Here’s a quick and easy red bean snowskin mooncake recipe that only requires 3-Ingredients (glutinous rice flour, sweetened red bean paste and water) and just a microwave. NO wheat starch, and NO steaming required.
For a white snowskin mooncake version, go to my other recipe post here!
What is sweet red bean paste (koshi an)?
Red bean paste (also called Koshi An) is a thick and smooth sweet paste made from cooked adzuki red beans that’s been pureed and then cooked down with sugar. The sweetened red bean paste has a sweet almost syrupy flavor with mild earthy notes. It has a creamy and hearty texture that pairs perfectly with East Asian dessert recipes, especially those made with rice flour. Red bean paste is also the main ingredient used in my Sweet Yokan (Bean Jelly) Recipe.
What does adding red bean paste do to the rice dough?
The addition of sweet red bean paste to glutinous rice flour does two things. First, it acts as a sweetener and sweetens the dough, but more importantly, the protein and fiber that form the bulk of the thick and creamy red bean paste helps to turn the sweet rice dough into a smooth, pliable dough that can be easily pulled apart and molded into desired shapes.
Here’s why I love this recipe
- no-bake
- easy to prepare
- only 3 ingredients
- customizable (so many filling options!)
Ingredients Used to Make Red Bean Snowskin Mooncakes
**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 🙂
- Sweetened Red Bean Paste (a.k.a. Koshi An): You can find Sweetened Red Bean paste in most Asian grocery stores, and online (Amazon). There are Fine and Coarse kinds, but be sure to use fine koshi an for this recipe.
- Glutinous Rice Flour – this goes by many names. You’ll see Glutinous Rice Flour and Mochiko Flour (my favorite brand) in Asian grocery stores, and Sweet White Rice Flour in most other stores. ***Please note that regular white rice flour or brown rice flour is NOT the same thing as glutinous rice flour!!!
- Water – room temperature is perfect.
Filling Ingredients
- I used the sweetened red bean paste leftover from making the snowskin dough as my mooncake filling, but you can also fill these mooncakes with lotus paste, mung bean paste or white bean paste.
- Read more on the filling variations towards the end of this post!
Equipment for Mooncakes
The main highlight of mooncakes is their beautiful engraved patterns and shapes. Mooncake molds are readily available at different Chinese grocery stores. You can also find it online, especially on amazon. They are of premium quality and quite affordable. I got the 75g and 125g mooncake molds here
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Easy Red Bean Snowskin Mooncakes
STEP 1
In a microwaveable glass bowl (like Pyrex), mix the sweetened red bean paste (koshi an) and sweet rice flour
STEP 2
Mix until the red bean paste has been well incorporated into the flour.
STEP 3
Add water and whisk until smoooth.
STEP 4
Microwave the mixture for 1 minute
STEP 5
Use a SOLID METAL spoon (wooden spoons might break!) to stir the cooked mixture so that the cooked and uncooked parts are evenly mixed.
Microwave the mixture again, this time for 1 minute
STEP 6
Stir again, and pour the cooked glutinous rice dough onto a lightly greased baking pan
STEP 7
Cut the glutinous rice dough into 6-7 pieces using scissors
STEP 8
Fill with prepared sweetened red bean filling.
STEP 9
Seal the ends
STEP 10
Fit the filled pieces into a lightly greased mooncake mold** and press into shape. I used a 75 g mooncake mold, but you can also use any mold size you have at home
For the best texture, let cool in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before eating.
STEP 11
Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins for Red Bean Snowskin Mooncakes:
There are many types of fillings used in traditional mooncakes. Here are some ideas below:
- Lotus paste – classic! You can buy these in the refrigerated section in a Asian grocery store, or buy them online (like Amazon, here)
- 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
- Koshi-an (sweetened red bean paste) – on Amazon, here
- Mung Bean paste – sweet and delightfully yellow, homemade mung bean paste is a perfect mooncake filling for those who are looking for a healthier bean paste alternative. Here’s my 2-Ingredient mung bean paste recipe here
- Coffee paste : 1/2 cup Shiro-an mixed with 2 tsp coffee extract (click on the link to see my 2 ingredient coffee bean paste recipe here)
How to Make Red Bean Paste Walnut Filling
I love the crunch and added texture of the walnuts in the red bean paste filling. To make, mix walnuts and red bean paste in a 1:1 ratio. Roll them into balls, and use as your filling!
Red Bean Snowskin Dough Variations
You can also play around with different snowskin flavors, too, to customize this red bean snowskin mooncake.
- Chocolate mooncakes – add 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder to the glutinous rice flour before mixing with other ingredients; add some mini chocolate chips to the filling before rolling into tablespoon sized (about 30 gram) balls.
- Coffee or mocha mooncakes? Yes please! Add either a teaspoon of coffee extract or espresso powder to the dough before microwaving.
See All of My Mooncake Recipes HERE
Easy Microwave Red Bean Snowskin Mooncakes (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
Snowskin Mooncake Dough
- 150 g sweetened red bean paste (koshi an)
- 50 g mochiko flour, sweet rice or glutinous rice flour
- 57 g water
Mooncake Dough
- 300 g sweetened red bean paste (koshi an) , or other filling of choice
Instructions
Prep the filling*
- Prepare mooncake filling by rolling about 1-2 Tablespoons of sweetened bean paste filling into balls. Set aside.
Make the Mooncake Skin
- In a microwaveable glass bowl (like Pyrex), mix the sweetened red bean paste (koshi an) and sweet rice flour until the koshi an has been well incorporated into the flour.
- Add water and whisk until smoooth.
- Microwave the mixture for 1 minute
- Use a SOLID METAL spoon (wooden spoons might break!) to stir the cooked mixture so that the cooked and uncooked parts are evenly mixed
- Microwave the mixture again, this time for 1 minute
- Stir briefly, and pour the cooked glutinous rice dough onto a lightly greased baking pan
Shape the Mooncakes
- Cut the glutinous rice dough into 6 pieces using scissors
- Fill with prepared sweetened red bean filling.
- Fit the filled pieces into a lightly greased mooncake mold** and press into shape. I used a 75 g mooncake mold, but you can also use any mold size you have at home
- For the best texture, let cool in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before eating.
- Enjoy!
I haven’t made yet. Where did you get your moon cake molds? Are they plastic or wooden?
Hi Dana, I got the 75g mooncake mold from Amazon which was plastic. The link is in the recipe card (under the equipment header), or you can also click here
Thanks for sharing the recipe! It’s easy to follow and the outcome looks and tastes great (: the snowskin is soft on the same day, but it turns hard after 1-2 days. Is there a way to maintain the soft texture? Thanks!
Hi LC, thanks for trying this recipe! Glad you liked it 🙂 Unfortunately, confectionaries made with rice flours have a tendency to turn hard and waxy after some time, so it’s best if you eat them within a day. If you want to store them for longer, you should freeze the mooncakes before they turn hard. The frozen mooncakes keep their texture from when they were fresh, so all you have to do is defrost them at room temperature for 1-2 hours, and you’ll have the closest thing to a freshly made mooncake. Alternatively, you could revive the mooncakes by steaming them for 10-15 minutes on a steamer, but they probably won’t hold their shape, so I highly recommend the freezing method.