If you love chewy and creamy texture, you’re going to love these Vanilla Bean Snow Mooncakes! These soft and chewy snow skin mooncakes are a modern twist on the traditional baked mooncake, with a delicate, mochi-like skin wrapped around a rich and creamy vanilla bean custard filling.
Mooncakes are one of the most iconic foods enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Traditionally, mooncakes are filled with rich lotus seed paste, red bean paste, or salted egg yolks and baked until their pastry turns beautifully golden.
Unlike traditional mooncakes, snow skin mooncakes don’t require any baking. The outer skin is made with steamed glutinous rice flour, which gives these mooncakes their signature soft, stretchy, and chewy texture. They’re served chilled, making them especially refreshing and delicious for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
These vanilla bean snow mooncakes are one of my favorite flavor. The soft, chewy skin pairs so well with the smooth and creamy vanilla bean custard filling. The custard is lightly sweet, rich, and fragrant with vanilla, and it’s similar to the classic custard filling you’ll find in many Chinese bakeries.
If you’ve never made snow skin mooncakes before, this is a great recipe to start with. Soft, chewy, creamy, and completely no-bake, what’s not to love?
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE VANILLA BEAN SNOW MOONCAKES
- No baking required! These are completely no bake mooncakes, making them much easier to prepare than traditional baked mooncakes. No need to turn on the oven!
- Soft, chewy, and mochi-like. The snow skin has the most wonderfully soft and delicate texture with just the right amount of chew. If you love mochi, you’re going to love these!
- Creamy vanilla custard filling. The homemade vanilla bean custard is smooth, rich, creamy, and lightly sweet, with a beautiful natural vanilla flavor. It pairs perfectly with the chewy snow skin.
- Simple ingredients. You don’t need a long list of specialty ingredients to make these at home. Once you have the basic snow skin ingredients and a few simple custard ingredients, you’re ready to go.
- Easy to make ahead. Snow skin mooncakes are meant to be served chilled, so they’re perfect for preparing ahead of time for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to enjoy them!
- So much fun to make! Making snow skin mooncakes is almost as fun as eating them. From preparing the dough and filling to shaping each mooncake in a beautiful mooncake mold, it’s a fun little kitchen project to make with family and friends.
- A modern twist on traditional mooncakes. If traditional mooncakes feel a little too heavy for you, these snow skin mooncakes are a lighter, softer, and more refreshing alternative. The chilled, chewy skin and creamy custard filling make every bite so satisfying.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES
Rice Flour – Also known as regular rice flour, this is made from rice such as long grain or medium grain rice that has been finely milled into a powder. Rice flour helps give the snow skin a slightly chewy texture while also helping the mooncakes hold their shape and keeping the dough from becoming too sticky.
Glutinous Rice Flour – Also called sweet rice flour or sticky rice flour, glutinous rice flour is completely different from regular rice flour. It is made from glutinous rice that is finely ground into flour. When cooked, it gives the snow skin its signature sticky, chewy, and mochi like texture. Despite the name “sweet rice flour,” it is not actually sweet, it has a neutral flavor.
Cornstarch – Usually use wheat starch to give the skin a slightly translucent appearance and a more delicate texture. For this recipe, I use cornstarch instead. It helps create a soft and tender snow skin that is easy to work with. The finished mooncakes won’t be quite as translucent, but they’re still beautiful!
Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar, powdered sugar sweetens the snow skin and dissolves easily into the mixture, giving it a smooth texture.
Whole Milk – I recommend using whole milk for the richest flavor and creamiest texture. You can also substitute it with coconut milk or your favorite plant-based milk if you prefer.
Milk Powder – Milk powder adds extra richness and milky flavor to the custard while helping create a creamy, smooth filling without adding too much liquid.
Egg Yolks – Fresh egg yolks give the custard its beautiful golden color, rich flavor, and creamy texture. For the smoothest custard, bring your eggs to room temperature before using. If you forget, simply place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. I recommend using large eggs for the most consistent results.
Butter – Butter adds richness and gives the custard a wonderfully smooth and creamy texture. You can use either salted or unsalted butter. I prefer unsalted butter because it allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe. If using salted butter, simply reduce or omit the additional salt.
Neutral Oil – A small amount of neutral oil helps keep the custard filling soft and smooth. Canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil all work well. Choose an oil with a mild flavor so it doesn’t overpower the vanilla.
Vanilla – This is where all that beautiful vanilla flavor comes from! I use my homemade vanilla extract for the snow skin and vanilla bean pod for the custard. Those little vanilla specks from vanilla bean pod are so beautiful for the filling!
Salt – Just a small amount of salt helps balance the sweetness and brings out the buttery and vanilla flavors in the custard.
Food Coloring – This is completely optional, but I love adding a little color to the snow skin to make these mooncakes extra pretty and festive. Gel food coloring works especially well because you only need a small amount and it won’t add much extra liquid to the dough. You can also use natural ingredients such as matcha powder for green, cocoa powder for brown, or other natural food powders to create different colors and flavors.
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
Mooncake mold. I use 2 inch (50g) plastic mooncake mold.
Steamer
Medium pan
Mixing bowls
Fine Mesh Sieve
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Food grade plastic gloves
Kitchen scale
Parchment paper
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THESE VANILLA BEAN SNOW MOONCAKES
(Be sure to check the printable recipe card below)
Vanilla Bean Custard:
80g (2/3 cup) milk powder
40g (1/3 cup) cornstarch
60g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
240g (1 cup) whole milk
5 large egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean pod
30g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Snow Skin
80g (2/3 cup) glutinous rice flour
30g (1/4 cup) rice flour
30g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
60g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
a little pinch of salt
180g (3/4 cup) whole milk
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
gel food coloring, optional
STEP 1 – Make the Vanilla Bean Custard Filling
Use a small knife to slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the middle without cutting all the way through, then use the back of the knife to scrape out the seeds. In a large measuring glass, whisk together the whole milk, vanilla bean seeds, and egg yolks until smooth and well combined.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk powder, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt. Whisk until evenly combined. Then, slowly pour the milk-vanilla-egg mixture while whisking continuously. Keep whisking until everything is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth with no visible lumps.
For an extra-smooth custard, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer directly into a large saucepan. This will catch any remaining lumps and give you a silky smooth filling.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the custard, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Make sure to scrape along the bottom and around the edges of the pan as you stir to prevent the custard from sticking or scorching.
Once the custard begins to thicken, add the butter and reduce the heat to low. Continue stirring constantly until the custard becomes very thick and pulls together into a soft paste. At this stage, it may look a little like scrambled eggs, don’t worry, this is completely normal!
Once the custard has thickened substantially, continue cooking for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it becomes noticeably firmer and forms a thick, cohesive paste. The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape rather than spread.
Transfer the custard to a medium bowl. Immediately press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let the custard cool slightly, then refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until completely chilled and firm enough to shape.
STEP 2 – Make the Snow Skin
Fill your steamer with enough water and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, place the empty steamer over the water and let it preheat for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt.
In a large measuring cup or separate bowl, whisk together the whole milk, neutral oil, and vanilla extract until well combined. Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking continuously until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
For an extra silky dough, strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl that fits inside your steamer. Place the bowl in the preheated steamer, cover the bowl with a plate, and steam over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, or until the dough is fully cooked.
You’ll know it’s ready when a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the dough feels firm. Carefully remove the bowl from the steamer, then add the butter and let the residual heat melt it completely.
Once it’s cool enough to handle, put on a pair of food safe gloves and knead the dough until smooth, soft, and stretchy. Finally, shape the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it cool completely.
STEP 3 – Assemble and Rest the Mooncakes
For a 50g (about 2-inch) mooncake mold, I like to use a 1:1 ratio of snow skin to filling, so each mooncake is made with 25g of snow skin and 25g of vanilla custard filling. You can adjust the ratio slightly depending on how thick or thin you like your snow skin.
Take the chilled custard out of the refrigerator and divide it into 25g portions. Roll each portion between your palms to form smooth balls. Cover the custard balls and return them to the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the mooncakes. Keeping the filling chilled makes it much easier to work with.
Once the snow skin dough has chilled, put on a pair of food safe gloves and divide the dough into 25g portions. If you’re adding food coloring, knead your desired color into the dough until evenly distributed. Place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and keep them covered with plastic wrap or a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
Take one piece of snow skin dough and flatten it with your palms. Gently stretch or roll it into a thin 4-inch disc, making the edges slightly thinner than the center. Place one chilled custard ball in the center of the dough. Carefully lift the edges of the snow skin up and around the filling, gently stretching the dough as needed until the filling is completely enclosed.
Pinch the edges together to seal, then gently roll the mooncake between your palms to create a smooth, round ball. Repeat with the remaining snow skin and custard, keeping the assembled and unassembled pieces covered as you work.
Lightly dust each mooncake ball with cornstarch, making sure to use only a thin coating. Place the dusted ball into your mooncake mold and gently press it down to fit snugly inside. Place the mold on a flat surface and press firmly until the plunger can no longer move. Hold the pressure for about 15 seconds to create a well defined pattern.
Lift the mold slightly, then press the lever or plunger to release the mooncake. Gently transfer the finished mooncake to a plate or container. Cover it immediately and repeat with the remaining mooncakes.
You can enjoy the snow skin mooncakes right away, but I recommend chilling them for about 2 hours before serving. The chilled snow skin becomes wonderfully soft and chewy, while the vanilla custard filling becomes creamy and refreshing.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST VANILLA BEAN SNOW SKIN MOONCAKES
Use real vanilla bean for the best flavor – For that beautiful classic vanilla flavor and those pretty little vanilla specks throughout the custard, I recommend using vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste. Vanilla extract works too, but vanilla bean gives the filling a deeper, more fragrant flavor and makes these mooncakes extra special.
Wear food-safe gloves when handling the snow skin – Snow skin dough can be quite sticky, especially when you first start kneading it. Wearing food-safe plastic gloves makes it much easier to knead, portion, and shape the dough without having it stick all over your hands.
Don’t worry if the dough is sticky at first – The snow skin dough may feel very sticky and difficult to handle when it’s freshly made. Keep kneading it until it becomes smooth, soft, and pliable. As you knead, the dough will become easier to work with. Avoid adding too much extra flour, as this can make the finished snow skin dry and less chewy.
Keep the dough covered while you work – Snow skin dough can dry out quickly when exposed to air. Keep the dough portions covered with plastic wrap or a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel while you assemble the mooncakes. This helps keep the dough soft and prevents cracks.
Keep the custard filling chilled – Cold custard is much easier to roll and wrap with the snow skin. If the filling becomes too soft or sticky while you’re assembling the mooncakes, simply return it to the refrigerator for a little while before continuing.
Use a kitchen scale for even mooncakes – For the neatest and most consistent results, use a digital kitchen scale to weigh both the snow skin and custard filling. For a 50g mooncake, I use 25g of snow skin and 25g of filling for a balanced 1:1 ratio.
Don’t skip the cornstarch when molding – Lightly dust the outside of each filled mooncake with cornstarch before placing it into the mold. This helps prevent the dough from sticking to the mold and makes it much easier to release the mooncake cleanly. Just be careful not to use too much, or the excess flour can leave a white coating on the finished mooncake.
Chill before serving – While you can enjoy these mooncakes right away, I recommend chilling them for about 2 hours before serving. The snow skin becomes pleasantly cool, soft, and chewy, while the vanilla custard filling becomes firmer and creamier.
HERE’S HOW TO PROPERLY STORE THESE VANILLA BEAN SNOW MOONCAKES
Store the mooncakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Since the filling is made with custard, they should always be kept chilled.
For the best flavor and texture, let the mooncakes sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the cheesecake filling to soften slightly while the snow skin stays soft and chewy.
If stacking the mooncakes, place a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent them from sticking together or damaging the pattern.
I’d not recommend to freeze these mooncakes. Freezing and thawing can change the texture of both the snow skin and the custard filling, making the skin less chewy and the filling watery.
Vanilla Bean Snow Mooncakes (香草冰皮月饼)
If you love chewy and creamy texture, you’re going to love these Vanilla Bean Snow Mooncakes! These soft and chewy snow skin mooncakes are a modern twist on the traditional baked mooncake, with a delicate, mochi-like skin wrapped around a rich and creamy vanilla custard filling.
Ingredients
Vanilla Bean Custard
- 80g (2/3 cup) milk powder
- 40g (1/3 cup) cornstarch
- 60g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 240g (1 cup) whole milk
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/2 vanilla bean pod
- 30g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Snow Skin
- 80g (2/3 cup) glutinous rice flour
- 30g (1/4 cup) rice flour
- 30g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
- 60g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
- a little pinch of salt
- 180g (3/4 cup) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
STEP 1 – Make the Vanilla Custard Filling
- Use a small knife to slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the middle without cutting all the way through, then use the back of the knife to scrape out the seeds.
- In a large measuring glass, whisk together the whole milk, vanilla bean seeds, and egg yolks until smooth and well combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk powder, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt. Whisk until evenly combined.
- Then, slowly pour the milk-vanilla-egg mixture while whisking continuously. Keep whisking until everything is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth with no visible lumps.
- For an extra-smooth custard, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer directly into a large saucepan. This will catch any remaining lumps and give you a silky smooth filling.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the custard, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Make sure to scrape along the bottom and around the edges of the pan as you stir to prevent the custard from sticking or scorching.
- Once the custard begins to thicken, add the butter and reduce the heat to low. Continue stirring constantly until the custard becomes very thick and pulls together into a soft paste. At this stage, it may look a little like scrambled eggs, don’t worry, this is completely normal!
- Once the custard has thickened, continue cooking for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it becomes noticeably firmer and forms a thick, cohesive paste. The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape rather than spread.
- Transfer the custard to a medium bowl. Immediately press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
- Let the custard cool slightly, then refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until completely chilled and firm enough to shape.
STEP 2 – Make the Snow Skin
- Fill your steamer with enough water and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, place the empty steamer over the water and let it preheat for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt.
- In a large measuring cup or separate bowl, whisk together the whole milk, neutral oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking continuously until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
- For an extra silky dough, strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl that fits inside your steamer.
- Place the bowl in the preheated steamer, cover the bowl with a plate, and steam over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, or until the dough is fully cooked.
- You'll know it's ready when a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the dough feels firm.
- Carefully remove the bowl from the steamer, then add the butter and let the residual heat melt it completely.
- Once it's cool enough to handle, put on a pair of food safe gloves and knead the dough until smooth, soft, and stretchy.
- Finally, shape the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it cool completely.
STEP 3 – Assemble and Rest the Mooncakes
- For a 50g (about 2-inch) mooncake mold, I like to use a 1:1 ratio of snow skin to filling, so each mooncake is made with 25g of snow skin and 25g of vanilla custard filling. You can adjust the ratio slightly depending on how thick or thin you like your snow skin.
- Take the chilled custard out of the refrigerator and divide it into 25g portions. Roll each portion between your palms to form smooth balls.
- Cover the custard balls and return them to the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the mooncakes. Keeping the filling chilled makes it much easier to work with.
- Once the snow skin dough has chilled, put on a pair of food safe gloves and divide the dough into 25g portions. If you’re adding food coloring, knead your desired color into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and keep them covered with plastic wrap or a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
- Take one piece of snow skin dough and flatten it with your palms. Gently stretch or roll it into a thin 4-inch disc, making the edges slightly thinner than the center. Place one chilled custard ball in the center of the dough.
- Carefully lift the edges of the snow skin up and around the filling, gently stretching the dough as needed until the filling is completely enclosed.
- Pinch the edges together to seal, then gently roll the mooncake between your palms to create a smooth, round ball. Repeat with the remaining snow skin and custard, keeping the assembled and unassembled pieces covered as you work.
- Lightly dust each mooncake ball with cornstarch, making sure to use only a thin coating. Place the dusted ball into your mooncake mold and gently press it down to fit snugly inside. Place the mold on a flat surface and press firmly until the plunger can no longer move. Hold the pressure for about 15 seconds to create a well defined pattern.
- Lift the mold slightly, then press the lever or plunger to release the mooncake. Gently transfer the finished mooncake to a plate or container. Cover it immediately and repeat with the remaining mooncakes.
- You can enjoy the snow skin mooncakes right away, but I recommend chilling them for about 2 hours before serving. The chilled snow skin becomes wonderfully soft and chewy, while the vanilla custard filling becomes creamy and refreshing.
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