Easy Vegan Bao Buns Recipe – Soft, steamed homemade plant-based Buns

07 Sep Easy Vegan Bao Buns Recipe – Soft, steamed homemade plant-based Buns

Last Updated on September 7, 2025 by blessmyfoodbypayal

Easy Vegan Bao Buns Recipe – Soft, steamed homemade plant-based Buns with step wise pictorial and video method.

Soft, pillowy buns and that too without baking, these Bao Buns are a unique kind of recipe which gets ready just by steaming.

Hailing from China, these buns are popular street food and important part of Chinese food culture. And not just a street food, but these buns are part of Chinese restaurants menu.

Primary made with all purpose flour, these buns of prepared with yeasted dough and generally steamed instead of baking.

As far as stuffing is concerned, there’s no hard and fast rule as to what should go in it and what shouldn’t.

If looking for some more vegan choices, you can go for tofu, mushrooms, soya chunks, chickpeas or anything you like.

In vegetarian options, you have paneer, the top most and best ingredient.

This recipe can be served as snacks, starters, party food or even as a light dinner for any special occasion or even a festival like Christmas.

You can make it ahead of time by keeping the buns and stuffing separately and assemble both only at the time of serving.

Additionally you can pair it with dippings like chili oil, soy sauce, etc.

STEP WISE PICTORIAL RECIPE OF EASY VEGAN BAO BUNS RECIPE

For MAKING DOUGH, sift all purpose flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add yeast, sugar and oil.

Mix with hand initially without adding water. Then start adding water but little at a time and start kneading dough. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes and once the dough is ready, apply oil in the bowl and put the dough. Also apply oil on the dough as well.

Cover tightly and put the bowl at some warm place in the kitchen for 2 hours. However this duration may vary depending upon weather.

While the dough is resting, let’s PREPARE THE STUFFING and for that heat oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste and onion. Saute on high heat but don’t let the crunch of onions go.

Add mix veggies (carrot, green beans, cabbage and capsicum) and mix. Also add sweetcorns.

Then add salt, black pepper powder, red chilli flakes, soya sauce, red or green chili sauce, vinegar and tomato ketchup.

Saute on high heat but don’t let the veggies turn completely soft. Stuffing is ready, keep aside.

Now going back to the dough, after 2 hours, dough must have been doubled in size.

Knead it again just for a minute. Divide the dough in 8 equal proportions and then turn them into balls between your palm.

Roll each ball into a small flat disk using rolling pin. Dust dry flour if needed.

Apply oil on each of the disk.

Fold it turning into D shape.

Very gently roll it again but keeping the shape intact.

Cover them and put on rest for 45 minutes.

Now put each one, place on a piece of butter paper. Put into the steamer keeping a distance from one another. But add only as much number of buns as your steamer can accommodate. Our’s is a small one so only 2 buns could be made in one go.

Steam cook for 13 minutes. Likewise cook the entire batch.

Take off from the steam and very gently remove the butter paper. Bao buns are ready. Fill them with the prepared stuffing.

Top with carrot and capsicum Juliennes and white sesame seeds.

NOTES

1. You can try this recipe with whole wheat flour as well.
2. We used Instant yeast which needed no prior activation. But if you are using Active Yeast, activate it first. Details are given here.
3. There is no hard and fast rule as to the stuffing.

EASY VEGAN BAO BUNS RECIPE – RECIPE CARD

Easy Vegan Bao Buns Recipe – Soft, steamed homemade plant-based Buns

blessmyfoodbypayal

Fluffy, pillowy, and completely plant-based—this Easy Vegan Bao Buns Recipe brings a delightful Asian-inspired treat to your kitchen.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Street Food

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 8 Bao Buns

Equipment

• Steamer

Ingredients

  

1 cup = 250 ml

FOR MAKING BAO BUNS

• 1 +1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp Yeast (we have used instant yeast)
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp oil + little more
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Water as required

FOR MAKING STUFFING

• 2 Cups mix veggies finely chopped - we have used carrots, green beans, capsicum & cabbage
• 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sweet corns
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp green or red chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil

FOR GARNISH

• Carrot & capsicum Juliennes
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• For MAKING DOUGH, sift all purpose flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
• Add yeast, sugar and oil.
• Mix with hand initially without adding water.
• Then start adding water but little at a time and start kneading dough.
• Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes and once the dough is ready, apply oil in the bowl and put the dough.
• Also apply oil on the dough as well.
• Cover tightly and put the bowl at some warm place in the kitchen for 2 hours. However this duration may vary depending upon weather.
• While the dough is resting, let's PREPARE THE STUFFING and for that heat oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste and onion.
• Saute on high heat but don't let the crunch of onions go.
• Add mix veggies (carrot, green beans, cabbage and capsicum) and mix. Also add sweetcorns.
• Then add salt, black pepper powder, red chilli flakes, soya sauce, red or green chili sauce, vinegar and tomato ketchup.
• Saute on high heat but don't let the veggies turn completely soft.
• Stuffing is ready, keep aside.
• Now going back to the dough, after 2 hours, dough must have been doubled in size.
• Knead it again just for a minute.
• Divide the dough in 8 equal proportions and then turn them into balls between your palm.
• Roll each ball into a small flat disk using rolling pin. Dust dry flour if needed.
• Apply oil on each of the disk.
• Fold it turning into D shape.
• Very gently roll it again but keeping the shape intact.
• Cover them and put on rest for 45 minutes.
• Now put each one, place on a piece of butter paper.
• Put into the steamer keeping a distance from one another. But add only as much number of buns as your steamer can accommodate. Our's is a small one so only 2 buns could be made in one go.
• Steam cook for 13 minutes. Likewise cook the entire batch.
• Take off from the steam and very gently remove the butter paper. Bao buns are ready.
• Fill them with the prepared stuffing.
• Top with carrot and capsicum Juliennes and white sesame seeds.

Notes

1. You can try this recipe with whole wheat flour as well.
2. We used Instant yeast which needed no prior activation. But if you are using Active Yeast, activate it first. Details are given here.
3. There is no hard and fast rule as to the stuffing.

Keyword steamed bao buns, vegan bao buns