Making Sweet Red Bean Paste (Anko) from scratch is easier than you think! You only need 4 ingredients for this recipe. I‘ll show you how to make tsubuan (chunky paste) and koshian (fine paste) so you can make delicious Japanese sweets at home.
Do you love Japanese sweets and desserts? If you’re like me who enjoy eating them all, then it’s time to make Anko (餡子) aka sweet red bean paste! It is the most basic and favorable filling in traditional Japanese confectionery and pastry.
Whether it’s Daifuku Mochi, Dango, Dorayaki, Taiyaki, Manju, or Anpan, they are filled with Anko and bursting with the deep, sweet flavor of red beans. So let’s learn how to make Anko red bean paste today!
Table of Contents
What is Anko?
Sometimes known as An (餡), Anko (餡子, あんこ) is a Japanese sweet red bean paste made from azuki beans. It is the most common filling used in many Japanese sweets. In fact, you can find sweet bean paste in many other Asian pastries and desserts.
In Japanese cooking, the word “Anko” or “An” usually refers to a red bean paste, but it also implies other varieties such as:
- Shiroan (白あん) – made from lima beans or butter beans. Learn more about it on White Bean Paste (Shiroan) post.
- Kurian (栗あん) – made from chestnuts.
How to Make Anko
It is usually prepared by boiling azuki beans, sometimes mashing them, and then sweetening the paste with sugar.
Azuki, or sometimes written as Adzuki, literally means ‘small beans (小豆)’ in Japanese. Japanese azuki beans are mostly cultivated in the Hokkaido area. The bigger variety of azuki beans is called Dainagon (大納言) and it is slightly more expensive than Azuki beans.
You can find azuki beans from Japanese grocery stores or health food stores.
2 Types of Anko (Sweet Red Bean Paste)
There are two most common types of red bean paste:
- Tsubuan (粒あん) – The paste has a chunky texture with bean shapes still intact.
- Koshian (こしあん) – The paste has a fine, smooth texture.
How Do We Choose Which One to Use in Recipes?
There’s no strict rule to this. Just like peanut butter, you can choose chunky versus smooth texture based on your preference. I personally prefer chunky beans in Japanese confectioneries and pastry, so I’d always make Tsubuan for Daifuku Mochi and Anpan,
How to Make Tsubu-an (Chunky Sweet Red Bean Paste)
Tsubuan (粒あん) is prepared by boiling the azuki beans and sweetening with sugar. Bean skins are still left in the paste and the beans are not fully “mashed” although some of them are crushed or mashed during cooking.
I usually make Tsubuan because I prefer the texture and it’s also very easy to make!
How to Make Koshi-an (Fine Sweet Red Bean Paste)
Traditionally, Koshian (こしあん) requires more steps to prepare. After cooking the beans, you will have to:
- Pass the cooked azuki beans through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the bean skins. You may need to add water to help sift the beans through with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Put the mashed beans in a large bowl and fill up with water. Let the mashed beans settle naturally for 30 minutes, then discard the water. Repeat the same process, the second time for 15 minutes, and the third time for 5 minutes, until the water is clear.
- After you discard the water, transfer to a clean cotton cloth (or cheesecloth) to strain out most of the liquid. You will now have a fine, smooth paste.
- Transfer the bean paste to the pot and combine with sugar and salt. Reduce until thicker paste and Koshian is made!
That’s a lot of physical work!
So these days, the home cooks just turn on the food processor to make the fine paste, without removing the bean skins! Personally, I do not see a big difference in the Koshian between the traditional, time-consuming method and the food processor method.
In this recipe, I’ll show you the food processor method. You can use a blender too.
5 Useful Tips for Making Anko At Home
1. No More Soaking Azuki Beans Overnight
In my previous recipe, I soaked the azuki beans in water overnight. I was taught by my grandma that azuki beans have very hard skin so it’s good to soak.
However, these days many articles and recipes mention that we do not need to soak azuki beans anymore. For the first 4 hours, azuki beans do not absorb any water and require 18 hours to soak. Therefore, it’s recommended to just start cooking right away.
I have been following the new method and I actually don’t see any difference from my previous recipe. Now I can make Anko when I want to make it and I do not need to wait overnight!
2. Boiling and Throwing Water Away
The reason why we boil the azuki beans and throw away the water is to remove the astringency (shibumi in Japanese 渋み) of the food. We use the same technique for cooking bamboo and bitter gourd.
I do it just once, while some people do it twice or three times. It’s up to you, but I’ve been doing just once and it’s okay with me.
3. The Bean to Sugar Ratio
In general, the bean to sugar ratio for Anko is 1 to 1, an equal amount. For home use, you can reduce the sugar to your liking.
However, before doing so, please note the followings:
- The sugar is to preserve the paste for a longer time. If you reduce the sugar, Anko is not well-suited for keeping for a longer time.
- Anko can be the only “sweet” element for the confectionary you’re making. The mochi, the dough, or the batter you’re preparing to go with Anko may not be sweetened.
In this recipe, for 200 grams of azuki beans, I suggested the sugar amount to be 175-200 grams of sugar 1: 0.9-1, which is slightly less than an equal amount.
4. Add A Pinch of Salt to Sweeten
You may wonder why salt when you are making sweet red bean paste.
A bit of salt is used as a flavor enhancer because it will reduce bitterness, but increase sweetness and umami which is desirable for sweet recipes. So instead of increasing the amount of sugar, add a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness first.
5. Stop Cooking When You Can Draw a Line…
As soon as you can draw a line with a spatula on the bottom of the pot, transfer the red bean paste to a baking sheet or a flat wide-surface tray and cool immediately.
Remember the moisture will continue to evaporate with the remaining heat and the paste will thicken further as it cools.
How to Make Anko with a Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)
If you own a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot, it’s so much easier and faster to make red bean paste. Check out my Pressure Cooker Anko recipe for details.
White Bean Paste (Shiroan)
As mentioned earlier, sweet bean paste is not only made from azuki beans but also made from white beans. White Bean Paste, or what we call Shiroan (白餡), is another common filling for Japanese confectionery such as mochi and manju.
The paste has a milder bean taste, so it makes a great alternative to red bean paste if that’s what you prefer.
How to Store Anko
You can store the red bean paste in the freezer for up to 2 months! It’s such a treat to have it on hand, and more reasons to enjoy Japanese sweets for your afternoon tea.
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Sweet Red Bean Paste (Tsubuan and Koshian)
Ingredients
- 7 oz azuki beans (dried; a bit less than 1 cup)
- water
- ¾ cup sugar (up to 1 cup or 200 g, to taste)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Rinse 7 oz azuki beans and discard any broken beans. Drain.
- Transfer the drained azuki beans to a large pot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the beans by 1–2 inches.
- Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, drain the beans in a fine-mesh sieve. Return the beans to the same pot.
- Next, add more water to the pot to cover the beans by 1–2 inches.
- Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, put an otoshibuta (drop lid) over the beans. (The otoshibuta will prevent the beans from dancing around too much.) Turn down the heat to medium low and keep it simmering for the next 1–1½ hours.
- Some of the water will evaporate, so add more water to keep the beans covered, as needed. After 1 hour, check if the beans are cooked. Pick up a bean and mash it with your fingers. When it mashes easily, it‘s done.
To Make Tsubuan (Chunky Red Bean Paste)
- Drain the cooked azuki beans in a sieve.
- Return the beans to the same pot. Turn the heat to medium low and add half of the ¾ cup sugar.
- Mix well. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the rest of the sugar.
- Mix well, stirring constantly. Then, add ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and stir.
- If you plan to use the red beans for Zenzai (Oshiruko), you can use it right away. If you prefer a thicker version, reduce the soup further.
- Let the moisture evaporate. When you can draw a line on the bottom of the pot with your spatula, turn off the heat. Don‘t worry if it‘s still loose; the anko will continue to thicken as it cools. Transfer the anko to a flat baking sheet to let it cool completely. The tsubuan is now ready to use in a variety of Japanese sweets such as Daifuku Mochi, Anpan, Red Bean Pancakes, and Matcha Zenzai (Red Bean Soup). Scroll down to see how to store it.
To Make Koshian (Fine Red Bean Paste)
- Reserve some of the cooking liquid. Then, drain the azuki beans in a sieve.
- Transfer the beans to a food processor. Run the food processor until the beans become a fine paste. If necessary, add 1–2 Tbsp cooking liquid to help process the beans.
- Transfer the fine paste back into the same cooking pot. Turn the heat to medium low and add half of the ¾ cup sugar.
- Mix well with the bean paste. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the rest of the sugar.
- Let the moisture evaporate, stirring constantly. Then, add ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and stir.
- When you can draw a line on the bottom of the pot with your spatula, turn off the heat. Don‘t worry if it‘s still loose; the anko will continue to thicken as it cools. Transfer the anko to a flat baking sheet to let it cool completely. The koshian is now ready to use in a variety of Japanese sweets such as Strawberry Mochi (Ichigo Daifuku), Sakura Mochi, Manju, and Mizu Yokan.
To Store
- Transfer the Anko to an airtight container, cool, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can also divide and wrap 100 g portions of the bean paste in plastic film and store in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to use it, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. Tip: Compared to store-bought red bean paste, homemade anko uses less sugar and therefore doesn‘t keep as long.
Nutrition
Make Delicious Recipes with Anko:
- Strawberry Mochi (Ichigo Daifuku)
- Mizu Yokan
- Daifuku Mochi
- Dorayaki (Japanese Red Bean Pancake)
- Red Bean Ice Cream
- Taiyaki
- Zenzai/Oshiruko (Red Bean Soup)
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on March 12, 2012. The new images are added and the recipe instruction is slightly updated in March 2020.
Incredible site Nami, Directions are strait forward and easy to follow, the pictures are amazing & helps ease my NEED for occasional Japanese cuisine 🙂
Just curious, has anyone made anko with artificial sweetener? (I try to cut back on sugar as much as possible & it looks like this recipe is actually pretty healthy; considering the fiber in the beans :))
I’ve had red bean ice cream & bean rolls (i believe) & they were absolutely wonderful; what other sweet red bean snacks can you recomend?
Thank you for all the very helpful info! 🙂
Hi Nicole! Thank you so much for your kind words, and I’m happy to hear you enjoy my site! 🙂
No, I’ve never tried with artificial sweetener before.
So far on my blog, I have the following recipes that use red bean paste:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/zenzai-red-bean-soup/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/red-bean-ice-cream/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/red-bean-pancake/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/dorayaki-japanese-red-bean-pancake/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/mitarashi-dango/ (w/ red bean paste on top)
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/strawberry-daifuku/
Hope that helps!
http://www.recipesource.com/misc/hints/diabetic/sugar-subs1.html gives the conversion between sweetener and sugar. Might be useful if considering a conversion/ substitute.
Thanks Trudy! This is very helpful! I’ll let Nicole know. 🙂
Hi, how long will the paste be good for if kept in freezer? Thanks.
Hi Vanessa! It’s usually recommended to use within 1 month, but 3 months is okay but remember the quality level is not the same as within 1 month period. 🙂 I’ll update the info in my recipe. Thanks for asking!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! Measurements in cups!
Hi Rebecca! It’s hard to be precise with cup, but the recipe is now updated. Hope you enjoy!
Hi, With the uncertainty of Japanese products possibly being contaminated from the nuclear fallout after the tsunami and the knowledge that millions of pounds of tainted products were shipped to be sold abroad do you know a domestic source of those beans? I mean, if they grow in japan, they will possibly grow in a large part of the rest of the world in similar climates. Any idea where to get some that are not from Japan?
Hi John! I wish I know the answer but I don’t know. Other Asian cuisines use red beans for their sweets, so maybe try finding in Chinese and Korean market. Hope that helps. 🙂
I made this recipe using normal red bean that I find at my bakery store and it turned out really good! Currently letting it cool down so I can freeze it and use it when I’m making buns as filling. Thank you so much for the easy recipe ❤
Hi Ami! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you so much for your feedback! Hope you enjoy making red bean buns. YUMMY!
I have found them on Amazon, although your local health food or grocery store may carry this brand, which also markets Buckwheat Flour and other grains.
Bob’s Red Mill – Premium Quality Adzuki Beans, package is marked Product of the USA.
Thank you so much for your comment and help, Alice! 🙂
Can i use normal red bean to make this?
I’m not sure if other kinds of red bean work… I have never tried and I assume the taste and texture are quite different. However if you happen to try and it works, please let me know so others can follow as well. 🙂
I used ‘normal’ red bean, although it did say ‘Azuki beans’ on the packet. But it was the small red beans that the Chinese often used. Product of Australia, it said on the packet…
Thanks Nami, loved the detailed instructions and pictures. I’d always wanted to make this. I used the same technique.
With 200g of sugar (I used raw sugar), it’s still on the sweeter side. What is the smallest amount of sugar you’ve tried using to get the same texture?
Hi Trudy! I usually use 200g, if it’s for sweets. Canned or packaged anko is even sweeter, and 200g works for making dorayaki and mochi filling, especially drinking bitter green tea. 😀
Try reducing 20 gram to see if it fits your liking. The texture should be okay. It’s more of your preference for sweetness. 🙂
I tried it with small red bean bought in Kroger and it didn’t work! I didn’t continue my cooking after finding that the red color had gone with the water after soaking, then it became much more whitening when boiled and simmered, then I went back to this page to look for related comment and here I am :))
Hi Ega! I believe your “red bean” is not Azuki beans. Azuki bean skin is very hard, and the color will never be gone after soaking. I hope you can find azuki beans in Kroger. 🙂
Yes, I knew it wasn’t azuki beans, but I was curious 😀 I changed my mind and continued cooking, then surprisingly it turned red as the water drained. Here is the photo of my anko: https://instagram.com/p/6w4oxPPtrZcB3-4XzOwaenRlF4MrD9rag250M0 thanks so much for your recipe 🙂
Hi Ega! It looks great! Thanks so much for trying this recipe. I’m glad some of the color came back. 🙂
Hi Nami,
At step 9, we check for the consistency and then turn off the heat. After turning off the heat, do we drain off the water and mash the red beans? I don’t see this step.
Appreciate your advise.
Hi Felicia! We do not need to drain. The moisture from anko will continue evaporate and the mixture will be harder. This is “tsubuan” recipe (has texture of beans), which still has texture. For “koshian” recipe (mashed paste), please see the comment number 21. I briefly mentioned how to make it. Hope this helps. 🙂
Great recipe! Great blog! Can’t wait to try this to put it in my mochi! 🙂
Question: What do I do if I want to make Koshian style instead?
Thank you!
Hi Tina! Thank you for your kind words.
Koshian requires more extra steps so I haven’t actually had time to photo shoot and prepared it for the blog.
After step 8, you can either use food processor (short cut) to make a paste, or use fine sieve to strain using rubber spatula.
After that you put the mashed beans in cloth and squeeze the liquid out.
Then add the mashed beans and sugar in a pot and mix until sugar melts completely. Add the salt at the end.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you so much Nami for this recipe! I have just successfully made my first dorayaki 🙂
Hi Gemma! Yay! Thank you so much for letting me know. So happy to hear you made dorayaki. Hope you enjoy eating now…. hehee 🙂
This recipe was a complete success! I think I cooked it slightly too long and added too much extra suger, but it’s going to be perfect next time. Thanks so much! 🙂 I’ll be making it for dorayaki soon.
Hi Mellow! I’m glad to hear you liked this recipe! I hope you enjoy dorayaki too! 😀
How many cups is 7oz of beans and 7 oz sugar? I have standard U.S. measuring cups but no scale.
I just checked this and 7 oz of beans, is just under 1 US cup for the brand of red bean I have.
The sugar (I have Rogers fine granulated) worked out to ~85/100 cup. That should be about approximately 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp.
—–
By the way, love the recipe! My friends from Japan thought the diafuku I made with this anko were wonderful.
Hi Andre! Thank you SO much for answering to a reader’s question. I really appreciate it. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe. It’s nice to make homemade anko because we can control the amount of sugar we put in, while premade anko is convenient but often it’s too sweet. Thank you very much for your feedback on this recipe. I’m very glad your friends from Japan enjoyed your daifuku! YUM!
Thank you for the reply!
I bought a Shirakiku brand Azuki bean – I don’t know of that’s good or not? Either way, a lot of red did disappear over all, but the end result was a bit purplish-maroon. It tastes great, despite the fact that I should have cooked it a bit longer to reduce the full beans in the paste.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe! 🙂
Hi SLD! Shirakiku brand is okay – not the top quality azuki beans but I sometimes use that brand products too.
And it does disappear some red color as you cook. My red bean color is just like how you see in my pictures. It’s hard to call this “red” though so we may have the same color. Was yours different color? At step #8, the bean is smushed very easily, almost without any strength. That’s the key for hardness. Thank you so much for your feedback again!
Ah, I see!
My colour looked more like your Koshian (but a bit darker). I’m going to try again, as it was only my first time making it. Thanks you! 🙂
You’re welcome! Thank you very much for your feedback!
I have two questions, how much salt should be used?
And when I cooked it, the beans lost their red colour, but it became perhaps a bit purple, with white inside. Is that okay?
Hi SLD! I have updated my recipe – it should be just a pinch of salt. Thank you for noticing and letting me know. 🙂
About your beans. What kind of Azuki beans did you use? If you see my picture at step#8, you can see white color inside beans. That’s okay. It’s no longer “red” like red color at step #9. Are you referring that color as purple? Then yours seem just fine. 🙂
I had started using another recipe but found yours to be much more in depth and it helped me know when it was done! Thanks so much, I am making it as a surprise for my Japanese exchange student who said this was her favorite dessert! Hopefully it turns out! Thanks,
Hi Heidi! Thanks for your feedback! The Japanese loves sweeten red bean sweets. I hope she will enjoy this! 🙂
Thank you so much for the recipe! I have tried to do this before but sadly missed the mark. Your recipe was easy and really tasty.
Hi Giovanna! I’m glad this recipe worked out for you! Thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂
Hello!
Could you tell me what exactly cooking liquid is?
Thanks!
Hi Carmen! It’s the liquid that you pour from the pot during Step 1 “Drain the azuki beans over a sieve, reserving some cooking liquid”. Don’t throw away – you may need some cooking liquid to loosen the paste.
Do you recommend using brown cane sugar, regular white granulated sugar or normal brown sugar?
Hi Victoria! I don’t think the kinds of sugar would affect the final result that much. I chose white granulated sugar so most people can use this recipe. If you use different type of sugar, please adjust the sweetness based on the kind you use. 🙂
Re: sugar substitutions: if I might add something, please? As long as the sugar in a recipe is being measured by weight, you should be fine substituting one form of cane sugar for another — *except* for icing/confectioner’s sugar (it contains corn starch which could affect the consistency). Sugar substitutes measured by volume could, however, affect the final level of sweetness. With sugars of the same granule size as refined white sugar, there would be little difference between volume measures, but brown sugar (white sugar with some molasses added) can be packed loosely or tightly into a cup (recipes including brown sugar usually specify which) so the weight of a cup of brown sugar can actually vary between recipes.
All nit-picking aside, I’ve often substituted brown sugar for white in recipes for pies and I imagine that it would work fine in the anko recipe. If a kitchen scale is not available, then I would suggest ‘loosely’ packing the brown sugar when measuring (I see that Nami has already kindly provided the volume measurement for white sugar in another reply). 😉
My two cents’ worth. Best wishes.
Hi Elizabeth! This is WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! It’s very true about the difference made by the volume, which is why I started to use the weight for baking just to get more precise result. 🙂 Thank you once again for your kind feedback!
Hi Nami,
I was boiling the red beans, but the beans were still hard even after 2 hours. I had soaked for more than 12 hours before boiling. Is there something I had done wrong? Was I supposed to boil with or without the lid? Thank you.
Hi Rachel! I apologize for my late response. Hmm I’m not too sure. Do you think 2.5 hours would make a difference? You can do with our without the lid, but the water should be always above the beans. 🙂
If the bean are old, it will take longer to cook!
Hi Fatima! That is true! Thank you very much for your input.🙂
What about making the beans, especially if used in pancakes, without sugar? I would prefer to have a bean base to add to pancakes and just use a small amount of sugar when making the pancakes. Can that be done?
Hi Jon! You can make the beans until you add the sugar. Now, sugar is used here as preservatives too. So if you don’t plan to keep, make a small amount? I make regular anko and make pancakes too. And yes, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/red-bean-pancake/