Originating from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta (Miền Tây), Bánh Bò Hấp is a soft, chewy, and spongy delight infused with fragrant coconut flavor. Naturally gluten-free and irresistibly delicious, this humble yet flavorful treat is a must-try for any Vietnamese food lover!
Bánh Bò Hấp – A Tasty Treat from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s fertile southern region, is known for its abundance of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
This rich biodiversity is reflected in the cuisine, where dishes are often paired with fresh greens and fragrant herbs—whether it’s Phở, Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang, or sweet treats like Kem Chuối (banana ice cream) or Bánh Da Lợn (pandan steamed cake).
Among these beloved treats, Bánh Bò Hấp holds a special place as a nostalgic, humble snack for many Vietnamese kids.
The name “Bò” in Vietnamese can mean “cow” or “to crawl.” Some say the cake resembles a cow’s udder, while others believe it’s named after the way it “crawls” as it rises. Regardless of its origins, its airy, chewy texture has won over generations of food lovers.
The most traditional Bánh Bò Hấp is naturally fermented with Cơm Rượu (fermented sticky rice), a process that takes a couple of days but rewards you with an unmatched depth of flavor. To make it even more special, local aunties often swap plain water for fresh coconut water.
For my version, I take a modern approach using instant yeast, which cuts down on fermentation time without sacrificing the signature spongy texture. I still use packaged coconut water for its subtle sweetness and replace granulated sugar with palm sugar, giving the cake a warm, caramel-like flavor and an inviting golden-brown hue.
While you can use food coloring, pandan extract, or ube extract to add color, traditional Vietnamese cooking favors natural ingredients. In Vietnam, we often draw vibrant hues from nature—green from pandan leaves, yellow from cape jasmine, blue from butterfly pea flowers, pink from beets, purple from magenta plant and a rich orange from gấc fruit.
Ingredients
- Bánh Bò Hấp Flour: I use the Vĩnh Thuận brand, a blend of rice starch and tapioca starch with no added sugar. I prefer it over pre-sweetened versions. It already contains instant yeast, but rather than following the package instructions, I use my own method for a quicker and more flavorful result. If you don’t have Bánh Bò Hấp flour, you can make your own by combining rice starch, tapioca starch, and instant yeast.
- Coconut Water: Fresh or packaged both work. If using plain water, you’ll need to add some sugar to balance the flavor.
- Palm Sugar: My go-to sweetener for its rich, caramel-like taste—commonly used in Vietnam. Granulated sugar is a fine substitute.
- Coconut Milk: Always go for full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest texture.
- Coconut Oil: While some use cooking oil or melted butter, I find coconut oil delivers the best flavor.
- Sweetened Coconut Sauce: coconut milk, cornstarrch, granulated sugar and salt.
Instructions
Prepare the Batter
- In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 2 tablespoons of coconut water (taken from the total amount). Set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine palm sugar and coconut milk. Heat gently until the sugar melts completely. Let it cool to lukewarm.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to combine flour mixture with the yeast mixture and the remaining coconut water until smooth.
- Add the palm sugar-coconut milk mixture and mix well.
- Cover and let the batter rest for 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the temperature. It’s ready when it doubles in size and has fine bubbles on the surface.
- Stir in coconut oil and mix well.
Steam the Cake
- You can steam Bánh Bò Hấp in small cupcake molds or a large mold. The thinner the batter, the more likely you’ll get the signature honeycomb texture.
- Grease the molds with cooking oil (skip this step if using silicone molds).
- Prepare the steamer: If using a metal steamer, wrap the lid with a towel to prevent condensation from dripping onto the cake. If using a bamboo steamer, you can skip this step as bamboo absorbs excess moisture.
- Bring plenty of water to a rolling boil on high heat. Only pour the batter into the molds when the water is boiling hard.
- Fill each cupcake mold about 2/3 full. Steam for 17–19 minutes for small molds.
- Remove the cakes from the molds once they’re done.
Enjoy the Cake
- Bánh Bò Hấp is delightful on its own but even better with Nước Cốt Dừa (sweetened coconut sauce) and Muối Mè (sesame-peanut sprinkles).
- To make Nước Cốt Dừa, combine coconut milk, sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
Substitutes
- Bánh Bò Flour: Replace with 70% rice starch and 30% tapioca starch. For 1 package (400g / 14.1 oz): Use 280g rice starch + 120g tapioca starch.
- Palm Sugar: You can replace it with granulated sugar, but reduce the amount slightly since granulated sugar is sweeter.
- Coconut Water: Coconut Water: If unavailable, substitute with plain water and increase the sugar to 1⅔ cups.
- Richer Cake: Use only coconut milk instead of coconut water, skip the coconut oil, and increase the sugar to 1⅔ cups.
- Lighter Cake: Replace coconut milk with coconut water and increase the sugar to 1 cup + 2 tbsp.
Variations of Bánh Bò
There are two main types of Bánh Bò: Bánh Bò Hấp (steamed) and Bánh Bò Nướng (baked).
The baked version has its own subtypes, such as Bánh Bò Nướng Có Trứng (egg-based, using baking powder or baking soda, a creation of Vietnamese Americans) and Bánh Bò Nướng Không Trứng (egg-free, traditionally leavened with yeast).
If you love baked Bánh Bò, try my Pandan Honeycomb Cake, Palm Sugar Honeycomb Cake or Ube Honeycomb Cake!
Similar treats can be found across Asia, such as Chinese Bai Tang Gao (which lacks coconut milk) and Filipino Puto.
Other traditional Vietnamese cakes
(Vietnamese Banana Bread Pudding)
(Vietnamese Steamed Banana Cake)
(Vietnamese Pandan Waffle)
(Vietnamese Cassava Cake)
Easy Bánh Bò Hấp (Vietnamese Steamed Spongy Rice Cake)
Ingredients
- 14.1 oz Bánh Bò flour (unsweetened, Vĩnh Thuận brand) (400g) see Note 1 for substitutes
- 1 tsp instant yeast (3g) already included in the flour mix
- 1⅔ cup full-fat coconut milk (400ml) see Note 2 for substitutes
- 1⅔ cup coconut water (400ml) see Note 3 for substitutes
- 1 cup palm sugar (220g) see Note 4 for substitutes
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (or substitute with cooking oil or melted butter)
Sweetened coconut sauce
- 1 can coconut milk (full fat) (400ml/13.5 fl oz)
- 2½ tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch/cornstarch
Instructions
Prepare the batter:
- In a small bowl, mix the yeast with 2 tbsp coconut water (taken from the total) and let it sit.
- Heat palm sugar and coconut milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to a lukewarm temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour mixture, activated yeast, and remaining coconut water until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Gradually pour in the palm sugar-coconut milk mixture, stirring continuously to combine everything evenly
- Cover the bowl and let the batter ferment for 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on room temperature. You'll know it’s ready when it doubles in volume and tiny bubbles form on the surface.
- Finally, mix in the coconut oil until fully incorporated before steaming.
Steam the cake:
- For steaming, you can use either small cupcake molds or a large mold. A thinner batter increases the chances of achieving the signature honeycomb texture.
- Lightly grease your molds with oil, unless you're using silicone molds, which don’t require greasing.
- Set up your steamer: If using a metal steamer, wrap the lid with a kitchen towel to catch condensation and prevent water from dripping onto the cakes. A bamboo steamer naturally absorbs moisture, so this step isn’t necessary.
- Bring plenty of water to a vigorous boil over high heat before adding the batter. Never pour the batter into the molds until the water is at a rolling boil.
- Fill each mold about two-thirds full and steam for 17–19 minutes for small portions.
- Once fully cooked, remove the cakes from the molds and let them cool slightly before serving.
Make coconut sauce & Enjoy:
- Mix coconut milk, sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens to a smooth, velvety consistency.
- Drizzle the coconut sauce over the cake and enjoy.
Notes
- Replace 1 package of Bánh Bò Flour with 280g rice starch (Vĩnh Thuận brand recommended) and 120g tapioca starch.
- For a lighter version, use only coconut water and increase the sugar to 1 cup + 2 tbsp. For a richer version, use only coconut milk and increase the sugar to 1⅔ cups.
- If using plain water instead of coconut water, increase the sugar to 1⅔ cups.
- Substitute palm sugar with granulated sugar, but slightly reduce the amount since granulated sugar is a bit sweeter.
