Hopia Monggo: Flaky Mung Bean Pastry
Recipe Guy
Merienda and Bakery
Hopia monggo has a flaky layered crust wrapped around smooth sweet mung bean filling for a classic Filipino bakery snack.
About This Recipe
Local name: Hopia Monggo
Hopia monggo is a Filipino bakery pastry with Chinese roots. The layered dough is made from a water dough and oil dough, then wrapped around sweet mung bean paste and baked until flaky.
Ingredient Notes
Split mung beans
Yellow split mung beans cook faster and make a smooth filling.
Two doughs
Water dough gives structure while oil dough creates flaky layers.
Lard or shortening
Traditional texture comes from lard, but shortening works well.
Egg wash
A light egg wash gives the pale golden bakery finish.
Hopia Monggo: Flaky Mung Bean Pastry Recipe
Hopia monggo has a flaky layered crust wrapped around smooth sweet mung bean filling for a classic Filipino bakery snack.
Yield: 16 pieces Serving size: 1 pastry
Yield note: Cook the filling until thick enough to scoop and hold its shape.
Shopping List
Filling
- Split mung beans
- Sugar
- Butter or oil
Dough
- All-purpose flour
- Shortening or lard
- Oil
Finish
- Egg for wash
- Tea or coffee for serving
Ingredients
Mung Bean Filling
- 1 cup yellow split mung beans, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Water Dough
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup shortening or lard
- 1/2 cup water
Oil Dough and Finish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup shortening or lard
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Simmer mung beans in water until very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain excess liquid if needed.
- Mash or blend beans with sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla.
- Cook the paste in a skillet until thick and scoopable. Cool completely and divide into 16 balls.
- Mix water dough ingredients until smooth. Rest 20 minutes.
- Mix oil dough ingredients until a soft paste forms. Divide both doughs into 16 pieces.
- Wrap each oil dough piece inside a water dough piece, then roll into a short oval and coil. Rest 15 minutes.
- Roll each coil again, then flatten into a round wrapper.
- Wrap each wrapper around mung bean filling and seal tightly.
- Flatten gently into disks and place seam-side down on a lined sheet pan.
- Brush lightly with egg wash and bake at 350 F for 20 to 22 minutes until pale golden.
Nutrition Estimate
Estimated per pastry using split mung bean filling and shortening-based flaky dough.
Tips For The Best Hopia Monggo: Flaky Mung Bean Pastry
- Cool the filling: Warm filling makes the dough greasy and hard to seal.
- Rest the dough: Short rests prevent shrinking and tearing.
- Seal well: A firm seal keeps the filling centered.
- Bake pale: Hopia should be lightly golden rather than dark brown.
How To Serve And Store
Serving: Serve with hot tea or coffee for merienda.
Make Ahead: Make the filling up to 3 days ahead.
Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Freeze: Freeze baked hopia for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Warm in a low oven to restore flakiness.
Safety: Cool perishable leftovers within 2 hours and reheat cooked foods to steaming hot before serving again.
Common Questions
Can I use canned mung bean paste?
Yes, if it is thick enough to scoop and not watery.
Why did my layers disappear?
The dough may have been overworked or the fat too soft.
Can I make hopia without lard?
Yes. Shortening gives a similar flaky effect.
Can I use red bean filling?
Yes. The same dough works with red bean, ube, or kundol filling.
