Published Apr 09, 2023 Updated Aug 16, 2024
Sesame Balls Recipe
Easy, crispy sesame balls filled with sweet red bean paste are absolutely delicious and irresistible. They’re one of the most popular Chinese desserts and are commonly served during Chinese New Year. Sesame balls, also known as Jian Dui or Zhi Ma Qiu (芝麻球), are made with glutinous rice flour, water and sugar. You may see them in local Chinese restaurants or Dim Sum places. These decadent sweets are chewy on the inside with sweet red bean paste encased and overloaded with aromatic white sesame on the surface. They’re flavorful and rich in taste.
Why This Recipe Works
Sesame balls are made with only five ingredients that are easily found in your local grocery stores. For the filling, you can use a store-bought red bean paste, lotus seed paste or black sesame paste. This easy recipe teaches you how to make authentic ones in less than 30 minutes. It’s fail-proof and 100% homemade. Homemade sesame balls are healthy and make a great snack all year long.
Recipe Ingredients
Homemade authentic sesame balls call for only five ingredients:
Glutinous rice flour – Glutinous rice flour is also found as sweet rice flour in grocery stores. Do Not Use regular rice flour, which won’t create a chewy texture. Water Sugar Red bean paste – Pick a thick red bean paste instead of a watery one. They’re sold in packs or cans in most Asian supermarkets. Roasted white sesame – You may use either raw white sesame or roasted ones, since they will be cooked once fired.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Sesame Balls
Making the best homemade sesame balls with my tips below is effortless. First, combine glutinous rice flour, water and sugar in a bowl until incorporated. Knead the dough until smooth. Set aside. Divide both red bean filling and the dough into 10 equal pieces and cover with plastic wrap to avoid drying up. Encase filling in each dough and coat with white sesame. Add enough oil to a heavy-bottom pot and heat the oil to 158 °F (70 °C). Gently drop each sesame ball into the pot and deep fry until golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
Dissolve sugar in lukewarm water instead of hot boiling water.
If the dough is too wet after combining glutinous rice flour, water and sugar, add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of glutinous rice flour to make the dough come together smoothly. If the dough is too dry, slowly add 1/2 tablespoon of water one at a time to smooth the texture. Do Not add too much water at once. Heat the oil to 158 °F (70 °C) under medium-low heat, and fry sesame balls for 5 to 8 minutes until they float to the top. If the temperature is too high from the beginning, the balls will stop expanding after a few minutes. You want the sesame balls to expand as big as they can for the best texture. Keep frying the sesame balls with low heat until they float to the top. Keep frying and occasionally press each of them underneath the oil with a slotted spoon to let them expand bigger.
What To Serve With Sesame Balls
These golden sesame balls are complementary treats to classic yumcha items below: I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Black Sesame Dumplings (Tang Yuan) Matcha Zenzai Onde-onde (Ondeh-ondeh)
