Moonlight Pastry with Sweet Potato Filling

Taiwanese Moonlight Pastry (月光餅) with sweet potato filling is a traditional treat that brings back the flavors and memories of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the Hakka regions of Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli, Taiwan, Moonlight Pastries filled with sweet potato, taro, and other fillings have also been enjoyed over the years. Recipes and flavors vary across regions, bakeries, and families, each with its own familiar taste and tradition.

This recipe is our family’s favorite flaky version of Moonlight Pastry. The filling combines orange sweet potato and Japanese sweet potato, wrapped in a handmade, flaky pastry crust with delicate layers.

Why use two types of sweet potatoes? Orange sweet potato has a higher moisture content, giving the filling a soft, moist, and creamy texture. Japanese sweet potato contains less moisture and has a firmer, fluffier texture with a slightly chewy, chestnut-like quality. Combining the two helps balance moisture and texture, creating a smooth and creamy sweet potato filling that stays moist without becoming too soft, while also making it easier to wrap.

Both the flaky pastry crust and sweet potato filling are made from scratch. This version is made slightly smaller with a thin, delicate crust. The sweet potato filling is slowly cooked with just enough sugar and butter until smooth and creamy, keeping the sweetness light so the natural aroma and sweetness of the sweet potatoes can shine. Paired with the delicate layers of flaky pastry, the aroma fills the kitchen as they bake, and they are especially delicious while still slightly warm from the oven.

I remember enjoying flaky Moonlight Pastries filled with sweet potato in Taiwan, and that familiar flavor has stayed with me through the years. It is also a flavor our family loves. By recreating it at home, I hope to share with you a nostalgic taste of Taiwan and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Traditional flavors do not have to be exactly the same in every family. For me, being able to recreate a flavor from my memories and share it with family is what makes these traditional treats so special.

Watch step by step recipe video below:

Ingredients

Moonlight Pastry (月光餅) with Sweet Potato Filling
[About 10 pastries]

Sweet Potato Filling (10 portions ~ 30g each)
180 g sweet potato
180 g Japanese sweet potato
30 g butter
50 g sugar

Water Dough (10 portions ~18–20 g each)
100 g all-purpose flour
15 g powdered sugar
⅛ tsp salt
35 g ghee or clarified butter
45–50 g water*
*(Adjust as needed depending on the flour's absorption.)*

Oil Dough (10 portions ~14–15 g each)
95 g cake flour
50 g ghee or clarified butter

**Tips:**
Do not cook the filling until it becomes too dry. Retaining a little moisture will give it a softer, creamier texture after baking. Once portioned, refrigerate briefly to firm up the filling and make wrapping easier.
Once the sweet potato filling has cooled, weigh out 300 g and divide evenly into 10 portions, 30 g each. The final weight may vary slightly depending on the type and moisture content of the sweet potatoes.
Adjust the amount of water according to the flour's absorption. There is no need to add all the water at once.
Allow the dough to rest fully after each rolling step. This helps the dough relax, making it easier to stretch around the filling without tearing.
Oven temperatures can vary. Watch the pastries closely during the final few minutes and adjust the baking time as needed.

Preparations

Sweet Potato Filling

1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks. Steam over high heat for about 25 minutes, or until easily pierced with a chopstick.
2. While still hot, transfer to a bowl. Add the butter and sugar, then mash until smooth. For a finer, creamier texture, blend in a food processor until smooth.
3. Transfer the mashed sweet potato to a nonstick pan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until some of the excess moisture has evaporated and the filling no longer sticks easily to the spatula.
4. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Divide into 10 portions, about 30 g each, and roll into balls. Refrigerate briefly for easier wrapping

Water Dough

1. Combine the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, salt, and ghee or clarified butter in a mixing bowl.
2. Gradually add the water. Mix and press together to form a dough, then transfer to a work surface and knead until soft and relatively smooth.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Divide evenly into 10 portions, about 18–20 g each. Roll into balls and keep covered with plastic wrap.

Oil Dough and Wrapping

1. Combine the cake flour and ghee or clarified butter. Mix and press together until a uniform dough forms. No kneading is needed.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Divide evenly into 10 portions, about 14–15 g each, and roll into balls.
4. Take one portion of water dough and gently flatten it with your palm. Use your fingers to shape it into a round wrapper that is slightly thicker in the center and thinner around the edges.
5. Place one portion of oil dough in the center.
6. Gently hold the oil dough in place with one thumb while using the other hand to gradually push the water dough upward around it.
7. Completely enclose the oil dough and pinch the seam tightly closed to prevent it from leaking during rolling.
8. Place seam-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and rest for 15 minutes.

Roll & Coil for Flaky Layer

First Roll :

Take one rested dough ball and place it seam-side up. Gently flatten it from the center with your palm.

Using a rolling pin, gently roll from the center downward and then from the center upward, forming an oval about 10–12 cm (4–5 inches) long.

Apply even, gentle pressure to avoid tearing the outer dough.

Roll the dough up from top to bottom.

Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.

Second Roll:

Position the rolled dough vertically, with the rolled layers running toward you.

Gently flatten it again with your palm.

Roll from the center downward and upward as before, this time forming a longer and thinner strip.

Roll up from top to bottom.

Cover with plastic wrap and rest for another 15 minutes.

Tip:

Allow the dough to rest fully after each rolling step. This helps the dough relax, making it easier to stretch around the filling without tearing.

Fill, Shape, Decorations, and Bake

1. Take one piece of dough that has been rolled twice. Press down in the center with your finger so the two ends curl upward.
2. Bring the two ends toward the center and gently pinch them together, then flatten with your palm.
3. Roll outward from the center to form a round wrapper, keeping the center slightly thicker and the edges thinner.
4. Place one 30 g portion of sweet potato filling in the center.
5. Using the opening between your thumb and index finger, gradually gather the pastry dough upward until the filling is completely enclosed. Pinch the seam tightly closed.
6. Place seam-side down and gently flatten into a thick, round pastry.
7. Decoration * Lightly prick several holes vertically into the surface with a fork. * Dip a pastry stamp into a small amount of red food coloring and stamp the top. * For a natural alternative, prepare red coloring with red yeast rice powder and use it for stamping.
8. Bake Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the moonlight pastries in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is fully baked and the surface is lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.