This is the most aromatic Black Sesame Soup that’ll ever nourish your body. Full of roasted nutty flavor, you’ll only need 5 INGREDIENTS to have this dessert on your table. It doesn’t get any easier than this!
A dessert soup to nourish your tastebuds
There’s just something about Cantonese dessert soups that instantly takes me to the heart of Mum’s kitchen. I love how they’re cooked: low and slow until they begin to taste like pure liquid gold.
Black Sesame Soup takes the crown for this. It’s gently simmered to form a smooth luxurious paste while perfectly balanced with a delicate graininess.
If you take that extra step and toast the sesame seeds, you can guarantee that all the rich nutty flavor will be deepened, giving you a delicious earthy dessert.
Then once that spoon scoops into the creamy Black Sesame Soup, you’ll know that every effort was well worth it.
What is black sesame good for?
Growing up in a Cantonese household, Mum made sure that we often had dessert to nourish our bodies. Chinese and Vietnamese sweet soups were always held in high regard for its health benefits.
Sesame seeds are known for being dense in oils and vitamins that help with keeping the body healthy. They’re also a great source of fibre to assist with digestion.
Every seed contains antioxidants and is said to have anti-aging properties, which is why we love to enjoy it after meals!
Why this recipe works
- Toasting the black and white sesame seeds beforehand gives it a deep rich color and intensifies the rich nutty aromas.
- Using pre-soaked glutinous rice grains thickens the liquid and adds another dimension of flavor without the need for any starch flour.
- Using rock sugar gently sweetens the dessert, preserving the sesame essence.
What you’ll need
About the ingredients
You can find all of the ingredients at Asian supermarkets.
Note: Use fewer seeds if you’d prefer a smoother consistency over a grainier one.
The glutinous rice needs to be soaked in water for at least 6 hours or overnight to soften.
How to make this recipe
Toast the black and white sesame seeds in a wok or pan over low-medium heat until the white seeds are a golden brown.
In a blender, blend the toasted seeds, soaked glutinous rice and water until the seeds are fine. This will take between 1-5 minutes, depending on your blender.
Note: The smoother you’d like the consistency, the longer you’d blend it for.
Pour the blended mixture into a pot, add the rock sugar and bring it to a boil while continually stirring.
Lower the heat and keep it on a simmer until it has thickened to a desired consistency. Remember to keep stirring while it cooks.
Serve hot as is or put it in the fridge and enjoy it cold!
FAQs
If you put it in the fridge, it will keep well for up to 2 days. Freezing it will help it last for 1 month.
You certainly can, just keep in mind that white sugar is sweeter than rock sugar so you’ll need to use less than what the recipe suggests.
If glutinous rice is not available, white rice can be used. However, the soup will not come out as thick.
Tips for the creamiest dessert soup
- Toast your own seeds! Toasted sesame seeds can be found at Asian grocery stores, but nothing beats freshly roasted ones.
- Soak the glutinous rice overnight while you sleep. This will soften the grains and help them to blend easily to form a smooth paste.
- Stir constantly. When simmering, help the seeds and rice thicken into a soup by gently stirring the mixture. Doing this will also prevent any burning!
Make it a Chinese feast!
- Start with fresh and crispy Seafood Rolls.
- Warm up the body with a classic Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry (黑椒牛柳).
- To balance the banquet, try our Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic straight out of the wok.
- Pair the side dishes with Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯), a family favorite.
- Lead up to dessert with an all-time classic – Chinese Watercress Soup (西洋菜汤).
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Black Sesame Soup (芝麻糊)
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 200 g / 0.55 lb black sesame seeds
- 100 g / 0.22 lb white sesame seeds
- 40 g / 0.09 lb glutinous rice
- 190 g / 0.41 lb rock sugar (or to taste)
- 2 L / 8.5 US cup water
Instructions
- Toast the black and white sesame seeds in a wok or pan over low-medium heat until the white seeds are a golden brown.
- In a blender, blend the toasted seeds, soaked glutinous rice and water until the seeds are fine. This will take between 1-5 minutes, depending on your blender.Note: The smoother you'd like the consistency, the longer you'd blend it for.
- Pour the blended mixture into a pot, add the rock sugar and bring it to a boil while continually stirring.
- Lower the heat and keep it on a simmer until it has thickened to a desired consistency. Remember to keep stirring while it cooks.
- Serve hot as is or put it in the fridge and enjoy it cold!
Notes
- Toast your own seeds! Toasted black sesame seeds can be found at Asian grocery stores, but nothing beats freshly roasted ones.
- Soak the glutinous rice overnight while you sleep. This will soften the grains and help them to blend easily to form a smooth paste.
- Stir constantly. When simmering, help the seeds and rice thicken into a soup by gently stirring the mixture. Doing this will also prevent any burning!
- Use fewer black sesame seeds if you'd prefer a smoother consistency over a grainier one.
I love everything about this soup, especially the amazing black color! So cool!
Thanks, Emily!
I’ve never had Black Seasame Soup before but it sounds absolutely delicious! It seems like such a tasty dessert. I am looking forward to trying the recipe!
I’m glad to hear that you want to try it! Enjoy!
We use black sesame a lot but in savory dishes..love this new way of using them to make desserts.
It’s worth a try as a dessert!
I had never actually heard of black sesame soup before I came across your recipe and it turned out to be so good! It’s also such a cool color!
That’s amazing to hear, Anjali! I’m glad you liked it!
This soup is stunning! I love the black color and smooth, glossy texture. This would be such an impressive dish to serve, and it looks so easy. I can’t wait to try it!
It’s definitely a show-stopper. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Can glutinous rice flour be substituted for the glutinous rice? If so, how much? Thank you!
Hi Rod, you certainly can use glutinous rice flour. Just use 1/2 tbsp as a substitute 🙂
Thank you!
You’re very welcome!
My black sesame soup taste bitter. Did I over toasted it or is it the type of sesame that I used?
Hi Becca, sorry to hear that your black sesame soup tasted bitter. When the sesame seeds are toasted for too long, they can get bitter and make the final dish bitter itself. I would suggest toasting them for a little less next time. Often different stoves have different heating temperatures so it’ll come down to trial and error.
We’ve made this twice now, and it’s been delicious both times! We added a little more glutinous rice the second time because we found the original texture to be a bit too runny for our liking, and we toasted the sesame seeds a bit less to avoid the slight bitterness, and it was perfect for breakfast. Thank you for the recipe!
That’s wonderful that you’ve made it suit your preference! I’m glad you’re also enjoying it for breakfast for a hearty start to the day. Yum!
Love this recipe! I love the taste of sesame seeds. Thank you for sharing.
I have also tasted sesame go, The consistency is very similar to finger jello where you can pick it up with your fingers to eat it. Do I just add more glutinous rice to the recipe? It would be fantastic if you have a receipt for it.
Thanks, Rosemary! For sesame rolls, you actually use a few different ingredients like water chestnut flour and wheat starch. I will make sure to add that to my to-make list!
Hi Jeannette, I can’t remember how I’ve stumbled across your website but I’m glad I did, I am enjoying going through the selections of Asian recipes (that I can make =P). This black sesame soup is the consistency that I was after and the family enjoyed it (with a bit of extra thickened cream or coconut milk). I found it was still a bit runny, so I added some arrowroot starch and it was perfect.
Hi, Thao! I’m so glad to have you join our cooking family! What a great tip on how to thicken the dessert to your liking. I’ll remember that for the next time I want it a little thicker! 😉
Can black sesame soup be made with milk instead of water?
Hi, Jamie! I haven’t personally tried it with milk before, but you can certainly give it a go. Just keep in mind that when heated, the milk will start to curdle over time and this can affect the taste and texture of your Black Sesame Soup.
I happen to have a bag of black sesame powder in my pantry. Can I use that instead? If so, how much should I use to substitute for the seeds?
Hi, Yvonne! You certainly can! I would use an equal amount as a substitute, but make sure to taste test as you cook the dessert soup to balance the right amount of sweetness and consistency. If it’s too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, add more powder. Hope this helps!