Taro Tang Yuan - Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan) - All Purpose Veggies (2024)

Are you craving something chewy and sweet but also good for you, too? Look no further than this homemade Taro Tang Yuan 汤圆 - a delightful and easy-to-make dessert made with just 4 ingredients: taro, mochiko flour, sugar and hot water. These gluten-free and vegan rice balls are so easy to make, and offer a lovely combination of flavors and textures thanks to the sweet taro paste filling.

Here's why I love this recipe

• no-bake, and so easy to prepare
• only 4 ingredients
• high-fiber, so it keeps you fuller longer
• low calories

Ingredients Used to Make Taro Tang Yuan

_{**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local Asian grocery store (or the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂}

• Glutinous Rice Flour - this goes by many names. You'll see Glutinous Rice Flour and Mochiko Flour (my favorite brand) in Asian grocery stores, and Sweet White Rice Flour in most other stores. ***Please note that regular white rice flour or brown rice flour is NOT the same thing as glutinous rice flour!!!

• Sugar of Choice – I used raw cane sugar in this recipe, but sugar free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener are perfectly acceptable substitutes.

• Taro - you'll need mashed taro in this recipe. If you can't find them available, you can also use yellow potatoes or white sweet potatoes

Filling Ingredients

Here's a recipe for how to make the sweet taro filling from scratch. You can also use other fillings like pre-made red bean paste or lotus seed paste to save time 🙂

Step by Step Guide

Taro Tang Yuan Filling Variations

There are many creative filling variations you can explore for tang yuan. Here are some ideas to try

• Black Sesame Paste: The classic and most common filling, black sesame paste provides a rich and nutty flavor while also being nutritious! Here's an easy black sesame filling recipe that I use.
• Lotus Seed Paste: Made from ground lotus seeds, this filling has a subtle and slightly floral flavor that pairs well with tang yuan. While it's not too difficult to make your own, I like to buy mine from a local Asian grocery store. You can also buy on Amazon, here

FAQ: Do You Need to Fill the Tang Yuan?

Nope, filling tang yuan is completely optional. Tang yuan can also be enjoyed as plain glutinous rice balls without any filling.

How to Store Taro Tang Yuan / Glutinous Rice Balls

• Unfortunately, tang yuan have the best texture and flavor when freshly made. But if you have leftovers or want to store them long term, here's what you cand do: arrange the fully cooled tang yuan on a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. When you're ready to eat them, boil them in water or steam them to reheat before serving.

Final Tips

• Proper dough consistency - More water may need to be added depending on the brand of glutinous rice flour you use. The goal is to get a soft and pliable dough that is easy to work with and doesn't crack when shaping. On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, you can always add more glutinous rice flour to adjust the consistency.
• Preventing dough from drying out - While working with the dough, cover the tang yuan dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. This will make it easier to shape the tang yuan and keep the dough moist.
• Filling quantity - Be mindful of the amount of filling you put in each tang yuan. Use about 1 teaspoon of filling to avoid overfilling, which could lead to difficulties sealing the dough or the filling leaking out during cooking.

See All My Tang Yuan Recipes Here