Homemade Sweet Red Bean Paste (Azuki Bean Paste) | 紅豆沙
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Sweet red bean paste to Asian sweets is what sugar icing to western cupcakes. If you ever stepped into an Asian bakery store, you’d find plethora of sweet bean paste flavored goodies presented in different shapes and forms. Sweet red bean paste is by far one of the most important ingredients in Asian desserts. In a nutshell, sweet red beans paste is made from boiled red bean, or Azuki beans in Japanese. The beans are then sweetened with sugar and seasoned with butter or lard to form a smooth and creamy consistency. 
So how do you use red bean paste? In Japan, the bean paste is stuffed inside of rice flour dough to make a popular dessert called red bean paste mochi. During Chinese New Year, the sweet bean paste used to make this traditional eight-treasured rice dish. If don’t like rice, you are always free to add the red bean paste to whatever you have on hand to create your own dish such as this one here. The point is there are endless ways you can put the red bean paste to use. The red bean paste is commercially available in most of the Asian supermarkets but I often find the store bought one either too sweet or too much preservatives added. So I make my own bean paste.
There are many ways to make the red bean paste at home. The recipe I use is by no means the most traditional method but it makes good bean paste in a reasonable amount of time. Here is how I make my smooth version of sweet red bean paste. I employ a simple method that calls for a food processor, which gets the job done a lot faster than mashing the beans manually. If you like your bean paste in the chucky fashion, please see the notes on the bottom. To begin, rinse and soak the dry red beans. Remove the ones floating on the surface. Soak the beans in water for at least 3 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, rinse the beans again remove the excess water. In a pot, combine the soaked beans and water. Bring beans and water to boil and reduce the heat to low. With the lid on, simmer the beans for about 1 hour or until they are soft
Separate the cooking liquid from the cooked beans by draining in a colander. Save the cooking liquid
Transfer the cooked beans to a food processor. Add enough cooking liquid you saved earlier so you can blend the beans to a smooth consistency.
On low heat, transfer the blended bean paste back to the cooking, stir the bean paste and add sugar and butter. Keep stirring until the paste is smooth and forms still peak.
Cool down the sweet bean paste and keep it refrigerated. If making in bulk, you can also store the bean paste in freezer for as long as a month. *Note* To make the chucky style bean paste, skip the steps where you blend the beans in the food processor. Instead, add the sugar and butter directly to the cooked bean. Stir the bean paste over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red beans (azuki beans)
- 3 cup water for boiling
- Sugar to taste about 1- 2 cup
- 2 tbsp butter (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the dry red beans. Remove the ones floating on the surface. Soak the beans in water for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, rinse the beans again remove the excess water. In a pot, combine the soaked beans and water. Bring beans and water to boil and reduce the heat to low. With the lid on, simmer the beans for about 1 hour or until they are soft
- Separate the cooking liquid from the cooked beans by draining in a colander. Save the cooking liquid
- Transfer the cooked beans to a food processor. Add enough cooking liquid you saved earlier so you can blend the beans to a smooth consistency.
- On low heat, transfer the blended bean paste back to the cooking, stir the bean paste and add sugar and butter. Keep stirring until the paste is smooth and forms still peak.
- Cool down the sweet bean paste and keep it refrigerated. If making in bulk, you can also store the bean paste in freezer for as long as a month.
Notes
To make the chucky style bean paste, skip the steps where you blend the beans in the food processor. Instead, add the sugar and butter directly to the cooked bean. Stir the bean paste over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency.
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About how much does this make? I will be making this as a filling for three dozen green tea mochi cupcakes for this weekend.
Hi Kyndra, this recipe makes about 1.5 cups of bean paste. Please let me know how your green tea mochi turns out!
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This is exactly what I was looking for! I used only 1/2 cup sugar because I knew I would be adding the paste into ice cream. No butter in my mixture. Thanks so much!
HI Kacey, thanks for checking out the recipe. I bet the ice cream tasted fantastic!!
How much sugar do you add to this recipe? I couldn’t find any measurement in your instructions. Thanks!
Hi Kypop, thanks for stopping by. I would suggest adding 1 to 2 cups of sugar (listed in the ingredient section) however it really comes down to your personal taste. For me 1.5 cups are the most I would use. Hope this answers your question. Thanks.
I finally made this red bean paste recipe, I was very happy with the results. The taste is like ….. exotic peanut butter? Very different than anything I ever tasted before but…. I was addicted after the first taste. I plan to make red bean buns with it and to try your red bean rolls with the leftovers. ( if there is any left over) ; )
HI Deb, I am glad that you like the taste of red bean paste. Please let me know how the red bean paste buns came out!!
I made the red bean buns this morning and they were delicious. I’ll try the red bean rolls next because I have some wonton wrappers to use up.
Sounds good! Glad that you enjoy the buns
My mom used to make this tong shui. We kids would put it in the frig, then the next day, take out the red bean soup, add some evaporated milk and wa-la, red bean “bing”. We also put the mixture in popsicle molds and get red bean popsicles.
good call on the popsicle!! I used to have it when I was little too!
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WOW you made this yourself at home?! I always buy it because I find it too much work 😛 but good on you and I like the addition of butter 🙂 YUM!
I love azuki bean paste but never added butter… This is great idea and I have to try it soon!
Adding butter sounds like a great idea to make it creamy texture. I love red bean… I can eat this paste alone (did I scare you?)!!! 😀
Wow homemade red bean pasta…I usually use the can ones…thanks for the recipe, maybe next time I will try to make them myself 🙂
Hope you are having a great week Yi!
Virtually every red bean paste I buy is too sweet for my taste, so I’m glad you wrote this recipe. And it’s so easy to make! Excellent post – thank you.
Nice, very versatile ingredient which I can use in Halo Halo, Hopia, Red Bean Buns, even the steamed buns.
I love tau sar! I always make a double batch of red bean soup since it takes a while to soak/cook anyway, and then use the extras to make tau sar!
I didn’t realize that making red bean paste was this easy! I used to eat this by the spoonful and want some now. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Hi Yi! This is mouth watering! My family loves Green Bean or Red Bean soup, though I’ve never made my own red bean paste before. Didn’t know butter is part of the ingredients, I think my Mom used to use some lard back at Taiwan to give it that rich flavor. Yum!
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