How to Make Red Bean Paste

One of my favorite dessert flavors is red bean. I love it in everything. On toast. In red bean buns. In mochi. On shaved ice. No matter where I am, if I see red bean on the menu, I am going to order it. Because of my love for red bean, I wanted to develop a recipe for red bean paste which is a form of red bean that can be used in a variety of ways. Most recently, I made homemade red bean paste for my matcha red bean buns which inspired me to write a proper recipe for it where I could go into all the intricacies of making this dessert.

What is red bean paste?

Red bean paste is something found in a lot of Asian cultures, but it is probably most associated with Japanese culture. In Japan, it is known as anko or anko bean paste. It is made from boiling and blending water and adzuki beans that is then sweetened with sugar. The red bean I used for my recipe is the adzuki bean. It is smaller than beans used in savory bean dishes, and can be found in parts of East Asia. In addition to red, the adzuki bean can also come in black, white, or gray colors.

As a disclaimer, I wouldn’t say this red bean paste recipe follows the Japanese tradition exactly. For example, some traditional recipes use butter. This is my version of red bean paste that was created through multiple iterations of testing and informed through my experience making pastes.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

This recipe includes 3 simple ingredients: adzuki beans, water, and granulated sugar. You can find adzuki beans at Asian supermarkets or online at places like Amazon. In terms of sugar, I used granulated sugar as my sweetener, but I think other sweeteners can also work like honey and brown sugar. If you don’t want a sweet red bean paste, don’t use any sweetener.

Making my red bean paste recipe

First, soak adzuki beans overnight. The next day, drain the beans. Add the beans to a sauce pan with 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring water to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours. Remove from heat. Using either an immersion blender or regular blender, blend the beans until smooth. Place the pan back onto the heat. Add the sugar. Simmer over low heat to reduce the red bean mixture until the consistency of a thick smoothie (~5 minutes). Cool for 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the paste to thicken up.

Tips on how to make the perfect red bean paste

How do you change the consistency of my paste?

You can customize the consistency of your paste by cooking it more or less. Cook the paste more for a thicker, dryer paste, Cook it less for a more watery, runny paste.

Can I make it less sweet?

Always my number 1 question! Yes you can! It is not required for red bean paste to be sweetened, so you don’t have to add sugar to your paste. You can also use less sugar in your paste.

Can I use alternative sweeteners?

I actually haven’t tested this, but I am confident it will work. Alternative sweeteners you can use are honey and brown sugar.

How do I store red bean paste?

It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer.

What can I use red bean paste for?

Eat it on toast. Make red bean buns or matcha red bean mooncakes with it. Use it to top off ice cream or use it to make ice cream. Eat it on shaved ice! It works with a variety of Asian desserts.

Did you make this recipe?

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

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