Go Back
+ servings
a bowl of lotus seed paste
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Lotus Seed Paste

Homemade lotus seed paste is smooth, fragrant and you can customize the level of sweetness to taste. Make it as filling for sweet treats, such as mooncakes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert and Snack
Cuisine: Chinese, Vietnamese
Keyword: lotus seed filling, mooncake filling
Servings: 12
Calories: 111kcal
Author: Sophie

Ingredients

  • 7 oz fresh lotus seeds (see Notes for dried seeds)
  • 2 cups water
  • pinch of salt
  • 1.6 oz granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup oil (either coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil)

Instructions

  • Inspect lotus seeds and remove the green germs in the center if there is any left.
  • Add lotus seeds, water and a pinch of salt to a small pot. Bring it to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 25-30 minutes until the seeds are completely soft.
  • Drain the seeds and let them cool down for several minutes. Reserve 3-4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid.
  • Add lotus seeds to a food processor and process until smooth. Add just enough cooking liquid to make it easier to purée the seeds. Adding too much liquid will increase the cooking time in the later step. Add sugar and process for a few more seconds.
  • Strain the purée (optional) and transfer it to a pan. Place over medium-low heat and constantly stir to cook off the excess moisture. After about 4-5 minutes, add oil and continue to stir to incorporate the oil and cook off the moisture.
  • It may take 25-30 minutes of stirring and cooking the paste. It is ready when it can stick to itself and no longer stick to the pan. It should be firm enough to stand on its own while still soft to the touch.
  • Transfer to a plate to cool completely. Then you can use it right away, or cover and refrigerate and use it the next day. You should have about 8.5oz (or 240g) of lotus seed paste.

Notes

  1. If you use dried lotus seeds, soak them in water overnight before boiling them.
  2. You can adjust the amount of sugar to taste. This white lotus seed paste recipe is not too sweet. Sweeter paste can be kept for longer though.
  3. I don't use a lot of oil and sugar so I added them all at once. If you decide to use more oil or sugar, you may want to add them in batch. If you increase the amount of sugar significantly, you may want to use icing sugar to make sure it is incorporated well into the paste.
  4. You will have about 8.5oz (or 240g) of lotus seed paste from this recipe. That is enough for me to make 12 small 60g snow skin mooncakes or 4 medium 100g baked mooncakes with no salted egg yolk in the filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 226mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg