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With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, it’s the perfect time to start making mooncakes. I’ve really come to enjoy making them in recent years. The ingredients are simple, and they make great gifts for family and friends—everyone loves them!

Pumpkin Mooncake

Similar to purple sweet potato mooncakes, pumpkin mooncake is a delightful twist on the traditional Chinese mooncake, incorporating pumpkin into the dough to create a vibrant orange color and natural sweetness.

The dough, made from steamed and mashed pumpkin mixed with flour, provides a soft and slightly chewy texture, which pairs beautifully with classic fillings like red bean paste or lotus seed paste.

Compared to traditional mooncakes, like the baked Wuren Mooncake, Pumpkin Mooncakes are much simpler to make because they only require steaming instead of baking.

For the Fillings

I use homemade red bean paste, but store-bought works just fine too. I strongly recommend making it yourself if you have the time; it lets you control the sweetness and ensures a fresher taste. After making the red bean paste, refrigerate it—this makes it easier to handle when you’re ready to use it. However, don’t limit yourself to just red bean paste—feel free to experiment with other fillings!

Here are some other popular choices:

Lotus Seed Paste: Rich in lotus seed flavor and smooth in texture.
Purple Sweet Potato Paste: Offers a beautiful color contrast with the pumpkin and is highly nutritious.
Black Sesame Paste: Nutritious and aromatic with a strong sesame flavor

Ingredients:

For the Mooncake Wrapper:

200g Cooked Pumpkin(steamed)
30g Granulated Sugar
130g Glutinous Rice Flour
120g Rice Flour

For the Filling:

150g Red Bean Paste(or other fillings such as lotus seed paste, purple sweet potato paste, chestnut paste)

Note: Adjust quantities based on your preferences and needs.

Instructions:

Prepare the Pumpkin:

Peel the pumpkin and cut it into slices.
Steam the pumpkin slices for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Make the Pumpkin Dough:

Measure out 200g of the steamed pumpkin and place it in a bowl.
Add 30g of granulated sugar to the pumpkin and mash until smooth.
Add 130g of glutinous rice flour and 120g of rice flour to the pumpkin puree.
Mix until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Knead the mixture into a smooth and pliable dough. If the dough is too dry, add a small amount of water. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.
Divide the dough into 15 equal portions, each weighing approximately 30g.

Prepare the Filling:

Divide the red bean paste into 15 equal portions, each weighing about 10g.

Shape the Mooncakes:

To wrap the filling:
- Hold the dough ball in your left hand.
- Use your right thumb to press into the center of the ball, creating a small well.
- Place the filling into the well.
- Gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, pinching the top to seal. Roll it gently into a smooth ball.

Mold the Mooncakes:

Lightly dust the mooncake and mooncake mold with dry flour to prevent sticking.
Place each filled dough ball into the mold, pressing firmly to shape and imprint the design.
Carefully remove the mooncakes from the mold and set them aside.

Steam the Mooncakes:

Arrange the mooncakes in a steamer lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Add water to the pot, start steaming, and steam for 15 minutes.
Once done, let the mooncakes cool slightly before serving.

Tips:

Adjusting Sweetness: You can adjust the amount of sugar in the pumpkin dough to suit your taste.

Don’t waste any more of your pumpkin!

In China, pumpkin isn’t just used in savory dishes like pumpkin ribs and salted egg pumpkin. It’s also a popular ingredient in various dough-based treats, such as:

Pumpkin Mantou: Fluffy steamed buns with a natural sweetness and vibrant color from the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Mochi: Soft and chewy rice cakes infused with pumpkin flavor.
Pumpkin Fa Gao: Traditional steamed sponge cakes with a pumpkin twist.
Pumpkin Tang Yuan: Glutinous rice balls filled with pumpkin, often enjoyed in both sweet and savory versions.
Chinese Pumpkin Cake: A classic treat that’s typically pan-fried to achieve a crispy exterior and tender, pumpkin-flavored interior.
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Pumpkin Mooncakes Recipe

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, it's the perfect time to start making mooncakes. I’ve really come to enjoy making them in recent years. The ingredients are simple, and they make great gifts for family and friends—everyone loves them!

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 248kcal
Ingredients
For the Mooncake Wrapper:
200 g Cooked Pumpkin steamed
30 g Granulated Sugar
130 g Glutinous Rice Flour
120 g Rice Flour
For the Filling:
150 g Red Bean Paste or other fillings such as lotus seed paste, purple sweet potato paste, chestnut paste
Instructions
Prepare the Pumpkin:
Peel the pumpkin and cut it into slices.
Steam the pumpkin slices for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Make the Pumpkin Dough:
Measure out 200g of the steamed pumpkin and place it in a bowl.
Add 30g of granulated sugar to the pumpkin and mash until smooth.
Add 130g of glutinous rice flour and 120g of rice flour to the pumpkin puree.
Mix until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Knead the mixture into a smooth and pliable dough. If the dough is too dry, add a small amount of water. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.
Divide the dough into 15 equal portions, each weighing approximately 30g.
Prepare the Filling:
Divide the red bean paste into 15 equal portions, each weighing about 10g.
Shape the Mooncakes:
To wrap the filling:
Hold the dough ball in your left hand.
Use your right thumb to press into the center of the ball, creating a small well.
Place the filling into the well.
Gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, pinching the top to seal. Roll it gently into a smooth ball.
Mold the Mooncakes:
Lightly dust the mooncake and mooncake mold with dry flour to prevent sticking.
Place each filled dough ball into the mold, pressing firmly to shape and imprint the design.
Carefully remove the mooncakes from the mold and set them aside.
Steam the Mooncakes:
Arrange the mooncakes in a steamer lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Add water to the pot, start steaming, and steam for 15 minutes.
Once done, let the mooncakes cool slightly before serving.
Video

Nutrition
Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 2838IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg