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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Shiitake Mushroom Vegan Bao Buns

    LAST UPDATED: January 26, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: July 25, 2018

    Shiitake Mushroom Vegan Bao Buns

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Bao Buns

    Fluffy steamed buns are slathered in hoisin sauce and stuffed with tender shiitake mushrooms in sweet and savory garlic sauce, quick pickled veggies and crunchy peanuts to make these scrumptious vegan bao buns!

    Overhead View of a Steamer Filled with Three Shiitake Mushroom Vegan Bao Buns

    I've been sitting on this recipe for over a year. And that's kind of a shame because these buns are so good!

    So why the wait? Well, I guess I haven't been sitting on the entire recipe. I developed the recipe for the shiitake mushroom filling last summer after spotting frozen bao buns (that just happened to be vegan!) at an Asian market. Sometimes I do that: I see some hard-to-find ingredient that I've been longing for and develop a recipe around it only to realize most people won't be able to get ahold of it and won't get to make the recipe.

    In this case, fortunately, that ingredient was one you can make yourself. I just needed to develop a bun recipe to go with my filling.

    Close Up of Shiitake Mushroom Vegan Bao Buns

    If you can get your hands on some frozen vegan buns and just want to make the filling, go for it. The whole process of making these will be a lot easier.

    But if you can't, fear not: making your own vegan steamed buns at home really isn't that tough.

    The buns start with a yeast dough that's not that much different from one you might use to bake bread. To make the dough, dissolve some yeast in warm water and let it sit while you mix up some flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the liquid to the yeast and form your dough.

    You'll knead the dough for a bit until it's smooth and elastic, then, just like with bread dough, let it rise until it's about doubled in size.

    Collage Showing Steps for Making Dough For Vegan Bao Buns: Mix Yeast with Warm Water, Add Yeast Mixture to Dry Ingredients to Form a Dough, and Knead Dough By Hand

    Split your dough up and roll it into balls. Then, roll each ball into a little circle with a rolling pin.

    Collage Showing Steps for Shaping Dough to Make Vegan Bao Buns: Roll Dough Into Balls, Flatten with Hand, and Roll with Rolling Pin

    Fold and steam your buns until they're soft and fluffy.

    Collage Showing Steps for Steaming Vegan Bao Buns: Place Buns on Parchment Paper in Steamer, Cover, and Steam

    While the dough rises, prepare some quick pickled veggies. Toss some cucumber, carrots and jalapeño slices in a zippy rice vinegar marinade.

    Hand Stirring Ingredients For Pickled Veggies Together in a Bowl

    And finally, prepare the shiitake mushroom filling. Slice the mushrooms nice and thin, so you can pile a bunch into your buns after they're cooked.

    Briefly brown the mushrooms for a few minutes on each side, then add some sauce. Let it cook for a few more minutes, until the sauce forms a thick, sticky coating on the mushrooms.

    Collage Showing Steps For Cooking Mushrooms For Making Vegan Bao Buns: Brown Mushrooms With Oil, Add Sauce, and Simmer Until Sauce Thickens

    To serve, slather the steamed buns with hoisin sauce, then stuff with the mushroom filling, pickled veggies, peanuts, scallions and cilantro.

    Hand Holding a Shiitake Mushroom Vegan Bao Bun

    Tips For Making Delicious Vegan Bao Buns

    • If you want to use premade buns, look for them in the freezer section of an Asian market.
    • And if you are using premade buns, check the ingredients to ensure they're vegan. I checked out a bunch of brands and most of them contained dairy.
    • If you make your own buns, you'll need a bamboo steamer. I love mine and use it to steam all kinds of other things like veggies and dumplings.
    • Maybe you noticed that this recipe is a bit of a project. It is! To save time on the day of making it, prepare the sauce and pickled veggies up to a day ahead of time. You can also make the buns a day ahead, or make them well in advance and freeze them.

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Overhead View of a Steamer Filled with Three Shiitake Mushroom Vegan Bao Buns
    5 from 11 votes
    Print

    Shiitake Mushroom Vegan Bao Buns

    Fluffy steamed buns are slathered in hoisin sauce and stuffed with tender shiitake mushrooms in sweet and savory garlic sauce, quick pickled veggies and crunchy peanuts to make these scrumptious vegan bao buns!

    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American, Asian-Inspired
    Prep Time 40 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Resting time 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
    Servings 10 buns
    Calories 349 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    For the Buns

    • 1 packet (1 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
    • 1 cup warm water
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ tablespoons organic granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

    For the Pickled Veggies

    • ¼ cup water
    • ¼ cup rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ medium cucumber, julienne cut
    • 1 medium carrot julienne cut
    • 1 medium jalapeño pepper, sliced

    For the Mushroom Filling

    • ⅓ cup soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 2 teaspoons sambal oelek, or to taste (optional)
    • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
    • 3 tablespoons canola oil (or high heat oil of choice)
    • 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced into thin strips

    For Serving

    • 10 tablespoons hoisin sauce
    • ½ cup chopped peanuts
    • ½ cup chopped scallions
    • ½ cup fresh cilantro

    Instructions

    Prepare the Dough

    1. Whisk together the water and yeast in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Let it sit for a few minutes while you prepare your dry ingredients.

    2. Stir the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl. 

    3. Stir 1 tablespoon of oil into the yeast and water mixture, then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir to form a soft dough.

    4.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it for about 7-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

    5. Lightly oil a medium bowl, roll the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with a towel and place it in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

    To Make the Pickled Veggies

    1. While the dough rises, mix the water, vinegar, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the veggies and allow the mixture to sit while you make the filling and finish making the buns.

    To Make the Mushrooms

    1. Stir the soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, sambal oelek, and liquid smoke together in a small bowl.

    2. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place it over medium heat.

    3. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms in an even layer. Cook the mushrooms for about 4 minutes, flip and cook 4 minutes more, until lightly browned.

    4. Add the sauce to the skillet and flip a few times to coat the mushrooms. Allow them to continue cooking until the sauce is thick and forms a sticky coating, about 3 minutes more.

    5. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the mushrooms to a plate.

    To Steam the Buns

    1. Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it in half. Remove half from the bowl and divide it into fifths.

    2. Roll one of the fifths into a ball, then flatten it with your hand.

    3. Use a rolling pin to roll the ball into a 4-5 inch round. Brush the top with oil, fold it in half, and transfer it to a piece of parchment paper (I like to to place the parchment paper in the steamer, so I don't have to move it again later). Make sure not to crowd the dough rounds.

    4. Repeat for the remaining pieces of dough, then remove the other half of the dough from the bowl and repeat. You should have 10 rounds.

    5. Cover the dough rounds and let them rest for 15 minutes. 

    6. Transfer the parchment rounds to the bamboo steamer if they're not already there. They may not all fit — just work in batches of that's the case. 

    7. Layer the tiers in your steamer, place the lid on it, and place it over a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil and steam the buns for 8 minutes.

    8. Very carefully remove the lid and remove the buns from the steamer. 

    To Serve

    1. Slather the insides of the buns with hoisin sauce, then stuff with mushrooms, pickled veggies, peanuts, scallions and cilantro. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    Steamed buns recipe loosely adapted from BBC GoodFood.

    Nutrition Facts
    Shiitake Mushroom Vegan Bao Buns
    Amount Per Serving (1 bun)
    Calories 349 Calories from Fat 113
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12.6g19%
    Saturated Fat 1.3g7%
    Sodium 1204mg50%
    Potassium 318mg9%
    Carbohydrates 51.6g17%
    Fiber 3.7g15%
    Sugar 12.6g14%
    Protein 8.1g16%
    Calcium 40mg4%
    Iron 2.9mg16%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Jamaican Jerk Tofu Bowls
    Easy Summer Vegetable Soup »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kari says

      July 25, 2018 at 12:59 pm

      I like these buns. Never thought of making something like this. They remind me of the flatbread from Subway, but they look much better. We make our dumplings by steaming them, so I have a sense of how the texture will be -darn good! :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 27, 2018 at 4:46 pm

        The texture is a lot like steamed dumplings! I hope you give them a try and enjoy them!

        Reply
    2. Celeste says

      July 26, 2018 at 12:08 pm

      Do you have suggestions for things to use if you do t have a bamboo steamer?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 27, 2018 at 4:41 pm

        You might be able to get away with using a metal steamer basket. I'd use one that's as large as possible, line it with parchment paper, and just be really careful when arranging the buns to avoid them sticking together. I'd love to hear how it works out if you try!

        Reply
        • Celeste says

          September 09, 2018 at 10:47 am

          5 stars
          So, I bought the bamboo steamer and I love it! But, my buns didn’t come out fluffy like yours. They were flat and dense. Any ideas on what I might have done wrong? Everything else was so delicious, and I’d like to nail these buns!

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            September 09, 2018 at 8:56 pm

            My best guess is that either the yeast is dated, or it just needed more time to rise, which could be the case if your kitchen is on the cooler side. Did the dough take a long time to double when you let it rise? That would be a good indication that the kitchen is too cool. Old baking powder could also contribute to them not rising - test it by sprinkling some in a glass of water. It should fizz - if not, time to toss it! I hope that helps! And I'm really glad you enjoyed everything else!

            Reply
    3. A.H. says

      August 06, 2018 at 11:29 pm

      Is there a gluten-free option for the buns? Otherwise, I'll have to pass on this delicious-looking recipe :( Thx.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 12, 2018 at 11:05 am

        I'm afraid I'm not sure how I'd go about making this one gluten-free, but here's a recipe for gluten-free buns that could easily be veganized: https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/gluten-free-steamed-buns-recipe Just use a non-dairy milk and vegan butter. :)

        Reply
      • Elena says

        February 16, 2020 at 5:05 pm

        https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/chinese-steamed-buns-mantou-gluten-free-vegan/
        this one is really nice and very simple to make

        Reply
    4. Bethery says

      August 07, 2018 at 1:44 pm

      This looks wa wa oo!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 12, 2018 at 11:03 am

        Thanks Bethery!!

        Reply
    5. Jerry says

      August 09, 2018 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so good! Can't wait to try and make this bread on my own - thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 12, 2018 at 11:00 am

        Thanks Jerry!! I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    6. Ann says

      August 23, 2018 at 9:55 am

      I don’t have a bamboo steamer. Do you think I could use my instant pot, on the steam setting?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 26, 2018 at 8:34 pm

        I think that would work, but I don't have an instant pot so I can't say for sure. I'd love to hear how it works out if you try!

        Reply
    7. James says

      October 08, 2018 at 9:58 pm

      Do you know if it's possible to freeze the dough? It would be great to make a big batch of these bao buns rather than have to make them especially everytime. It's so annoying that most of the off-the-shelf buns are not vegan!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 14, 2018 at 9:03 pm

        I haven't tried freezing this, but I will for sure with my next batch! I've had luck freezing other yeasted doughs though, so I think it will work. :)

        Reply
    8. Dorothy says

      October 19, 2018 at 7:43 am

      5 stars
      This has become one of my favorite recipes, I have made these three times now and plan on making them many more times. Your blog is my holy grail, 85% of my meals are made from your recipes. Awesome job!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 21, 2018 at 11:38 am

        I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks so much Dorothy!

        Reply
    9. Sara Rose says

      February 06, 2019 at 1:06 pm

      When I made these, the buns became a little too puffy (still tasted amazing) but I hardly had any room for the veggie filling. Do you have any tips to make them thinner with more room in the middle?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 08, 2019 at 6:39 pm

        You could try cutting down on the amount of baking powder, or even cutting it out completely. The yeast should provide enough air for the buns to rise - the baking powder is in there to make them extra puffy!

        Reply
        • Sara Rose says

          February 10, 2019 at 11:38 pm

          Thank you for the reply!! I’ll be sure to try this next time I make these! (Which I’m sure will be soon as they are AMAZING!!!)

          Reply
    10. Akhoda says

      March 25, 2019 at 6:11 am

      At what point would you freeze the dough ?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 25, 2019 at 4:33 pm

        I'd do it after step 5, and then maybe give it a bit of extra time to rise after it's thawed out.

        Reply
    11. Malena says

      April 07, 2019 at 3:45 am

      Hi! I've made these twice and they've come out absolutely divine every time! My only question is regarding the sauce: in the beginning of the post and in the beginning of the recipe card, you write that the mushrooms are slathered in a "garlic ginger sauce", but I can't seem to find any mention of ginger in the recipe steps nor the ingredient list. Am I misunderstanding something? :) Either way, they taste great without ginger, too!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 07, 2019 at 5:10 pm

        Lol. Whoops! I guess that'll teach me not to write those blurbs before the recipe is finalized! I just updated them (and confirmed with my recipe notes) - no ginger. I'm so glad you've been enjoying them!

        Reply
    12. Steffano says

      May 17, 2019 at 4:46 pm

      WOW, this is a recipe I will definitely enjoy (now that I'm a vegetarian). I got my shiitakes from https://www.burmaspice.com/ and the quality is amazing. THANK YOU so much for this.

      Reply
    13. Megan says

      June 10, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      The mushrooms in this recipe - wow! They are so delicious. I could not stop eating them. The amount of liquid smoke in this recipe is perfect. I will be making these again for sure!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 16, 2019 at 2:25 pm

        I'm so glad you like it! Thanks so much Morgan!

        Reply
    14. J. A. says

      December 02, 2019 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      ermygawwwwd these are great! I cheated with frozen bao buns from the grocery store, but I can vouch for the deliciousness of the mushrooms and the picked veggies. So glad I found your blog, thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 08, 2019 at 10:57 am

        Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! I've cheated and used frozen buns on occasion myself. :)

        Reply
    15. Hilary Martin says

      December 18, 2019 at 12:19 pm

      I have some bao buns in the freezer and am excited to try this recipe! Would it be good with (rehydrated) dried shitakes or are fresh advisable?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 22, 2019 at 9:09 pm

        My personal preference for this recipe is fresh, just because they're more tender, but dried and rehydrated should work just fine!

        Reply
    16. J Adams says

      December 30, 2019 at 6:24 pm

      5 stars
      Just made these and they're fantastic.
      For those without a steamer here's what I did:
      Grab the biggest (radius) pot you've got that has a lid , scrunch up three balls of tinfoil (about the size of a golf ball) and put a plate on top, I used a side plate. Fill with water until it's underneath the plate and then follow the instructions above. Whether there should be a gap or not I'm not 100% sure, I figured a bamboo steamer isn't going to be 100% sealed so left a bit of a gap.

      Absolutely perfect.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 05, 2020 at 4:43 pm

        Great idea! Thanks so much for sharing your method. I'm so glad you enjoyed these!

        Reply
    17. Ingrid says

      January 13, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this was truly amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe, this definitely goes into my staple go-to recipes. The pickled veggies turned out perfectly sour-sweet to go with the sauce and buns.

      Just a few notes to self or tips to others: I couldn't find any sambal oelek, so I substituted with 2 tbs of Sriacha sauce. Could maybe have added a few dried chilies as well for some more heat. And shiitake mushroms weren't availiable either, so I used a mixture of pleos mushroom, oyster mushroom and champignons. Also, I rinsed all the mushrooms first and then gave them a good 20 minutes over high heat to get out all the water, before frying them. I find this gives the mushrooms a firmer and "meatier" texture. I guess this sauce would work well with other types of mushrooms as well.

      Thanks again!

      Reply
    18. Ludy Fredriksson says

      January 17, 2020 at 2:14 am

      Hi,
      I made this last night as our dinner. My husband and daughter like it so much. My daughter even asked me to make it again in her birthday. The recipe for the dough is for keeps. Thanks for blessing us with your recipe.

      Reply
    19. Heather says

      April 17, 2020 at 9:56 pm

      Thanks for this! This recipe is definitely a keeper! Fun and easy to make alone and with friends.
      I found the sauce to be very rich! So amazing that I forgot all about moderation and ran out of shiitake filling before everything else. The sauce was powerful enough that next time I might just use 20+ oz of mushrooms instead of 1 lb.
      I actually tried this steamed bun recipe when I cooked alone, and later when cooking with friends bought a bao dry mix from the Asian market, thinking it would save time (only 10-min rise) and be "authentic". This recipe was way better, I guess there's really something about DIY yeast and leavening.

      Reply
    20. Kay M says

      April 11, 2021 at 9:42 pm

      Any way to make these without oil? I have a client who medically cannot eat any fat.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 12, 2021 at 9:11 am

        You might be able to just leave it out of the dough - the buns might be a bit drier but otherwise fine, I think. For the filling I'd try roasting the mushrooms without oil - maybe use a method like this one: https://theplantbasedcatholic.com/2020/04/30/oil-free-roasted-mushrooms/ - then heat them in a skillet with the sauce. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try!

        Reply
    21. Kimberly says

      January 25, 2022 at 10:02 pm

      Any suggestions for how to keep the flavor but lower the sodium?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 29, 2022 at 3:42 pm

        Most of the sodium comes from soy sauce, so you could try using a reduced sodium variety.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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