Description
I'm no stranger to beans in dessert. But it's about time I made a dessert that's actually supposed to have beans in it.
We just passed the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, on September 25, 2026. This is the 15th day of the 8th month in the Lunar Calendar, and when mooncakes are traditionally eaten. The date typically falls in late September or early October.
So to celebrate, I'm creating simple, homemade, wholesome mooncakes. Both the dough and bean paste filling are gluten-free and sugar-free, using coconut flour, cashew butter, white beans, and monk fruit (both liquid monk fruit and pure granulated monk fruit).
Each mooncake is about 150 calories, with plenty of fiber, protein, and healthy fats from the beans, coconut flour, and nuts.
We just passed the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, on September 25, 2026. This is the 15th day of the 8th month in the Lunar Calendar, and when mooncakes are traditionally eaten. The date typically falls in late September or early October.
So to celebrate, I'm creating simple, homemade, wholesome mooncakes. Both the dough and bean paste filling are gluten-free and sugar-free, using coconut flour, cashew butter, white beans, and monk fruit (both liquid monk fruit and pure granulated monk fruit).
Each mooncake is about 150 calories, with plenty of fiber, protein, and healthy fats from the beans, coconut flour, and nuts.
Time
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Rest Time:
1 hour
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Total Time:
1 hours
45 minutes
Cost
Total Cost:
Cost per Serving:
$0.42
Ingredients
Serving(s)
Bean Paste
- 2 x 15.5 oz can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Liquid monk fruit
Dough
- 1/2 cup Cashew butter
- 1 cup Coconut flour
Instructions
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- Drain and rinse your beans, reserving the liquid. Add to a food processor with lemon juice, vanilla extract, and liquid monk fruit. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the blended beans to a medium pan over medium low heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the filling has thickened and is drier. Transfer the filling to the fridge to cool totally, about 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together cashew butter, coconut flour, and pure granulated monk fruit to make your dough.
- Divide your dough into 12 equal pieces, about 20 g each. Roll into a ball, and flatten into a thin, round disk.
- Divide your filling into 12 equal pieces, about 25 g each. Roll into a ball.
- Add a ball of filling into the center of each dough circle. Wrap the dough around the filling, making sure to close up any edges. Place onto the pan, seam side down, and shape into a round, circular disk.
- Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and set.
- Store mooncakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow them to cool completely before storing. For best texture, let them rest overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Notes
- I'm using 2 cans of drained and rinsed cannellini beans, but any other beans will work, such as black, pinto, kidney, or chickpeas.
- Add a small splash of the reserved aquafaba to the food processor if needed to help the beans blend together.
- Cashew butter works well for its neutral flavor, but almond butter will also work. To make it nut free, use tahini. I would not recommend using peanut butter, or these will distinctly taste like peanut butter.
- Almond flour can be used in place of coconut flour, though the amount may vary. Start with less, and add more little by little until you get a shapable dough consistency.
- Add a small splash of the reserved aquafaba to the dough mixture if it's too dry.
- My sweeteners are 1 tsp (5 g) liquid monk fruit in the filling, and 1 tsp (2.8 g) pure granulated monk fruit in the dough. Other options include 2 tbsp (40 g) sugar free syrup in the filling, and 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated monk fruit or allulose in the dough.
- A full batch of the bean paste yields about 300 g, enough for 12 mooncakes with about 25 g of filling and 20 g of dough.
- I don't have a mooncake mold, so I'm instead shaping them by hand into 1" tall, 2" wide circular disks.
- For some other dessert recipes with beans in them, check out the following:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse
- No-Nut Chickpea Nutella
- Naturally Sweetened Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Improving the Pinto Bean Cake
- Chickpea Date Brownies
- White Bean Milkshake
- Mint Chocolate Chip Date Cookies
- Peanut Butter Date Cookies
- Double Chocolate Date Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Date Cookies
- Dual Bean Date Brookies
- Chickpea Date Blondies
- Black Bean Date Brownies
- Chickpea Chows
- Protein Brownie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
Nutrition Facts
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Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1 mooncake (~TODO g)
Calories: 153
------------------------------------------
Total Fat: 6.4g (8%
8 % of Daily Value (78 g)
)
Saturated Fat: 2.2g (11%
11 % of Daily Value (20 g)
)
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.0g
Monounsaturated Fat: 2.6g
Sodium: 137mg (6%
6 % of Daily Value (2300 mg)
)
Total Carbohydrate: 18.4g (7%
7 % of Daily Value (275 g)
)
Fiber: 6.3g (22%
22 % of Daily Value (28 g)
)
Net Carbs: 12.1g
Total Sugar: 3.8g
Protein: 7.5g (15%
15 % of Daily Value (50 g)
)
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Vitamin B12: 0.0mcg (0%
0 % of Daily Value (2.4 mcg)
)
Vitamin D: 0.0mcg (0%
0 % of Daily Value (20 mcg)
)
------------------------------------------
Calcium: 30mg (2%
2 % of Daily Value (1300 mg)
)
Iron: 2.56mg (14%
14 % of Daily Value (18 mg)
)
Magnesium: 45mg (11%
11 % of Daily Value (420 mg)
)
Potassium: 193mg (4%
4 % of Daily Value (4700 mg)
)
:
:
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:
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35.7
:
6.5
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:
9.3
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Sources of Inspiration
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