Grandma’s Chinese Black Sesame Balls

Why you'll love this recipe

• These "lava" centered dumplings are a delightful surprise, with a warm, nutty filling that flows out when bitten.
• The dough is made with just two ingredients—water and glutinous rice flour—making it naturally gluten-free and very chewy.
• It’s a celebratory dish traditionally eaten during festivals to symbolize family unity and togetherness.

Key Ingredients

• Glutinous Rice Flour: Unlike regular flour, this creates a bouncy, "mochi-like" texture that is soft and elastic.
• Roasted Peanuts: Adding crushed peanuts to the sesame filling provides a crunch and a secondary layer of nuttiness.
• Lard or Butter: This is the secret to the "molten" center; it melts during boiling to create the liquid filling.

✅Quick Tips: Freeze the rolled filling balls for at least 30 minutes before wrapping; this makes them much easier to handle without a mess.

Key Steps

• #1: Mix the hot sesame filling and chill it until firm so you can roll it into uniform, mess-free balls.

• #2: Fridge and solidify the black sesame filling, and then shape them into ball, freeze them for the 2nd time while you make the dough.

#3: Here is how to shape it into black sesame glutinous balls