Easy Mooncake Recipe

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This easy mooncake recipe (yue bing) brings a taste of tradition to your Mid-Autumn Festival table. With a thin, golden crust and classic fillings like lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk, these Hong Kong–style mooncakes are both beautiful and delicious.

Mooncake (月饼, yue bing) is a traditional Chinese dessert often enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. This cherished festival honors the harvest, family reunions, and the beauty of the full moon. A classic mooncake recipe typically features a thin golden crust filled with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk—one of the most beloved combinations in Chinese pastry.

Through the years, traditional mooncakes have evolved into many varieties. From timeless Hong Kong mooncakes with their glossy finish to creative modern flavors, bakeries and restaurants now present mooncake recipes in luxurious gift boxes. Buying and sending mooncakes has become a yearly tradition, symbolizing love and unity while adding a touch of elegance to the season.

For me, the Mid-Autumn Festival is more than exchanging treats—it’s a time to gather, reconnect, and enjoy recipes for mooncakes that carry history and meaning. I always look forward to this holiday, not only for the beautiful packages but also for the joy of sharing them with family and friends. Chinese pastries hold a special place in my heart, and if you feel the same, you’ll also love my Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake and Salted Egg Yolk Pastry with Red Bean.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Perfect golden skin that stays soft – With the right flour combination, this traditional mooncake recipe creates a moist, tender crust that doesn’t harden even after a few days. The baked mooncakes also turn a beautiful, even brown color; just like Hong Kong mooncakes from the bakery.
Balanced sweetness – Many store-bought mooncakes can be overly sweet. I’ve adjusted the filling in this recipe so the sweetness is just right, letting the flavor of lotus paste and salted egg yolk shine through.
Cost-effective – Making mooncakes at home is much more affordable than buying them. Most recipes for mooncakes sold in shops are priced higher because of the luxurious packaging, not the ingredients themselves.
No preservatives – Homemade mooncakes are fresher, safer, and free from unnecessary additives. Since you’ll be enjoying them soon after baking, there’s no need for preservatives.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Golden Syrup – Golden syrup is an inverted sugar made from sugar, lemon juice, and baking soda. In traditional mooncakes, it not only adds flavor but also extends shelf life by preventing the flour from going stale. It absorbs oil from the filling, keeping the skin soft and tender. (See my guide on how to make golden syrup at home

Lye Water – Also known as alkaline water, lye water balances the acidity of golden syrup and deepens the color of the mooncake crust. This is what gives Hong Kong mooncakes their signature rich golden-brown skin.

Peanut Butter – A touch of peanut butter adds a nutty, caramel-like note to the pastry, balancing the sweetness of the filling.

Cake Flour – Cake flour provides just the right amount of gluten to create a soft and delicate skin.

Bread Flour – When combined with cake flour, bread flour (high-protein flour) gives the pastry a structure that stays moist and doesn’t harden, even after several days.

Filling – You can purchase ready-made fillings online or from Asian grocery stores before the Mid-Autumn Festival. The most traditional mooncake recipes use lotus paste, while red bean paste and mung bean paste are also very popular.

Salted Egg Yolk – For the classic Hong Kong mooncake style, bake salted egg yolks for 5 minutes before wrapping them inside the filling. This step helps extend shelf life and enhances their flavor. (You can also make salted egg yolks from scratch if you prefer homemade!)

Mooncake Mold – Modern mooncake molds come in various sizes and intricate designs, often resembling a carved coin. They usually include a patterned stamp and a piston press to shape the mooncake. Common mold sizes are 50 g, 75 g, and 100 g, so check with the seller for the total weight before buying.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below

Substitutions & Variations

Flour Choices – If you don’t have both cake flour and bread flour, you can make this mooncake recipe with all-purpose flour. The texture will still be soft, though slightly less delicate than the traditional Hong Kong mooncake crust.

Golden Syrup Substitute – If golden syrup is hard to find, you can use honey or light corn syrup in a pinch. However, the flavor and shelf life may differ, so for the most authentic results, try making your own golden syrup at home.

Filling Variations – Traditional mooncakes usually feature lotus paste with salted egg yolks, but there are endless recipes for mooncakes with different flavors:

Red bean paste (classic and widely available)
Mung bean paste (lighter and less sweet)
Black sesame paste (nutty and fragrant)
Custard filling (popular in modern Hong Kong mooncakes)
Mixed nuts and dried fruit (a traditional style called “five kernels”)

Egg-Free or Vegan – For a vegan variation, skip the salted egg yolk and use red bean, lotus seed, or black sesame filling. You can also brush the skin with a non-dairy milk wash instead of egg wash for a shiny finish.

Creative Modern Flavors – Beyond traditional mooncake recipes, some bakers experiment with matcha, taro, durian, chocolate, or even coffee paste. These give your mooncakes a unique twist while still honoring the festival.

How to Make Mooncake

First, let’s make the skin. Pour golden syrup, lye water, and coconut oil in a bowl. Put one egg yolk into the bowl. (image 1, 2)
Scoop creamy peanut butter into the bowl (image 3). Mix everything in the bowl together.
Sieve the flour into the bowl (image 4). Mix well using a spatula. Knead with your hands until the dough is no longer sticky. Cover with plastic to rest for 1-2 hours.

photo collage of making skin of the mooncakes.

Roast the salted egg yolk in the oven 160°C for 5 minutes (image 5). Before roasting, spray with water to keep it moist.
Roast sunflower seeds if you want to use them in the filling.
Knead the sunflower seeds in the filling (image 6). The size of the filling depends on the size of your mold.
Wrap the salted egg yolk with the filling (image 7). Round it. Set aside.

photo collage of preparing the filling and using the mooncake mold.

After preparing the filling, the skin should be ready to shape.
Weigh the skin around 35% of the mold size. If your mold size is for 100 gr mooncake, the skin should be 35 gr.
Round the dough and press, flatten it with a rolling pin. Put the filling in the center, cover with the skin and seal tightly (image 8).
Make sure the filling is completely covered.
Round it and use the mold to shape the mooncake (image 9, 10). Put the shaped mooncake on a baking tray (image 11).
Bake in the preheated oven 180°C for 8-10 minutes until they look firm enough.
Take out the mooncake from the oven and brush with egg wash (image 12).
Put the mooncake on a cooling rack to cool down completely. Keep in an airtight container for at least one day.
During resting time, the oil from the filling will transfer to the skin, making the mooncake shiny and moist. Enjoy the mooncake starting on the second day!

Pro Tips

Dust the mooncake mold with flour. Shake off the excess flour with a brush, leaving thin layer of flour on the mold. This will make the dough slide easily out of the mold.
Also dust the piston of the mooncake mold with flour and dust off the excess.
Put the rounded dough in the mold. Plunge the mooncake mold downward on the baking tray. Press for a while to let the pattern imprint the dough and the dough will follow the shape of the mold. To get a perfect shape of the dough, you can press gently a few times downward.
Sieve the egg wash mixture using a fine sifter. This way you get a very smooth egg wash.
When brushing the mooncake, brush thinly. The point is not to spoil the pattern. Do not let the egg wash soak the crevices of the pattern. Use a kitchen towel to absorb excess egg wash.

Serving Suggestions

Mooncakes are best enjoyed after they’ve rested for a day or two, allowing the skin to soften and the flavors to meld together. Traditionally, they’re served in small wedges with a cup of hot tea to balance the richness of the filling. Pair this Hong Kong mooncake with:

Chinese teas such as jasmine tea, oolong tea, or pu-erh tea, which cut through the sweetness and complement the nutty lotus paste.
Homemade drinks like Rose Milk Tea, Assam Milk Tea, Lemongrass Pandan Tea for refreshing beverages.
A festive dessert spread featuring other Chinese pastries; try my Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake for a chilled version, or Red Bean Pastry with Egg Yolk for a flaky, savory-sweet treat.

FAQs about Mooncake Recipe

What is the traditional filling for mooncakes?

Traditional mooncakes are usually filled with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk. Other classic fillings include red bean paste, mung bean paste, and five-kernel nut filling. Hong Kong mooncakes are especially known for their glossy crust and lotus paste filling.

Can I make mooncakes without salted egg yolks?

Yes! While salted egg yolks are a signature ingredient in many traditional mooncake recipes, you can leave them out or replace them with other fillings like red bean, black sesame, or custard.

Why do mooncakes need to rest before eating?

Freshly baked mooncakes often have a dry crust. Letting them rest in an airtight container for 1–2 days allows the golden syrup and oil from the filling to soften the skin. This process, called “回油” (hui you), gives mooncakes their shiny, tender texture.

What is the difference between Hong Kong mooncakes and snow skin mooncakes?

Hong Kong mooncakes are baked with a golden, glossy crust, while snow skin mooncakes are made with a soft, chewy wrapper and are eaten chilled. Both are popular Mid-Autumn Festival treats but have very different textures.

Can I make mooncakes vegan?

Absolutely. Use vegan fillings like lotus paste, red bean, or black sesame, skip the salted egg yolks, and replace the egg wash with plant-based milk for shine.

Storage

Resting (回油 hui you): Freshly baked mooncakes are best after resting for 1–2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. This allows the skin to absorb oil from the filling, becoming soft and shiny.

Room Temperature: Traditional mooncakes (without dairy-based fillings) can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7–10 days.

Refrigeration: If your mooncakes contain salted egg yolks, custard, or other perishable fillings, store them in the fridge. They will last for about 5–7 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

Freezing: To keep mooncakes longer, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container. Frozen mooncakes can last up to 1–2 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before enjoying.