Eight-Treasure Puddings

A traditional Chinese dessert featuring sticky rice studded with eight different treasures including dried fruits, nuts, and sweet red beans. The pudding is steamed to perfection and garnished with a sweet fruit syrup.

8 servings

3 hr 1 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•2¼ cups sticky rice
•1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil
•3½ cups cold water
•½ cup Chinese rock sugar pieces
•⅓ cup dried pitted Chinese jujubes
•8 whole pitted prunes
•8 whole dried apricots
•3 tablespoons dried sour cherries
•3 tablespoons candied orange peel
•8 halves walnuts
•8 teaspoons sweet red beans
•equipment

Cooking Instructions

1.
Rinse rice in a large sieve under cold running water until water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice, oil, and 2 cups cold water in cake pan.
10 min
2.
Put 1/2 inch of water in a 12-inch-wide pot or deep skillet. Set a metal rack (or a few metal cookie cutters) in bottom of pot, then set cake pan (with rice) on rack and bring water to a boil. Cover pot and steam over high heat, checking water level occasionally and adding more water if necessary, until rice is cooked, about 40 minutes. Carefully remove pan and cool to room temperature.
40 min
3.
Meanwhile, bring remaining 1 1/2 cups cold water to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan with rock sugar, jujubes, prunes, apricots, cherries, and orange peel, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until fruit is very soft and liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 45 minutes. Stir in walnuts and simmer 1 minute. Immediately drain in a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl, reserving syrup and fruit separately. Remove walnuts from fruit and set aside.
46 min
4.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. 3Lightly oil custard cups and a 1/3-cup measure. Put 1 walnut half in bottom of each cup, then spoon 2 tablespoons mixed fruit (per cup) on top, spreading evenly around bottom of each cup. Drizzle 1 teaspoon reserved fruit syrup over fruit in each cup, then press 1/3 cup rice (per cup) on top of fruit with dampened fingertips. Using your fingertips or back of a small spoon, make a small indentation in rice and fill with 1 teaspoon red beans (per cup), leaving at least a 1/2-inch border of rice. Drizzle 1 teaspoon fruit syrup over each rice pudding, then cover with 2 tablespoons rice (dip measuring spoon in water before measuring rice to prevent sticking). Using a small piece of plastic wrap, press rice in cups to flatten surface. Discard wrap.
20 min
5.
Arrange cups in roasting pan. Oil a sheet of heavy-duty foil, then cover pan with foil (oiled side down) and seal tightly. Bake in a water bath 1 hour, then let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge of each cup to loosen rice, then invert each pudding onto a dish. Drizzle with remaining fruit syrup.
65 min

Ingredients

•2¼ cups sticky rice

•1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil

•3½ cups cold water

•½ cup Chinese rock sugar pieces

•⅓ cup dried pitted Chinese jujubes

•8 whole pitted prunes

•8 whole dried apricots

•3 tablespoons dried sour cherries

•3 tablespoons candied orange peel

•8 halves walnuts

•8 teaspoons sweet red beans

•equipment

Cooking Instructions

Rinse rice in a large sieve under cold running water until water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice, oil, and 2 cups cold water in cake pan.

10 min

Put 1/2 inch of water in a 12-inch-wide pot or deep skillet. Set a metal rack (or a few metal cookie cutters) in bottom of pot, then set cake pan (with rice) on rack and bring water to a boil. Cover pot and steam over high heat, checking water level occasionally and adding more water if necessary, until rice is cooked, about 40 minutes. Carefully remove pan and cool to room temperature.

40 min

Meanwhile, bring remaining 1 1/2 cups cold water to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan with rock sugar, jujubes, prunes, apricots, cherries, and orange peel, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until fruit is very soft and liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 45 minutes. Stir in walnuts and simmer 1 minute. Immediately drain in a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl, reserving syrup and fruit separately. Remove walnuts from fruit and set aside.

46 min

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. 3Lightly oil custard cups and a 1/3-cup measure. Put 1 walnut half in bottom of each cup, then spoon 2 tablespoons mixed fruit (per cup) on top, spreading evenly around bottom of each cup. Drizzle 1 teaspoon reserved fruit syrup over fruit in each cup, then press 1/3 cup rice (per cup) on top of fruit with dampened fingertips. Using your fingertips or back of a small spoon, make a small indentation in rice and fill with 1 teaspoon red beans (per cup), leaving at least a 1/2-inch border of rice. Drizzle 1 teaspoon fruit syrup over each rice pudding, then cover with 2 tablespoons rice (dip measuring spoon in water before measuring rice to prevent sticking). Using a small piece of plastic wrap, press rice in cups to flatten surface. Discard wrap.

20 min

Arrange cups in roasting pan. Oil a sheet of heavy-duty foil, then cover pan with foil (oiled side down) and seal tightly. Bake in a water bath 1 hour, then let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge of each cup to loosen rice, then invert each pudding onto a dish. Drizzle with remaining fruit syrup.

65 min