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Qing Tuan {青团} is a steamed green sweet rice flour dumpling with red bean paste. They are classic Huai Yang style pastry, which is also one of the must-have items for Qing Ming festival {清明节}. Easy authentic Qing Tuan features a super soft and green sweet rice flour wrapper filled with homemade healthy yummy sweet red bean paste. Enjoy this tasty and healthy Qing Tuan for breakfast or a snack.
Water-Milled and Regular Sweet Rice Flour Blend for Qing Tuan
I use a blend of water milled and regular sweet rice flour mixture for an extremely soft and satisfactory glutinous sweet rice flour wrapper. Red Bean Mochi Soup, Pork Sweet Rice Flour Dumplings, or Red Bean Sweet Rice Flour Dumplings all use water-milled sweet rice flour {Shui Mo Fen 水磨粉} for the extra smoothness. The popular Brown Sugar Rice Cake uses regular sweet rice flour {Nuo Mi Fen 糯米粉}

Where does Qing Tuan’s green color come from?
Traditionally the green color comes from wormwood or certain type of shrubs’ leaves. People also use green leafy vegetables such as spinach or dandelion to extract the green juice.
I, however, found using organic chlorella powder is easier and effective.

Chlorella powder is a type of algae that has a beautiful saturated green color. They are super-rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. People also believe it does a wonderful job of detoxing and improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Making Qing Tuan using Chlorella as an all-natural organic green color is an excellent way to incorporate this superfood into our diet.
Qing Ming and Twenty-Four Seasons per the Chinese Lunar Calendar
Qing Ming Festival, also known as “Tomb Sweeping Day”, is a public holiday in China. It falls on “Qing Ming”, one of the twenty-four (24) seasons according to the Lunar Calendar.
The Lunar Calendar is based on the earth’s rotational position relative to the sun. Ancient Chinese divided the year into 24 intervals, or seasons starting with Li Chun {立春 or the onset of Spring}. Qing Ming {清明} is the fifth season out of the twenty-four. It typically occurs the first weekend in April, ranging from April 4th to April 6th.
In celebrating Qing Ming Festival, family members reunite and travel to their ancestors’ gravesites to pay respects. It is a tradition for the families to clean and sweep the tomb, burn the paper money, and also display bountiful of yummy food.
People widely consider Qing Ming the second most important holiday in China, right after Spring Festival or Chinese New Year.

Ingredients Required for Qing Tuan {青团}

You will need water-milled sweet rice flour, regular sweet rice flour, chlorella powder, arrowroot flour, avocado oil, and water to make the sweet rice flour green dough.
Red bean paste is for the filling. Homemade red bean paste is an excellent choice.
Arrowroot flour, as a nutritious, wholesome gluten-free starch, helps bind everything together and gives the final product a shiny glaze. As a result, no need to brush oil before steaming.
It is a tradition to use bamboo leaves for the Qing Tuan to sit on during the steaming. Bamboo leaves do a wonderful job to avoid Qing Tuan from being stuck on the steamer. Bamboo leaves also convey an extra refreshing and appetizing bamboo aroma.
How to Make Qing Tuan an easy, authentic way from scratch?
The First is to prep homemade red bean paste in advance
If you are using store bought red bean paste, go directly to next step.
For homemade from scratch red bean paste, read here for a detailed step-by-step tutorial.

The Second is to make the Green Dough
Add water-milled sweet rice flour, regular sweet rice flour, avocado oil, arrowroot flour, and chlorella powder into a mixing bowl.

Mix well and slowly add the water and knead until forming a soft dough.

The Third is to divide the dough and red bean paste
This recipe produces about 12 green sweet rice flour dumplings. If you are using the 12-inch bamboo steamer set, they come with double deck two steamers. One steamer can hold 8 dumplings comfortably, and you can steam them in one sitting.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions using a kitchen scale. Each portion is about 51 grams of dough. Roll and press each portion using two hands into a ball and lay aside and then cover them with a food film.

For the red bean paste, you can either scoop one tablespoon as you wrap, or you can also prepare 12 red bean paste mini balls in advance. This prep work helps streamline the wrapping process. It is especially helpful when the red bean paste gets hardened in the refrigerator.
Divide the red bean paste into 12 portions, each portion is about 20 grams. Remember to rub your palms with a bit of coconut oil and gently press each portion into a mini ball. Set aside.

The Fourth is to wrap Qing Tuan
Before we wrap, let’s get the steaming set ready for the steaming. Cut the large dried bamboo leave into small patches using a pair of kitchen scissors, each is to hold one Qing Tuan. Lay them flat in the base of the bamboo steamer.

Now we are ready to wrap Qing Tuan. This is the same technique for wrapping sweet rice flour dumplings. Read here for a detailed step-by-step tutorial.

True, it is trickier to wrap sweet rice flour dumplings compared to all-purpose flour dumplings. Since sweet rice flour doesn’t contain gluten, the dough is not as easy to maneuver.
Three important tips and tricks to remember for wrapping sweet rice flour dumplings successfully.
Tip #1 – Make a very soft dough and cover the dough while you are working through things to avoid the dough getting dried out.
Tip #2 – Use a damp or slightly wet palm to roll and process sweet rice flour dough. Dab your fingers into a small bowl of water, and rub between palms. This way, you keep the dough soft and moist during the process, which makes an enormous difference.
Tip #3 – Be firm but very gentle toward the sweet rice flour dough.

Additional Tips for Homemade Green Glutinous Rice Flour Dumplings with Red Bean Paste
During the wrapping, set aside a small bowl of water. Use the water to damp your palms during the wrapping process.
Whenever you complete wrapping a sweet rice flour dumpling, dab your finger with water and then rub between palms to ensure you have a damp palm before you wrap the next dumpling.
Congratulations! You just learned how to wrap the classic and well-liked green sweet rice flour dumplings with red bean paste!

Steam the Green Sweet Rice Flour Dumplings with Red Bean Paste
Steam the freshly wrapped Qing Tuan over boiling water for 10 minutes. Wait for 2 minutes and then remove from the steaming pot or wok.

Enjoy a super soft, delicious and healthy snack!


Qing Tuan {Easy Authentic Huai Yang Style} Recipe
Qing Tuan {青团} is a steamed green sweet rice flour dumpling with red bean paste. They are classic Huai Yang style pastry, which is also one of the must-have items for Qing Ming festival {清明节}.
Ingredients
- 240 g red bean paste, about 2 cups, homemade preferably, see notes.
For the Dough:
- 100 g water-milled sweet rice flour
- 200 g sweet rice flour, regular
- 25 g arrowroot flour, organic
- 25 g avocado oil
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp chlorella powder, organic, see notes
- 260 g room-temperature water
For Wrapping:
- 1 cup of water, to keep hands & palms damp
- 2 large dried bamboo leaves, cut into patches to use as coasters for freshly wrapped Qing Tuan
Instructions
Gather all ingredients:

Prep homemade red bean paste in advance:
- If you are using store-bought red bean paste, go to the next step.
- For homemade from scratch red bean paste, read here for a detailed step-by-step tutorial
Make the Green Sweet Rice Flour Dough:
- Add water-milled sweet rice flour, regular sweet rice flour, avocado oil, arrowroot flour, and chlorella powder into a mixing bowl.
- Mix well and slowly add the water and knead until forming a soft dough.
Prepare the Steamer:
- I use a 12-inch bamboo steamer with a 14-inch wok combo as the steaming set for steaming Qing Tuan.
- Add 6 cups of water into the wok, turn the heat to medium-high, add a lid to the wok and bring it to a boil, about 8 minutes. Turn it off when the water is done.
- Cut the large dried bamboo leaves into small patches using a pair of kitchen scissors, each is to hold one Qing Tuan. Lay them flat in the base of the bamboo steamer.
Divide dough and red bean paste:
- Get the steaming set ready for the steaming.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions using a kitchen scale. Each portion is about 51 grams of dough. Roll and press each portion using two hands into a ball and lay aside and then cover them with a food film.
- For the red bean paste, you can either scoop one tablespoon as you wrap, or you can also prepare 12 red bean paste mini balls in advance. This prep work helps streamline the wrapping process. It is especially helpful when the red bean paste gets hardened in the refrigerator.
- Divide the red bean paste into 12 portions, each portion is about 20 grams. Remember to rub your palms with a bit of coconut oil and gently press each portion into a mini ball. Set aside.
Wrap Qing Tuan:
- it is the same technique for wrapping sweet rice flour dumplings. Read here for a detailed step-by-step tutorial.
- Qing Tuan is round. So instead of closing the wrapper into a pointy end, you make it a flat bottom.
- Then flip it upside down, and use both hands to roll gently and make it tall and round.
- Place the freshly wrapped Qing Tuan onto one of the bamboo leave patches in the bamboo steamer.
- Remember to dab your fingers into water and rub against the palms to make the palms damp before wrapping the next one.
- Repeat till you have wrapped all 13 Qing Tuan.
Steam the Qing Tuan:
- Bring the water in the steamer to reach a boil again.
- Stack two steamers together along with the bamboo lid. Sit them on the wok and steam for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Wait for 1-2 minutes before uncovering the lid and remove the bamboo steamer from the wok.
- All done! Enjoy a super soft, delicious, and healthy snack!
Notes
- For homemade red bean paste, read here for a detailed step-by-step guided recipe.
- Use 1 1/2 tsp chlorella if you prefer a highly pigmented deep dark green color.
- Three important tips and tricks to remember for wrapping sweet rice flour dumplings successfully.
- Tip #1 – Make a very soft dough and cover the dough while you are working through things to avoid the dough getting dried out.
- Tip #2 – Use a damp or slightly wet palm to roll and process sweet rice flour dough. Dab your fingers into a small bowl of water, and rub between palms. This way, you keep the dough soft and moist during the process, which makes an enormous difference.
- Tip #3 – Be firm but very gentle toward the sweet rice flour dough.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount of commission from the qualifying purchases.
- OXO Good Grips 3- Piece Mixing Bowl Set
- Kitchen Scale
- Kitchen Scissors
- Lid, Winco , 14 Inch, Stainless Steel
- Cast Iron Wok with Flat Base 14 inch
- 12 inch Bamboo Steamer Basket, 2 Tier
- 粽叶 Natural Wild Dried Bamboo Leaves
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Organic Adzuki Sprouting Beans, 1 Pound - Non-GMO, Kosher, Dried, Bulk
- Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil
- Avocado Oil
- Arrowroot Flour
- Water Milled sweet rice flour
- Sweet White Rice Flour
- Anthony's Organic Chlorella Powder, 8 oz, Non GMO, Gluten Free, Broken Cell Wall
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 servings Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 378Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 0mgSodium 135mgCarbohydrates 74gFiber 4gSugar 25gProtein 7g
Nutrition calculation is provided by Nutritionix to the best knowledge per ingredients description and isn't always accurate.