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4.7 from 57 votes

Tang Yuan Recipe

Tang yuan, a traditional Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour shaped into round balls and served in a sweet, warm soup, is especially cherished during the Winter Solstice festival as a symbol of family togetherness and unity. Follow this easy recipe with a step-by-step video and make your own tangyuan at home.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 239 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Ginger Syrup
  • 500 ml water
  • 1 piece ginger 2-inch/5-cm, peeled and pounded with a cleaver
  • 2-3 pandan leaves/screwpine leaves tie into a knot
  • 1/3 cup sugar or more to taste
Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Dumplings)
  • 2 cups glutinous rice flour sticky rice flour
  • 200 ml water add 1 tablespoon of water if dough is too dry
  • red and yellow/orange food coloring

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Ginger Syrup: Boil the water in a pot. Add the ginger and pandan leaves, and bring to a boil over medium heat until the aromas of ginger and pandan become fragrant. Add the sugar and let it simmer for another 15 minutes. Adjust the sugar to taste, if desired. Discard the ginger and pandan leaves, then set the syrup aside.
  2. Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Dumplings): In a mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour with water and knead with your hands to form a dough. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands.
  3. Divide the dough into three portions, making the plain dough the largest. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring to the other portions to create the pink and yellow/orange dough.
  4. Pinch the dough into small portions and set them aside on a flat surface dusted with glutinous rice flour or lined with parchment paper. If the dough dries up, wet your hands with a bit of water.
  5. Roll them between your palms to form round balls.
  6. Boil another pot of water and drop the tang yuan into the boiling water. Once they float to the surface, transfer them into the syrup. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • I always use fresh ginger and pandan leaves because they make a big difference in the flavor of the ginger soup, elevating the overall taste to a whole new level!
  • When I mix glutinous rice flour with water, I knead the dough until it’s smooth and no longer sticky. This makes it easier to roll the tangyuan into perfect, round balls that won’t fall apart when boiled.
  • Boil the tangyuan until they float to the surface. Once they rise, immediately transfer them into the ginger syrup to prevent them from becoming too soft and losing their shape.

Nutrition Information

Serving 6people Calories 239kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 54g (18%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 0.2g (1%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g Sodium 6mg (0%) Potassium 46mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 11g (22%) Vitamin C 0.1mg (0%) Calcium 9mg (1%) Iron 0.2mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 239

% Daily Value*

Serving 6people
Calories 239kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 54g 18%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Sodium 6mg 0%
Potassium 46mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 11g 22%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0.2mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.