These Chinese Cocktail Buns (Coconut Buns) are a Chinese bakery staple: soft yeasted dough filled with a sweet coconut and butter filling.
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Coconut Buns (Chinese Cocktail Buns) are one of my favourite Chinese bakery items.
Along with egg tarts, swiss roll cakes, pineapple buns, wife cakes.... and the list goes on. I love my carbs!
What are cocktail buns?
The name "cocktail buns" is literally the English translation from Chinese, "gai mei bao," or "cock/chicken-tail-bun."
They sweet buns originated from Hong Kong in the 1950s, alongside other bakery items such as pineapple buns (bo lor bao).
Originally, the filling for the cocktail buns were made by blending day-old buns and sugar, as a way to avoid wasting buns that were still perfectly edible.
However, modern day cocktail buns have strayed away from using old buns in the filling.
What are in cocktail buns?
Coconut Cocktail Buns have you guessed it... coconut!
They are a baked, soft rectangular yeasted bun with a filling of:
- shredded coconut
- sugar
- butter
The bun itself is slightly sweet, with a topping of butter and sugar, as well as sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Egg wash makes the buns nice and golden brown, and a final sugar syrup glaze adds some shine and sweetness.
How to make them
There are 4 components to the cocktail buns:
- coconut filling
- bun dough
- butter topping
- sugar glaze
Make the coconut filling
My coconut cocktail buns have the perfect ratio of filling to bun. I find that many recipes have a stingy amount of filling. You won't have that problem with my recipe. Every bite will have the perfect amount of coconut goodness.
I personally use the thin dried coconut flakes, but you can use the larger flakes. It won't matter too much since we'll blitz them slightly in a coffee grinder.
Note: If you use sweetened coconut flakes, be sure to decrease the amount of sugar by a bit.
Once the coconut flakes are ground up (not too finely), add that to a bowl, along with the beaten egg, sugar, butter, coconut and vanilla extract.
For a matcha version: Add matcha powder to the coconut flakes, egg, sugar, butter, coconut and vanilla extract.
Give the mixture a stir to combine, and then cover with a lid.
Place into the fridge to firm up, about 20-30 minutes.
Divide the filling into 12 equal portions.
Make the dough
Make the tangzhong first by combining bread flour and water in a small saucepan. (If you don't have bread flour, all-purpose will work).
Bring a low simmer and constantly whisk until the mixture becomes gluey and paste-like.
Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
In a bowl, combine the warm coconut milk with the active dry yeast and let it foam up and become bubbly.
In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, salt, egg, oil, tangzhong and the yeast mixture and knead until the dough becomes shiny and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it double in size.
Make the topping
For the topping, combine the butter, cake flour, and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
Transfer the mixture into a small piping bag, fitted with a round tip.
Place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes if the butter mixture oozes a bit and is too warm.
Note: If you don't have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter, just add a little pinch of salt.
Assemble the buns
Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
Roll the dough out into a long oval about 6" in length and 2" wide.
Place a portion of coconut filling along the centre of the dough, leaving a small border on each side.
Pinch the long edge seam together and tuck in the ends.
Place the buns seam-side down on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Repeat with the remainder.
Cover the buns with a slightly damp cloth and let them rise in a warm location, until slightly puffy.
Bake the buns
Preheat oven to 350F.
Once the buns have risen, make an egg wash by beating 1 egg in a small bowl.
Lightly brush the tops of the buns with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Squeeze two "lines" of butter topping (about 1" from both the top and bottom edges) on the buns.
Bake the buns at 350F for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden in colour.
Make the glaze
Combine 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
Remove the buns from the oven and use a clean pastry brush to brush the top of each bun with the sugar glaze.
Turn off the oven and pop the buns back into the oven for 1-2 minutes to set the sugar glaze.
Remove the buns from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool.
How to store & reheat
These Coconut Buns are best enjoyed fresh and slightly warm out of the oven.
Store the buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Alternatively, you can individually wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months.
To reheat, microwave the buns for approximately 1 minute, 30 seconds until heated through.
Other recipes you may like
If you liked these buns, be sure to check out my other Chinese bakery-style recipes:
Let me know if you try out the recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below! I love seeing your re-creations!
Coconut Buns (Chinese Cocktail Buns)
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Coconut Filling:
- 100 g dried coconut flakes
- 80 g beaten egg
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 40 g unsalted butter room temp
- ¼ teaspoon coconut extract
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Matcha variation:
- 20 g matcha
Bun Dough:
Tangzhong:
- 25 g bread flour (or all-purpose)
- 120 ml water
Dough:
- 120 ml coconut milk or whole milk, warmed
- 5 g active dry yeast
- 330 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g granulated cane sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg + extra for egg wash
- 40 ml avocado oil or vegetable oil
Butter Topping:
- 35 g salted butter room temp
- 25 g cake flour
- 15 g powdered sugar
Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Sugar Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon granulated cane sugar
Instructions
Make the coconut filling:
- Add the coconut flakes to a coffee grinder and blitz a few times, until it's ground up. (Be careful not to over pulse).
- Combine the coconut flakes with the beaten egg, sugar, butter, coconut and vanilla extract.
- If making a matcha version: add matcha powder to the coconut flakes, egg, sugar, butter, coconut and vanilla extract.
- Give the mixture a stir to combine, and then cover with a lid.
- Place into the fridge to firm up, about 20-30 minutes.
- Divide the filling into 12 equal portions.
Make the bun dough:
- First, make the tangzhong by combining 25g flour and 120ml water in a small saucepan.
- Bring a low simmer over medium heat and constantly whisk until the mixture becomes gluey and paste-like.
- Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- In a bowl, combine the warm coconut milk with the active dry yeast and let it foam up and become bubbly.
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, salt, egg, oil, tangzhong and the yeast mixture and knead until the dough becomes shiny and elastic.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it double in size in a warm location.
Make the butter topping:
- Combine the butter, cake flour, and powdered sugar in a small bowl and give it a mix.
- Transfer the mixture into a small piping bag, fitted with a round tip.
- Place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes if the butter mixture oozes a bit and is too warm.
- Note: If you don’t have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter, just add a little pinch of salt.
Assemble the buns:
- Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
- Roll the dough out into a long oval about 6″ in length and 2″ wide.
- Place a portion of coconut filling along the centre of the dough, leaving a small border on each side.
- Pinch the long edge seam together and tuck in the ends.
- Place the buns seam-side down on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat with the remainder.
- Cover the buns with a slightly damp cloth and let them rise in a warm location, until slightly puffy.
Bake the buns:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Once the buns have risen, make an egg wash by beating 1 egg in a small bowl.
- Lightly brush the tops of the buns with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
- Squeeze two “lines” of butter topping (about 1″ from both the top and bottom edges) on the buns.
- Bake the buns at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden in colour.
Make the sugar glaze:
- Combine 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Remove the buns from the oven and use a clean pastry brush to brush the top of each bun with the sugar glaze.
- Turn off the oven and pop the buns back into the oven for 1-2 minutes to set the sugar glaze.
- Remove the buns from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool.
- Enjoy the freshly made buns.
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.
Savita
This recipe idea sounds too good, need to try it out.
Juliane
Omg we loved this! Just tried this with my mom!
Michelle
Thanks for trying out the recipe, Juliane!
Veronica
can you make a recipe for hong kong style egg custard tarts蛋撻 and coconut tarts 椰撻, seeing how you have so many asian style desserts, really want to try those 2 things that I absolutely love!
Michelle
Hi Veronica, I have a recipe for Chinese style egg tarts here: https://www.siftandsimmer.com/homemade-chinese-egg-tarts/
Christina
I remember these buns from my childhood and wanted to bake them from scratch. So happy that this recipe worked. Now I can make these whenever I have a craving since I live far from any Chinese bakeries. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Michelle
Thanks for your comment, Christina! Glad that these buns took you back to your childhood 🙂
Mar
These coconut buns are our family's favourite buns. They are soft, fluffy and delicious. We love to have these for afternoon tea.
Michelle
Thanks Mar, happy to hear they're a favorite in your home!