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You are here: Home / Desserts / Dessert / No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling

February 5, 2022

No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling

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Vegan
Nut Free
Egg Dairy-Free

I absolutely love Sweet Japanese Steamed Buns, especially with a sweetened red bean paste filling, especially if it’s healthy and easy to make. And these steamed buns recipe requires NO yeast. NO kneading. NO proofing, all thanks to the secret ingredient: a package of silken tofu.

No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed buns

Unlike the traditional yeasted bread dough, the addition of tofu brings adds protein and nutrients and slightly lower carbs. Heck, I’ll take that excuse. Fewer carbs per bun means more buns for me!

Here’s how YOU can make these sweet steamed buns below

Update 9/4/22: For a yeasted version of tofu steamed buns, go to this recipe!

What You'll Find in this Post:
1. Update 9/4/22: For a yeasted version of tofu steamed buns, go to this recipe!
2. Ingredients Used to Make Sweet Japanese Steamed Buns with Tofu
3. More Tofu Recipes (HERE)
4. What I Used for the Filling
5. How to Make
6. Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
7. Different Filling Options
8. How to Store
9. Final Tips for Steamed Buns
10. More Steamed Recipes (HERE)
11. No Knead, No Yeast Tofu Steamed Buns with Sweet Bean Paste Filling
No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed buns

Ingredients Used to Make Sweet Japanese Steamed Buns with Tofu

**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂

Tofu – high in protein and nutrient-dense, tofu contains minerals such as calcium, manganese, selenium, zinc, as well as B vitamins. It’s also a “complete protein” because it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids your body needs. A ½ cup serving of firm tofu provides around 8 grams of protein. Definitely a keeper. 

Tip: The best tofu for this recipe is silken tofu, which you can find in most Asian grocery stores. You can also buy them online, here

No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed buns

  • Self-Rising Flour – you can actually make your own self-rising flour at home! Recipe below:
    • 1 cup of self-rising flour = 1 cup of all-purpose flour + 1.5 tsp of baking powder + 1/4 tsp of salt
  • Oil – any oil of choice. I used light olive oil – but if you don’t have olive oil, you can use coconut oil, or avocado oil here if you’d like.

More Tofu Recipes (HERE)

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What I Used for the Filling

  • Sweetened Red Bean Paste (a.k.a. Koshi An): I eat this stuff by spoonfuls! It’s a versatile ingredient that goes inside my sweet rice mochi recipe as well my tofu mochi recipe, but it’s also used as fillings inside sweet breads, pancakes, cookies and more. You can find Sweetened Red Bean paste in most Asian grocery stores, and online (Amazon).

How to Make

Sweet Japanese Steamed Buns made with Tofu

STEP 1

easy healthy vegan steamed buns

mix the silken tofu with the flour until smooth.

STEP 2

No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed buns

Mix oil once the dough comes together. You can use a spoon but it’s faster to mix using your hands.

STEP 3

how to shape steamed buns with sweetened red bean paste filling

Divide the dough into 6-8 portions, then wrap the dough around a ball of sweet red bean paste or filling of choice.

STEP 4

No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed buns

Steam the buns for 15 minutes.

STEP 5

No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed buns

Enjoy!

Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:

  • Go without the filling! These tofu steamed buns have a great texture, and make great sides to savory meals. Recipe here
No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed buns
  • Add color to the buns – matcha powder, food coloring, etc!
  • Other than coloring you can also add different flavorings to the dough before cooking. For example, you can add either a teaspoon of coffee extract or espresso powder, cocoa, cinnamon or Cardamom Powder. They’re not typically added in a traditional recipe, but you’re welcome to experiment!

Update 9/4/22: For a yeasted version of tofu steamed buns, go to this recipe!

Different Filling Options

If you want to enjoy these steamed buns with a variety of fillings, there are many fun and delicious filling options to choose from. Here are some ideas!

  • Shiro-an (sweetened white bean paste) – on Amazon, here, or here’s a Shortcut White Bean Paste Recipe I make when I’ve run out of Shiro An
  • Mung Bean paste – sweet and delightfully yellow, homemade mung bean paste is a perfect mochi filling for those who are looking for a healthier bean paste alternative. Here’s my 2-Ingredient mung bean paste recipe here
banner link to variation post
steamed buns sweet filling variations collage - All Purpose Veggies
10+ Ideas for Steamed Buns Filling: Recipes and Variations

How to Store

  • These steamed buns can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, I would store the buns in the fridge inside an airtight container. They are good for 3-5 days in the fridge.

Final Tips for Steamed Buns

  • You can use regular tofu, but the texture won’t be the same. Stick with silken tofu. You’ll thank me later!

More Steamed Recipes (HERE)

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save this recipe for later! Pin now at Pinterest
No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed buns

No Knead, No Yeast Tofu Steamed Buns with Sweet Bean Paste Filling

No Knead, No Yeast Japanese Tofu Steamed Buns Recipe with Red Bean Paste Filling - steamed bunsAll Purpose Veggies
4.60 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 8 servings
Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 1 package Mori-Nu silken tofu (12.3 oz)* firm
  • 2 cups of self rising flour
  • 4 Tbsp light olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp sugar of choice**

Filling

  • 1 pkg sweetened red bean paste (koshi an)

Instructions
 

  • Mix flour and tofu together, then mix in oil when the dough comes together
  • Divide dough into 6-8 portions
  • Wrap the dough around prepared filling (red bean paste, black sesame, etc).
  • Steam the buns for 15 minutes
  • Enjoy!

Notes

*you can use regular firm tofu, but silken tofu (make sure it’s firm, too) gives you the best texture!
** I like using light-colored sweeteners such as raw cane sugar in this recipe because it doesn’t affect the color of the final product. Coconut, date, and maple sugars are less processed, more natural granulated sugars, but it results in a browner, darker donut so I don’t recommend them here. I also like to use honey powder, since it’s light in color as well as less processed (but it won’t be vegan). For the low carb option reflected in the nutrition facts, you can use sugar-free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener or stevia powder (but be sure to convert the amount of stevia according to package directions)

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 108mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 1IUCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mgZinc: 1mg***Net Carbs: 45g
Keyword steamed, tofu
Did You Like this Recipe?I’d love to know more about it! Please leave a rating or comment below so I know what to add and which recipes to share with you next!

Filed Under: Dessert, Desserts, Nut-Free, Steamed, Vegan, Winter Tagged With: 5ingredient, anko, asian-inspired, bread, no-bake, NutFree, steamed, tofu, Vegan, winter

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    March 16, 2022 at 9:29 pm

    5 stars
    This is a great idea but could I use gluten free flour?

    Reply
    • All Purpose Veggies says

      April 21, 2022 at 6:37 pm

      Thanks! I haven’t tried personally, but gluten-free flour should work just as well

      Reply

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