These Vegan Hong Kong Red Bean Pudding Cakes are easy to make and require minimal ingredients. They are lightly sweetened and are the perfect snack to have when that afternoon craving for something sweet kicks in!

Put chai ko is a traditional snack originating from Hong Kong. These pudding cakes became widely popular during the 1980s where you would see hawkers selling them all over the streets with their pushcarts. Back then, there were only a few flavors and they got their name from being made in porcelain bowls. The batter was poured into the bowls and steamed to cook through. Once the cakes have cooled, the hawker will insert bamboo skewers to turn them out and serve. You can often see them being sold in plastic bags as well.

Put chai ko is made with a few ingredients only- brown sugar, rice flour, wheat starch/ cornstarch, and red beans are often added to them as well. Nowadays, there are more flavors but I believe the original, classic flavors are always the best!

Since my parents do not understand English well, growing up we watched mainly Hong Kong dramas. There would only be a handful of channels so throughout the day my mom would switch between the channels catching up with any shows she missed.

Whenever I watched along with her, especially any historic shows, I was always fascinated by the food at that time. A lot of them were snacks from street vendors and one that I always wanted to try was Put Chai Ko (a type of steamed pudding cake). They are actually not pudding-like at all but more of gelatin, slightly chewy and lightly sweetened.

I remember seeing kids in the shows rushing to the vendors and buying a few at a time. They were always so excited seeing them and I always wondered if they really tasted that good. In a matter of minutes, all of the pudding cakes would be sold out. They were nothing fancy and plain in appearance, yet, they are loved by everyone.

We don’t see them being sold in pushcarts anymore and they are not as widely available in bakeries as well, but I value the nostalgia they bring with their history. Even though we cannot go back in time and purchase one of these pudding cakes from street vendors, I still take delight in trying to make them at home. It is almost like a trip back to history when I made these pudding cakes.

Here is an overview of these Vegan Hong Kong Red Bean Pudding Cakes (Put Chai Ko).

Ingredients
Flour: These pudding cakes are naturally gluten-free being made with rice flour. I purchased mine at an Asian supermarket. Make sure you use regular rice flour in the red bag, not the glutinous rice flour in the green bag.

Sugar: To add to the color of the pudding cakes, brown sugar is used. You can also use regular granulated sugar, but note that the color of the cakes will not be as pictured.

Corn Starch and Wheat Starch: The starches give the pudding cakes its chewiness and softness.

Adzuki Beans: If you cannot find adzuki beans, you can omit them. The adzuki beans give the cakes an extra depth in flavor and texture.

Tips

How do I store these red bean pudding cakes?
These cakes are best eaten fresh. If you have any leftovers, store the cakes in an airtight container and place them in the fridge. When you want to eat them, microwave the cakes in 30-second increments until they are soft again.

Can I substitute brown sugar for any other sugars?
The brown sugar gives the pudding cake a brown color. If you do not have it, you can substitute it for coconut sugar or granulated sugar. Please note the color will look different with different sugars.

If you like these Vegan Hong Kong Red Bean Pudding Cakes, you might also like:
Vegan Teddy Bear Mantou
Vegan Chinese Wife Cakes
Vegan Chinese Steamed Rice Cakes (Fa Gao)

I cannot wait for you to make these Vegan Hong Kong Red Bean Pudding Cakes! If you do, please tag me on Instagram @_withhelen or leave a comment below letting me know how you like them! Enjoy!

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