Homemade Lotus Seed Paste (莲蓉馅)

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner. Will you make mooncakes or some sweet pastries to celebrate? Homemade lotus seed paste might be a perfect option.

What is lotus seed paste

Lotus seed paste is commonly used in Chinese pastries, desserts, and mooncakes, along with red bean paste and black sesame paste. It is made from dried lotus seeds. The seeds are soaked, boiled until soft, then blended to make the paste with added sugar.

It’s incredibly easy to make, especially if you have an Instant Pot. A food processor makes short work of creating the paste from there. 

Why this recipe 

I prefer my lotus seed paste homemade and I guarantee this one is on par with the quality at the best Chinese bakeries. It’s smooth and silky, and while it’s sweet, it’s not too sweet. It also has just a touch of a caramelized flavor and a gorgeous golden color. 

The thing that set this recipe apart is the sugar.

1 – This recipe uses cooked sugar

Many online recipes skip the step of cooking the sugar. Yes, skipping it does simplify the process, but I’ve found this step is essential to creating a richer taste and getting that beautiful golden hue. 

It might sound like a daunting task, but it’s incredibly easy if you follow the recipe. Without this step, your lotus seed paste will end up with a pale color that won’t look very appetizing in the mooncake.

2 – A bit of maltose make a difference

If you’ve ever tasted lotus seed pastry from a Chinese bakery, you may have found the texture of the filling to be very smooth and round. That’s the magic of maltose, a super thick syrup that is commonly used when making char siu pork. It also makes the lotus seed filling easy to shape and work with.

Asian markets usually carry it, but these days you can easily find it on Amazon.

Cooking process

I know it sounds intimidating to make, but it only requires four ingredients. Follow the steps below and you’ll see how easy it is if you just follow the instructions. 

1- Prepare the dried lotus seeds

1. Soak the dried lotus seeds in water (prepare ahead of time)
2. Once soaked, remove the hearts, which look like green stems. (They’re medicinal and taste bitter. In China people make tea with them, but you’ll need to remove them for this recipe)
3. Cook the lotus seeds in an Instant pot or on the stovetop until tender
4. Drain off the cooking liquid
5. Blend the lotus seeds (with a blender or a food processor)

PS. Be careful when you’re blending the hot lotus seed paste. Always open the lid on the top of your blender or food processor to let the steam out while blending.

2 – Cook the blended lotus seeds

1. Heat up the sugar with oil
2. Wait until the sugar turns golden brown (no touching with your spatula!)
3. Add the blended lotus seeds and sugar, cook, and stir
4. Pour in the rest of the oil, a small amount at a time
5. Add the maltose
6. The lotus seed paste is done when the maltose is fully incorporated

NOTE: It’s very important to NOT stir the sugar while melting it to prevent crystallization. 

Afterthought

It takes some time and effort to make lotus seed paste at home, but it’s definitely worth it. It does not contain additives or preservatives, has a fresher taste, and is less sweet (you can easily control the level of sweetness).  

Lotus seed paste can be made ahead of time. You can refrigerate or freeze it in small batches for later use, something I always do so that it’s a little easier each time to make my Chinese pastry treats. 

My homemade lotus seed paste can be used to make so many wonderful things like mooncakes, mochi cakes, and other sweet Chinese pastries. 

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Homemade Lotus Seed Paste (莲蓉馅)

By Maggie Zhu

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Resting time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 9 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 400 g paste

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Discover what makes Chinese bakery desserts so delightful with lotus seed paste, the perfect silky-smooth, slightly caramelized flavor used in the best baked treats! {Gluten-Free, Vegan}

Ingredients 

• 100 g (1 cup) dried lotus seeds
• 70 g (1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons) sugar
• 50 g (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
• 25 g (1 tablespoon) maltose

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Instructions

Prep

• Rinse the lotus seeds, then cover them with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Soak overnight (or at least 3 hours).
• Once rehydrated, drain and discard the water. Split each seed open with your hands, then remove and discard the green core if it has one.

Cook the lotus seeds

• Option 1 – Cook on the stove: Add the split seeds to a pot and cover with an inch (2.5 cm) of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered with the lid slightly ajar (to prevent it boiling over), for 1 hour. The seeds are done when you can mash them with a fork and the water is milky. Keep an eye on the water level, as you may need to add more during the simmering.
• Option 2 – Cook in Instant Pot or a pressure cooker: Add the split seeds to the Instant Pot and cover with an inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Let release naturally for 8 minutes, then use fast release.
• Drain the cooked seeds and add them to a food processor or blender. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water. Blend until very even and smooth. Transfer to a bowl. (*Footnote 1)

Cook the lotus seed paste

• Add a quarter of the sugar and a quarter of the oil to a medium-sized stainless pan (*Footnote 2). Shake the pan so the sugar and oil spread out. Turn the heat to low and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar turns a light amber color. Do NOT stir, which will cause the sugar to crystalize.
• Add the lotus seed puree and remaining sugar to the pan. Stir until the sugars and oil are incorporated into the puree.
• Raise the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to dry, about 5 minutes.
• Begin incorporating the oil, a quarter at a time. Keep cooking and stirring until the oil is fully absorbed into the paste.
• Add the maltose (*Footnote 3). Stir and cook to dissolve it into the paste.
• Continue cooking until the mixture is pulling away from the pan and comes together as one piece, 6 to 10 minutes. The cooking time depends on your heat level and how much water you added while blending the lotus seeds.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool before using. The paste will thicken quite a bit after cooling down, which will make it easy to handle when you make mooncakes or other Chinese pastries.

Store

• Store the fully cooled lotus seed paste in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

1. Depending on the blender or food processor you use, you might not be able to get a very smooth result. In this case, you can strain the paste to get a smoother texture.
2. A stainless steel pan works the best and it’s easy to clean. I tried the recipe with a nonstick pan and somehow it didn’t work. A cast iron pan should work too, but it might be harder to clean.
3. If your maltose is very tough and difficult to scoop, heat it in the microwave to warm it up slightly. Grease your spoon with some oil before scooping, so the maltose will come off the spoon easily.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 67kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.6g, Potassium: 86mg, Sugar: 5g, Calcium: 10mg

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Other recipes for mooncakes and Chinese pastries

• Homemade Red Bean Paste
• Homemade Golden Syrup (转化糖浆, Invert Sugar Syrup)
• How to make Kansui
• The Ultimate Guide to Traditional Mooncake (传统广式月饼)

Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.