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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » White Bean Paste

    White Bean Paste

    Published: April 9, 2018 · Modified: Mar 10, 2020 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    I've been searching for the perfect buttercream to use when piping flowers and it has been a very frustrating journey. Eventually I found out most of the insanely gorgeous flower cakes you see online are actually made with white bean paste, not buttercream at all! So I set about experimenting with recipes and this is the first successful one I managed to make. I'm not going to lie, it was time consuming peeling all of the beans but the end result was worth it! Next time I'm trying canned beans and will definitely report back on that!

    White Bean Paste
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    I piped these purple clematis flowers with  a frosting made of nothing more than beans and sugar with a dash or food coloring. It was my very first time piping with white bean paste and I’ve got a long way to go with my technique but I am sharing the recipe by popular request. I really love the translucence  of the finished product as well as the delicacy of the edges you get. Another bonus is it doesn’t become weepy when warmed so hot hands won’t mess things up. The taste is VERY similar to sweet bean paste if you’ve had that; if you haven’t then imagine beans that are sweet, it’s actually nice, like a bean marzipan almost.

    White Bean Paste
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    5 from 7 votes

    White Bean Paste

     A vegan alternative to buttercream that's drop-dead gorgeous when piped! 
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 3 hours hours
    Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Cool 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings 1 portion
    Calories 632kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Video

    Ingredients

    INGREDIENTS:

      For the Bean Paste:

      • 1 lb kidney beans 454g, soaked, peeled
      • granulated sugar
      • 2 tsp corn syrup
      • food coloring purple, green, white

      Instructions

      NSTRUCTIONS:

        For the Bean Paste:

        • Soak 1 lb kidney beans for about 3 hours in warm water. Remove the skin from the beans.
        • Boil them for 20 minutes, then cover and simmer for 1 hour.
        • Drain and press through a sieve. Repeat the process twice.
        • Fill a bowl with water, add beans and mix with your hands. Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag and squeeze out the water.
        • Weigh the paste. Measure out about 40% of the bean paste weight in granulated sugar.
        • Pour the sugar into a pan. Add enough water to dissolve the sugar. (around ¼ cup)
        • Give it a stir.
        • Heat the sugar to until it comes to a boil.
        • Add the bean paste in. Stir until the two are mixed.
        • As soon as the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir continuously. 
        • Add in about 2 tsp of corn syrup for consistency. 
        • It’s done once you can form peaks with your spatula.
        • Transfer to a surface to cool.
        • When you're ready to use the paste, add in food colorings.
        • For a clematis flower, use a 127 tip for the petals and 2 tip for the details.

        Notes

        I made mine a day ahead of time, wrapped it in plastic and found it to be a better consistency after it sat for a day.

        Nutrition

        Serving: 1batch | Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 1827mg | Fiber: 33g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 13.3mg
        *Nutrition Disclaimer
        Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!

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        Welcome to Preppy Kitchen!

        Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

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