There are baked goods that are good and there are baked goods like these Vegan Custard Buns — the kind that come out of the oven so impossibly soft and so perfectly golden and so filled with thick, cold, vanilla-scented custard cream that the moment you pull the first one apart and the custard spills slowly toward the edges and the steam rises from the pillowy dough and the smell of butter and vanilla fills every corner of your kitchen, you understand immediately that you have made something genuinely extraordinary. This is that baked good. The one that makes people stop what they are doing and come to the kitchen without being called. The one that proves that vegan baking is not a category of limitation but a category of infinite possibility — because these buns are so soft, so rich, and so deeply satisfying that not a single person eating one would believe they are made entirely without dairy or eggs.
Custard buns — called Nai Wong Bao in Cantonese and beloved across East and Southeast Asia — are a dim sum staple: pillowy steamed or baked buns made from an enriched dough and filled with a thick, smooth, deeply vanilla-flavored custard cream that is slightly sweet, slightly rich, and so perfectly balanced that it has been making people reach for a second bun for generations. The baked version, with its golden, slightly glazed exterior and soft, pillowy crumb, is particularly beloved — the contrast between the golden crust and the cold, silky custard inside is one of the great textural pleasures of Asian pastry.
This vegan version uses a tangzhong-enriched dough — a Japanese technique of cooking a small portion of the flour and liquid together into a paste before adding it to the dough — to produce buns with an extraordinary softness and moisture that lasts for days after baking. The custard filling is made from plant milk, cornstarch, vegan butter, turmeric for color, and vanilla, producing a filling that is thick, smooth, golden, and deeply flavored — so close to traditional egg custard that the difference is genuinely imperceptible.
This recipe is 100% vegan, naturally dairy-free, egg-free, ready in about 3 hours (including rise time), and produces buns so genuinely spectacular that they are worthy of any occasion from a weekend dim sum spread to a birthday morning treat.
Recipe Information
| Prep Time | Rise Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 mins | 90 mins | 18 mins | ~3 hrs | 12 buns | ~240 kcal |
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong (water roux)
- 3 tbsp (24g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120ml) unsweetened oat milk or soy milk
For the Enriched Dough
- 2¾ cups (330g) bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup (50g) caster sugar
- 2¼ tsp (7g / 1 packet) instant yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (120ml) unsweetened oat milk or soy milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
- 3 tbsp (40g) vegan butter, softened
- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes)
- All of the tangzhong (from above)
For the Vegan Custard Filling
- 1½ cups (360ml) unsweetened oat milk or soy milk
- ⅓ cup (65g) caster sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) cornstarch
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric (for the golden custard color — undetectable in flavor)
- Pinch of salt
For the Glaze
- 2 tbsp oat milk or plant milk
- 1 tsp maple syrup or agave
Instructions
Make the Custard Filling (do this first — it must chill completely)
- Whisk together the oat milk, sugar, cornstarch, turmeric, and salt in a medium saucepan until completely smooth with no lumps. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly and without stopping, until the mixture thickens dramatically and large, slow bubbles erupt from the surface. Once bubbling, whisk vigorously for exactly 2 minutes — this fully cooks the starch and ensures the custard sets firmly when chilled.
- Remove from the heat immediately. Whisk in the vegan butter and vanilla extract until fully combined and the custard is silky, smooth, and glossy.
- Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard so no air touches it — this prevents a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until completely cold, thick, and scoopable. The custard will firm up significantly as it chills — this is exactly what you want for easy filling.
Make the Tangzhong
- Whisk the flour and oat milk together in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a soft, glossy paste that leaves tracks when the whisk is dragged through it — about 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. The tangzhong can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
Make the Dough
- Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm milk, flax egg, softened vegan butter, and all of the cooled tangzhong. Mix on low speed (or stir with a wooden spoon) until a shaggy dough forms, then increase to medium speed and knead for 10–12 minutes until the dough is very smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky — it should clear the sides of the bowl and spring back slowly when pressed. Tangzhong doughs are softer and stickier than standard doughs; resist the temptation to add more flour.
- First rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 60–90 minutes until doubled in size.
Shape and Fill the Buns
- Divide and shape. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 equal portions (about 55g each for consistency). Working one at a time, flatten each portion into a round approximately 10cm (4 inches) in diameter, thinner at the edges and slightly thicker in the center.
- Fill. Place a generous tablespoon (about 25g) of the cold custard filling in the center of each round. Gather the edges up and around the filling, pinching firmly to seal completely — make sure there are no gaps or the custard will leak during baking. Place sealed-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining portions, leaving 5cm between each bun.
- Second rise. Cover the shaped buns loosely with a clean kitchen towel or lightly oiled plastic wrap and leave to puff for 30–40 minutes. The buns will not double in size but should look noticeably puffier and the dough should feel airy when gently pressed.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) during the second rise.
- Glaze and bake. Mix the oat milk and maple syrup together and brush gently over the tops of the puffed buns — a light, even coat produces a beautiful golden finish without weighing the buns down. Bake for 15–18 minutes until the tops are deep golden and the buns feel light and hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool slightly before serving. Allow the buns to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving — the custard inside will be very hot straight from the oven. Buns are best eaten warm, within the first 2 hours of baking, when the exterior is still slightly crisp and the custard is warm and silky inside.
Pro Tips
- Do not skip the tangzhong — this cooked flour paste is the single technique that produces the extraordinary softness of Asian-style enriched buns. Skipping it produces a good bun; including it produces an exceptional one that stays soft for 2–3 days after baking.
- Chill the custard thoroughly before filling — cold custard is firm and scoopable and stays put while you seal the buns. Warm custard is runny and makes the filling and sealing steps messy and difficult. The colder, the better.
- Seal the buns very firmly — any gap in the seam will allow the custard to leak during baking, producing custard on the pan rather than inside the bun. Pinch the seam together, then press and pinch again. Place sealed-side down to give gravity extra help.
- Brush the glaze gently — press too hard and you deflate the puffed buns. Use a light touch and apply the glaze in one smooth stroke per bun rather than painting back and forth.
The Tangzhong Technique
Tangzhong — also called water roux or yudane depending on the specific technique — is a method of pre-cooking a small portion of the flour and liquid in a bread recipe to gelatinize its starches before incorporating it into the main dough. When flour is heated with liquid, its starch granules absorb water and swell in a process called gelatinization — and this pre-gelatinized starch, when added to the main dough, allows the finished bread to hold significantly more moisture than it could without it. The result is a bread or bun with an exceptionally soft, pillowy, cotton-like crumb that does not stale as quickly as standard yeasted bread, because the gelatinized starches continue to hold moisture over time. The technique is fundamental to Japanese milk bread (Hokkaido bread), Taiwanese pineapple cakes, and the entirety of Chinese bakery bun culture — and once you bake with it, it is impossible to go back to doughs made without it.
Flavor Variations
- Taro Custard Buns: Replace 2 tablespoons of the oat milk in the custard with 2 tablespoons of taro powder for a purple, lightly sweet, earthily flavored custard that is a beloved dim sum variation.
- Matcha Custard Buns: Add 1½ teaspoons of matcha powder to the custard filling for a vibrant green, slightly bitter, beautifully flavored custard that is stunning against the golden bun exterior.
- Chocolate Custard Buns: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the custard along with the cornstarch for a deeply chocolate filling in the soft bun shell.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Bun)
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fiber | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~240 kcal | 5g | 38g | 1g | 8g |
Storage
- Best eaten the day they are baked — the buns are at their absolute best warm from the oven when the exterior is slightly crisp and the custard is silky and warm inside.
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–8 minutes to restore softness and revive the custard.
- Freezer: Freeze fully baked buns individually in freezer-safe bags for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before serving. The texture after freezing is very slightly denser but still excellent.
- Unbaked shaped buns: Cover and refrigerate after shaping (before the second rise) for up to 12 hours. Remove 45 minutes before baking to allow for the second rise and to take the chill off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I steam these buns instead of baking?
Yes — steaming produces the classic Cantonese nai wong bao with a pure white, ultra-soft exterior. Place the shaped buns in a bamboo steamer or on a steaming rack lined with parchment, cover, and steam over boiling water for 12–15 minutes. The texture is even softer and more pillowy than the baked version, though it lacks the golden exterior.
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry?
Yes — if using instant yeast, you can add it directly to the dry ingredients without proofing it in warm liquid first. The rise times may be slightly shorter. Use the same quantity (2¼ tsp).
My buns leaked custard — what went wrong?
Leaking custard is almost always caused by an improperly sealed seam. Make sure to pinch the dough firmly together at the seam, then fold and press the pinched area flat before placing the bun sealed-side down. A second seal never hurts. Also ensure the custard is fully cold before filling — warm custard makes the dough slippery and harder to seal.
Why is there turmeric in the custard?
Traditional custard buns get their golden color from egg yolks. Without eggs, the custard would be pale and white rather than the characteristic golden yellow that signals custard. A small amount of turmeric — completely undetectable in flavor — provides that golden color authentically. It is purely cosmetic and can be omitted if preferred.
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