Agar-agar dragon fruit mooncakes are a delightful twist on the traditional mooncake, combining the refreshing taste of tropical fruits with the smooth texture of agar-agar. The vivid, deep pinkish-red hue of red dragon fruit makes it a perfect ingredient for creating stunningly beautiful mooncakes that not only catch the eye but also offer a healthy and light alternative to more conventional baked mooncakes. In these creative desserts, dragon fruit flesh is used in both the mooncake’s “skin” and “filling,” giving the entire mooncake a cohesive fruity flavor and a stunning color.
The “skin” of the mooncake is made by blending the vibrant red dragon fruit with agar-agar, a gelatinous substance derived from algae, which creates a smooth and slightly firm outer layer. This layer encases the dragon fruit “filling,” which is equally refreshing, providing a consistent texture throughout the mooncake. Dragon fruit’s natural sweetness and subtly earthy flavor harmonize with the lightness of agar-agar, making each bite a refreshing experience.
In the centre of this mooncake lies a “yolk” made from fresh mango flesh. The golden-yellow color of the mango contrasts beautifully with the red dragon fruit, creating a visual representation of the traditional salted egg yolk found in baked mooncakes. However, the mango provides a sweet, tropical twist, offering a burst of juicy flavor that complements the delicate taste of the dragon fruit.
This innovative version of agar-agar dragon fruit mooncakes is not only a feast for the senses but also a healthier dessert option, as it uses fresh fruits and agar-agar instead of heavy oils and sugars. It is a perfect treat for the Mid-Autumn Festival, blending tradition with modern culinary creativity.
Check out our dragon fruit jelly recipe here.
CHINESE VERSION: 火龙果燕菜月饼
Agar-Agar Dragon Fruit Mooncakes | MyKitchen101en
Yields: 4 mooncakes (125 g each – 8 servings)
Ingredients:
Ingredients for mango agar-agar “egg yolks” : (Yields: 6, 15 g each)
- ¹⁄₁₆ tsp fine salt
- 1 ½ tbsps fine sugar
- 1 tsp agar-agar powder
- 90 g plain water
- 60 g mango flesh (diced)
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Ingredients for dragon fruit agar-agar filling:
- 45 g red dragon fruit flesh (mashed)
- ½ tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp agar-agar powder
- 30 g fine sugar
- 145 g milk (room temperature)
Ingredients for dragon fruit agar-agar skin:
- 60 g red dragon fruit flesh (mashed)
- 1 ¼ tsps agar-agar powder
- 2 tbsps fine sugar
- 1 pc pandan leaf
- 240 g plain water
Instructions:
For mango agar-agar “egg yolks”:
1 Combine salt, sugar, agar-agar powder and water, mix well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, cook until agar-agar powder has fully dissolved. Add lemon juice to mango flesh, add in agar-agar mixture, blend until smooth. Sieve mango puree through to remove hard fibre.
2 Pour mixture into 6 holes round ice cubes mould (diameter=3 cm), top with the cover. Keep in the freezer to freeze for 20 minutes, or until fully set.
3 Unmould when fully set.
For dragon fruit agar-agar filling:
1 Mix cornstarch with water, add in mashed dragon fruit flesh, mix well.
2 Combine agar-agar powder, sugar and milk, mix well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, cook until agar-agar powder has fully dissolved. Add in mashed dragon fruit flesh, mix well, bring to the boil again, then off the heat.
3 Pour some dragon fruit filling into 4 paper muffin cups (top diameter=6 cm, bottom diameter= 5 cm, height= 4.8 cm). Add in mango agar-agar “egg yolk”. Add in more dragon fruit filling until the total weight is 60 g.
4 Keep in the freezer and freeze for 20 minutes, or until fully set. Unmould when fully set.
For dragon fruit agar-agar skin:
1 Combine agar-agar powder, sugar, pandan leaf and plain water, mix well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, cook until agar-agar powder has fully dissolved. Add in mashed dragon fruit, mix well, bring to the boil again, then off the heat. Transfer mixture to heat resistant measuring cup.
Assembling Dragon Fruit Agar-Agar Mooncakes:
1 Pour some dragon fruit skin into jelly mooncake mould. Add in dragon fruit filling. Pour in more dragon fruit skin until fully filled.
2 Set aside for 15 minutes, or until slightly set.
3 Keep in refrigerator, chill for 2 hours, or until fully set.
4 Unmould the agar-agar mooncakes when fully set. (For storage: Put agar-agar mooncakes in container and chill.)
Agar-agar Dragon Fruit Mooncakes
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Ingredients
For mango agar-agar “egg yolks” : (Yields: 6, 15 g each)
- ¹⁄₁₆ tsp fine salt
- 1½ tbsps fine sugar
- 1 tsp agar-agar powder
- 90 g plain water
- 60 g mango flesh diced
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
For dragon fruit agar-agar filling:
- 45 g red dragon fruit flesh mashed
- ½ tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp agar-agar powder
- 30 g fine sugar
- 145 g milk room temperature
For dragon fruit agar-agar skin:
- 60 g red dragon fruit flesh mashed
- 1¼ tsps agar-agar powder
- 2 tbsps fine sugar
- 1 piece pandan leaf
- 240 g plain water
Instructions
For mango agar-agar “egg yolks”:
- Combine salt, sugar, agar-agar powder and water, mix well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, cook until agar-agar powder has fully dissolved. Add lemon juice to mango flesh, add in agar-agar mixture, blend until smooth. Sieve mango puree through to remove hard fibre.
- Pour mixture into 6 holes round ice cubes mould (diameter=3 cm), top with the cover. Keep in the freezer to freeze for 20 minutes, or until fully set.
- Unmould when fully set.
For dragon fruit agar-agar filling:
- Mix cornstarch with water, add in mashed dragon fruit flesh, mix well.
- Combine agar-agar powder, sugar and milk, mix well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, cook until agar-agar powder has fully dissolved. Add in mashed dragon fruit flesh, mix well, bring to the boil again, then off the heat.
- Pour some dragon fruit filling into 4 paper muffin cups (top diameter=6 cm, bottom diameter= 5 cm, height= 4.8 cm). Add in mango agar-agar “egg yolk”. Add in more dragon fruit filling until the total weight is 60 g.
- Keep in the freezer and freeze for 20 minutes, or until fully set. Unmould when fully set.
For dragon fruit agar-agar skin:
- Combine agar-agar powder, sugar, pandan leaf and plain water, mix well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, cook until agar-agar powder has fully dissolved. Add in mashed dragon fruit, mix well, bring to the boil again, then off the heat. Transfer mixture to heat resistant measuring cup.
Assembling Dragon Fruit Agar-Agar Mooncakes:
- Pour some dragon fruit skin into jelly mooncake mould. Add in dragon fruit filling. Pour in more dragon fruit skin until fully filled.
- Set aside for 15 minutes, or until slightly set.
- Keep in refrigerator, chill for 2 hours, or until fully set.
- Unmould the agar-agar mooncakes when fully set. (For storage: Put agar-agar mooncakes in container and chill.)
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Hi where to buy the Agar-Agar mooncake’s mould?
I bought from bakery supplies shop.