Chocolate Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)
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These Chocolate Tang Yuan feature soft and chewy glutinous rice balls filled with melted chocolate and served in warm milk. This chocolate variation is a delicious way to add a fun and unique twist to the traditional tang yuan.
This Chocolate Tang Yuan recipe is a modern twist on the traditional tang yuan. Soft, chewy glutinous rice balls filled with melted chocolate and served in warm evaporated milk.
The traditional tang yuan is often filled with black sesame, peanuts, or red bean paste. It takes time to make the fillings from scratch, shape them into balls, freeze them until solid, and then wrap the filling with glutinous rice dough. But this recipe is so much easier and quicker to make because we don’t need to prep and freeze the filling.
Each glutinous rice ball hides a chunk of chocolate. The chocolate inside will melt into a rich, gooey center when the glutinous rice balls are boiled. If you love tang yuan, mochi, or chocolate, this recipe brings all of those comforting flavors together in one bowl. The warm milk transforms the dessert into something that feels like the ultimate cozy treat, perfect for chilly weather or whenever you are craving something sweet.
Ingredients You Need
- Glutinous rice flour. Also known as sweet rice flour. This gives the balls that soft and chewy consistency. It is gluten-free even though it has the word “gluten” in its name. It is quite easy to find at any Asian grocery store. Do not confuse this with regular rice flour, which won’t work in this recipe.
- Warm water. Make sure you use warm, not hot water. Hot water can cook your glutinous rice flour, causing it to get sticky when forming the dough.
- Chocolate. You can use dark or milk chocolate. Use a good-quality chocolate for the best flavor. Cut the chocolate into cubes or chunks. You can also use chocolate truffles, like Lindt.
- Evaporated milk. I use evaporated milk because it tastes creamier than regular milk.
Soup Variations
Here are some soup options you can use instead of evaporated milk:
- Chocolate milk or Milo
- Milk tea
- Coconut milk
- Brown sugar syrup
- Sweet ginger soup
Why Does Chocolate Tang Yuan Burst Out When Cooked?
- The skin is too thin. Make sure the skin is thick enough and uniform around the filling.
- The filling hasn’t been fully enclosed. The filling will leak when being boiled.
- Cooked for too long. This causes the glutinous rice balls to get too soft.
Storage
Cooked glutinous rice balls are best served right after they have been boiled. It is best to cook them only when you are ready to serve them.
For storage, you can freeze the uncooked glutinous rice balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat, not touching each other. Put them in the freezer for 1 hour and then transfer to a freezer bag. They will last for up to 6 months. When you are ready to eat, do not thaw and immediately cook them in hot boiling water until they float up.
More Chinese Recipes
- Osmanthus Longan Jelly Mooncakes
- Peanut Cookies
- Butter Rice Cakes
- Salted Egg Cornflakes
- Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes (Feng Li Su)
- Cashew Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups (200 gr) glutinous rice flour, more for dusting
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) warm water, more or less
- 24 cubes dark/milk chocolate
- 3 cups (750 ml) evaporated milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add glutinous rice flour. Add warm water little by little and mix with each addition. The dough will look dry at this time, but don't be tempted to add more water. Knead the dough until smooth and pliable. If it is too dry, you can add a bit more warm water. It should not be too wet either because it will not hold its shape.
- Dust your work surface with a little bit of glutinous rice flour. Transfer the dough onto the work surface. Divide the dough into 2 evenly. Shape each dough into a log. Cut and divide each log into 12 even pieces.
- Take one piece and shape into a ball. Make an indentation in the middle with your thumb to form a small bowl. Add a chocolate cube to the center. Stretch the side of the dough over the filling. Pinch to seal and roll the ball with your palms until smooth and round. Place the ball onto a tray that has been dusted with a little bit of glutinous rice flour. Repeat until 24 balls are made.
- Once you have shaped the balls, you can freeze them and cook them later. Or you can cook them immediately.
- In a medium pot, add evaporated milk. Heat on low-medium heat while stirring constantly until the milk begins to simmer. Turn off the heat. Set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the balls and cook until they float to the top.
- In serving bowls, add chocolate tang yuan and warm evaporated milk. Enjoy!
