Osmanthus Konnyaku Jelly Balls, 桂花果冻 (guìhuā guǒdòng) — ah, I love this dessert so much! My kitchen fills with the most beautiful flowery aroma of osmanthus when I’m making this. I’m really lucky to have experienced this fragrance in Chengdu. There were a few osmanthus trees near Da Ci Si Temple. Me and hubby loved strolling through that area when osmanthus was in season, around fall, sniffing all we could!🍂
Made with just 3 main ingredients — konnyaku powder, osmanthus, and sugar. I added lemon juice and pandan leaves, they are optional but recommended for extra brightness and fragrance!
Before seeing the real tree, I knew osmanthus from a famous dessert — osmanthus flower cake 桂花糕 (guì huā gāo), the one I always saw in ancient Chinese TV dramas where they’d serve it to the empress! It also pops up at some dim sum places. The name always sounds so luxurious to me, probably because gui (Mandarin) or gwai (Cantonese) sounds similar to the word for expensive. And when I was living in Chengdu, osmanthus-flavored desserts were everywhere. One of my favorites? Glutinous rice balls with jiu niang (fermented rice wine) and osmanthus. So good.
I’ve made these Osmanthus Jelly Balls a few times for my family, and everyone loved them! It’s an easy recipe you can make with either agar agar or konnyaku jelly powder. I went with konnyaku jelly powder because I love that bouncy, QQ texture. Agar agar is less chewy and works better for creating layers. Konnyaku powder holds its shape beautifully in different moulds — perfect for these little balls!
What to pair these jelly balls with:
- Warm soy milk for a dessert drink
- Shaved ice for a refreshing treat
- Cold coffee — use a flat pan mould and cut into small cubes, serve like boba in drinks for an osmanthus-infused coffee
- Goji berries — adds another level of texture and sweetness, really good!
Osmanthus Konnyaku Jelly Balls FAQ
- Can I use agar agar? – Yes! Follow the package instructions as a starting point, but note that agar agar gives less chewy texture compared to konnyaku.
- Can I use fruits or vegetables juice? Yes, the ratio stays the same. If using fruit juice, you’ll likely want to skip the sugar since most juices are already sweet. Some juices such as kiwi may affect the setting due to its enzyme. Most common one we used at home is lychee or longan drinks. For vegetable juice like cucumber or carrot, strain it first for a smoother texture.
- Can I use plain sugar? Yes! I personally love the subtle sweetness from rock sugar — it’s also more traditional in Asian desserts alongside palm sugar. But plain white sugar works fine at the same ratio.
- How long do Osmanthus Jelly Balls last? Up to 3 days in an airtight container, refrigerated. They’re actually great, made the day before — the texture stays firm and bouncy.
- Where can I buy osmanthus flowers? Look for dried osmanthus flowers at Asian grocery stores or online. They’re usually labeled 桂花 (guìhuā).
How to Make the Jelly
First, rinse the dried osmanthus flowers with water to remove any debris.
Bring 1L of water to a boil, turn off the heat, and add the osmanthus flowers.
Let it steep for 10 minutes, then sieve.
Next, to the same water, add the rock sugar and pandan leaves tied into a knot. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. If you’re using high heat, add a little more water to compensate.
Now, turn down the heat and gradually add the konnyaku jelly powder in parts, whisking as you go — do not pour it all in at once. Keep stirring until all the powder has fully dissolved.
Cook until the mixture starts to thicken and there are no white dots, about 6-8 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice for a subtle brightness. You can either use the strained osmanthus or add unsteeped dried osmanthus flowers for a more fragrant jelly. Stir to combine.
Pour into your mould once it cools slightly — glass mould users can pour it straight from the heat.
Let it set at room temperature or pop it in the refrigerator. Thread into skewers or cut into cubes (if using other mould). Enjoy!
These Osmanthus Konnyaku Jelly Balls are:
- perfect finger food and snack to bring to parties
- great made ahead as a next-day snack
- refreshing and light
- fun to make with kids
- gluten-free
- completely vegan
- absolutely delicious!
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking!
Other dessert recipes to try
Osmanthus Konnyaku Jelly Balls
Ingredients
- 10 g konnyaku jelly powder (see note) add gradually, do not pour all at once
- 1 L water up to 1.1L for a softer texture
- 7 g dried osmanthus flower
- 125 g rock sugar
- 4 pandan leaves tied into a knot
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice adds a subtle brightness
- Mould of your choice
Instructions
- Rinse the dried osmanthus flowers with water to remove any debris. Bring 1L of water to a boil, turn off the heat, and add the osmanthus flowers. Let it steep for 10 minutes, then sieve.
- To the same water, add the rock sugar and pandan leaves tied into a knot. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. If you’re using high heat, add a little more water to compensate.
- Turn down the heat and gradually add the konnyaku jelly powder in parts, whisking as you go — do not pour it all in at once. Keep stirring until all the powder has fully dissolved.
- Cook until the mixture starts to thicken and there are no white dots, about 6-8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Add the strained osmanthus back into the mixture and stir to combine (see note).
- Once it cools down slightly, pour into your mould. If you're using a glass mould, you can pour it right after turning off the heat.
- Let it set at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- I used unsteeped dried osmanthus flowers after adding the lemon juice — try using unsteeped ones for a more fragrant jelly! I also used a smaller amount so the flowers appear as little speckles throughout. You can definitely use the strained osmanthus for this step too. If not, set it aside to make tea.
- My water-to-powder ratio and sugar level are a bit different than what the packaging requires. This is the texture that I like, a bit on the chewy side 🙂 and has a subtle sweet taste
- I used Jim Willie Konnyaku Jelly Powder. For other brands, please check the packaging instructions for the amount of powder to water ratio.
Feel free to pin the picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference.
Can you please recommend a konnyaku powder brand?
Hey there, I used Jim Willie brand – it says Konnyaku Jelly Powder and this one has no added sugar, so I like it. Please let me know if you need anything else. 🙂
I had this dessert once for Chinese new year. I can’t wait to make this and will definitely let you know how it turns out as long as I can find all the ingredients!
Perfect! 🙂 Can’t wait to see yours.