Bánh Bao Chỉ Cupcakes Recipe

Variations of Bánh Bao Chỉ Cupcakes

Bánh Bao Chỉ made by my mom

For my first recipe, I thought I’d ease into sharing my Vietnamese cooking experiments by starting with something I’ve been doing since I was a kid: baking. These cupcakes are inspired by a dessert my mom makes called Bánh Bao Chỉ, which are green mochi-like balls stuffed with a toasted coconut and peanut filling, and rolled in coconut. The green coloring common in Vietnamese sweets is from pandan. Pandan (la dua) is a tropical plant that is very aromatic and tastes like an herby sweet rice to me. In Southeast Asian cooking, it’s usually paired with coconut.

I started with a basic cupcake recipe and substituted pandan extract for vanilla and coconut milk for regular milk. For the frosting, I wanted to avoid using anything too heavy like butter, cream cheese, or cream, so I made a meringue frosting using egg whites and sugar that was still too sweet for my mom (but she loved the cake on its own). Variations of the cupcake and frosting could also use pandan or coconut extract. I prefer the coconut cupcake with pandan frosting or vise versa (sprinkling pandan frosting with coconut will most resemble Bánh Bao Chỉ). In order to really taste like Bánh Bao Chỉ, peanuts have to be incorporated in the batter or as a topping. The sweet and salty combo of coconut and peanuts is divine with the earthy pandan flavor.  

Pandan and Coconut Cupcakes

Makes 2 dozen regular or 4 dozen mini cupcakes

Pandan (Coconut) cupcakes
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp pandan (coconut) extract
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners
2. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl
3. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, coconut milk, and pandan extract; continue mixing.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to batter and mix until fully incorporated. Add peanuts, if using, and mix.
5. Spoon batter into liners 2/3 full
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting

Mini Bánh Bao Chỉ Cupcakes

Pandan (Coconut) Meringue Frosting
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 egg white
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp pandan (coconut) extract

1. Beat egg white and cream of tartar until stiff peak
2. Boil sugar and water over low heat until visible thread when spoon lifted from syrup (this can take 20+ minutes)
3. Pour syrup slowly over egg whites and continue to beat until spreadable
4. Add flavoring and spread over cooled cupcakes
5. Add toppings like toasted peanuts and coconut if desired (Bánh Bao Chỉ uses fine shredded coconut from the Asian market, not the overly sweetened kind from American markets)

Variations:
*After spooning cupcake batter into liners, sprinkle a layer of peanuts before baking. Frost over peanuts.
*Make a coconut and peanut filling to stuff into cupcake before frosting
*Use pandan or coconut extract in your favorite butter, cream cheese, or whip cream frosting recipe

*Mimi

Related Posts:
Bánh Bao Chỉ Recipe

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