Vietnamese Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Bánh Cam (Sesame Balls)
Deep-fried glutinous rice balls filled with sweet mung bean paste and coated in sesame seeds.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Crispy
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Make Filling: Steam the soaked mung beans until soft. Mash them into a smooth paste. In a non-stick pan, cook the paste with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp oil until it thickens and pulls away from the pan. Let cool, then roll into 1-inch balls.
- 2
Make Dough: Dissolve remaining 1/4 cup sugar in 3/4 cup warm water. In a bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, regular rice flour, and mashed potato. Gradually knead in the sweet water until a smooth, pliable dough forms. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- 3
Assemble: Pinch off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough. Flatten it into a disc, place a mung bean ball in the center, and carefully seal the dough around it, rolling it smoothly between your palms.
- 4
Coat in Sesame: Dip the balls briefly in water, then roll them generously in the white sesame seeds, pressing gently so the seeds adhere well.
- 5
Fry: Heat 2 inches of oil in a pot to 325°F (160°C). Carefully drop the balls in. They will sink initially.
- 6
Puff and Crisp: As they cook and float to the top, gently press them down with a spatula. Fry for 10-12 minutes until they expand, turn golden brown, and sound hollow when tapped. Drain and serve warm.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
71/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving245
Calories
6 g
Protein
45 g
Carbs
5 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Bánh cam is a Vietnamese fried sweet whose name means "orange cake," not because it contains orange, but because the finished ball is round, golden, and slightly craggy like the fruit. It is especially associated with southern Vietnamese snack stalls, where the crisp sesame shell, chewy rice dough, and sweet mung bean center are sold warm and eaten by hand.
Listahan note
This version keeps the dough soft with a little mashed boiled potato and uses a simple mung bean filling. The recipe prioritizes the frying rhythm: moderate oil, patient puffing, and gentle pressing so the balls expand without splitting.
Technique cues
- The dough should feel smooth and pliable, not dry or crumbly. Add the sweet water gradually because different rice flour brands hydrate at slightly different speeds.
- Cool the mung bean filling before shaping. Warm filling softens the dough from the inside and makes the sealed balls harder to roll evenly.
- The balls need time in the oil after they float. Gentle pressing helps them puff, cook through, and develop the hollow, crisp shell that defines good bánh cam.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Steam the mung beans first, then make the dough while the filling cooks down and cools.
- Make-ahead
- Shape the mung bean filling balls a day ahead and chill them covered; make and fry the dough the day you serve.
- Leftover move
- Split a leftover ball and warm it in a dry skillet until the cut side crisps, then serve it with hot tea.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Wipe the sticky mung bean pan while it is still warm, then handle the oil pot only after it has cooled enough to strain.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Glutinous (sweet) rice flour
Chewy dough base
Purpose: It gives bánh cam its stretchy, bouncy bite after frying.
Handling: Mix it with the rice flour and mashed potato before adding sweet water so the dough hydrates evenly.
Adaptation: Do not replace it with regular rice flour; the texture will turn firm and sandy instead of chewy.
Rice flour
Crispness support
Purpose: A small amount lightens the glutinous rice dough and helps the shell fry up crisper.
Handling: Blend it thoroughly into the dry mix so there are no chalky pockets in the dough.
Adaptation: If you skip it, the balls will still work but the crust may be softer and more elastic.
Mashed boiled potato
Dough softener
Purpose: It keeps the rice dough tender and helps the fried shell stay pleasant instead of tough.
Handling: Mash very smooth before mixing so no potato pieces break the surface of the dough.
Adaptation: Mashed sweet potato can work but will add color and a slightly sweeter, earthier flavor.
Split mung beans, soaked
Sweet filling
Purpose: Cooked mung beans mash into a dense, nutty paste that holds its shape inside the dough.
Handling: Steam until fully soft, then cook with sugar until the paste pulls away from the pan.
Adaptation: Prepared sweet mung bean paste can shorten the process if it is thick enough to roll into balls.
White sesame seeds
Toasted outer coating
Purpose: They give the crust its nutty aroma and the classic speckled sesame finish.
Handling: Press them gently onto the damp dough so they adhere before frying.
Adaptation: Black sesame seeds can be mixed in for a stronger toasted flavor and darker look.
Neutral oil for deep frying
Frying medium
Purpose: A clean-tasting oil lets the sesame and mung bean flavors come through.
Handling: Keep the oil at a moderate heat so the dough expands before the outside browns too fast.
Adaptation: Use another neutral high-heat oil if needed; strongly flavored oils can dominate the finished sweet.
Technique notes
- Seal each ball carefully with no thin spots. Any exposed filling can leak into the oil and scorch.
- Roll the coated balls between your palms after adding sesame seeds so the surface is even and the seeds are anchored.
- Fry in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature and makes the balls absorb more oil before they puff.
Ingredient swaps
- Faster filling path
- Use a thick prepared sweet mung bean paste and roll it into 1-inch balls before assembling.
- Potato backup
- Use a small amount of smooth mashed sweet potato in place of mashed boiled potato; expect a warmer color and sweeter dough.
- Sesame variation
- Mix white and black sesame seeds for a deeper toasted flavor and a more speckled crust.
Serve alongside
- Fresh mango with lime
- Goi cuon
- Che dau xanh
- Bun thit nuong
- Vietnamese iced coffee
- Hot jasmine tea
- Sugarcane juice
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Store cooled bánh cam in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; the crust will soften as it sits.
- Reheat in an air fryer or oven until warmed through and lightly crisp on the outside.
- Freeze after frying in a sealed container, thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat in an oven to bring back some crispness.
Equipment
- Steamer basket
- Non-stick pan
- Heavy pot for frying
- Spider strainer
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