Best Pillowy Steamed Chocolate Buns

These pillowy soft chocolate milk buns are truly irresistible, I had to stop myself! Imagine biting into a warm fluffy bao bun oozing with melted chocolate ganache. It’d be hard to resist, refuse, right? 

Pillowy steamed chocolate buns, also known as chocolate bao buns, take traditional Chinese steamed buns to the next level. These soft and fluffy buns are made with a slightly sweet milky bao bun dough that’s oozing with a decadent chocolate filling. 

If you love this steamed chocolate buns recipe, make sure to try our Delicious Chocolate Cornet recipe, these gooey Chocolatey Mochi Brownies, and our Sicilian Chocolate & Ricotta Cassatelle recipe. We’ve got more chocolatey decadence for you to explore on our website. 

Why You’ll Love This Steamed Chocolate Buns Recipe

If you’re a chocolate lover, these chocolate bao buns will steal your heart. The combination of the soft and fluffy bao bun with the rich chocolate filling is hard to resist.

The easy-to-follow steps and special ingredients in this recipe are guaranteed to result in smooth, fluffy, pillowy clouds of chocolatey joy. Save this bao bun dough recipe for experimenting with any fillings or making plain bao buns to accompany your meal!

Baozi (bao buns) are freezer-friendly! You can make a big batch and store leftovers in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. To re-heat them, simply steam them directly for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat.

Bonus alert! It’s super easy to make this chocolate bao bun recipe vegan! Simply use vegan milk and coconut cream instead of full milk and heavy cream. You’ll be impressed!

What Do I Need For Making Pillowy Soft Chocolate Steamed Buns

First of all, it’s best (but not obligatory) to have these pieces of equipment:

Stand mixer with a dough hook attachment: you can also need the dough by hand, but it’ll take more than twice the time. It’s a great workout though!

Mixing bowls: you’ll need to have all ingredients measured and ready to go.

Kitchen scale: I highly recommend measuring your ingredients with a digital kitchen scale for the best results. This bao bun milk dough requires precise science!

Thermometer: for measuring the temperature of the milk so that you can activate the yeast.

Parchment paper or muffin wrappers: you can cut the parchment paper into squares or use large muffin wrappers. This step is important for placing the individual buns before steaming so that they don’t stick.

Bamboo or stainless-steel steamer: a steamer is optimal, but you can still make these chocolate bao buns without a steamer. I’ll show you how below!

As for the chocolate-filled bao buns ingredients, you’ll need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup wheat starch (or cornstarch)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ tsp. instant activated yeast
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 5 fl. oz whole milk (or creamy vegan milk)
• 1 fl. oz vegetable oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ¼ cup semi-sweet melting chocolate chips (high quality is crucial)
• ¾ cups heavy cream (or coconut cream for a vegan version)

How To Make Steamed Chocolate Bao Buns At Home

Step 1: Prepare the chocolate ganache

Place the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a pot until hot, but don’t let it boil. 

Step 2: Combine heavy cream with chocolate, let sit, and stir to smoothness

Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, use a rubber spatula to stir until silky smooth and gorgeous. 

Step 3: Chill ganache to set

Chill the chocolate ganache uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill for at least 1 hour longer.

Step 4: Make the bao dough and proof it

Warm the milk to 110°F and add the active dry yeast. Cover and let it sit for 10 minutes. There should be a bubbly layer of foam.

Into the bowl of your stand mixer, sift the flour, wheat starch, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low to combine.

Step 5: Incorporate vegetable oil into milk and yeast mixture

Add the vegetable oil to the milk and yeast mixture. Then, turn the stand mixer speed up to 2 and gradually pour it in. Turn the speed up to 5 and observe how the dough turns into a ball and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Now let it knead on medium (about level 5 speed) for 5 more minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 6: Form dough into a smooth ball by hand

Once you’ve got a smooth lump-free ball of dough, remove it from the mixer and form it into a uniform ball with your hands. 

Place the smooth ball into an oiled bowl and cover the dough with a damp cloth. Let it rest in a warm place (110°F is optimal) for 1-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

Step 7: Shape the chocolate bao buns

Once the dough has risen, punch it down, and knead it for about a minute on a lightly floured surface to remove any air bubbles. Then divide it into 16 equal pieces. 

Roll a piece into a ball and then flatten it with the edge of a rolling pin to form a disk that’s thicker in the center. Place a tablespoon of chocolate filling in the center (I like to use an ice cream scooper for ease).

Gather the edges of the disk and pinch them together to seal the filling inside. Roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth ball. 

Step 8: Keep shaped dough balls moist with a damp towel

Cover the dough balls with a damp towel as you shape them to keep them from drying out.

Step 9: Proof again and steam the buns

Place the balls on a piece of parchment paper with the uneven side down, cover them with a damp towel, and let them rest for an additional 15 minutes.

Heat a steamer over medium-high heat and place the buns in the steamer, leaving some space between them.

Cover the steamer with a lid and steam the buns for 10-12 minutes, until they are puffed up and cooked through. Turn off the heat and wait for 10 minutes before opening the lid. This will prevent the bao buns from sinking or shriveling.

Step 10: Enjoy your Best Pillowy Steamed Chocolate Buns!

Remove the buns from the steamer and enjoy your beautiful creation!

Notes & Tips

• Make sure the milk is lukewarm (110°F ideally) and not too hot, as this can kill the yeast.
• Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, but be careful not to over-knead it, as this can make the buns tough.
• If your dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it becomes smooth and elastic.
• If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until you get the right consistency.
• Make sure to leave enough space between the buns in the steamer to allow them to expand while cooking.
• Wrap the lid of your steamer with a clean kitchen towel to prevent water droplets from falling on the bao buns as they steam.
• For extra white bao buns, add two tablespoons of vinegar to the steaming water. It won’t affect the flavor, but will give that Instagramable white color.
• You can serve the buns warm or at room temperature. But warm with that melted chocolate ganache oozing out of them is best.
• These buns are best eaten fresh but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• To warm the steamed chocolate buns, steam on low for 10 minutes or cover them with a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave.

Variations & Serving Suggestions

Instead of chocolate filling, you can try using Nutella or another chocolate spread. Add some chopped nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts, to the chocolate ganache for a praline filling.

Add some chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to the dough for extra chocolatey goodness. Or sub some of the flour for cocoa powder to make double chocolate steamed buns. 

Pillowy steamed chocolate buns are typically served as a dessert or a sweet snack. They can be enjoyed on their own or with a cup of tea or coffee. They also make a great addition to a brunch or dessert platter.

But if you wish to take it up a notch, serve them with a dollop of whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar. Or even with a cup of hot cocoa made with our Easy Hot Cocoa Bombs recipe. Chocolate paradise, here I come!

Why Are My Steamed Buns Not Fluffy?

There are several reasons your bao buns may not have turned out as pillowy soft and fluffy as you hoped. Let’s go through some of the most common issues:

Under-proofed dough. It’s important to proof the dough twice to get the fluffiest bao buns. After the first proofing, you can check whether the dough’s ready by pushing it with your finger. If it springs back slowly, it’s perfect!

Over-proofed dough. Over-proofing the dough weakens the gluten structure in the dough and will result in crumby buns instead of chewy soft ones. You can tell the dough is over-proofed if it doesn’t spring back at all.

Steaming too hot. If your bao buns become wrinkly after steaming, it’s possible that either the temperature was too high or you steamed them for too long. Steam them on medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes.

Air bubbles in the dough. When shaping the dough after the first proofing, first, make sure there aren’t any air bubbles. These buggers can cause holes in the buns.

You were too fast to uncover the lid. I know it’s tempting to grab a freshly steamed chocolate bao bun right away but hold your horses. Wait 5-10 minutes with the temperature turned off or else the buns can collapse from the temperature change shock.

What Can I Use Instead Of a Steamer For Bao Buns?

Good news, if you don’t have a steamer, you can still make pillowy steamed chocolate buns! You simply need a large pot with a lid, a medium-small heat-proof bowl, and a large heat-proof plate. 

Place the bowl in the pot and fill the pot with hot water up until the bowl’s edge. Fill the bowl with hot water and place the plate on top. 

Arrange your proofed and shaped chocolate bao buns on the plate (with enough space in between them). Cover the pot with the lid and steam them as you would according to the recipe instructions. Voila!

Can I Use Any Type Of Chocolate For Making Steamed Chocolate Buns?

Technically, you can use any chocolate you want, but you’ll get the best result from baking chocolate. Look for baking chocolate in the baking isle at your grocery store, don’t just grab any bar in the candy section.

I use semi-sweet baking chocolate in this recipe, but you can substitute with bitter sweet, milk, or white chocolate. 

Keep in mind that you’ll need to adjust the amount of cream, since white chocolate melts a lot easier than bitter-sweet chocolate.

For dark chocolate (bitter-sweet), use 1 cup of heavy cream, for milk chocolate, use ½ cup, and for white chocolate, 1/3 cup is enough. 

---

Recent Recipes