Mung Bean Mooncake, or Mung Bean Filling Mooncake to be exact, is a type of traditional mooncake made of mung bean, sugar, flour, egg, and a bit oil. It’s one of the most popular mooncakes for mid-autumn festival in Vietnam.

Among plenty of fillings for mooncake, mung bean paste is always a top choice for me. The yellow color and mild flavor of mung bean paste also give condition to add more flavors to the filling, from such as matcha or cocoa. Its shorter making time than other kinds of mooncake, such as mixed nuts mooncake, is also another reason why you must try homemade mung bean mooncake.

Matcha mung bean mooncake — Matcha filling mooncake made from mung bean paste

So, let me share to you my simple method to make mung bean mooncake with two flavors, original mung bean paste and matcha mung bean paste.

Ingredients for mung bean mooncake

In general, ingredient for mung bean mooncake is like traditional version of mooncakes. It includes ingredients for the wrapper and the filling.

The filling

For mung bean mooncake, the filling, of course, is mung bean paste. It’s the simplest paste to make from beans thanks to its smaller size and softer texture than red beans or black beans. To make mung bean paste for mooncake, prepare the ingredients below:

Mung beans: Opt for fresh, vibrant, peeled mung beans with a vivid yellow color.
Sugar: Typically, the sugar-to-bean ratio is 1:2 or less. I prefer a less sweet mooncake, so this ratio suffices for me. However, if you have a sweet tooth, you can add more sugar to taste.
Coconut oil or another vegetable oil: Adding a small amount of oil to the paste enhances its smoothness and moisture. Personally, I favor coconut oil for its delightful aroma. If unavailable, other vegetable oils work well. Olive oil, however, does not complement the bean paste’s scent.

The wrapper

The dough used to create the mooncake’s outer wrapper comprises wheat flour, golden sugar syrup or honey, and egg yolk.

Wheat flour: Any type of wheat flour, such as all-purpose or bread flour, can be used for this recipe.

Golden sugar syrup: This special ingredient imparts a lustrous brown hue to the dough. While honey can serve as a substitute, it may result in a different color.

Egg yolk: Only the egg yolk is required for the dough, so be sure to separate it from the egg whites, saving the latter for future use.

How to make mung bean mooncake

Step 1. Make mung bean paste

I made mung bean paste many times before, and the latest time was for making fresh mung bean cake. Boiling or steaming mung beans are all good, but I still prefer boiling to save time. Follow the steps below:

Begin by rinsing the mung beans and removing any damaged ones. Soak the beans in water for 3-4 hours or overnight if possible, changing the water periodically to reduce the yellow color.
Drain the soaked beans and boil them until they become soft. You can verify their readiness with a “squeezing test” – if a bean squishes easily between your fingers, it’s done.
Remove excess hot water and add sugar and vegetable oil to the cooked beans.

The time needed to transform this mixture into a paste depends on your tools. If you have a blender, blend until it reaches a paste-like consistency. If it appears too wet, cook it on low heat while stirring until it becomes firm yet smooth. Alternatively, a potato masher can be used. If you lack specialized tools, add 1/2 cup of water to the cooked beans and stir on low heat until they coalesce into a paste. This process may take 45 minutes to an hour.

In addition to mung bean paste filling, there are various options to explore. For a matcha mung bean paste filling, add 1 teaspoon of matcha powder to 150g of mung bean paste. If you have a passion in cocoa and chocolate, incorporate a teaspoon of cocoa powder per 150g of bean paste. Typically, 100g of peeled mung beans yields more than 300g of mung bean paste, sufficient for four mooncakes.

matcha mung bean paste mooncake — Making matcha filling from mung bean paste

Step 2. Making the dough

To shorten the making time, you should proceed with step 2 concurrently with step 1. It’s relatively straightforward:

For the golden sugar syrup, dissolve brown sugar and water in a 1:1 ratio and cook on low heat until 80% of the water evaporates. This means that 200g of the sugar-water mixture will yield 120g of golden sugar syrup. This process usually takes 40-50 minutes. Avoid stirring once the sugar mixture starts boiling; simply wait and add a few drops of lemon juice at the end. It’s advisable to prepare the syrup a few days in advance to allow it to rest. Alternatively, you can use honey.

Once you have your sugar syrup (or honey) ready, combine flour, sugar syrup/honey, and egg yolk. Mix until it forms a unique, glossy brown block.

In my case, I used 115g (1/2 cup) of flour, 20g (1 ½ tbsp) of oil, 65g (nearly 4 tbsp) of sugar syrup, and 1 egg yolk. This yielded nearly 200g of mooncake dough, which I divided into four portions for four mooncakes.

Step 3: Shaping the Mung Bean Filling Mooncakes

For homemade mooncakes, the weight of the dough should be two-thirds that of the filling. For instance, each mooncake should contain 75g of filling and 50g of dough/wrapper.

Form the mung bean paste filling into balls, with the size dependent on your desired mooncake size. In my case, I created four filling balls, each weighing 75g. If you like to add salted egg yolk, put it in the middle of the ball.
Similarly, shape the dough into balls, matching the weight of the filling. Since my filling balls were 75g each, I divided the dough into wrapper balls of 50g.

Assemble the wrapper and filling by flattening a wrapper ball and placing a mung bean filling ball in the center. Gently stretch and adjust the dough to cover the filling completely. Place the prepared mooncake on a baking tray, ready for the final shaping.

Finally, use a mooncake press to shape your mung bean mooncake. Apply a small amount of coconut oil or vegetable oil evenly on the mold to prevent sticking. Apply medium to firm pressure with your palm on the mooncake press.

Lift the mooncake press, and you’ll have successfully shaped a beautiful mung bean mooncake, ready for baking.

What if you don’t have a mooncake press? You can also make mung bean piggy mooncake without mold.

Step 4. Baking mung bean mooncake

Mooncakes require three rounds of baking to achieve the desired texture and appearance. Follow these steps:

Before baking: Spray water over your mung bean mooncakes. Preheat the oven to 230°C (446°F).

First baking: Bake the mooncakes for 10 minutes. While waiting for the first round, prepare an egg wash by mixing 1 egg yolk with a teaspoon of water.
Second baking: After the initial 10 minutes, remove the mooncakes from the oven. Apply a thin layer of egg wash and wait until it dries. Then, spray water over the cakes and return them to the oven for the second baking round. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes.
Third baking: Upon removing the mooncakes from the second baking round, immediately spray water over the cakes. Allow them to rest for 15 minutes until they are dry, then apply a second coat of egg wash. After the second coat dries, return the mooncakes to the oven and bake them at 200°C (400°F) for another 15 minutes.

After undergoing three rounds of baking, your mung bean mooncakes will be ready. Allow them to rest for a day to allow the wrappers to soften.

Troubleshooting Tips for Making Mooncakes

Sometimes, challenges may arise when making mooncakes, including mung bean mooncakes. Here are some common issues and their solutions:

Mung Bean Paste

Mung bean paste is too soft: If your paste appears overly hydrated, return it to a pan on low heat. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan and stir quickly to prevent burning. Turn off the heat once the paste becomes thick and firm.
The paste is dry and cracked: Conversely, if your paste starts to dry out and crack, add a bit more coconut oil to restore moisture. Knead it to incorporate the oil and immediately cover it with plastic wrap to prevent further drying. In my recipe, I also added a small amount of roasted glutinous flour while cooking to act as a binding agent for the paste, reducing the likelihood of cracking.
Whole mung beans left in the dough: It’s normal to have some whole beans remaining in the dough. However, if you desire a perfectly smooth cake, consider blending the paste again or using a potato masher or spatula to smooth it out.

Shaping the Mooncake

The wrapper cannot cover the filling balls: If the amount of wrapper is sufficient (equal to two-thirds of the filling), torn wrappers may result from stretching. In such cases, take a bit more dough, stretch it into a flat wrapper, and use it to patch any tears. Roll the mooncake gently to meld the wrapper together.
The mold becomes sticky: When the mold becomes sticky due to insufficient oil, use a dining tissue to wipe away any residual mung bean paste in the mold. Apply another layer of coconut oil or vegetable oil to the mold before shaping the next cakes.
The mooncake’s appearance is not ideal after pressing: This may be due to insufficient or excessive force when using the mooncake press. To rectify this, pat the wrapper until the pattern is erased, then press the mooncake again.

fix failed mooncake shaping — Fix mooncake appearance if you’re not satisfied.

The mooncake’s surface is burnt or cracked: This can happen if the heat is too high or if you forget to spray water on the mooncake before baking. Always remember to apply water before returning the cake to the oven.
The mooncake’s wrapper remains too hard after baking and resting, resembling cookies: This issue may arise if you use newly made golden sugar syrup. Golden syrup should be allowed to rest for at least 2-3 days before use to ensure the wrapper remains soft.

Following these steps and troubleshooting tips should help you create delicious mung bean mooncakes with ease. Enjoy your homemade mung bean mooncakes!

Mung Bean Mooncake & Matcha Mooncake

Yield: 4

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 33 minutes

Mung Bean Mooncake, or Mung Bean Filling Mooncake to be exact, is a type of mooncake made of mung bean, sugar, flour, egg yolk and a bit oil. It’s one of the most popular mooncakes for mid-autumn festival in Vietnam.

Ingredients

Filling

100g (1/2 cup or 3.5oz) peeled split mung bean
40g (3 1/4 tbsp) sugar
1 tbsp coconut/vegetable oil

Wrapper Dough

115g (1/2 cup) flour
20g (1 ½ tbsp) oil
65g (nearly 4 tbsp) golden sugar syrup or honey
1 egg yolk

Egg wash

1 egg yolk
1 tsp water

Addtional tools

Water sprayer
Cooling rack

Instructions

Step 1. Make mung bean paste

Begin by rinsing the mung beans and removing any damaged ones. Soak the beans in water for 3-4 hours or overnight if possible, changing the water periodically to reduce the yellow color.
Drain the soaked beans and boil them until they become soft. You can verify their readiness with a "squeezing test" – if a bean squishes easily between your fingers, it's done
Remove excess hot water and add sugar and vegetable oil to the cooked beans.
The time needed to transform this mixture into a paste depends on your tools. If you have a blender, blend until it reaches a paste-like consistency. If it appears too wet, cook it on low heat while stirring until it becomes firm yet smooth. Alternatively, a potato masher can be used. If you lack specialized tools, add 1/2 cup of water to the cooked beans and stir on low heat until they coalesce into a paste. This process may take 45 minutes to an hour.

For a matcha mung bean paste filling, add 1 teaspoon of matcha powder to 150g of mung bean paste.

Step 2. Making the dough

To shorten the making time, you should proceed with step 2 concurrently with step 1. It's relatively straightforward:

For the golden sugar syrup, dissolve brown sugar and water in a 1:1 ratio and cook on low heat until 80% of the water evaporates. This means that 200g of the sugar-water mixture will yield 120g of golden sugar syrup. This process usually takes 40-50 minutes. Avoid stirring once the sugar mixture starts boiling; simply wait and add a few drops of lemon juice at the end. It's advisable to prepare the syrup a few days in advance to allow it to rest. Alternatively, you can use honey.
Once you have your sugar syrup (or honey) ready, combine flour, sugar syrup/honey, and egg yolk. Mix until it forms a unique, glossy brown block.

Step 3. Shaping Mung Bean Mooncake

For homemade mooncakes, the weight of the dough should be two-thirds that of the filling. Each mooncake should contain 75g of filling and 50g of dough/wrapper.

Form the mung bean paste filling into balls, with the size dependent on your desired mooncake size. In my case, I created four filling balls, each weighing 75g. If you like to add salted egg yolk, put it in the middle of the ball.
Similarly, shape the dough into balls, matching the weight of the filling. Since my filling balls were 75g each, I divided the dough into wrapper balls of 50g.

Assemble the wrapper and filling by flattening a wrapper ball and placing a mung bean filling ball in the center. Gently stretch and adjust the dough to cover the filling completely. Place the prepared mooncake on a baking tray, ready for the final shaping.

Finally, use a mooncake press to shape your mung bean mooncake. Apply a small amount of coconut oil or vegetable oil evenly on the mold to prevent sticking. Apply medium to firm pressure with your palm on the mooncake press.

Lift the mooncake press, and you'll have successfully shaped a beautiful mung bean mooncake, ready for baking.

Step 4. Baking Mung Bean Mooncake

Mung Bean mooncake needs to be under 3-times baking process.

Before baking: Spray water over Mung Bean mooncakes. Heat up the oven to 230ºC (446ºF).

First baking: Bake the mooncakes in 10 minutes. While waiting for the first baking round, prepare egg wash by mixing 1 egg yolk with tsp water.

Second baking: After the first 10 minutes, take the mooncakes out of the oven. Apply a thin coat of egg wash and wait until it dries. Then, spray water over cakes and return them to the oven for the second baking round. Bake them at 200ºC (400ºF) in 15 minutes.

Third baking: Once taking the mooncakes out from the second baking round, immediately spray water on the cake. Wait for 15 minutes until the cakes are dry, then brush the egg wash the 2nd time. Continue to wait until the egg wash layer becomes dry, then return the mooncakes to the oven. Bake them at 200ºC (400ºF) in 15 minutes.