Bolen Pisang (Indonesian Banana Pastry with Chocolate & Cheese)
This post may contain affiliate links.Bolen pisang is a popular Indonesian banana pastry made with a buttery, flaky pastry dough wrapped around sweet caramelized bananas, chocolate, and cheese. This bolen pisang recipe shows you how to make the pastry from scratch for a more authentic bakery-style result at home.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
🏷️ Recipe Name: Bolen Pisang (Indonesian Banana Pastry with Chocolate & Cheese)
⏱️ Ready In: ~ 1 hour
🍽️ Serves: 24 pieces
🔥 Calories: 140 kcal (per piece)
🧾 Main Ingredients: Bread flour, unsalted butter, water, sugar, salt, ripe bananas, chocolate, cheese.
🥗 Dietary Info: Halal
🧠 Difficulty: Easy, very simple steps.
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What is Bolen Pisang?
Bolen pisang is a traditional Indonesian banana pastry from Bandung, West Java, made with a buttery, flaky pastry dough filled with sweet bananas, chocolate, and cheese. It’s one of the most popular bakery treats in Indonesia, known for its crisp layers and rich, slightly sweet flavor.
No trip to Bandung, the vibrant capital of West Java, is complete without tasting bolen pisang, the city’s legendary banana pastry. It’s often sold in neatly packed boxes at local bakeries, making it a favorite souvenir.
Imagine buttery, flaky pastry hugging caramelized bananas, oozing with melted cheese or rich chocolate filling. The perfect balance of sweet and savory, soft and crisp—one bite and you’ll want more.
A Taste of History
Bolen pisang traces its roots back to the Dutch colonial era, originally known as bananenbollen, evolving into the Indonesian banana pastry we know today.
Small, rectangular, and topped with chocolate or cheese, bolen pisang is known for its crisp, flaky layers and rich filling, one piece is rarely enough.
Bolen pisang is just one of many Indonesian desserts influenced by Dutch colonial baking traditions. If you enjoy buttery, bakery-style treats, explore more Asian dessert recipes or try Lapis Legit, a rich layered cake; Ontbijtkoek, a warmly spiced cake perfect with coffee; or Dutch Butter Cake (Boterkoek), known for its dense, tender crumb. For something lighter and crisp, Cat Tongue Cookies (Lidah Kucing) are thin, delicate, and wonderfully addictive.
Why You Will Love About This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Flour – Use high-protein flour to help create the flaky layers in this bolen pisang pastry. A good-quality flour will give better structure and texture.
Butter or Margarine – You can use all butter or a mix of butter and margarine. Combining both adds extra crispness and helps create those signature flaky layers.
Filling – Slice the bananas and lightly cook them with a bit of butter or margarine to enhance the flavor. You can also use fresh banana slices if you prefer a lighter texture.
Chocolate or Cheese – Both are classic fillings for bolen pisang. Use chocolate for a richer sweetness, cheese for a savory contrast—or combine both for the best of both worlds.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Bolen Pisang
This bolen pisang recipe uses a traditional two-dough method to create its signature flaky pastry layers.
STEP 1. Prepare the water dough. Sift bread flour into a bowl and add powdered sugar, salt, butter, and water (Image 1). Mix, then knead until a soft dough forms (Image 2). Cover and rest for 15 minutes (Image 3).
STEP 2. Prepare the oil dough. Mix flour and butter until a smooth dough forms (Images 4, 5). Cover and rest for 15 minutes (Image 6). Divide both doughs into 24 equal portions (Images 7, 8).
STEP 3. Wrap the dough. Flatten one piece of water dough and place a piece of oil dough in the center. Wrap and seal completely, then round it (Images 9, 10). Rest for 10 minutes, then flatten again (Images 11, 12).
STEP 4. Create flaky layers. Roll the dough lengthwise into an oval (Image 13). Fold one side toward the center, then fold the other side over it (Images 14, 15).
Turn the dough, then roll it out again into a long rectangle (Image 16). Fold both sides toward the center once more to create layers (Image 17).
STEP 5. Add the filling. Add the filling and shape. Roll the dough into a rectangle again. Place a piece of banana, chocolate, and cheese in the center (Image 18).
Fold the left and right sides inward to cover the filling (Image 19). Lightly flatten the top and bottom edges, then fold them toward the center to seal, forming a neat square (Image 20, 21).
STEP 6. Shape and bake. Arrange the pastries on a lined baking tray (Image 22). Brush with egg wash and top with chocolate sprinkles and grated cheese (Images 23).
Bake at 320°F / 200°C until golden brown (Image 24). Serve warm.
Pro Tips
- Understand the dough – Water dough is elastic, while oil dough is softer and crumbly. This contrast creates the flaky layers.
- Don’t press too hard – When rolling and folding, use gentle pressure. Pressing too hard can break the dough layers and reduce flakiness.
- Keep the dough rested – Resting helps relax the gluten, making the dough easier to roll and preventing shrinkage.
- Enhance the banana flavor – Lightly sauté the banana in butter before filling for a deeper, caramelized taste.
Bolen Pisang FAQs
Bolen pisang is an Indonesian banana pastry made with a flaky, layered dough filled with ripe bananas, chocolate, and cheese. It has a rich, buttery flavor with a balance of sweet and savory, and a crisp yet tender texture.
Yes, you can use store-bought puff pastry as a shortcut. However, traditional bolen pisang uses a homemade dough, which creates a richer flavor and more distinct flaky layers.
Use ripe but firm bananas for the best texture and sweetness. Overripe bananas can become too soft and release excess moisture during baking.
This usually happens if the dough is pressed too hard or not folded properly. Gentle rolling and proper resting time are key to creating flaky layers.
Yes, you can prepare the filled pastries and store them in the refrigerator before baking. Bake fresh for the best texture and flavor.
Store leftover bolen pisang in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven to restore crispness.
Yes, you can freeze unbaked bolen pisang. Freeze them on a tray first, then transfer to a container. Bake directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Storage
Store leftover bolen pisang in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. For the best texture, enjoy within 1–2 days while the pastry is still crisp.
To reheat, warm in an oven or air fryer until heated through to restore the flaky layers. Avoid microwaving, as it can make the pastry soft.
More Indonesian Snacks You’ll Love
If you enjoy bolen pisang, here are more traditional Indonesian snacks and desserts to try:
- Pisang Goreng – crispy fried banana snack
- Pandan Serabi – soft coconut pancakes
- Kue Kosui (Kue Lumpang) – steamed pandan rice cakes
- Ketan Serundeng – savory coconut sticky rice
- Ongol-ongol – chewy palm sugar tapioca bites
- Candil Biji Salak Ubi – sweet potato dumplings in syrup
- Kue Awug – steamed coconut rice cake
- Roti Sisir – soft pull-apart milk bread
More Asian Pastry Recipes You’ll Love
Looking for more buttery, flaky Asian pastries? Try these popular recipes:
Bolen Pisang
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Water Dough
- 300 gr bread flour
- 110 gr unsalted butter
- 110 gr water
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 gr salt
Oil Dough
- 160 gr bread flour
- 120 gr butter
Filling
- Ripe bananas
- Chocolate paste
- Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- First, let's mix the water dough. Sieve high protein flour / bread flour into a mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar. Then put in a pinch of salt, unsalted butter, and water. Mix well using a spatula and continue kneading with clean hands. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, let it rest for 15 minutes. In another bowl, let's mix the oil dough. Sieve the flour into the bowl, add in butter.
- Knead using your clean hands thoroughly. Wrap with a cling wrap. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Divide each dough into 20 pieces each.
- Take one piece of water dough, flatten it, put one of the oil dough in the center. Wrap it thoroughly and round it. Cover with clean cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes. Flatten the wrapped dough.
- Use a rolling pin to press downward lengthwise. Fold it upward. Fold one more time to left or right side. Roll again to flatten it and roll it into a rectangle shape.
- Put in a piece of banana in the center, a dollop of chocolate jam and a piece of cheddar cheese, fold the sides of the skin towards the center. Roll flat the bottom and top parts and fold in towards the center like an envelope.
- Finish the rest of the dough, it should be shaped square. Line up the folded pastry on a baking pan. Brush the top with egg wash. Decorate with chocolate rice and grated cheddar cheese. Bake them in a preheated oven of 320°F / 200°C for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Water dough is different from oil dough. Water dough’s texture is more elastic, while oil dough is more crumbly.
- Be careful when folding and rolling the dough, do not press too hard. Otherwise, the water dough can rupture and the oil dough can go through it. This will result in less flaky texture.
- You may stir fry the banana with butter on a pan first before putting it in the dough. This will make it even more caramelized.
I love the crispy layers of the skin and when bitten, the caramelized banana blends with the chocolate filling and cheese inside. The taste is also very authentic.