Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (2024)

by Daphne Goh

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In China, they make Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) as plain steamed buns with no fillings. Traditionally, they consume mantou in Northern China as a staple food. In contrast to rice as a staple food in Southern China. They normally eat these buns plain or commonly serve it as a side dish. Whereas they stuff bao or baozi with sweet or savoury fillings and make them rounded in shape.

Popularity of Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou)

Besides, Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) and baozi are so universally popular worldwide that you can find them everywhere. From dim sums in a Chinese yum cha restaurants, to frozen ready-made packaged food in Asian supermarket. As well as all kinds of food stores and even as a street/hawker food. They usually eat these Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) during breakfast, as a snack or meal on its own. Alternatively, they also eat them as an accompaniment for a dish. Like braised meat, meat stews or meat casseroles. As well as saucy dishes like Kung Pao Chicken or Singapore Chilli Prawns or Crabs.

Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (1)

Gluten Free Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou)

For my gluten free Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) recipe, I made them with gluten free self-raising flour. Plus dry instant yeast, rice milk, agave syrup, salt and vanilla extract. This Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) is recipe is not only gluten Free. But also vegan, low carb, dairy free, nut free, egg free, soy free, refined sugar free and allergy friendly.

Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (2)

History of Mantou

The origin of mantou dated all the way back to many thousands of years ago. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771B.C.), whereby the people were consuming steamed fermented flour dough called “Yi” food. During the Han Dynasty, use of stone mills became popular for milling wheat flour for mantou and wheat noodles. Which became a popular food staple for the people of Northern China.

According to a famous Chinese folktale, a renowned Chinese military strategist invented mantou stuffed with meat fillings. His name was Zhuge Liang during the era of the Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE). At this time, they use stuffed these buns to replace human barbarian’s heads as a sacrifice to the river god. In order for the army to cross the raging Lu River. By the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127 AD), bao or baozi became the terms used for buns with filling. Although mantou still remains as the name used for steamed buns with no fillings.

Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (3)
Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (4)

Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (5)

Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou)

Plain steamed buns with no fillings and traditionally consumed in Northern China as a staple food. They are normally eaten plain and also commonly served as a side dish.

5 from 14 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Salt, Vegan

Keyword: Adzuki Bean, Allergy Friendly, Chinese Steamed Buns, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Bao Buns, Gluten Free Buns, Gluten Free Chinese Bao, Gluten Free Steamed Chinese Bao Buns, Low Carb, Mantou, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan

Prep Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 11 buns

Calories: 129.73kcal

Author: Daphne Goh

Ingredients

  • Some gluten free flour for dusting work surface

For the dough:

    Dry Ingredients:

    Wet Ingredients:

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, combine and whisk all the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.

    • Warm the rice milk in a small pot for around 1 minutes until lukewarm, between 40.5 and 43.3C (105 to 110 F) then turn off the heat. Add in the extra virgin olive oil, agave sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.

    • Pour the warm rice milk mixture in step 2 into the well in the large bowl, stir and combine well with the flour using a spatula.

    • Then use your hands to knead the dough until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough. Add 2 tablespoons rice milk if required.

    • Divide the dough into 2 portions. Seal in ziplock bags and let the dough rest on the benchtop for 1 hour.

    • Dust the work surface with some gluten free flour. Remove one portion of dough from the ziplock bag. Roll the dough into long log of 1½ inch thickness. You can also cut into any desired size.

    • Cut each log with a knife into 1½ inch pieces around 50g (1.8oz) each.

    • Line 2 large bamboo steamers with baking paper/parchment paper. Place each bun dough 1 inch apart onto the lined bamboo steamers.

    • Heat up a wok with a steaming rack with some water and place the covered bamboo steamers on top of the steaming rack. Bring to a rolling boil and continue steaming the buns for 20 minutes on high heat. Ensure that there is sufficient water in the wok for the whole steaming process.

    • Best served hot immediately after steaming.

    • Reheat by steaming the buns on high heat until soft.

    Notes

    Allergen: Yeast.

    Nutrition Facts

    Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou)

    Serving Size

    1 bun

    Amount per Serving

    Calories

    129.73

    % Daily Value*

    Fat

    2.62

    g

    4

    %

    Polyunsaturated Fat

    0.3

    g

    Monounsaturated Fat

    1.24

    g

    Sodium

    33.89

    mg

    1

    %

    Potassium

    32.35

    mg

    1

    %

    Carbohydrates

    24.7

    g

    8

    %

    Fiber

    3.76

    g

    16

    %

    Sugar

    2.95

    g

    3

    %

    Protein

    4.26

    g

    9

    %

    Vitamin C

    0.34

    mg

    %

    Calcium

    21.18

    mg

    2

    %

    Iron

    1.1

    mg

    6

    %

    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @healthygfasian or tag #healthygfasian!

    Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (12)
    Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (13)
    Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou) | Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian (2024)

    FAQs

    Are steamed bao buns healthy? ›

    A standard steamed bao typically contains about 200-250 calories, positioning it as a moderate-calorie food option. Additionally, bao serves as a source of protein and dietary fiber, particularly when made with whole grain flours or filled with vegetables or lean meats.

    What is the difference between mantou and bao buns? ›

    Steamed buns (baozi) are small (fist-sized or smaller), of a bread-like (yeast), that are stuffed, usually meat/veggie mixture. Mantou is steamed bread. Normally, not stuffed. Pan fried dumplings are raw dumplings that are panfried/slightly steamed.

    What are Asian steamed buns called? ›

    Bao Buns (pronounced “bow”), but also known as a 'steamed buns' or 'baozi' 包子, are a delicious, warm, fluffy treat of stuffing wrapped inside a sweet, white dough.

    What does mantou mean in Chinese? ›

    Mantou (traditional Chinese: 饅頭; simplified Chinese: 馒头), often referred to as Chinese steamed bun, is a white and soft type of steamed bread or bun popular in northern China. Folk etymology connects the name mantou to a tale about Zhuge Liang.

    Are steamed buns healthier than baked buns? ›

    Asian-style steamed bread has a lower glycemic index (GI) than western-style baked bread, A*STAR researchers have found1. This preparation method could be more widely adopted as a useful weapon in the battle against diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes, they suggest.

    How much sugar is in bao buns? ›

    Bao Bun Nutritional Facts and Calories
    Amount Per Serving% DV
    Trans fats0g0%
    Carbs23g8%
    Sugars1g2%
    Fiber1g4%
    7 more rows

    Is mantou good for you? ›

    Some Chinese nutrition professionals are promoting mantou as a health snack food, because it is low in salt, sugar and fat. They definitely have a point, as long as you eat them fresh.

    Are bao buns Chinese or Japanese? ›

    Bao or Baozi are said to have been invented in China during the 3rd century by a military strategist called Zhuge Liang [181-234]. They were first named Mantou but over time they began to be referred to as baozi or bao meaning to wrap in Mandarin.

    Are bao buns Chinese or Vietnamese? ›

    A gua bao, also known as a pork belly bun, bao, or bao bun, is a type of lotus leaf bun originating from Fujianese cuisine in China. It is also a popular snack in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Nagasaki Chinatown in Japan.

    What is the Korean word for steamed buns? ›

    Jjinppang (찐빵; lit. "steamed bread") is a steamed bun, typically filled with red bean paste with bits of broken beans and bean husk. Traditional jjinppang is made of sourdough fermented using the yeast in makgeolli (rice wine), but younger varieties such as hoppang are often made without fermentation.

    What is a Chinese milk bun called? ›

    Mantou are plain Chinese steamed buns, made from a yeasted dough of white wheat flour, milk, and sugar. They have smooth, snowy white surfaces and soft and fluffy insides, with just a hint of sweetness.

    How do you eat Chinese mantou? ›

    I personally like to break them into smaller pieces and dip them into the condensed milk, but they can also be dunk as wholes. You can also serve them with things like jams, nutella, or even peanut butter! The mantous are honestly super plain and will take on the flavor of anything you serve it with.

    What does bao bao mean in Chinese? ›

    Bao Bao (Chinese: 宝宝; pinyin: Bǎobǎo, meaning "treasure"; colloquially meaning "baby") is a female giant panda cub who was born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. She lived at the Zoo for four years until February 2017.

    What does mantou taste like? ›

    The southern mantou is a traditional product (snack or dessert) that supplements rice, the main staple crop grown in southern China. The southern mantou often has a sweet taste, 5 to 20% sugar to the weight of flour, sometimes with a trace of salt and shortening, and is usually softer than its northern counterpart.

    How many calories are in 1 bao bun? ›

    Kunf Food Bao Buns (1 serving) contains 32g total carbs, 32g net carbs, 1.1g fat, 4.7g protein, and 159 calories.

    Are bao buns high in calories? ›

    2 serving of bao buns (Thermomix recipe) contains 221 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 70% carbs, 20% fat, and 10% protein.

    Is baos healthy? ›

    It is difficult to answer this question with a simple yes or no since it depends on the filling or the type of bao. It is considered a healthy meal if it contains all the essential nutrients you need, is eaten in moderation, and is sufficient to meet your dietary needs per meal.

    How many calories in a steamed bao? ›

    Mama Wu
    Nutrition Facts
    For a Serving Size of 1 bao (85g)
    How many calories are in Steamed Bao? Amount of calories in Steamed Bao: Calories 170Calories from Fat 45 (26.5%)
    % Daily Value *
    How much fat is in Steamed Bao? Amount of fat in Steamed Bao: Total Fat 5g-
    16 more rows

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