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Authentic Sesame Balls filled with sweet red bean paste and deep fried into crispy goods. They're easy to make and taste absolutely delicious and flavourful.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the leftover sesame balls in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them in an air fryer, toast oven, or oven and heat for 5 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) or until crispy again.
Yes, you can.
Preheat the air fryer to 320 °F (160 °C) for 5 minutes. Air fry the sesame balls in batches. Place 4 sesame balls in the basket 2 inches apart and spray oil on them. Air fry them for 15 minutes. Then increase the temperature to 350 °F (180 °C) and air fry for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
This recipe serves 156 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Sesame Balls
These golden sesame balls are complementary treats to classic yumcha items below:
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Sesame Balls
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- 2/3 cup red bean paste
- 1/2 cup roasted white sesame
- oil , for deep fry
Instructions
- Add glutinous rice flour to a large bowl. Dissolve the sugar in the water, then slowly pour it into the bowl, mixing well with a spatula. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it by hand until smooth. Cover the dough with plastic wrap while you prepare the filling. Set aside.
- Divide the red bean paste into 10 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Set aside. Then, divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
- Flatten the dough with your palm and place the filling in the center. Fold the edges to seal tightly. Gently roll the dough between your palms, ensuring there are no leaks.
- Prepare a small bowl of water and set it aside. Add white sesame seeds to a shallow bowl. Gently dab the dough with a little water using one hand, then drop it into the white sesame. Roll the ball with your dry hand to coat it evenly on the surface.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, add enough oil (about 4 to 6 cups, depending on the size of the pot) for deep frying. Heat the oil to 158°F (70°C) over medium-low heat, then gently drop the sesame balls into the pot in batches. Do not overcrowd the pot.
- Use a slotted spoon to gently move the balls around, preventing them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Continue frying the sesame balls over low heat until they float to the top. Keep frying, occasionally pressing each sesame ball down with the slotted spoon to help them expand.
- Once the sesame balls have expanded to twice their original size, increase the heat to medium-high and continue frying for 3 to 5 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside. Remove the sesame balls and drain them on paper towels. Serve immediately.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Are there any other fillings that I could use?
Hi Talitha. Aside from sweet red bean paste, traditionally the other fillings are lotus seed paste or black sesame paste. Sometimes, you can also use a coarsely ground peanut filling.