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    Home » Recipes » Dessert » Hanami Dango

    Hanami Dango

    Last Modified: March 12, 2021 - Published by: christieathome - Comments: 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Hanami Dango

    Hanami Dango. Chewy sweet, flavoured rice balls that come in three variations – strawberry, matcha and plain. A fun and delicious Japanese dessert that is simple to make at home!

    This is a great dessert to impress your guests or to get the kids involved as it is fun to roll out the dough balls. My simple dango recipe only requires only 4 ingredients, without the flavouring!

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    Dango mochi is easy to make!

    Japanese Hanami Dango is easily made with just 4 ingredients (without the flavouring) and about 30-45 minutes of your time, I am being generous with the latter time. Most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry except for water.

    If you want to keep these sweet dango dumplings super simple, skip the flavours and just make the plain sweet kind!

    Hanami Dango

    A Unique Dessert

    When I first heard of this Hanami dango recipe, my jaw dropped. Firstly, I was amused by how cute this dessert looks from the shape to the colours. Also, can we all agree that food on a stick always tastes better? I was so fascinated by this dessert that I knew I had to make my own version of it.

    So, I did lots of research for Hanami Dango and realized the best way to approach this was to keep it simple. This dessert is quite like mochi on a stick to be honest! The texture is very similar, but I personally think that Dango is chewier because it’s made with rice flour too unlike mochi which is just made with glutinous rice flour. The two ingredients are quite different in texture despite a very similar name.

    Should I use soft tofu?

    A lot of Hanami Dango recipes call for soft tofu to make it softer but I decided not to for the purposes of ease. I was able to achieve this dessert in just 4 ingredients that are mostly from your pantry except for water!

    Made from scratch

    In addition, many other recipes or videos will instruct you to use a dango mix but here in Canada, that is hard to find! So, I figured, let’s make it from scratch especially since it’s very few ingredients and they’re all pretty accessible.

    Where can I buy strawberry powder?

    This can be purchased at most whole foods stores but if you still can't find it, I purchased freeze dried strawberries at this link and blended them in the blender to make a powder.

    Hanami Dango

    Tips for making Dango

    • Whisk your dry ingredients well, especially if you decide to incorporate the flavouring powders. This allows for an even colouring of the balls. It is much harder to incorporate the flavour powders after you’ve formed the dough.
    • To make an even number of balls, roll out the dough into a long tube and then cut into half. Then line the two tubes together and slice it into 5 even pieces.
    • Pre-roll your balls and then roll them again just before boiling. This will give you a more even sphere.
    • Once your balls hit the water, give it a quick stir with a spatula to prevent it from sticking to the pot as they will sink to the bottom.
    • Once the balls have floated to the top and are cooked in the center, quickly rinse them under cold water and keep the balls separate from each other on a slightly wet plate or a parchment lined plate to prevent the balls from sticking.
    • When the balls are cool enough to handle, use chopsticks or a skewer and push them through and don’t worry about the wooden stick getting sticky with green matcha dough. This is normal and it’ll get covered by the white and strawberry ball.
    Hanami Dango

    FAQ about these sweet dumplings

    What is dango?

    Dango is a Japanese dessert made of chewy rice balls that consist of rice flour, glutinous rice flour, icing sugar and water. Sometimes they are flavoured with flavour powders like matcha and strawberry.  Other times they come with a dango sauce.

    What does hanami dango taste like?

    Dango tastes like a sweet chewy sticky rice ball. Sometimes it is flavoured with strawberry or matcha powder or even with a sauce.

    What is dango made of?

    Dango is made of consist of rice flour, glutinous rice flour, icing sugar and water. Some recipes call for soft tofu.

    Is mochi and Dango the same?

    They are similar but they are not the same. Dango is made with rice flour and glutinous rice flour whereas mochi is made with just glutinous rice flour.

    Is Dango eaten warm or cold?

    Dango can be eaten warm or cold. Both ways are delicious!

    dango

    For this recipe

    You will need the following dango ingredients:

    • 1 ½ cup glutinous rice flour
    • 1 cup rice flour
    • ¾ cup icing sugar
    • 1 cup + 6 tsp water

    Optional:

    • 1 tbsp strawberry powder
    • ¾ tsp matcha powder

    Required: 10 wooden skewers

    How to make Hanami Dango

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, rice flour, icing sugar.

    Once dry ingredients are well combined divide into three separate bowls at equal portions. Tip: Use a kitchen scale to help you with this or divide the into about 1 cup each.

    Optional: Into one of the bowls, whisk into matcha powder. In another bowl, whisk in strawberry powder. Leave one bowl plain without any flavouring.

    Into each bowl, add ⅓ cup + 2 tsp of water and mix well until it forms a dough that you can work with. It should wet enough that it comes together but also dry enough that it stays intact and doesn’t stick all over your fingers.

    Knead the dough into a ball, then into a long tube. Cut the tube into half and then line the tubes together, slicing the tubes into 5 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a sphere. Repeat this process for your other pieces of dough.

    Hanami Dango

    Bring a large pot of hot water to boil and then reduce to medium high heat. Before carefully lowering each ball into the pot, give it a quick roll to make it circular again as the balls will flatten on your working surface. After adding your balls to the water, make sure to give them a quick stir. You may need to do this in batches due to the second rolling.

    Boil for 7-8 minutes until they float and until the inside is cooked. Strain and rinse the balls under cold water and strain. Place them on parchment paper.

    Once they are cool to touch, skewer 1 of each colour onto your stick.  There should be 3 balls per stick.  Enjoy warm or cold!

    To store:

    Store in the fridge in an airtight container and they should last 3-4 days. To make them softer again, you can re-boil them for a few minutes to enjoy.

    Give it a try!

    Well, I hope you give my Hanami Dango a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

    Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed my Japanese dango recipe, please share it with your family and friends or on social media!

    Take a picture if you've made my Hanami Dango and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!

    Made this recipe and loved it?

    If you could leave a star rating for my dango Japanese recipe, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Take care,
    Christie

    *This post for my Japanese sweet dumplings recipe contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    dango

    Easy Hanami Dango

    christieathome
    Hanami Dango. Chewy sweet, flavoured rice balls that come in three variations – strawberry, matcha and plain. A fun and delicious Japanese dessert that is simple to make at home! This is a great dessert to impress your guests or to get the kids involved as it is fun to roll out the dough balls. My simple dango recipe only requires only 4 ingredients, without the flavouring!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 10 skewers
    Calories per serving 182 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cup glutinous rice flour
    • 1 cup rice flour
    • ¾ cup icing sugar
    • 1 cup + 6 tsp water

    Optional

    • 1 tbsp strawberry powder
    • ¾ tsp matcha powder

    Instructions
     

    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, rice flour, icing sugar.
    • Once dry ingredients are well combined divide into three separate bowls at equal portions. Tip: Use a kitchen scale to help you with this or divide the into about 1 cup each.
    • Optional: Into one of the bowls, whisk into matcha powder. In another bowl, whisk in strawberry powder. Leave one bowl plain without any flavouring.
    • Into each bowl, add ⅓ cup + 2 tsp of water and mix well until it forms a dough that you can work with. It should wet enough that it comes together but also dry enough that it stays intact and doesn’t stick all over your fingers.
    • Knead the dough into a ball, then into a long tube. Cut the tube into half and then line the tubes together, slicing the tubes into 5 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a sphere. Repeat this process for your other pieces of dough.
    • Bring a large pot of hot water to boil and then reduce to medium high heat. Before carefully lowering each ball into the pot, give it a quick roll to make it circular again as the balls will flatten on your working surface. After adding your balls to the water, make sure to give them a quick stir. You may need to do this in batches due to the second rolling.
    • Boil for 7-8 minutes until they float and until the inside is cooked. Strain and rinse the balls under cold water and strain. Place them on parchment paper.
    • Once they are cool to touch, skewer 1 of each colour onto your stick. There should be 3 balls per stick. Enjoy warm or cold!

    Notes

    Store in the fridge in an airtight container and they should last 3-4 days. To make them softer again, you can re-boil them for a few minutes to enjoy.
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    wooden skewers
    Mixing bowl
    Measuring Set
    Whisk
    Santoku Knife
    Cutting Board
    Large Pot 5 Qt
    Nutrition
    Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine Japanese
    Keyword dango dumplings, dango food, dango ingredients, dango japanese, dango mix, dango mochi, dango recipe, dango vs mochi, hanami dango, how to make dango, japanese dango recipe, japanese dessert recipe, mochi on a stick, sweet dumplings, sweet dumplings japanese, sweet dumplings recipe, what does dango taste like, what is dango, what is dango made of
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle | Sift & Simmer

      March 03, 2021 at 2:26 pm

      5 stars
      These dango are so cute with all the various flavours and colours!

      Reply
    2. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      March 08, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      The texture and the playful colors of these tasty little treats are so fun! What a fabulous dessert idea!

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

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