If you’ve ever tried Vietnamese bánh bò nướng (baked honeycomb cake), you already know what a textural dream it is: chewy, airy, and packed with pandan and coconut flavor. But today we’re flipping the script — and the pan — by baking them into muffin tins for the cutest little personal-sized cakes you’ve ever seen.

These Bánh Bò Muffins are my take on the Vietnamese classic, but with a more portable, muffin-sized twist. Think lightly crisped edges, chewy insides, and perfectly formed rễ tre (those gorgeous honeycomb tunnels that give bánh bò its name — “bò” means “to crawl” in Vietnamese, which refers to how the batter bubbles up as it bakes!).

Let’s talk flavor: pandan-forward, coconut-rich, with a hint of vanilla warmth. The texture? A cross between chewy mochi and a lightly crisp muffin top. It’s nostalgic and modern — and best of all, no fancy pans or steamers needed.

🍵 What Is Bánh Bò Nướng?

Traditionally, bánh bò nướng is a Vietnamese baked honeycomb cake made from a blend of tapioca starch, coconut milk, sugar, yeast, and pandan flavoring. It’s known for its green tint and airy, chewy bite. The key feature? Its interior full of vertical tunnels — aka the honeycomb effect — created by the combination of activated yeast and a hot baking environment.

Most recipes are baked in large round or bundt pans, but for this recipe, I wanted something snack-sized and pop-up friendly, so I baked them in a muffin tin.

Enter: Bánh Bò Muffins 💚

Why Muffin-Sized?

Besides being incredibly adorable, baking bánh bò in muffin tins gives a few real benefits:

Portion control: Each muffin is its own perfect serving
Faster bake time: No need to wait 40+ minutes for a big cake to finish
Crispier edges: More surface area = more texture
Great for pop-ups or bake sales: Easy to pack, serve, and store

Plus, the honeycomb structure develops beautifully inside each muffin cavity — so no sacrificing aesthetics for convenience.

📋 Recipe Overview

Yield: 6-8 muffins
Ferment Time: 3–5 hours
Bake Time: 25–28 minutes
Texture: Crispy edges, chewy interior, honeycomb holes
Flavor: Pandan-forward, coconutty, mildly sweet

🛒 Ingredients

¾ cup tapioca starch
¼ cup rice flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup warm water (100–110°F, for activating yeast)
1¼ tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp fresh pandan juice
½ tsp pandan extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg (optional — helps browning & rise)
⅛ tsp salt
1–2 tbsp extra warm water or coconut milk (if needed to loosen batter)
Neutral oil for greasing muffin tin

🥣 Instructions

1️⃣ Activate the Yeast

In a small bowl, combine:

¼ cup warm water
1 tsp of the sugar (from the total)
1¼ tsp instant yeast

Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy. This confirms your yeast is alive and active.

2️⃣ Make the Coconut Base

In a saucepan, warm:

½ cup coconut milk
Remaining sugar
⅛ tsp salt

Do not boil — just warm enough to dissolve the sugar. Let cool slightly, then stir in:

1 tbsp pandan juice
½ tsp pandan extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg (optional)

3️⃣ Make the Batter

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:

¾ cup tapioca starch
¼ cup rice flour

Pour in:

The activated yeast mixture
The coconut-pandan mixture

Whisk until smooth. Batter will be thin and slightly elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm area for 3 to 5 hours, until thickened and bubbly.

4️⃣ Bake for Maximum Honeycomb

Preheat your oven to 365°F (185°C).

Place your empty muffin tin in the oven while it preheats — this step mimics the “hot pan” trick used in cast iron baking to help with oven spring and promote vertical honeycomb holes.

After 5 minutes of preheating, carefully remove the hot tin and grease each cavity with a little neutral oil.

5️⃣ Pour & Bake

Check the batter:

If it feels too thick, stir in 1–2 tbsp warm water or coconut milk to loosen it.
Gently stir to redistribute bubbles, but don’t overmix and deflate it.

Pour into muffin cavities ¾ full.

Bake at 365°F for 25–28 minutes, or:

Start at 375°F for the first 5 minutes
Then lower to 350°F for the remainder — this gives you extra oven spring!

The tops should be lightly golden, slightly cracked, and bounce back when tapped.

6️⃣ Cooling

To prevent your muffins from collapsing in cooler climates:

Turn off the oven
Crack the oven door and let muffins rest inside for 5–7 minutes
Then remove the tin to the counter
Let them cool in the tin for another 10 minutes
Gently unmold and cool completely on a rack before cutting

💡 Wait at least 10–15 minutes before slicing to allow the honeycomb structure to firm up.

🍽 Serving & Storage

Best served slightly warm or at room temperature
Don’t slice hot! Let them rest for that honeycomb texture to show up
Store:
- Room temp: 1 day
- Fridge: 2–3 days
Reheat: 300°F for 3–5 minutes to refresh texture

🧠 Edu-taining: Why the Honeycomb Happens

So what causes those beautiful tunnels in bánh bò muffins?

It’s a combo of:

Activated yeast → releases carbon dioxide during fermentation
Tapioca starch → gives stretch and chew
Egg (optional) → helps hold structure
Hot pan + oven spring → rapid expansion creates air tunnels that set as the starches cook

That signature “rễ tre” (bamboo root) effect is all about the balance of heat, rise, and structure — too wet, and it’s gummy; too thick, and it’s dense.

🌈 Flavor Variations

Once you’ve nailed the base recipe, here are some fun twists:

Ube Bánh Bò Muffins: Sub pandan juice with ube extract + purple food coloring
Vanilla Coconut: Omit pandan for a pale golden coconut vanilla version
Mango Honeycomb: Add mango puree and a dash of turmeric for color
Mini Muffin Bites: Use a mini muffin tin and reduce bake time by ~5 mins

🧁 Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
Muffins are dense	Batter may have over-fermented, or oven not hot enough
No honeycomb holes	Batter too cold, yeast not activated properly
Muffins collapse	Sudden temp change, or underbaked center
Pale tops	Use egg + short high-temp bake for better browning

💬 FAQs

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant?
Yes — just proof it for 10–15 minutes in warm water before using.

Can I skip the egg?
Absolutely. The texture will be slightly softer and less golden, but still chewy and delicious.

Can I make these gluten-free?
They already are! Tapioca and rice flour are both naturally gluten-free.

Can I make this as one big loaf?
Yes — bake in a greased 8″ round pan at 350°F for 35–40 minutes.

Final Thoughts: Bánh Bò Muffins = Tiny Cakes, Big Texture

If you’ve ever wanted to try baking bánh bò nướng, these muffin-sized versions are a beginner-friendly (and cuter) way to start. With minimal tools and maximum flavor, they’re the perfect balance of nostalgic Vietnamese flavor and modern snacking ease.

So go ahead — bake a batch, tag me @jenhdao if you do, and prepare for your kitchen to smell like pandan and coconut heaven. 💚

How to make Bánh Bò Muffins

Recipe by Jen H. DaoCourse: DessertCuisine: vietnamese, viet, asian, americanDifficulty: easy

Servings

6-8

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

¾ cup tapioca starch
¼ cup rice flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup warm water (100–110°F)
1¼ tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp fresh pandan juice
½ tsp pandan extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg (optional – helps browning + rise)
⅛ tsp salt
1–2 tbsp extra warm water or coconut milk (if needed to loosen batter)
Neutral oil, for greasing muffin tin

Directions

Activate Yeast
Mix warm water with 1 tsp sugar (from total) and yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
Prepare Coconut Base
Warm coconut milk with remaining sugar and salt (don’t boil).

Let cool slightly, then stir in pandan juice, extract, vanilla, and egg (if using).
Make the Batter
Whisk tapioca starch and rice flour in a bowl.

Add yeast mixture, then coconut mixture. Stir until smooth.

Cover and let rise 3–5 hours in a warm spot until bubbly and thickened.
Preheat + Pour
Preheat oven to 365°F. Place empty muffin tin inside for 5 minutes.

Remove, brush cavities with neutral oil.

If batter is too thick, gently stir in 1–2 tbsp warm water or coconut milk.

Stir gently to redistribute bubbles (don’t deflate).

Fill muffin cavities ¾ full.
Bake
Bake at 365°F for 25–28 minutes, or:

Start at 375°F for 5 minutes, then lower to 350°F to finish.
Tops should be golden and springy.
Cool Gradually
Turn off oven, crack door, and let muffins rest inside for 5–7 minutes.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes before unmolding.

Cool completely before slicing to preserve honeycomb texture.