Learn how to make anko (Japanese sweet red bean paste) from scratch using a pressure cooker or stovetop. Made with just 4 ingredients: adzuki beans, sugar, water, and salt!
What is Anko 餡子?
Anko is Japanese sweet red bean paste, a staple in Japanese confectionary (wagashi). You’ve likely seen it or eaten it in daifuku (mochi) or anpan (sweet red bean bun). It consists of adzuki beans (a type of red bean) cooked down with sugar to form a thick paste. In the West, we don’t typically think of beans being used in dessert, but in Japan (and other parts of East Asia) bean-based desserts have been enjoyed for centuries.
While “anko” あんこ typically refers to red bean paste in Japanese, there are other types of “an” あん in Japanese cuisine. Some other common “an” are:
- Shiroan 白あん ⟶ white bean paste made from lima beans or butter beans
- Zundaan ずんだ餡 ⟶ bean paste made from edamame
- Kurian 栗あん ⟶ paste made from chestnuts (kuri)
- Imoan 芋あん ⟶ paste made from sweet potatoes (imo)
Tsubuan つぶあん vs Koshian こしあん vs Tsubushian つぶしあん
In general you can find three kinds of anko: tsubuan, koshian, and tsubushian. Tsubuan is chunky with the beans still intact. Koshian is a very smooth paste and takes a bit more effort to make. (Traditionally you would push the cooked beans through a sieve to mash them and remove the skins, but these days you can just use a food processor and you will get a pretty smooth paste. You can go the extra step and press the blended mixture through a sieve to remove the bean skins – this will make for an exceptionally smooth anko.) Tsubushian is between tsubuan and koshian – some of the beans are mashed so the paste is smoother than tsubuan, but it retains more texture than koshian.
Ingredients
- Adzuki Beans ⟶ These are small red beans used in East Asian cuisine. In Japan, they are mostly used in sweets and sekihan (glutinous rice cooked with red beans, often for special occasions).
- Sugar ⟶ I prefer granulated sugar for a clean taste, but you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar if you prefer the flavor (and a darker color). I don’t recommend liquid sweeteners since the dry sweetener helps to thicken the paste.
- Salt ⟶ Just a little bit to enhance the sweet flavor.
- Water
How to Make
I love making anko in a pressure cooker to really make the whole process easy. If you want to have beans that are still whole and a little firm, I recommend the stovetop option so you can keep an eye on the beans and stop cooking them in time. However, if you’re planning to mash or blend the beans, it won’t really matter if they are slightly overcooked (you may even prefer the texture). So if you have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, now’s the time to use it! The steps to make anko are pretty straightforward:
- Soak adzuki beans overnight – optional but it’s an easy way to speed up the cooking time the next day.
- Boil adzuki beans in a large pot until soft.
- Drain beans.
- For koshian, blend (and sieve) beans to form a smooth paste.
- Add sugar and beans in pot and cook until thickened, stirring frequently.
- Cool the anko in a separate container, then store in the fridge or freezer.
Homemade Anko FAQ
How do I store homemade anko?
Fridge ⟶ Homemade anko has less sugar than store-bought anko, so it won’t last as long. Homemade anko should be stored in an airtight, covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to use a clean utensil if you are not using all the anko at once.
Freezer ⟶ It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. I like to freeze the anko in 1/2-1 cup portions, just enough to use for baking.
Should I presoak adzuki beans?
Back in the day it was recommended to soak adzuki beans overnight before using. These days, most recipes don’t call for it since the beans are small enough to cook within an hour without soaking. However, I like to soak the beans overnight to remove some of the astringency and phytic acid and speed up the cook time a bit more.
Why drain the beans after the first boil (stovetop method)?
Draining the beans once removes some of the astringency, though if you are using good quality beans and you presoak them, you can skip this step. We skip this step in the pressure cooker method because it would be too much of a hassle to drain them and then bring to pressure again. So for the pressure cooker method, I recommend soaking the beans overnight and/or using good quality beans.
What are good quality adzuki beans?
Unless you’re in Japan, you probably don’t have access to many varieties of adzuki beans, so take what you can get. But in general, adzuki beans from Japan will be better, and particularly from Hokkaido.
What to Do with Homemade Anko
Other than eating by the spoonful (which I’ve definitely done), anko can be used in various Japanese sweets:
- Zenzai/Oshiruko (sweet red bean soup)
- Youkan (basically anko jelly)
- Anmitsu (Japanese dessert made with anko, agar jelly, fruit)
- Ohagi (anko coated glutinous rice balls)
- Daifuku (basically anko-filled mochi)
- Anpan (my favorite way to use anko!)
- Dorayaki (anko sandwiched between castella-like pancakes)
- Taiyaki (anko stuffed in fish-shaped cakes)
It’s also great as a topping or filling for:
- ice cream
- shaved ice
- oatmeal
- toast
- donuts
- scones
- cookies
- muffins
My favorite flavor pairings for anko are black sesame, peanut butter, and matcha. The possibilities are endless!
If you make this homemade anko, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Homemade Anko (Sweet Red Bean Paste)
Ingredients
- 250 grams
dry adzuki beans* - 150-250 grams sugar**
- ⅛ tsp salt
- water as needed
Instructions
- Optional Overnight Soak: To speed up the cook time, you can soak the beans overnight. First rinse beans a few times, drain, and place in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches. Let the beans soak overnight (at least 8 hours). You can do this at room temperature, unless you live in a very hot/humid environment, in which case I recommend putting the beans in the fridge.
Pressure Cooker
- Drain and rinse beans then place in pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes for soaked beans, 25 minutes for unsoaked beans. Let the pressure naturally release for 20 minutes, then release steam valve and remove the cover once all the pressure has been released.
Stovetop
- Drain and rinse beans and place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Boil for 2-3 minutes, then turn off heat and drain beans over a strainer. Add beans back to pot, cover with another 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low to maintain a gentle simmer.
- If you have one, place an otoshibuta (drop lid) over the beans. This will help them to cook more evenly.
- Simmer for 1-1½ hours, adding more water as needed to keep the beans covered. The beans are cooked when you can easily smash one between your fingers.
Tsubuan (Chunky Red Bean Paste)
- Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the cooked beans over a strainer, then return the beans to the pot along with ¼ cup of cooking liquid. Heat over medium low.
- Add half the sugar to the beans and stir well until dissolved. Then add the remaining sugar and stir well to dissolve. Taste the beans and add more sugar if desired.Tip: If it turns out your beans are still too firm, add more cooking liquid (or extra water) and simmer until the beans are soft to your liking.
- Keep cooking and stirring the beans until the mixture has thickened (should take 5-10 minutes). You can add more cooking liquid/water if your beans are too dry. Keep in mind the anko will thicken more as it cools.
- Tsubushian: If you want a smoother but still chunky texture, you can make tsubushian by mashing some of the beans.
- Turn off heat and stir in salt. Spread out anko in a large heat-safe container (like a baking tray) and let cool completely.
Koshian (Smooth Red Bean Paste)
- Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain beans and add to a food processor. Blend into a smooth paste, adding some of the cooking liquid as needed to help blend.
- Optional for a smoother paste: Set a strainer over a large bowl. Add blended beans to strainer and use a rubber spatula to press the mixture through the strainer. You should be left with the bean skins in the strainer and the smooth paste in the bowl.
- Rinse out your pot then add sugar and 4 tbsp of water. Heat over medium, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, add the bean mixture and mix well.
- Taste beans for sweetness. If they aren't sweet enough for you, add more sugar and stir well until dissolved.
- Keep cooking and stirring the beans until the mixture has thickened (should take 5-10 minutes). Keep in mind the anko will thicken more as it cools.
- Turn off heat and stir in salt. Spread out anko in a large heat-safe container (like a baking tray) and let cool completely.
Storage
- Once anko is completely cooled, transfer to an airtight container. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. I like to freeze the anko in ½ cup portions to use for baking.
**Notes
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Excellent method, tasted great and was fun to make!