Vietnamese Hot Dogs aren’t like the ones you’re used to. Forget the buns—you’re looking at something more like a little cake, soft and fluffy, hiding either a savory or sweet surprise inside.
They’re surprisingly easy to make, and if you grew up in Vietnam, they’re the kind of snack that brings back instant childhood memories. Every kid loves them, and honestly, who wouldn’t?
What Are Vietnamese Hot Dogs?
Living in Germany, I’m no stranger to hot dogs—my German boyfriend practically lives on Wiener and Frankfurter sausages. So when I introduced him to Vietnamese hot dogs, he was completely blown away.
Unlike the Chinese hot dog buns, which are just sausages wrapped in Asian-style soft, milky bread, Vietnamese hot dogs are something else entirely: little fluffy cakes with a surprise inside, either sweet or savory.
I’ve loved these “Hot Dog cakes” since I was a kid, alongside other favorites like Bánh Pate Sô (Vietnamese meat pies), Bánh Bao (steamed buns), and Bánh Flan (Vietnamese flan).
Outside of Vietnam, many people think of Vietnamese hot dogs as Bánh Mì Hot Dogs, a Bánh Mì-style version with sausages, pickled carrots and daikon (Đồ Chua), Vietnamese mayo, liver pâté, jalapeño slices, cilantro, and a drizzle of Maggi sauce and sriracha.
But if you’re in Vietnam, ask for a hot dog, and you’ll get the original—those little triangular cakes, filled with either sweet or savory fillings.
I love how Vietnamese dishes can take on new forms overseas yet still keep the same name—like Gà Roti or Lemongrass Chicken—sometimes familiar, sometimes full of surprises.
Kitchen Gear You’ll Need
- Hand mixer – makes mixing much easier.
- Sandwich maker (optional) – if you don’t have one, no worries! A waffle iron or even a simple nonstick skillet works just fine.
Ingredients
The batter for Vietnamese hot dogs is basically pancake batter. You can even use your favorite pancake recipe—just dial down the sugar a bit.
In the U.S., pancake batter usually relies on baking powder to rise, which works perfectly fine. In Asia, though, we often whip the eggs instead, giving the cakes a light, fluffy texture.
For the batter:
- Eggs (room temperature)
- Sugar
- Milk (room temperature)
- Melted Butter
- All-purpose Flour (I used 405-type flour here in Germany)
- Vanilla Extract
- A pinch of salt
For the filling:
- Sausages
- Vietnamese liver pâté (I used my homemade one)
- Cheese: Laughing Cow, mozzarella, or cheddar
- Vietnamese pork floss (chà bông)
You can also go sweet with Nutella, peanut butter, fruit jam, sweetened red bean paste or pastry cream. But trust me—the savory ones win every time (confirmed by a German, lol).
Instructions
Step 1: Prep the fillings
Slice the sausages and dice your cheese—or get any other fillings ready. Having everything prepped makes cooking the cakes much easier.
Step 2: Whip the batter
Beat room-temperature eggs with a pinch of salt until tiny bubbles form. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until the mixture thickens and turns pale yellow. Look for ribbon consistency—when you lift the whisk, the batter falls back slowly in a ribbon that disappears on the surface. This is the key to soft, fluffy cakes.
Drizzle in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla while gently mixing. Sift in the flour in two batches and fold until just combined—this step is key for light, fluffy cakes.
Step 3: Assemble the cakes
Preheat your sandwich maker and brush with melted butter. Pour a little batter into each mold, add the fillings, then cover with more batter.
Step 4: Cook and enjoy
Cook for about 3 minutes, or until no steam escapes. Carefully remove the cakes and enjoy them warm—soft, fluffy, and perfectly filled!
Without the sandwich maker?
If you don’t have a sandwich maker, a waffle iron works just as well—the method is pretty similar to making Bánh Xèo waffles.
You can also use a nonstick skillet, just like when you make Dorayaki (those Japanese pancakes filled with sweet red bean paste).
Easy Vietnamese Street Food you could make at home
(Bánh Kẹp Lá Dứa)
(Bánh Tráng Nướng)
(Sinh Tô Bơ)
Vietnamese Hot Dogs (aka Fluffy Triangle Cakes)
Equipment
- 1 Handmixer
- 1 Sandwich Maker (or a Waffle Iron or a nonstick skillet)
Ingredients
Batter (I highly recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients)
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- ⅓ Cup granulated sugar (80g)
- 3 tbsp milk (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (90g)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- Sausages
- Cheese (Laughing Cow cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Chedda cheese)
- Vietnamese pork floss (chà bông)
- Liver Pâté
- Sweet fillings (nutella, peanut butter, chocolate, fruit jam…)
Instructions
Prepare the fillings:
- Thinly slice the sausages.
- Dice the Laughing Cow cheese and any other cheeses.
Make the batter:
- Mix the milk with melted butter and vanilla extract.
- Whisk the eggs with salt on medium speed until tiny bubbles form. Gradually add the sugar in 3-4 portions to the mixture. Continue whisking the eggs until the mixture thickens and turns a pale yellow color. As the liquid egg reduces, the volume will expand, and the mixture will become quite foamy (approximately 5-6 minutes).
- When the egg mixture achieves ribbon consistency (lifted, it falls and forms a ribbon that slowly dissolves on the surface), drizzle the butter-milk mixture over the eggs while continuing to beat at low speed.
- Sift the flour over the bowl of eggs in two batches, continuing to beat at low speed to ensure even incorporation.
- Once the flour is just incorporated, gently fold the mixture with a spatula, making sure to scrape any remaining flour from the bottom of the bowl.
Cook the cakes:
- Preheat the sandwich maker. For added flavor and a crispy crust, brush melted butter onto the mold. Once it's hot enough, pour about 1 tbsp batter into the mold.
- Add the fillings atop the batter, then pour another layer of batter to cover them.
- Allow it to cook for 3 minutes or until no steam is releasing from the sandwich maker.
- Take the cakes out of the mold and enjoy!
