I can’t wait to share this amazing tangyuan recipe! It’s colorful, creamy, and so easy to make—you’ll love the natural hues and rich lava center. Let’s get started!
Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
This recipe combines natural vegetable and fruit powders for a rainbow of colors (no artificial dyes!) and a luxurious lava filling thanks to lard. It’s quick to prep, perfect for festivals or everyday treats, and the sweet rice wine + brown sugar broth adds extra warmth and flavor.
Ingredients
For the colorful glutinous rice wrappers:
- 500g glutinous rice flour
- 5g sugar (1 spoon)
- 380-400g boiling water
- Appropriate amount of natural vegetable & fruit powders (spinach powder, pumpkin powder, purple sweet potato powder, red beetroot powder, carrot powder)
- A little dry flour (for dusting, glutinous rice flour or cornstarch works)
For the lava/solid black sesame filling:
- 200g black sesame seeds (raw, need to be toasted first)
- 50g sugar
- 80-100g lard (pure lard is recommended for better lava effect; adjust amount for desired texture)
For the broth:
- 20g sweet rice wine
- 5g wolfberries
- 50g brown sugar
- Appropriate amount of water (enough to submerge the tangyuan)
Instructions
Make the black sesame filling (key for lava texture):
- Heat a dry pan over low heat, add raw black sesame seeds, and stir-fry slowly until slightly puffed and fragrant. Turn off the heat and let cool completely.
- Put the cooled black sesame seeds and sugar into a blender, select the “fruit/vegetable function,” and grind into fine powder (keep a few small particles for texture).
- Pour the ground sesame powder into a bowl, add lard, and stir well until fully combined and forming a moldable dough. Add more lard for lava filling or less for a solid texture.
- Divide the filling into 5g portions, roll into balls, and freeze for 15-20 minutes to set (easier to wrap without sticking).
Prepare the colorful glutinous rice dough:
- In a large bowl, mix glutinous rice flour and sugar. Gradually add boiling water while stirring with chopsticks until forming flocculent dough.
- Once cool enough to touch, put on disposable gloves and knead into a smooth, elastic dough. Add a little more boiling water if too dry or flour if too wet.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Take 5 parts and mix each with one type of vegetable/fruit powder (spinach → green, pumpkin → yellow, purple sweet potato → purple, red beetroot → red, carrot → orange-red). Knead each until the color is even and the dough is smooth.
- Cover all 6 dough portions (including the plain white one) with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes (helps the dough absorb moisture and prevents cracking when wrapping).
Wrap the tangyuan:
- Take one portion of colored dough, roll into a long strip, and divide into 10g small portions. Roll each portion into a smooth ball.
- Press a thumb into the center of a dough ball to form a small indentation. Place one frozen filling ball inside, then gently pinch the dough up around the filling to seal. Roll again into a smooth round tangyuan.
- Repeat with all dough and filling. Place wrapped tangyuan on a floured plate to prevent sticking (freeze for later use if not cooking immediately).
Cook the tangyuan & make the broth (the soul step):
- Bring an appropriate amount of water to a boil in a pot. Gently add the wrapped tangyuan (don’t overcrowd to avoid sticking).
- Use the back of a spoon to gently stir the tangyuan to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Keep boiling over high heat until the tangyuan puff up and float to the surface (they’re fully cooked once floating—no need to add cold water).
- Add sweet rice wine, wolfberries, and brown sugar. Turn to low heat and simmer for 2 minutes until the brown sugar melts completely. Turn off the heat and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Can I skip toasting the black sesame seeds? A: No—toasting enhances the nutty flavor and removes raw bitterness. Be sure to stir constantly over low heat to avoid burning.
- Q: What if I don’t have lard?A: You can substitute with unsalted butter, but lard gives the best lava texture and authentic flavor.
- Q: Why is my dough cracking when wrapping?A: The dough may be too dry or didn’t rest long enough. Add a tiny bit more boiling water and let it rest for 2-3 extra minutes before wrapping.
- Q: Can I make the tangyuan ahead of time? A: Yes—wrap and freeze them on a floured plate, then transfer to a sealed bag once frozen. Cook directly from frozen (add 1-2 extra minutes to cooking time).
- Q: How to keep the filling from leaking? A: Ensure the filling is fully frozen before wrapping, and seal the dough tightly around the filling. Avoid overfilling the dough portions.
Black Sesame Tangyuan with Lava Filling
I can’t wait to share this amazing tangyuan recipe! It’s colorful, creamy, and so easy to make—you’ll love the natural hues and rich lava center. Let’s get started!Ingredients
For the colorful glutinous rice wrappers:
- 500 g glutinous rice flour
- 5 g sugar 1 spoon
- 380-400 g boiling water
- Appropriate amount of natural vegetable & fruit powders spinach powder, pumpkin powder, purple sweet potato powder, red beetroot powder, carrot powder
- A little dry flour for dusting, glutinous rice flour or cornstarch works
For the lava/solid black sesame filling:
- 200 g black sesame seeds raw, need to be toasted first
- 50 g sugar
- 80-100 g lard pure lard is recommended for better lava effect; adjust amount for desired texture
For the broth:
- 20 g sweet rice wine
- 5 g wolfberries
- 50 g brown sugar
- Appropriate amount of water enough to submerge the tangyuan
Instructions
Make the black sesame filling (key for lava texture):
- Heat a dry pan over low heat, add raw black sesame seeds, and stir-fry slowly until slightly puffed and fragrant. Turn off the heat and let cool completely.
- Put the cooled black sesame seeds and sugar into a blender, select the "fruit/vegetable function," and grind into fine powder (keep a few small particles for texture).
- Pour the ground sesame powder into a bowl, add lard, and stir well until fully combined and forming a moldable dough. Add more lard for lava filling or less for a solid texture.
- Divide the filling into 5g portions, roll into balls, and freeze for 15-20 minutes to set (easier to wrap without sticking).
Prepare the colorful glutinous rice dough:
- In a large bowl, mix glutinous rice flour and sugar. Gradually add boiling water while stirring with chopsticks until forming flocculent dough.
- Once cool enough to touch, put on disposable gloves and knead into a smooth, elastic dough. Add a little more boiling water if too dry or flour if too wet.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Take 5 parts and mix each with one type of vegetable/fruit powder (spinach → green, pumpkin → yellow, purple sweet potato → purple, red beetroot → red, carrot → orange-red). Knead each until the color is even and the dough is smooth.
- Cover all 6 dough portions (including the plain white one) with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes (helps the dough absorb moisture and prevents cracking when wrapping).
Wrap the tangyuan:
- Take one portion of colored dough, roll into a long strip, and divide into 10g small portions. Roll each portion into a smooth ball.
- Press a thumb into the center of a dough ball to form a small indentation. Place one frozen filling ball inside, then gently pinch the dough up around the filling to seal. Roll again into a smooth round tangyuan.
- Repeat with all dough and filling. Place wrapped tangyuan on a floured plate to prevent sticking (freeze for later use if not cooking immediately).
Cook the tangyuan & make the broth (the soul step):
- Bring an appropriate amount of water to a boil in a pot. Gently add the wrapped tangyuan (don’t overcrowd to avoid sticking).
- Use the back of a spoon to gently stir the tangyuan to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Keep boiling over high heat until the tangyuan puff up and float to the surface (they’re fully cooked once floating—no need to add cold water).
- Add sweet rice wine, wolfberries, and brown sugar. Turn to low heat and simmer for 2 minutes until the brown sugar melts completely. Turn off the heat and serve hot.
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