Yaki manju is a baked Japanese pastry stuffed with a sweet filling, commonly red bean paste. This confection is also very popular in Hawaii and among Japanese American communities on the mainland. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

Peanut Butter and Jelly, Batman and Robin, Mary Kate and Ashley, and Mochi and Manju – what do these all have in common? They’re all iconic duos! Mochi and manju are two classic Japanese confections that go hand in hand. You rarely find one without the other at the old school mochi shops in California and Hawaii.

So far on this Mochi Mommy blog I’ve focused a lot more heavily on the mochi side of things, but it’s time to give manju some love.

What is Yaki Manju?

Manju is a Japanese confection generally in the shape of a sphere consisting of a sweet crust stuffed with some sort of filling, like sweet red bean paste. The crust is often made with a wheat flour, but there are regional varieties that use rice flour, buckwheat flour, and more.

In Japan, you may find most manju steamed. However, there are again regions, such as Gunma, that bake their manju. These baked manju are called “yaki manju.”

Yaki manju was brought over to Hawaii (and the mainland) through Japanese immigration and become very popular here in the US. As a kid, I remember going to mochi shops in Little Tokyo and seeing rows of manju in the display case next to my favorite daifuku and other mochi wagashi.

To develop this recipe, I went back to my trusty old church cookbook with recipes compiled from all the Japanese families in the church. Of course they had multiple manju versions! So after much testing and tweaking, plus reading Japanese blogs of how home cooks make their manju in their modern kitchens, here we are!

What’s the Difference Between Mochi and Manju?

Mochi and mochi confections are made from glutinous rice. Daifuku mochi is made by cooking the rice or sweet rice dough first and then stuffing it with a filling. On the other hand, manju is often made with wheat flour. Even when manju is made with rice flour, the method of making manju usually involves stuffing the dough while it’s still raw and then cooking the manju whole. Manju may be perceived as having stronger ties to Chinese cuisine, brought over from China more or less similarly to its current form. The current version of daifuku, however, is seen as more traditionally a Japanese food, invented during the Edo period.

What Fillings Can I Use for Manju?

Bean pastes are the most common filling for manju. Chestnuts are also a common filling in Japan, resulting in a manju called “kuri manju” (chestnut manju), because the shape and brown color of the manju resemble a chestnut. In Hawaii you may find a wider variety of local ingredients used in fillings, including Okinawan sweet potato, coconut, and pineapple. For a recipe shortcut, you can even buy pie filling from the grocery store (apple, blueberry, cherry, etc.) and use that too.

More Wagashi Recipes

Looking for more Japanese dessert recipes? Check these out:

yaki manju closeup cross section showing red bean filling
No ratings yet

Yaki Manju (Japanese Baked Pastry)

Mochi Mommy
Yaki manju is a Japanese baked pastry consisting of a cookie like sweet crust encasing a red bean paste filling. Substitute the red bean for Okinawan sweet potato or other sweet stuffings.
Servings: 6 manju
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, 28g
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar, 50g
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 cup flour, 90g
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup red bean paste, 150g

Instructions
 

  • In a small mixing bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, milk, and half of the beaten egg. Set aside.
  • In another mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda.
  • Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until a dough is formed. Place in the fridge to firm while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Divide red bean paste into 6 portions of about 2 tablespoons each and roll each into a ball.
  • Take the chilled dough out of the fridge and divide into 6 portions, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll each portion into a ball and flatten into a circle. Place a ball of red bean paste in the center of the circle and gently smooth the dough to completely encase it. Repeat for the remaining five pieces.
  • Brush the manju with the remaining half of the beaten egg. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Leftovers can keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Video

Notes

Feel free to use any red bean paste texture you like – smooth (koshian) or chunky (tsubuan).
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!