7 Creative and Adorable Bao Bun Recipes for Kids

Ingredients:

• Flour: 500g
• Warm water: 300ml (or you can substitute with 100ml water + 200ml unsweetened milk)
• Dry yeast: 6g
• Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
• Baking powder: 6g
• Sugar: 80g
• Vegetable oil: 20ml
• Sausages: 8-10 sticks

Instructions:

• Step 1: Combine flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and baking powder in a large bowl. Gradually add the warm water and vegetable oil, stirring to combine. Wear non-stick gloves and knead the dough until it forms a smooth, non-sticky ball. Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes, covering it with a warm cloth or plastic wrap at room temperature until it doubles in size.
• Step 2: Once the dough has risen, press it gently with your finger—if it leaves a deep impression without bouncing back, it’s ready. Knead it briefly and divide it into small portions, about 60g each.
• Step 3: Roll each dough portion into a long strip, fold it in half, and place a sausage on top. If using long sausages, you can cut them in half for easier wrapping. If using small sausages, you can use the whole stick. Fold the dough around the sausage to form the bunny ears. Use two black beans as eyes. Place the bao buns on parchment paper and let them rise for another 10 minutes before steaming.
• Step 4: Boil water and steam the bao buns for 12-15 minutes. Be cautious when removing the lid to prevent water from dripping onto the buns, which can make them soggy.

Additional tips for making bunny-shaped bao with sausages:

• Use baking powder, not baking soda, as the latter may turn the bao a yellowish color.
• For a smoother and whiter finish, add a bit of vinegar to the boiling water before steaming the bao.
• If you want the black beans to be edible, make sure to cook or steam them before using them for the eyes, so they’re soft and ready to enjoy along with the bao.
• To prevent water droplets from soaking the buns and making the dough soggy, place a dry cloth over the steamer or pot lid before closing it.

Ingredients

• Flour: 270g
• Warm milk: 140g
• Sugar: 75g
• Salt: a pinch
• Unsalted butter: 20g
• Yeast: 4g
• Strawberry juice: 20ml

Instructions:

• Step 1: Mix flour, sugar, and salt together. Add yeast, being careful not to let it come into direct contact with the salt as it can kill the yeast.
• Step 2: Add warm milk and strawberry juice to the mixture and knead. Ensure the milk is not too hot to avoid killing the yeast.
• Step 3: Once the dough comes together, knead in softened butter. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Step 4: Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise for 35 minutes to prevent it from drying out.
• Step 5: After rising, knead the dough briefly and roll it out. Use a round cutter to cut dough circles.
• Step 6: To shape the flowers: Stack four dough circles on top of each other. Roll a small piece of dough into a strip and place it on top, then roll up the dough into a flower shape. Cut through the dough to reveal the rose petals. Press the bottom tightly to ensure the petals stick together.
• Step 7: Steam the bao buns for 12 minutes until they are fully cooked.

Ingredients

• Dough ingredients:
  • Pumpkin: Half a small one or a quarter of a large one
  • Purple sweet potato: 1 kg
  • Flour: 4 bowls
  • Unsweetened milk: 200ml
  • Sugar: 40g
  • Salt: 8g
  • Green tea powder: 1-2 tsp
  • Yeast: 12g

• Filling ingredients:
  • Green beans: 300g
  • Sugar: 100g (adjustable based on taste)

Instructions:

• Filling preparation:
  • Rinse the green beans to remove any damaged ones, then soak them in warm water for 1-2 hours. Optionally, add a pinch of salt during soaking.
  • Once the beans soften, drain them and mix with sugar and a pinch of salt. Then, steam them until tender. After cooking, mash the beans and roll them into small balls, each matching the size of your desired bao buns.
• Dough preparation:
  • Step 1:
    • Prepare the pumpkin and sweet potato: Peel and chop them into small pieces, steam until soft, and let them cool.
    • Activate the yeast: This step is optional for dry yeast but recommended to check its effectiveness. Mix the yeast with warm water (around 30-40°C) for about 15 minutes. If the yeast bubbles up, it's active. Then, divide the yeast mixture into 4 equal parts for the next steps.
    • Note: If you're not fast enough, you can activate the yeast after finishing all other prep steps (just before mixing the flour) to prevent yeast from resting too long.
  • Step 2: Divide the milk into 4 equal parts, placing 50g in separate bowls.
    • The first part will mix with the pumpkin, mashing it into a smooth puree with the milk.
    • The second part mixes with the purple sweet potato in the same way.
    • The third part is for the green bean paste.
    • The fourth part is reserved for mixing with the flour.
  • Step 3: Divide the sugar and salt into 4 equal parts, adding each to a separate bowl of flour.
    • Combine the flour mixture with one of the yeast portions from Step 2, then knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Let it rise for 1-2 hours.
  • Step 4: After the dough has doubled in size, quickly knead it again and roll each portion into thin rectangular sheets of equal size. Stack the four dough sheets, then roll them into a log. Cut the dough log into equal portions to shape the buns.
  • Step 5: Shaping the bao buns
    • Flatten each portion from Step 4 and place a dollop of the filling in the center. Fold the dough around the filling and shape it as desired. Repeat until all dough and filling are used. Allow the buns to rest for 20 minutes before steaming.
  • Step 6: Steaming the buns:
    • Prepare a steamer (or a rice cooker). Boil water in the lower layer, then place the buns on parchment or banana leaves in the steamer. Steam for about 25 minutes until fully cooked.

These vibrant, colorful rainbow bao buns will be a hit with anyone who sees them! Try making them today and enjoy!

Ingredients: Serves 3 people

• Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
• Yeast: 2g
• Cooking oil: 20ml
• Black beans: 2g
• Yellow split beans: 200g
• Baking powder: 2g
• Unsweetened milk: 100ml
• Sugar: 70g
• Flour: 250g

• Mix 2g of yeast with 100ml milk and 50g sugar until dissolved. Add 250g flour, 20ml oil, salt, and 2g baking powder and mix thoroughly. Knead until smooth and non-sticky.
• Place the dough in a pot, drizzle with a little oil to prevent it from drying out, and cover it. Let it rise in a warm place (like the microwave) for 40 minutes until it doubles in size.
• Soak the yellow split beans for 8 hours, then steam them. After steaming, mash the beans with a bit of water, and cook over low heat with 20g of sugar (to taste) until thickened.
• Once the dough has risen, divide it into small portions of about 40g each. Roll them into balls, flatten them, and add the mashed beans in the center. Shape the dough into a long oval resembling a hedgehog, then use black beans for the eyes. Place each bun on a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking.
• Boil water in a pot and steam the buns for about 20 minutes until done. After steaming, trim them into hedgehog shapes with scissors, or do this before steaming.
• The steamed milk buns are soft, fluffy, and delicious, with a mildly sweet yellow split bean filling. The cute hedgehog shapes make them a perfect breakfast treat for kids.

Ingredients:

• 180g of flour
• 2g of yeast
• Warm water
• Food coloring
• Black sesame seeds
• Red bean paste (soaked red beans, steamed and blended with sugar)

Instructions:

• Prepare the dough:
  • Dissolve yeast in a bowl with warm water, then mix it with flour until smooth.
  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 30 minutes. Afterward, divide it into small pieces and shape them into the pig's body.
• Prepare the meat filling:
  • Grind pork and mix it with wood ear mushrooms and chopped shiitake mushrooms. Add seasoning like fish sauce and seasoning powder to enhance flavor.
• Form the bao: Roll out each dough piece into a flat circle, place the filling in the center, and mold it into a round shape resembling a pig.
  • Use food coloring for the pig's ears and black sesame seeds for eyes.
  • Steam the buns for 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the steamer. You can also shape other animal figures for a fun twist.