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Pistachio Tang Yuan features soft and chewy glutinous rice balls filled with molten pistachio filling, served with warm roasted oolong milk tea. This pistachio variation is a delicious way to add a fun and unique twist to the traditional tang yuan.

These Pistachio Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls) are for pistachio lovers. Traditionally, glutinous rice balls are filled with black sesame or peanuts. For this recipe, I adapted the Black Sesame Tang Yuan recipe by substituting the black sesame seeds with pistachios.

The wrapper on the outside is soft and chewy like mochi. Once you break through that skin, the pistachio filling will ooze out and fill your mouth with sweetness and nuttiness. One glutinous rice ball will simply never be enough.

I pair these Pistachio Tang Yuan with roasted oolong milk tea. Roasted oolong milk tea tastes toasty, nutty, and subtly smoky, which complements the nutty flavor of the pistachios. Serve warm, and you will have the ultimate cozy treat, perfect for chilly weather or whenever you are craving something sweet.

Ingredients You Need

Pistachio Filling

Roasted pistachios. Pistachio is the star of this dessert. Roast the pistachios in the oven for more nutty flavors. Remove from the oven and cool completely before grinding them.
Granulated sugar. To sweeten the filling.
Salt. Just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
Unsalted butter. Butter holds the filling together so we can roll them into balls. Once the glutinous rice balls have been boiled, the butter will melt. The filling will be runny and ooze out when you take a bite of them.

Glutinous Rice Balls

Glutinous rice flour. Or 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.

Roasted Oolong Milk Tea

Loose oolong tea leaves. Oolong tea is a partially oxidized tea between green and black, with moderate caffeine and floral-to-roasted flavor. It is produced primarily in China and Taiwan.
Sugar. Regular granulated sugar is ideal for a nice caramel flavour, but you can also swap for brown sugar or another sweetener.
Milk. You can make this with any milk you would like. I used regular milk. For a creamier flavor, you can use a 50/50 blend of evaporated milk and regular milk. For a milder flavor, you can also swap some of the milk with water.

How to Make Pistachio Tang Yuan

In a food processor, finely grind roasted pistachios, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix the ground pistachios with melted butter until well incorporated.
Chill the pistachio filling for 30 minutes. The purpose is to harden the mixture for easy handling later.
Take out the filling. Scoop 1 tsp of the filling and roll into balls. Place the balls in a baking tray.
Freeze the filling until using it.
Make the wrapper by mixing glutinous rice flour with warm water. Slowly add in the warm water while stirring to form a dough.
Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Take a ball and flatten it with your palms. Add the frozen filling to the center. Wrap the dough around the filling. Roll into balls.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pistachio glutinous rice balls and cook until the balls float to the top.
Serve the balls with warm roasted oolong milk tea. Enjoy!

Why Does Pistachio 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.

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