Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (2024)

If you’re looking for dessert on the richer side, something deep fried and crispy always delivers. This sesame balls recipe (Vietnamese bánh cam) satifies snack cravings with a crispy golden glutinous rice outer shell, filled with sweet mung beans, and covered in white sesame seeds.

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (1)

My grandmother was a child raising machine. As if raising nine of her own kids wasn’t enough of a challenge, she had her hands in raising almost all of thegrand-kidstoo. Between cleaning up our messes and playing referee to our disputes, it seemed like she never skipped a beat in the kitchen.

In the very rare cases something wasn’t bubbling on the stove,grandma sometimes fed us a pulverized mix of roasted sesame seeds and salt (muối mè) over rice. Sounds like peasant food, right? Tasty peasant food. This is when I probably had my first taste of sesame seeds.

Does anyone really know where sesame seeds come from (Any Mitch Hedberg fans?)? These crunchy little teardrop-shaped seeds cover the snack we’re going to be making today–bánh cam (sesame balls).

The name bánh cam literally means “orange cake” because these balls simply resemble oranges, not because there are any actual oranges in it.

What does it taste like?

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (2)

There’s wonderful harmony in bánh cam. The outer shell is a warm golden brown color covered in white sesame seeds. The exterior has a satisfying crispiness to it from frying. On the other side of that surface is a lightly chewy or springy glutinous rice dough and a sweet ball of mung bean. Fans of bánh cam can get pretty picky about this balance between the crisp and chew.

Origins in Vietnam

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (3)

Although they look very similar, there are differences between bánh cam from the South and bánh ran from the North. Both styles can be found throughout the country though. My parents recount the differences in these fried desserts back home:

North Vietnam –Bánh Rán

Northerners call it bánh ran, or “fried cake”. These are made with a Jasmine flower essence for a nice aroma. A sugary drizzle on these fried goodies can be found on them depending on the vendor.

Another difference in the north is that when they are covered in sugar, the dough is made only with sweet rice flour and no rice flour, sesame seeds, or potatoes.

South Vietnam –Bánh Cam

In this post, I make it in the Southern style. There is no essence of flower added to this. The most popular flavor added to the mung bean filling is with drops of vanilla extract.

Only in the South will you find freshly shredded coconut in the filling too, but that will vary by vendor. If you add coconut to your recipe, do yourself a favor and use only freshly grated coconut!

Shaped By Necessity

In many cases, money determines how things pan out. We add potatoes to prevent bánh cam from exploding in the fryer. Since potatoes were scarce (expensive) in Vietnam so sweet potatoes were used instead. This increased the sweetness allowing the cook to save money by cutting back on sugar too.

For the mung bean filling, my parents swear no cooks or snackers cared for some detail such as if the ball of mung bean shakes inside or not. There’s more air inside when you make the filling smaller and it’s highly likely cooks did that to stretch their daily supply.

Preparing the mung beans

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (4)

Soak the dried mung beans. There’s two ways to hydrate them. The faster way: add hot water to soak them on the kitchen counter, drain then replace the hot water twice over the course of two hours.

The slower and easier way: add hot water to the beans, let it cool, the transfer to the fridge overnight.

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (5)

Then when hydrated, drain and cook. Steaming is the simplest way to cook them because you just let it sit on medium heat, and don’t have to worry about stirring, or how much water you’ve added.

You can cook this on the stove, or in a rice cooker, just as you’d cook rice but it can be more finnicky to do it right, and you may lose a lot of beans sticking to the pot.

They’re done when no longer crunchy, and easily mash between your fingers, about 30 minutes.

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (6)

How To Serve

These were usually sold by vendors as a snack. Locals rarely could afford more than one of these. They were maybe the size of a small orange–large enough to satisfy a dessert craving.

It’s fun to flatten bánh cam into a disk before taking a bite, but I also like making them into little bite-sized poppers too. These are excellent served with coffee or tea.

Tips for sesame ball success

It took a lot of recipe tinkering with mom to get to this recipe. The adjustments were made to get a better crisp in the shell, and to develop a deeper brown color. The amounts of sugar are adjusted so it’s not too sweet.

Filling ingredients – Adjusting sugar for the filling is easy, but it may change the texture and color if you adjust too much for the outer dough. I tried the mung bean filling with vanilla too, but prefer it without.

Shell ingredients – I have also tried using boiled potato instead of flakes, and it didn’t turn out as well. It probably has to do with getting the water levels right, but there was much better success for me with potato flakes. There are some legit local vendors who make it with boiled potatoes and their bánh cam is excellent.

Prepping ahead & storage – Before rolling and frying, the dough keeps in the fridge for a few days just fine. If you don’t eat too many of these at a time, it’s better to fry up fresh batches. After you fry these sesame balls, they do keep okay for a day or two. To reheat them, pop ’em in a toaster oven, or re-fry them in neutral cooking oil.

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (7)

What are sesame balls made of?

Vietnamese bánh cam is a mix of a glutinous rice flour, regular rice flour, and a wheat flour crispy outer layer with a soft and sweet mochi-like mung bean center.

What do sesame balls taste like?

Sesame balls have a crispy and roasted sesame exterior and it gives you a sweet mung bean flavor when you bite down.

Chinese Sesame Balls?

The Chinese version of these sesame balls look very similar. I see these most of the time on dim sum carts. The filling is usually a red bean paste, black bean paste, taro, or lotus seed. The recipes I see there typically use more water in the filling so it’s more of a paste.

When you bite into the sesame ball you’ll usually find it more smashed and stuck to the wall of the outer shell compared to the consistency we go for in this recipe. The drier target of this recipe usually has the filling maintain it’s shape and sometimes you can hear it shaking around inside.

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (8)

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (9)

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam)

4.93 from 28 votes

This sesame balls recipe (Vietnamese bánh cam) satifies snack cravings with a crispy golden glutinous rice outer shell, filled with sweet mung beans, and covered in white sesame seeds.

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BY: Hungry Huy

Prep: 3 hours hrs

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients

  • neutral cooking oil for frying

Filling (Nhân)

  • 113.4 g (4 oz) dried mung beans
  • 21.26 g (.75 oz) sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt optional
  • A dash of vanilla extract optional

Outer Shell (Vỏ)

  • 1/2 cup warm water plus more on the side for later
  • 45.36 g (1.6 oz) sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 113.4 g (4 oz) glutinous rice flour
  • 21.26 g (.75 oz) rice flour
  • 21.26 g (.75 oz) all-purpose wheat flour
  • 5 tbsp potato flakes from boxed mashed potatoes works too!
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder

Instructions

Filling (Nhân)

  • Rinse the mung beans under running water and drain, just like how you'd rinse rice.

  • Soak the mung beans. Add enough boiling water to cover 1/2" above the level of mung beans, let it cool and transfer to the fridge overnight. If you want to rush this process a bit you can drain after its cooled (about two hours, then repeat this process two more times).

  • Cook the mung beans. Using a steamer on medium heat is the easiest way to reach perfect doneness. You can also make it in a rice cooker with slightly more water than you would use to make rice, but you will lose some sticking to the pot. The beans are done when no longer crunchy, have softened and are ready to mash. This took me about 25 minutes with a stovetop steamer.

  • Combine the cooked mung beans with the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mash and add water if needed to achieve a paste similar to thick and slightly dry mashed potatoes.

Outer Shell (Vỏ)

  • Pour 1/2 of the water in a big bowl. Add the sugar and salt and mix to dissolve.

  • Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine (you can use a food processor if you want). The dough should be slightly dry and have a play dough consistency. Rest the dough a minimum 2 hours, ideally 8 for best results. It will slightly rise and hydrate after resting, making it easier to work with.

Forming The Bánh Cam

  • Flatten out a disk of the dough and add a ball of mung bean filling. The dough to filling ratio is up to you! I like about 1″ in diameter, but you can make them bigger. Keep in mind they will slightly expand during cooking.

  • Try not to leave any air pockets inside, since the dough will already be expanding and adding air to the center. Close off the ball so there aren’t any cracks.

  • Slightly roll in your hands to make a ball shape and then roll in a bowl of sesame seeds to coat thoroughly. Set aside for frying.

Frying

  • Heat a heavy pot with neutral cooking oil to around 285 F and deep fry the bánh cam. Makre sure not to crowd the pot. It should take about 11 minutes per batch. You may need to constantly move them around for even cooking.

Notes

7/9/2021: Added measurements in grams instead of only oz for accuracy, clarified lots of the recipe instructions.

Nutrition Facts

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam)

Serving Size

0 g

Amount per Serving

Calories

186

% Daily Value*

Fat

1

g

2

%

Saturated Fat

1

g

6

%

14

%

Potassium

289

mg

8

%

Carbohydrates

40

g

13

%

Fiber

3

g

13

%

Sugar

10

g

11

%

Protein

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

16

IU

%

Vitamin C

8

mg

10

%

Calcium

73

mg

7

%

Iron

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: banh cam, deep fried, sesame balls

Did you cook this recipe?Tag @HungryHuy or #hungryhuy–I’d love to see it!

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Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (13)

Sesame Balls Recipe (Vietnamese Bánh Cam) - Hungry Huy (2024)

FAQs

Should I refrigerate sesame balls? ›

A properly made sesame ball should retain its round shape and even stay slightly crunchy after cooling. In the following days, they can get a little soft. Refrigerate in an airtight container, and reheat in the toaster oven at 375°F for 7-8 minutes, or until the outside is crisp.

What do sesame balls taste like? ›

These sesame-coated glutinous rice balls are crunchy on the outside, with a chewy, subtly sweet mochi-like. They hold a special place in my heart because my maternal grandma used to make them and always had some in the house.

How many calories are in banh cam? ›

Nutrition Facts
NutrientValue
Calories210
Fats10g
Saturated fats3g
Trans fats0g
83 more rows

How do you know if sesame has gone bad? ›

Smell Them

Spoiled seeds will give off a chemical-like odor comparable to nail polish remover. They may also smell sour. That being said, not all rotten seeds smell bad, and it's essential to pay close attention to the best by date to ensure that your sesame seeds are still safe to eat.

Are sesame balls healthy? ›

Sesame seeds are a good source of healthy fats, protein, B vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other beneficial plant compounds . So grab a few sesame seeds ball on a day to maintain your magnesium level.

Can I eat sesame balls cold? ›

They are best served hot, nutty and crispy outside, creamy and sweet (red bean paste filling) or savory (minced meat filling) inside. They can be eaten cold, or warm up for 20 seconds in microwave, the outside becomes chewy.

Why are sesame balls so good? ›

The dough is made from glutinous rice flour, so the texture is actually chewy and a little gummy. But because it's been dipped in sesame and then fried, there is also a crispy element to it. It's a dessert you can devour as it is not too sweet and has all the right textural components.

What country are sesame balls from? ›

Jiandui or sesame balls are a type of fried Chinese pastry made from glutinous rice flour.

What is a Vietnamese dessert? ›

Sticky rice with ice cream, or kem xoi, is a favorite dessert in Vietnam that combines two beloved treats into one delicious dish. This sweet and savory dessert is made by topping a mound of warm sticky rice with a scoop of rich and creamy ice cream, typically coconut or durian flavored.

Is banh mi unhealthy? ›

Banh Mi is an excellent addition to a balanced diet. The typical sandwich boasts 30 grams of protein and 19 grams of fat. That is an excellent amount of protein and a fair number of fat grams. The only potentially questionable facet of Banh Mi is the carbohydrates.

How many calories does the average Vietnamese person eat? ›

At the national level, daily dietary energy consumption is estimated around 2,507 calories per capita, with about 70% of the dietary energy consumed coming from carbohydrates and about 17%, and 13% of energy from fats and protein, respectively.

What are black sesame balls made of? ›

Sesame balls (jian du, zhima zhou, buchi, bánh cam, onde-onde) crispy and chewy treats made from glutinous rice flour, sugar, water, and oil. They are rice balls coated in sesame seeds and deep-fried to achieve a crispy, golden exterior.

What happens if you soak sesame seeds? ›

Do Sesame seeds need to be soaked? You can soak Sesame seeds in water overnight to make Sesame milk. Soaking Sesame seeds makes it Laghu (light to digest). This also enhances its absorption in the body and helps to get complete nutrition from them.

How to store sesame balls? ›

Recipe Notes

Mung bean paste: For a smooth rather than chunky mung bean paste, use husked mung beans, which are yellow. Storage: Store sesame balls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Does sesame need to be refrigerated? ›

To store sesame seeds for extended periods, place them in the refrigerator. This will help maintain their freshness. That being said, it's important to note that these periods are estimates, and the location and method in which sesame seeds are stored may cause them to go rancid sooner.

Do sesame balls expire? ›

If you don't eat too many of these at a time, it's better to fry up fresh batches. After you fry these sesame balls, they do keep okay for a day or two. To reheat them, pop 'em in a toaster oven, or re-fry them in neutral cooking oil.

Does Chinese sesame paste need to be refrigerated? ›

Refrigerate the paste after opening (it contains a lot of oil and can go rancid if left unrefrigerated). Just make sure to stir it before refrigerating so the oil doesn't stay separated. It will harden significantly in the refrigerator and become difficult to stir.

Do you refrigerate sesame o? ›

Sesame oil and other unrefined oil

Unrefined nut oils, like sesame oil commonly used in Chinese cooking, should be refrigerated because they are prone to go rancid and lose their flavour. Refined oil of any origin, including peanut oil, will last indefinitely at room temperature.

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