Sweet red bean pastries are a staple in Chinese bakeries. These delicious treats have a puff pastry crust and are filled with a sweet red bean paste that is moist and chewy at the same time. This recipe uses frozen puff pastry which is quite a bit easier than making the puff pastry by hand, and canned sweet red bean paste. This paste can be found in most Chinese grocery stores, however you can also use homemade paste as well.

To watch a video on how to make these Chinese sweet bean pastries click here.

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
1 can sweet red bean paste
1 small egg

1. Defrost the puff pastry dough according to the instructions on the package and then carefully unfold it onto a cutting board. Cut the dough sheet into 9 equal squares, separate them and set them aside.


2. Open the can of sweet red bean paste, this will be the filling for our puff pastry squares. This paste can usually be found canned in most Asian grocery stores and you can also use homemade red bean paste for this recipe as well.


3. Next take one of the puff pastry squares and lay it out on a plate. Place about 1 ½ teaspoons of the red bean paste in the center of the square. Then pull up all of the sides of the dough around the bean paste forming a little package. Pinch the top to seal and place it with the pinched side down on an ungreased baking sheet and continue filling the remaining squares.


4. Once all of the squares are filled preheat the oven to 350F.


5. Then make an egg wash by beating the egg in a small bowl. Once it is beaten add about a teaspoon of water and continue beating until the water is mixed into the egg.


6. When the oven is preheated, lightly brush the tops of the pastries with the egg wash. Make sure to do this right before they go into the oven, otherwise the egg wash will soften the dough a bit if it sits too long.


7. Then just bake them for 35 minutes or until the tops turn a nice golden brown.


8. Once have a nice brown color remove them and let them cool down slightly. Then they can be served or stored in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days. Makes 9 sweet red bean pastries.