These delicious Chinese Peanut Dumplings known as 角仔 (pronounced kok chai) in Chinese are eaten during Chinese New Year. They have a crispy exterior with a sweet peanut filling. All the families wrap these delicious dumplings and pass them out to wish friends and family a prosperous and happy lunar new year!
These kok chai are a Cantonese sweet treat that is enjoyed during Chinese New Year Celebrations. The shape resembles a Chinese gold ingot also known as a yuanbao. They are small metal ingots that were used in ancient China as money. To make the Peanut Dumplings extra delicious, make sure you roll out the skin on the thinner side to fill it up with more peanut filling. For a Chinese New Year feast, pair these with savory sides such as One Pot Hainanese Chicken and Chinese Cabbage Stir Fry.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Here’s a look at what you need to make these Chinese Peanut Dumplings at home. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.
Filling:
- Roasted peanuts – the base of the filling is peanuts for a crunchy and fragrant flavor. You can buy roasted peanuts for this recipe, but the ones I had were not.
- Roasted sesame seeds – sesame seeds provide really good fragrance and a little crunch.
- Sugar – Most Chinese desserts are ‘not too sweet’ meaning they taste light and not as indulgent. I recommend to give the filling a taste after you mix it to see if you need to add more sugar.
- Shredded coconut flakes – coconut flakes provide extra flavor, I highly recommend to add it. The coconut might be chunky, so try to blend it with the peanuts to make it smaller!
Dough:
- All-purpose flour – this type of flour provides a nice thin crust and mixes well with the lard.
- Pork lard or butter – this makes the dough extra flaky and fragrant. The oil adds layers to the crust (think croissant!).
- Egg – gives the dough a nice yellow color and adds more fat content to make it extra crunchy!
Instructions
Roast peanuts on a pan with some oil until golden brown (takes 10 minutes) on low medium heat. If your peanuts are already roasted, skip this step.
Put the peanuts and shredded coconut in the food processor and pulse a few times until it becomes crumbly BUT NOT POWDERY.
If you don’t have a food processor: place peanuts in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin. They should be very crumbly but not powdery.
Mix the crushed peanuts with sesame seeds and sugar. Then mix in with some shredded coconut if you haven’t already.
To make the dough: mix 250 grams all purpose flour, pork lard (can sub with softened butter), sugar, and salt, 1 egg and water.
Knead until the dough is smooth. Split the dough in half. Cover with a wet paper towel so it doesn’t get too dry.
Roll one of the doughs out until it’s very thin (⅛″thickness). Use a 2″-2 ½″ circle cookie cutter or a cup to make a round cut.
On the flat round surface, add 1 teaspoon filling.
Close the edges and make sure it’s all sealed shut. If you want to make a nice design, you can make these indents by pressing your thumb from the side. To make the circle design, add another dumpling on top and seal it shut. Then, do the thumb indents.
PRO TIP: It is very important that you seal these dumplings tightly. If it’s open, the sugar and peanut will spill out and ruin your oil (make it black).
Heat your oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry them in small batches. When golden brown, to flip them over when it gets golden on one side. Fry half of the batch for 5-8 minutes until it’s golden brown on both sides. Place them on a paper towel or on a wire rack to drip off the excess oil.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions if you don’t have a lot of the ingredients.
- Peanuts – you can replace with other types of nuts like cashews or almonds. Then, add more sesame seeds and shredded coconut.
- Use pre-bought dumpling skins – if you don’t want to make your own dough, you can use these this dumpling skin (so gok wraps) made by the New Hong Kong Noodle Co.
- Instead of pork lard, you can use unsalted butter to mix in with the dough.
Expert Tips
- Seal the the dumpling extra tight before making the design. If the dumpling bursts, the oil will get dark and you have to change the oil before frying the other dumplings.
- Blend the peanuts until they have the right crumbly texture! If the peanuts are too big, it’s hard to wrap plump peanut dumplings. If it’s too fine, there won’t be any crunchy texture in your peanut dumplings.
- After you make the dough, make sure to cover with plastic wrap or a wet paper towel. This way, your dough remains moist. If the dough is dried out, it will crack when wrapping or when frying. We don’t want any dumplings to burst during the frying process.
Recipe FAQ
Visit the search results to see which questions come up under the People also ask section for your primary keyword, and answer them here
I don’t recommend doing so. Frying the dough is the traditional way to cook them and makes the dumplings crunchy and flaky. The air fryer may not cook the dough evenly and make them chewy.
I don’t recommend to make them and freeze them. They are meant to be eaten fresh within a few weeks. I suggest to cook them all and place the extra cooked ones in the freezer and heat them back up in the oven or air fryer.
You can buy it at Mexican grocery stores like Northgate or you can buy pork belly and fry the pork fat on the pan at low medium heat.
I love to eat them while warm. However, they are meant to be eaten when cooled down and sent to loved ones. When cool, store them in a closed container or bag for up to 2 weeks.
More Chinese New Year Dishes:
- Steamed Fish with Scallion and Ginger – soft and succulent fish with giner and scallion sauce
- Stuffed Tofu with Shrimp – tender shrimp stuff in soft tofu is steamed to perfection.
- Chinese Stuffed Eggplant – is a flavorful dish where tender eggplant slices are filled with a savory mixture of meat or seafood, pan-fried until golden
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Chinese Peanut Dumpling (角仔)
Ingredients
Peanut Filling
- ¾ cup roasted peanuts crushed
- 2 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
- 1½ tablespoon sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoon shredded coconut
Dough
- 250 grams all purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- pinch salt
- 30 grams pork lard can sub with softened unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 90 grams water
Instructions
To make the filling:
- Roast peanuts on a pan with small bit of oil until golden brown (takes 10 minutes) on low medium heat. If your peanuts are already roasted, skip this step.
- Put the peanuts and shredded coconut in the food processor and pulse a few times until it becomes crumbly BUT NOT POWDERY.If you don't have a food processor: place peanuts in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin. They should be very crumbly but not powdery.
- Mix the crushed peanuts with sesame seeds and sugar. Then mix in with some shredded coconut if you haven’t already.
To make the dough:
- Mix 250 grams all purpose flour, pork lard (can sub with softened butter), sugar, and salt, 1 egg and 90 grams water
- Knead until the dough is smooth. Split the dough in half. Set one dough aside with a wet paper towel and use the other to roll out.
- Roll one of the doughs out until it’s very thin (⅛"thickness). Use a 2"-2 ½" circle cookie cutter or a cup to make a round cut.
Wrap the dumpling:
- On the flat round surface, add 1 teaspoon filling.
- Close the edges and make sure it’s all sealed shut. (optional) If you want to make a nice design, you can make these indents by pressing your thumb from the side.
Fry the dumpling:
- Get your oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry them in small batches. Flip them over when it gets golden on one side. Fry for 5-8 minutes until it’s golden brown on both sides.
- Place them on a paper towel or on a wire rack to drip off the excess oil.
- Eat while warm. Or cool them down and store them in a closed container or bag for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Seal the the dumpling extra tight before making the design. If the dumpling bursts, the oil will get dark and you have to change the oil before frying the other dumplings.
- Blend the peanuts until they have the right crumbly texture! If the peanuts are too big, it’s hard to wrap plump peanut dumplings. If it’s too fine, there won’t be any crunchy texture in your peanut dumplings.
- After you make the dough, make sure to cover with plastic wrap or a wet paper towel. This way, your dough remains moist. If the dough is dried out, it will crack when wrapping or when frying. We don’t want any dumplings to burst during the frying process.
Sam Lee says
A total must-try! These bite-sized dumplings are super fun to make, with a crispy outside and a sweet, nutty peanut filling that’s absolutely delicious. I’m already excited to make them again!