Easy Recipe for Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake
This post may contain affiliate links.Here’s an easy recipe for Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake! These soft, chewy, and Instagrammable treats are bursting with berry flavor and charm, perfect for any occassion. Easy to make, impossible to resist—let’s roll!
Snow skin mooncake is one of the most refreshing treats of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Unlike traditional baked mooncakes, these chilled desserts have a soft, mochi-like texture and endless flavor possibilities. This Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake is light, fruity, and fun to make, perfect for anyone who loves modern twists on classic Asian sweets.
Mooncake season brings all kinds of festive treats, from classic baked mooncakes to delicate salted egg yolk pastries and colorful snow skin creations. These traditional sweets are part of a long history of Asian dessert recipes enjoyed during celebrations and family gatherings across the region.
Traditionally, mooncakes are rich, golden pastries filled with lotus seed or red bean paste, made with golden syrup and often gifted and shared during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Today, modern fillings like custard, fruit-based fillings, and even ube (purple yam) have become popular alternatives alongside the classics.
But if you’re craving something lighter and chill (literally), snow skin mooncakes are the way to go. These no-bake delights have a soft, mochi-like texture and endless flavor possibilities, like this fruity Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake that’s as fun to make as it is to eat.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Glutinous rice flour, rice flour & cornstarch – This flour trio creates the soft, chewy snow skin texture. Toast them for 5 minutes to remove the raw taste.
Powdered sugar – Dissolves easily and makes the dough smooth.
Milk – Fresh or UHT milk both work.
Oil – Use neutral oil; refined coconut oil is ideal.
Caster sugar – Melts quickly for a smooth custard.
Unsalted butter – Gives the custard a creamy texture and clean flavor.
Fresh strawberries – Use small strawberries, or cut larger ones into smaller pieces so they fit neatly in the mold.
Substitutions & Variations
You can switch things up by substituting the strawberry paste with pandan extract for a fragrant Pandan Snow Skin Mooncake, or use matcha powder for a lightly bitter, earthy Green Tea version. Try it with ube paste for a sweet and colorful twist.
Red bean or white lotus paste – These are classic fillings for traditional mooncakes. You can find ready-made versions at most Asian grocery stores, or make your own if you’re feeling extra crafty. They’re perfect if you want to give your snow skin mooncakes a more traditional twist.
How to Make Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake
STEP 1. Let’s first make the custard filling. In a mixing bowl, combine milk powder, cake flour, and cornstarch (Image 1). Add in the eggs (Image 2) and whisk until smooth (Image 3). Strain the mixture to remove any lumps and ensure a silky texture (Image 4).
STEP 2. Pour the custard mixture into a non-stick pan (Image 5) and cook over low to medium heat. Stir constantly with a spatula until it thickens. Add the butter (Image 6) and stir until fully incorporated (Image 7). Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling wrap (Image 8), and chill in the fridge until firm.
STEP 3. In a dry pan, roast the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and cornstarch for 3–5 minutes (Image 9), stirring continuously to prevent burning. Transfer to a bowl and pour in the milk (Image 10) and condensed milk (Image 11). Mix well, then strain to ensure a smooth batter (Image 12).
STEP 4. Lightly brush the inside of a bowl with oil (Image 13), then pour in the batter (Image 14). Steam for 20 minutes (Image 15). Once done, use a spatula to cut the dough into smaller chunks while it’s still warm (Image 16).
STEP 5. Add a little oil to the dough (Image 17). Once cool enough to handle, knead until smooth and elastic (Image 18). Separate a portion of the dough and mix it with strawberry paste for the pink color (Image 19). Knead both white and pink doughs until smooth and shape them into balls (Image 20).
STEP 6. Lightly dust your work surface with roasted glutinous rice flour (Image 21). Divide both the white and pink doughs into 15–17 small portions. Combine a bit of each color and shape into balls weighing 20–22g each (Images 22, 23). Divide the chilled custard into 15–17 balls (Image 24), about 20–28g each. If using a small strawberry inside, reduce the custard amount. The total weight of the skin, custard, and strawberry should be around 50–52g.
STEP 7. Wrap a strawberry inside a ball of custard and roll it into a smooth sphere (Image 25). Flatten the dough skin with a rolling pin, place the custard ball in the center (Images 27, 28), and get ready to wrap.
STEP 8. Gently stretch the dough to fully cover the custard filling (Image 29). Lightly dust both the mooncake mold and the dough with flour (Images 30, 31). Place the filled dough into the mold and press it down firmly on a flat surface (Image 32).
Dust off any excess flour and brush the mooncake with a thin layer of oil for that soft, glossy look. And there you have it—your beautiful, delicious Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake!
Pro Tips
- Toast the flours – Roast the flours to remove raw taste. Don’t forget extra glutinous rice flour for dusting.
- Cool the dough – Let it cool slightly before kneading—it’s easier to handle and less sticky.
- Dust lightly – Use just enough roasted flour to prevent sticking. Too much and the pattern gets lost.
- Brush with oil – After molding, brush off excess flour and finish with a bit of oil for a soft, glossy look.
- Custard check – Cook until it’s thick but pliable—too dry cracks, too wet oozes.
How to Serve
These Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncakes are best enjoyed chilled—soft, chewy, and refreshingly light. They make the perfect afternoon treat or elegant dessert for any special occasion.
Pair them with a cozy cup of oolong milk tea, earl grey milk tea, or even rose milk tea for a floral twist. The subtle tea flavors balance the sweetness of the mooncakes beautifully, making every bite (and sip) feel extra special.
FAQs for Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake
Even though the ingredients used to make the skin are almost the same, they are different in texture. Mochi is much softer and chewier than snow skin mooncake.
These mooncakes can only stay fresh for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend you consume within three days.
Since there is a fresh strawberry inside the filling, I would highly recommend keeping the mooncake in the freezer. If you eliminate the strawberry and use only the custard, you can just keep it in the chiller.
You can either use a 50 gr, 75 gr, or 100 gr mooncake mold. Adjust the weight according to the size of the mooncake mold you use.
Storage
Make sure you keep each mooncake wrapped in a plastic bag to keep it from being dry in the chiller. Keeping it in a closed container will make it stay soft.
Other Chinese desserts that you might want to try:
- If you prefer a traditional style mooncake with baked crust, you must try the Traditional Hong Kong Style Mooncake. This type of mooncake requires golden syrup, but don’t worry! There is a homemade golden syrup recipe that you can try.
- Another kind of mooncake with crusty layers are Red Bean Pastry with Egg Yolk. This can be a great introduction for a beginner in the kitchen.
Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncake
Equipment
- 1 mooncake mold 50 gr
Ingredients
Snow Skin
- 50 gr glutinous rice flour
- 50 gr rice flour
- 30 gr corn starch
- 30 gr sugar
- 1 gr salt
- 186 gr milk
- 25 gr condensed milk
- 30 gr oil
Filling
- 30 gr milk powder
- 30 gr cake flour
- 30 gr cornstarch
- 1/2 gr salt
- 120 gr milk
- 3 eggs
- 60 gr sugar
- 50 gr unsalted butter
Instructions
Custard Filling
- Let's first make the custard filling. In a mixing bowl put in milk powder, cake flour, and cornstarch. Put in the eggs. Whisk well. Strain the mixture to get a smooth texture .
- Pour the mixture on a non-stick pan. Turn on the stove for low to medium heat. Stir with a spatula until it thickens. Add in the butter and let the butter mix well . Wrap with cling wrap and chill in the chiller.
Snow Skin
- Roast the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and cornstarch on a pan for 3-5 minutes. Remember to keep stirring the flour. Transfer to a bowl. Pour in the milk and condensed milk. Stir well. Strain to make sure the batter is smooth.
- Brush some oil on the surface of a bowl. Pour the mixture into the bowl. Steam for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, use a spatula to cut the dough into smaller parts.
- Add in some oil into the dough. You can wait until it cools down a little bit. Start kneading until the dough becomes smooth. Divide some of the dough and add strawberry paste. Knead both the white and pink dough and shape them into balls.
- Sprinkle some roasted glutinous rice flour on the working table. Divide the white dough into 15-17 small dough. The same applies to the pink dough. Combine the white and pink dough and round them. The total weight of the white and pink dough should be 20-22 grams. Round the chilled custard, divide the custard into 15-17 small balls . The custard should weigh around 20-28 grams. If you use a small strawberry inside, reduce the amount of the custard. The total weight of the skin, the custard, and the strawberry should be 50-52 grams.
- Wrap the strawberry with the custard and shape it like a ball. Roll flat the skin with a rolling pin and put the custard in the center of the skin.
- Gently pull the skin to wrap the custard filling completely. Brush some flour to the mooncake mold and the rolled dough. Put the dough into the mold and press on the table. There you have your beautiful snow skin mooncake. Brush the excess flour and brush with a little oil to make it look moist. There, you have your beautiful strawberry snow skin mooncake.
Video
Notes
- Roast the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and cornstarch because this is a no bake mooncake. Roast some glutinous rice flour to help you shape the mooncake easily.
- Let the mochi dough cool down after steaming so that you can knead with your hands easily.
- Always dust the round mochi with glutinous rice flour lightly before putting it in the mooncake mold to prevent the dough sticking to the crevices. Do not put too much flour, you want the pattern to be clear of flour.
- Lightly brush the shaped mooncake with some oil after you clean up the excess flour.
- When cooking the custard, make sure it is not too dry and not too wet either, so when it has cooled down, you can easily shape the custard round.
You will fall in love with this lovely dessert! It is very easy to make and perfect for a beginner in the kitchen who wants to start making dessert without baking. The combination of soft custard inside and and the chewy skin is so perfect!