Chinese Sesame Balls

This week I made one of my favorite dim sum desserts of all time – fried sesame balls. Every time I go to dim sum, I always make sure to order these things even if I’m stuffed. They’re definitely not healthy, but there’s just something about that crispy exterior and the yummy fillings that make me so happy! I sort of went in a non-traditional route by filling it with black sesame paste instead of red bean paste or mung bean paste, but I’m super happy with the result.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Black sesame paste

I used black sesame seeds and honey in a 2:1 ratio. In my black sesame paste recipe on this blog, I used them in a 1:1 ratio. The reason for the change is that I wanted a black sesame paste that was thicker which makes it easier to form the sesame ball. A good substitute for black sesame paste is red bean paste or mung bean paste which are the more traditional fillings.

Sesame balls

• Boiling water & light brown sugar – Both of these ingredients provide moisture to the dough. I used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar works as well.
• Sweet rice flour – This is the main dry ingredient in the sesame balls. I use Koda Farms mochiko sweet rice flour.
• White & black sesame seeds (for coating) – You have the option to use a mixture of white and black sesame seeds or only one of the two. The most traditional sesame balls use only white sesame seeds.

Making my Chinese sesame balls

This recipe is adapted from this one. First make your black sesame paste. Toast black sesame seeds for ~30 seconds until you smell a toasted, earthy aroma. Add the black sesame seeds to a spice grinder and pulse until you get a powder. Combine the black sesame powder and honey in a small bowl. Mix until a thick paste forms. Set aside.

Next make your dough. Combine boiling water and light brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix until uniform. Add sweet rice flour to a separate bowl. Create a well in the center of the flour. Pour the sugar water into that well and mix. Once the dough starts to form, roll the dough out onto a floured surface. Add more flour or water as needed. Knead for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 even pieces.

Now it’s time to put it all together. Add white and black sesame seeds to a bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, add a 1-2 cups of water. Set aside. Take a piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Use your thumb to flatten out the ball into a 1/4 inch thick disc. Add 1 teaspoon of the black sesame paste to the center of the disc. Gather the edges of the disc and pinch together. Roll the dough between your hands to form a uniform ball. Dip the sesame ball into water and then coat with the sesame seed mixture. Repeat this process until you have 8 sesame balls.

Heat vegetable oil to 300 degrees F. Make sure the oil is 2 inches deep. Fry each sesame ball for 10 minutes until the outside is golden. Use a candy thermometer to ensure your temperature stays consistent. Dry sesame balls on paper towels before serving.

Tips on how to make the perfect Chinese sesame balls

1. Use a Dutch oven to fry these sesame balls – Most people don’t understand that the pan you use to fry food is really important. A Dutch oven is the best option for this recipe because they provide the best heat retention which is what you want for a good, even fry.
2. Use a candy thermometer for consistency – Temperature is really important to the frying process. That’s why I would recommend getting a candy thermometer to ensure you have a consistent temperature throughout frying.
3. Make sure sesame ball is fully submerged in the oil – This is a huge huge tip. When I was testing this recipe, I didn’t fully submerge one batch and the side that wasn’t submerge started to puff up which made it look more like an egg as opposed to a ball.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

Follow Cooking Therapy on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag and hashtag it with @cooking__therapy and #beccascookingtherapy.

Stay connected and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all my latest recipes.

Disclaimer: If you purchase anything through a link on this site, I may receive a small commission from the purchase at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I would personally use. Thank you so much for the support!