Apam Balik. A delicious Malaysian street food pancake filled with sweet creamed corn, peanuts, sugar and butter. Easy to make at home and indulgent! This is my dairy-free version of this cultural dessert but I also share how to make it with dairy.
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What is Apam Balik?
Apam Balik is a delicious South-East Asian sweet pancake filled with creamed corn, crunchy peanuts, and sugar! This dessert pancake has a sweet and slightly savoury taste thanks to the creamed corn. The sugar, butter and peanuts give it that extra sweetness and crunch to balance out the soft chewy pancake. This dessert is found in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Brunei. Apparently, this sweet pancake originates from China. This popular street food is sold at select food stands.
Every time, my husband and I visit Malaysia we always get this. He likes his apam balik crispy but today we are making the more chewy thicker version. Both are just as delicious! This recipe brings back childhood memories for him as he lived there when he was young. It reminds him of his sweet God mother who used to treat him to one of these every single time he returned.
Ingredients
- Dairy-free butter: if you're not dairy-free sub with regular butter
Batter
- All purpose flour
- Self rising flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Dry active yeast
- Vanilla extract
- White granulated sugar
- Egg
- Warm oat milk: or sub with dairy milk if you're not dairy-free
Filling
- White granulated sugar
- Crushed peanuts
- Canned sweet creamed corn
- Dairy-free butter: or regular butter
How to make Apam Balik
Create Batter
- In a large mixing bowl, sift and whisk all-purpose flour, self rising flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Then in a small bowl, mix together warm oat milk, dry yeast, vanilla extract and sugar. Allow yeast to melt completely.
- Pour the yeast milk into the dry ingredients and mix.
- Crack an egg into the batter and whisk again. Do not overmix.
Cover & Rest Batter
Cover the batter and allow it to rest for 30 minutes up to 1 hour if you have extra time.
Grease Pan
In a 10-inch pan set over medium-low heat, lightly grease it with butter or oil using a paper towel.
Pour in Batter
Ladle your batter into the pan and smooth it out into a circle.
Swirl the Batter
Then swirl the batter against the wall of the pan to create a "crust".
Cook until Bubbles Form
Cover the pan with a lid. Let this cook until bubbles form all over the pancake, about 2-3 minutes.
Adding Filling
Once the bubbles have formed, sprinkle a generous amount of sugar, creamed corn, peanuts and as much better as desired.
Cover & Cook
Cover the pan back with a lid for 2 minutes.
Fold
Then in the pan, fold one side over to create a semi-circle pancake.
Slice & Serve!
Slide onto a cutting board and slice in half with a sharp knife. Repeat this process for the remaining pancakes. Enjoy!
Other recipes you may like!
- Japanese Soufflé Pancakes
- Mochi Pancakes
- Pandan Custard Cake
- Hawaiian Butter Mochi
- Hong Kong French Toast
📖 Recipe
Apam Balik
Ingredients
- vegan butter or sub with normal butter for frying
Batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup self rising flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon dry yeast
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 500 ml oat milk warm (or sub with dairy milk)
Filling
- white granulated sugar as much as desired
- crushed peanuts as much as desired
- 1 cup creamed corn canned
- vegan butter or sub with normal butter
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, sift and whisk all-purpose flour, self rising flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Then in a small bowl, mix together warm oat milk, dry yeast, vanilla extract and sugar. Allow yeast to melt completely.
- Pour the yeast milk into the dry ingredients and mix.
- Crack an egg into the batter and whisk again. Do not overmix.
- Cover the batter and allow it to rest for 30 minutes up to 1 hour if you have extra time.
- In a 8 to 10-inch pan set over medium-low heat, lightly grease it with butter or oil using a paper towel.
- Ladle your batter into the pan and smooth it out into a circle.
- Then swirl the batter against the wall of the pan to create a "crust".
- Cover the pan with a lid. Let this cook until bubbles form all over the pancake, about 2-3 minutes.
- Once the bubbles have formed, sprinkle a generous amount of sugar, creamed corn, peanuts and as much better as desired.
- Cover the pan back with a lid for 2 minutes.
- Then in the pan, fold one side over to create a semi-circle pancake.
- Slide onto a cutting board and slice in half with a sharp knife. Repeat this process for the remaining pancakes. Enjoy!
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MinShien
Oh my gosh we grew up eating this! Can't wait to try! 🙂
Sergot Hans
This recipe is spot on. Reminds me when I used to work to malaysia
christieathome
Thank you so much!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
The crispy texture and the sweet flavors make this dish so tempting!
David
Can I use semi skimmed milk to substitute oat milk. I don't seem remember seeing oat milk selling on the shelf in the UK.
christieathome
Yes semi skimmed milk would work for this recipe. I hope you enjoy my recipe!