around 2 minutes.

    • Roll the custard filling into 16 balls about 54g (1.9oz) each. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

    For the dough:

    • Dust the work surface and rolling pin with some gluten free flour.

    • Remove 1 bag of dough from the ziplock bag at a time, divide the dough equally into 16 large balls around 72g (2.5oz) each. Repeat until all the dough are finished.

    • Flatten each ball into a disc or patty. Roll out each dough, turning it as you roll, to form a 4 inch round dough around 0.7cm (0.3 inch) in thickness.

    For stuffing the dough:

    • Place a cooled custard ball into the centre of the dough.

    • Wrap and pinch the dough together. Making sure that the thickness are even throughout the ball. Seal the edges and shape into a smooth ball.

    For cooking the buns:

    Notes

    Allergen: Corn.

    Nutrition Facts

    Chinese Steamed Custard Buns

    Serving Size

    1 bun

    Amount per Serving

    Calories

    312.96

    % Daily Value*

    Fat

    10.02

    g

    15

    %

    Trans Fat

    0.01

    g

    Polyunsaturated Fat

    0.84

    g

    Monounsaturated Fat

    2.42

    g

    Cholesterol

    26.61

    mg

    9

    %

    Sodium

    246.06

    mg

    11

    %

    Potassium

    115.64

    mg

    3

    %

    Carbohydrates

    53.97

    g

    18

    %

    Fiber

    3.5

    g

    15

    %

    Sugar

    8.22

    g

    9

    %

    Protein

    4.7

    g

    9

    %

    Vitamin A

    90.17

    IU

    2

    %

    Vitamin C

    1.41

    mg

    2

    %

    Calcium

    100.68

    mg

    10

    %

    Iron

    2.35

    mg

    13

    %

    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @healthygfasian or tag #healthygfasian!

    Chinese Steamed Custard Buns | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (14)
    Chinese Steamed Custard Buns | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (2024)

    FAQs

    What is custard bun made of? ›

    Custard bun recipes come in various variations, with some also containing vanilla extract, butter, or custard powder. This recipe remains accessible and authentic, crafted purely from eggs, milk, and sugar.

    How many carbs in a Chinese custard bun? ›

    Dim Sum Steamed Egg Custard Bun (1 bun) contains 31g total carbs, 30g net carbs, 5g fat, 4g protein, and 189 calories.

    What are Asian steamed buns called? ›

    Bao Buns (pronounced “bow”), but also known as a 'steamed buns' or 'baozi' 包子, are a delicious, warm, fluffy treat of stuffing wrapped inside a sweet, white dough.

    What do Chinese custard buns taste like? ›

    What do salted egg yolk custard buns taste like? Steamed buns have an airy, light, and subtly sweet texture, while the lava filling offers a sweet, creamy, buttery consistency with a subtle graininess due to finely ground egg yolks.

    What is a Korean bun made of? ›

    Jjinppang
    Alternative namesSteamed bun
    Main ingredientsWheat flour, red bean paste
    Ingredients generally usedYeast from makgeolli, butter, salt, sugar
    VariationsHoppang
    Food energy (per 1 serving)177 kcal (741 kJ)
    5 more rows

    How to steam custard buns without a steamer? ›

    You can replicate a steamer with very little effort by placing your buns in a common kitchen sieve or colander, then suspending it over boiling water. Creating a tower from plates and tea towels will stop the steam from escaping, causing your buns to steam cook!

    Are steamed buns healthy? ›

    A standard steamed bao typically contains about 200-250 calories, positioning it as a moderate-calorie food option. Additionally, bao serves as a source of protein and dietary fiber, particularly when made with whole grain flours or filled with vegetables or lean meats.

    What is the difference between steamed buns and bao buns? ›

    "Bao" is a catch-all term for various filled buns and dumplings in Chinese cuisine. However, when we refer to "bao" in the context of comparing it to pork buns, we are referring to the popular steamed bao. Unlike pork buns, steamed bao are pillowy, enclosed buns that can include far more than pork alone.

    What do you eat Chinese steamed buns with? ›

    When it comes to the dip, hoisin sauce, sweet chilli or a simple soy sauce with sesame oil make great pairings. We love to eat bao alongside some bouncy or zingy veggies. For zingy veg, we suggest some quick pickled cucumber.

    Do you eat bao buns hot or cold? ›

    Eat while they're still warm.

    What is a Hong Kong bun? ›

    A pineapple bun (Chinese: 菠蘿包; Sidney Lau: boh1loh4baau1) is a kind of sweet bun predominantly popular in Hong Kong and also common in Chinatowns worldwide.

    What is custard made from? ›

    custard, mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and flavourings which attains its consistency by the coagulation of the egg protein by heat. Baked custard contains whole eggs, which cause the dish to solidify to a gel.

    What is custard filling made of? ›

    Custard
    A bowl of crème anglaise custard, dusted with nutmeg
    CourseDessert
    Main ingredientsMilk or cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla
    Cookbook: Custard Media: Custard

    What is French custard made of? ›

    At its most basic, pastry cream is a combination of milk, eggs, and starch that are cooked together to create a rich and thick custard that's a workhorse in the baker's kitchen.

    What are the ingredients in breadtop custard buns? ›

    Bun (Wheat Flour, Water, Sugar, Egg, Cultured Wheat Flour, Buttery Spread (Animal Fats, Water, Emulsifiers (471, Soybean Lecithin, 435, Flavours, Colour (160a(i)), Food Acid (270)), Milk Solids, Yeast, Salt, Bread Improver (Malted Wheat Flour, Acidity Regulator (170), Emulsifier (472e), Yeast, Acid (300), Enzymes)), ...

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