These Chinese Macau-Style Almond Mung Bean Cookies are light and nutty, with an almost melt-in-your-mouth quality. They're made with mung bean flour and shaped using a mooncake mold. Pair the crumbly, lightly sweet cookies with tea for the ultimate afternoon snack.
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I know the New Year just started, but with Chinese New Year around the corner, I was reminded of Macau-Style Almond Mung Bean Cookies.
As a child, I remember eating this style of almond cookie from a fluorescent pink and yellow tin.
Admittedly, these almond cookies from the tin weren't my favourite.
The dry crumbly cookie would leave my throat powdery and I'd need to chase it down with a glass of milk.
On the other hand, this recipe produces a cookie that almost melts-in-your mouth and is light and absolutely delicious. No need for a glass of milk with these cookies!
What are Chinese Almond Mung Bean cookies?
Chinese Almond Mung Bean Cookies are a nutty, tender, crumbly cookie -- slightly sweet and fragrant with essence of almond.
The cookies are typically round, with a powdery exterior, and usually have a stamp imprinted on the surface.
These cookies are different than the Chinese almond cookie/biscuit that have an almond on the surface of the cookie.
Where did they come from?
Almond Mung Bean Cookies originated from Canton, China but are most prominently found in Macau.
Many vendors and hawkers in Macau have claims of having the best almond cookie -- the most famous one being from Koi Kei Bakery.
Ingredients in the cookies
These Almond Mung Bean Cookies are surprisingly simple to make with minimal ingredients:
- almond flour: is whole almond nuts processed into a fine flour. It may also be labeled as “ground almonds.” You can find it in health food stores and regular supermarkets, including Costco.
- mung bean flour: can come in a green flour (made from mung beans with the skins left on) or yellow flour (mung beans de-skinned). Either variety will work. It may also be labeled as “moong bean,” “green bean starch” or “green bean flour.” It is readily sold in Asian supermarkets in small packages.
- rice flour: is used as a binder for the cookies and is made of finely milled white rice. It keeps the cookies light in texture. It's easily found in Asian supermarkets in small packages, and increasingly more common in regular grocery stores. Be sure not to confuse it with glutinous rice flour, which is different and produces a chewy texture, usually common in mochi.
- icing sugar: also known as powdered sugar, adds sweetness to the cookies.
- butter/coconut oil: (both at room temperature) a mixture of butter and coconut oil adds flavour to the cookies; if you want to make them vegan, you can just replace the butter portion with coconut oil.
- almond extract: use pure almond extract; adds pronounced almond flavour to the cookies
Special tools you'll need
Chinese mooncake stamp/mold
One unique tool you do need for this recipe is a Chinese mooncake stamp/mold which will leave a decorative imprint on the finished cookie and help the cookie hold its shape.
There are 2 types:
- Traditional Chinese mooncake/cookie molds are wooden -- you place the dough firmly into the mold and bang it out.
- Modern mooncake molds are plastic and spring-loaded, where you place the dough into the mold and then eject it out by pressing on the lever. (You can purchase mooncake molds on online or Amazon).
Water spray bottle
Another tool that you'll want to have is a plastic water sprayer bottle. You can pick these up at the dollar store.
I like having one that is dedicated to kitchen use, filled with clean filtered water. They're handy for misting baguettes.
Spraying the cookies with water helps to moisten them and not be too crumbly while handling.
How to make the cookies
Toast the flours (mung bean flour, rice flour, almond flour) in a low-temperature oven, to release their natural oils and aroma.
Let the toasted flours cool.
Sift together the flours with the icing sugar.
In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and coconut oil and add in the almond extract.
Add the butter mixture into the dry ingredients (flour mixture) and mix until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Gather a small bit of the mixture with your hands and clump it together. If it holds together, it's ready to go.
If not, give the mixture a spray of water until it can be formed into a clump.
Fill mooncake mold with a large heaped tablespoon of mixture. Gently pat down mixture.
Invert the mooncake mold, press down firmly on the plunger to imprint the shape.
Release the cookie onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake at 300F for 30-35 minutes, until slightly browned and aromatic.
FAQ's & Troubleshooting
Can I make the cookies vegan?
Yes, just replace the butter with coconut oil.
Which type of coconut oil to use?
You can use either unrefined or refined (without coconut aroma). It's up to you.
Can I make the cookies without the mooncake mold?
No, you'll need the mold to help the cookies keep their shape, as they are quite delicate.
How to store & enjoy
Let the cookies cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
These delicate cookies are fragile, but the nuttiness and aroma from the almond and mung bean is like no other.
No wonder the lasting impression of these almond cookies would stay with me until now.
Make a pot of tea and enjoy the cookies for an afternoon tea or a snack.
Other recipes you may like
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may enjoy these Chinese recipes:
Peanut Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Chinese Macau-Style Almond Mung Bean Cookies
Equipment
- mooncake mold (50g)
- sprayer with clean water
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 180 g mung bean flour
- 80 g rice flour
- 60 g almond flour
- 60 g icing sugar
- 50 g unsalted butter room temp
- 50 g coconut oil room temp
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F/93°C.
- Add mung bean flour, rice flour, and almond flour to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in oven to lightly toast the flours, stirring intermittently, for about 20 mins.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the cooled mung bean flour, rice flour, almond flour, with the icing sugar.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and coconut oil with a fork. Add in the almond extract.
- Add the butter mixture into the flour mixture, and gently mix until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Spritz the mixture with some water.
- Gather a small bit of the flour mixture in your hands and clump it together -- if it holds together, then it’s ready. If it’s too crumbly, add a little spritz of water to it until the mixture can be formed into a clump.
- Preheat oven to 300°F/149°C.
- Fill mooncake mold with a large heaped tablespoon of mixture. Gently pat down mixture.
- Invert the mooncake mold, press down firmly on the plunger to imprint the shape.
- Release the cookie onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- If using a wooden mooncake mold, place the mixture firmly into the mold, invert and bang it out onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes at 300°F/149°C until slightly browned and smells aromatic.
- Let cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
This article was originally published for Curious Cuisiniere.
2pots2cook
Thank you for the beauty ! My first on line shopping will definitely include these amazing molds ! I wish you have healthy and happy 2021. !
Michelle
Thank you Davorka! Best wishes for a Happy New Year, friend!
David @ Spiced
What an interesting recipe! I must admit that I haven't played around with mung bean flour...and now I really want to! Thanks for the inspiration here, and Happy New Year, Michelle!
Michelle
Mung bean flour is definitely flies under the radar! Hope you try it David 🙂
Kelly | Foodtasia
Such a beautiful cookie, Michelle! I haven't tried a cookie with mung bean flour but the nutty flavor sounds wonderful. Can't wait to try these! Happy New Year!
Michelle
Thanks Kelly, Happy New Year to you too! 🙂
Christie
Wow they look so good and I love the beautiful design you shaped them in Michelle! Great recipe!
Michelle
Thanks Christie! 🙂
Josiah - DIY Thrill
These Chinese style cookies look incredible!
Michelle
Thanks Josiah! They're one-of-a-kind! 🙂
Caleb - Never Ending Journeys
These almond mung bean cookies look so incredibly rich and decadent! I would love to try them. 🙂
Michelle
Thanks Caleb! 🙂
Raymund (Ang Sarap)
Now I need to get those moulds, I saw one in the Asian shop several weeks ago but I did not get it since I thought I can only use it in moon cakes.
Michelle
Ah yes, the molds are definitely versatile!
Healthy World Cuisine
Michelle, your Macau Style almond Mung Bean cookies are just like the real deal, but better because they are homemade. Just love that melt in your mouth texture and perfect for tea time. I can't believe CNY is right around the corner already! Wishing you a fabulous 2021!
Michelle
Thank you so much for the sweet note! The cookies are definitely nostalgia-inducing. 🙂 Happy New Year to you too!
Lily
Can I substitute coconut oil for something else? Like vegetable oil or butter?
Michelle
You can use butter in place of the coconut oil.
Linsey
This Chinese Macau-style Almond Mung Bean cookies really taste like the commercial one!! But this is much better using real ingredients as compare to the commercial ones that are even made without the almond flour. The design is so beautiful and is also able to eat with just one mouthful. So delicious! And melt in your mouth! Love it!
Lisa
Why mine kept sticking to the mould? Is it because it’s too dry? I tried dusting it with mung bean flour before putting in cookie dough but it didn’t work. After baked for 30 minutes, it was a bit dry & crumbles to the touch, even after letting it cool for 2 hours, but taste great though.
Michelle
Hi Lisa, the cookie dough should not stick to the mold, if so, the dough may be too moist. Did you make any substitutions? This type of almond cookie is indeed very delicate.
Lisa
I did used lard instead of coconut oil, would that make a difference? If so what adjustments should I make as will definitely make again!
Michelle
Hi Lisa, yes you can use a little less lard to substitute for the coconut oil.
constance
We've tried several other recipes from internet, they did not ask for rick flour and they were hard. These cookies taste great and we love the texture. The rice flour really makes them tender. Not knowing how much water to add was challenging -- we started with 2 to 3 tsp and then sprayed as needed. We did the following to make this recipe work for us -- cooked the flours in a skillet till slightly golden, used more almond flour and less mung bean flour (almost equal ratio); we prepared the mooncake press by dusting it with either rice flour or all purpose flour for each cookie and cleaning the press with toothpick and brush after molding a cookie. For some reasons our freshly-made dough stuck to the press even if dusted with flour, but after refrigerating the dough overnight, there's no more sticking. We baked at 285F for a little longer and leaving the cookies in the turned off oven for a little while.
Michelle
Hi Constance, thank you very much for your detailed feedback and sharing your tips on making the recipe work for you! Glad to hear that it turned out well for you. 🙂