
Steamed Taro Bun
I love taro, or yam outside of the United States. Taro is a root vegetable and it’s my favorite.
Taro root has a mild, nutty taste. It has a slippery and starchy texture. It’s commonly used in many Asian cuisines, served sweet or savory.
In this taro bun recipe, I used taro and sugar to make the taro paste for steamed buns.
These sweet taro buns are exactly like the ones served in Din Tai Fung, except that they are 100% homemade.

Recipe Ingredients
Sweet taro bun calls for a few ingredients:
- All purpose flour
- Yeast
- Milk
- Taro
- Sugar
Taro Bun Recipe
How to make taro buns?
This recipe is so easy and fail proof. First, I make the sweet taro paste. I steam the taro and add sugar to sweeten it.
Next, I make the dough for steamed buns.
The finally step is to fill the taro paste inside the dough and steam the buns in a steamer. It’s that easy!

Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Freeze Taro Buns?
Yes, you sure can. After assembling the buns, you may freeze them in the freezer.
Just place the buns inside a plastic bag and seal tight. You may freeze for a few weeks.
To serve, just steam the buns in a steamer until soft and fluffy.
What Is a Substitute for Taro?
You can find taro in Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find taro, you can certainly use yellow or orange sweet potato as a substitute.

How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is 213 calories per bun.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
Serve these buns with other Chinese recipes. For a restaurant-style Chinese meal like Din Tai Fung, I recommend the following recipes.
5 Secrets to 20 Min Dinners
Get tricks for quick & easy meals!
Taro Bun

Easy homemade steamed sweet taro bun with taro paste. This taro bun recipe is authentic, fail-proof, and tastes just like Din Tai Fung.
Ingredients
Taro Paste:
- 450 g (1 lb.) peeled raw taro root
- Scant 1/2 cup fine sugar, or to taste
Dough:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fine sugar
- 350 g (12.3 oz. or about 2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Cut the taro into pieces.
- Prepare the Taro Paste by steaming the taro pieces in a steamer on high heat, for 10-15 minutes, or until the taro pieces are completely cooked through. They should be easily broken apart when they are cooked.
- Add the sugar to the steamed taro. Using a masher, mash the taro into a paste. Divide the taro paste into 12 taro balls. Cover them up and set aside.
- Prepare the the Dough. Add the milk, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer attached with a dough hook. Stir the mixture with a pair of chopsticks or a spoon.
- Add the flour to the yeast mixture. Turn on speed 1 and knead the ingredients until it forms a smooth dough, about 6 minutes. If the dough starts to "climb up" the dough hook, stop the stand mixer and push the dough down to the bowl.
- Transfer the dough out and cover it with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.
- On a slightly floured surface, roll the dough with your hands until the surface looks smooth. Divide the dough into 12 dough balls.
- Roll out each dough ball on a slightly floured surface. Place a taro ball in the center of the dough.
.
- Wrap it up, pinch to seal tight. Place the taro bun on a piece of pre-cut rectangle parchment paper. Repeat the same for the remaining ingredients.
- Place the taro buns inside a steamer. Cover the lid of the steamer and let rise for 60 minutes, or until the dough balls expand in size. Make sure you leave enough space between each taro bun so they don't stick together.
- Add water to the bottom of the steamer. Cover the lid tightly. Turn on high heat and steam for 10-12 minutes, or until the taro buns become soft, puffy, and fluffy. Turn off the heat and serve the steamed taro buns warm.
Notes
To get the detailed step-by-step of preparing the dough, please refer to steamed buns recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
12 bunsAmount Per Serving Calories 213Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 2mgSodium 17mgCarbohydrates 47gFiber 3gSugar 11gProtein 4g
sofiah
Hi, does each bun have 213 calories or all 12 of them combined?
Rasa Malaysia
Each.
Su
Hi, this looks delicious. I have a question about the buns. Can I replace the milk with water or dairy free milk? Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can.
Karen
Looks deli! Can we eliminate the sugar from recipe? Will it stiffen the bun?
Rasa Malaysia
You can try, but I am not sure how it affects the fluffiness of the buns.
Jen
I would use Lactose intolerant milk they carry it in the milk isle with the regular milk. It tastes no different but the enzymes that case the lactose intolerance has been taken out of the milk. Like organic valley Lactose free if your in the USA.🥛