Get ready for a delightful autumn treat with Pumpkin Tang Yuan 汤圆filled with an easy peanut filling! The tang yuan dough, made with canned pumpkin puree, tapioca starch, and sugar for a touch of sweetness, creates soft and chewy rice balls. The star of the show is the simple peanut filling, made with chopped nuts and creamy almond butter, adding a deliciously nutty flavor to each bite. Whether you're craving a cozy dessert or a unique snack, these homemade Pumpkin Tang Yuan with Easy Peanut Filling are sure to be a cozy comfort snack for the fall!
Here's why I love this recipe
- no-bake, and so easy to prepare
- only 5 ingredients
- vegan and gluten-free
- high-fiber, so it keeps you fuller longer
- healthier and lower calories than most traditional tang yuan recipes
WHAT ARE TANG YUAN MADE OF?
Traditionally, tang yuan (also known as Gyeongdan in Korea, and Dango in Japan) is made with sweet rice flour, sugar and water. In this recipe, I wanted to incorporate more nutrition and fiber by using pumpkin puree. To keep the chewy texture of the tang yuan, I also decided to use tapioca starch instead of sweet rice flour.
Ingredients Used to Make Pumpkin Tang Yuan
**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 Asian grocery store (or 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 🙂
- Tapioca flour (flour but also called tapioca starch) - Arrowroot starch and Potato starch can also be used instead. I DO NOT recommend using cornstarch for this recipe.
- Sugar of Choice – I used raw cane sugar in this recipe, but sugar free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener are perfectly acceptable substitutes.
- Pumpkin puree - I used canned pumpkin puree, which you can find in the baking aisle.
Filling Ingredients
- You'll need ½ cup of chopped nuts and ¼ cup of nut butter (like almond butter) to make the filling. Simply mix and set aside.
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Pumpkin Tang Yuan
Prep the Filling
First, prepare the filling by mixing chopped nuts and almond butter together. Set aside until ready to use.
STEP 1
In a large bowl, knead all the dough ingredients together until smooth and pliable, and no longer sticky.
STEP 2
TIP: more pumpkin puree may need to be added depending on the brand of glutinous rice flour you use. The goal is to get a soft and pliable dough that is easy to work with and doesn't crack when shaping. On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, you can always add more glutinous rice flour to adjust the consistency.
STEP 3
Take a small portion of the dough and flatten it in the palm of your hand.
STEP 4
spoon about 1 tsp of the prepared filling in the center of the dough and gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, rolling it into a smooth ball.
STEP 5
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
STEP 6
Boil a quart or two of water in a large pot. Also, get a ice bath ready (such as a bowl of ice water)
Carefully drop the prepared balls into the boiling water. If using a smaller pot, work in batches. Once the glutinous rice balls are done cooking they'll float towards the top (takes about 5 minutes). Once done, use a sieve or tea strainer to pull them out of the water, and emerge in ice water until fully cooled.
STEP 7
Enjoy!
Tang Yuan Filling Variations
There are many creative filling variations you can explore for tang yuan. Here are some ideas to try
- Sweet Red Bean Paste is a popular dango filling. For convenience, you can use a ready-made red bean paste that you can find at your local Asian grocery store, but you can also make your own using a Food Processor method. The red bean paste is smooth and luscious, with a delightful sweetness that pairs perfectly with the chewy dango casing.
FAQ: Do You Need to Fill the Pumpkin Tang Yuan?
Nope, filling tang yuan is completely optional. Tang yuan can also be enjoyed as plain glutinous rice balls without any filling.
How to Store Pumpkin Tang Yuan
- Unfortunately, tang yuan have the best texture and flavor when freshly made. But if you have leftovers or want to store them long term, here's what you can do: arrange the fully cooled tang yuan on a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. When you're ready to eat them, boil them in water or steam them to reheat before serving.
Final Tips
- Proper dough consistency - More water may need to be added depending on the brand of glutinous rice flour you use. The goal is to get a soft and pliable dough that is easy to work with and doesn't crack when shaping. On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, you can always add more glutinous rice flour to adjust the consistency.
- Preventing dough from drying out - While working with the dough, cover the tang yuan dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. This will make it easier to shape the tang yuan and keep the dough moist.
- Filling - Be mindful of the amount of filling you put in each tang yuan. Use about 1 teaspoon of filling to avoid overfilling, which could lead to difficulties sealing the dough or the filling leaking out during cooking.
Pumpkin Tang Yuan with Easy Peanut Filling
Ingredients
Tang Yuan Dough
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup tapioca, potato or arrowroot starch
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar of choice , can also use monk fruit sweetenr
Filling Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped nuts
- ¼ cup almond butter Read notes ** for alternative tang yuan filling ideas
Instructions
Prep the Filling
- First, prepare the filling by mixing chopped nuts and almond butter together. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, knead all the dough ingredients together until smooth and pliable, and no longer sticky. TIP: more pumpkin puree may need to be added depending on the brand of tapioca flour you use. The goal is to get a soft and pliable dough that is easy to work with and doesn't crack when shaping. On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, you can always add more tapioca flour to adjust the consistency.
Assemble
- Take a small portion of the dough and flatten it in the palm of your hand.
- Spoon about 1 tsp of the prepared filling in the center of the dough and gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, rolling it into a smooth ball.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Cook the Tang Yuan
- Boil a quart or two of water in a large pot. Also, get a ice bath ready (such as a bowl of ice water)
- Carefully drop the prepared balls into the boiling water. If using a smaller pot, work in batches.
- Once the Tang Yuan are done cooking they'll float towards the top (takes about 5 minutes). Once done, use a sieve or tea strainer to pull them out of the water
- Let the Tang Yuan cool fully in the ice water.
- Remove from the ice water and transfer to a sweet or savory broth of choice.
- Enjoy!
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