This Vietnamese Baked Mung Bean Cake (Bánh Đậu Xanh Nướng) is my beloved childhood dessert. It’s an effortless homemade treat with a creamy, smooth, and sweet richness in every bite.
Made from simple ingredients, it captures the essence of traditional Vietnamese flavors and brings a comforting sense of nostalgia.
What are mung beans?
Mung beans (đậu xanh) are a cherished ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, often called “green beans” since the term “đậu xanh” literally translates to green beans in Vietnamese.
In Vietnam, legumes such as mung beans, black beans, and soybeans are staples in many traditional dishes, including sticky rice (xôi), dessert soups (chè), and Vietnamese soy milk (sữa đậu nành).
Of these, mung beans remain the most popular. They can be used in various forms: whole grains, split (either unpeeled or peeled), and more.
You can find mung beans abundantly in many traditional recipes:
Mung Beans with Sticky Rice (Xôi): Mung beans are often cooked with sticky rice to make Xôi, such as Xôi Đậu Xanh, Xôi Vò, Xôi Xéo, and Xôi Khúc.
Dessert Soups (Chè): Mung beans are cooked with sugar and water to create delightful dessert soups like Chè Đậu Xanh.
Savory Fillings: Savory mung bean paste is used as a filling for traditional delights like Bánh Chưng and Bánh Tét.
Sweet Fillings/Cake: Sweetened mung bean paste is a popular filling for Vietnamese moon cakes (Bánh Trung Thu) and fried sesame balls (Bánh Cam). It can also be made into mung bean cake (Hải Dương‘s version) or this baked mung bean cake (Miền Tây‘s version).
Mung Bean Sprouts: These are a popular component of Vietnamese herb platters.
Ingredients
Peeled split mung beans
Coconut cream
Heavy cream: Use all coconut cream if making a vegan version
Sweetened condensed milk
Sugar
Melted butter
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour, cornstarch, glutinous rice flour: You can replace the glutinous rice flour with cornstarch, but I prefer using all three types for the best texture.
Salt
Instructions
Prepare the Mung Beans: Wash and rinse the mung beans several times to remove all dirt. Soak the mung beans in water for about 5 hours.
Cook the Mung Beans:
- On the stovetop: Place the mung beans in a pot and add water just covering them. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer until the mung beans are soft and easily mashed with fingers or a spoon.
- In a rice cooker: Place the mung beans in the rice cooker pot with a pinch of salt and add water just covering them. Cook the mung beans as you would cook rice in the rice cooker.
Prepare the Batter: In a bowl, combine the cooked mung beans with all other ingredients. Mix until just combined (lumps are still okay). Add half of the mixture to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth (do not over-mix). Repeat with the remaining half.
Bake the Cake: Preheat the oven to 330°F (165°C) for 20 minutes. Pour the batter into a lined baking mold. Bake at 330°F (165°C) for 35 minutes, then increase the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.
Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool down completely before cutting it into bite-sized pieces.
How Does This Mung Bean Cake Taste?
I prefer baking the mung bean cake on a baking sheet rather than in a regular round mold. This way results in a thinner cake with a more delightful crust.
This mung bean cake looks quite similar to Hawaiian butter mochi but has a softer, melt-in-your-mouth texture with a rich and sweet flavor. If you prefer a chewy texture, try Vietnamese cassava cake—it’s also super delicious.
This cake is perfect to enjoy with Vietnamese coffee or Vietnamese tea.
More Vietnamese Easy Snacks
(Vietnamese Banana Ice Cream)
Vietnamese Mung Bean Cake (Bánh Đậu Xanh Nướng)
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet pan (16''x 12'' or 41*31cm)
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried peeled mung beans (400g)
- 1 can coconut milk (400ml/13.5 fl oz)
- 1 cup whipping cream/heavy cream (250ml)(substitute with coconut milk if making a vegan version)
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 cup granulated sugar (350g)
- 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (140g)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour (can be substituted with cornstarch)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Rinse the mung beans thoroughly to remove any dirt, then soak them in water for 4-5 hours.
- – On the Stovetop: Place the mung beans in a pot, adding enough water to just cover them. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer until the mung beans are soft and can be easily mashed with your fingers or a spoon.– In a Rice Cooker: Place the mung beans in the rice cooker pot, add a pinch of salt, and pour in enough water to just cover them. Cook the mung beans using the rice cooker as you would normally cook rice.
- Set the oven to preheat at 330°F (165°C) for 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the cooked mung beans with all other ingredients until just combined (lumps are still ok). Pour half of the mixture into a blender and blend on high speed until smooth, being careful not to over-mix. Repeat with the remaining half.
- Pour the batter into a lined baking mold. Bake at 330°F (165°C) for 35 minutes. Then, increase the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 20 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting it into bite-sized pieces.
