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This wagashi recipe makes incredibly easy and beautiful Japanese nerikiri. Featuring homemade shiro-an (white bean paste) and sweet rice flour, this authentic wagashi recipe is sure to please and impress!
Ever since my trip to Japan, I’ve been SO in love with the art of Japanese cooking. After all, it’s clear that the Japanese people have a way of making food, well, truly an art.
While I was in Japan, I ate lots of Japanese delicacies – and each bite seemed to be better than the one before! If you don’t believe me, check out this post to see some of the food I ate (and why I think they are GORGEOUS).
So in honor of Japanese delicacies, I’m excited to share with you a recipe for what I think is the most beautiful and artful of all Japanese Wagashi: the Nerikiri!
What is Nerikiri Wagashi?
According to Bokksu, a premium Japanese snack subscription program:
Wagashi is a broad term used to describe traditional Japanese confections that are typically enjoyed with green tea. Wagashi translates to “Japanese sweets” or “Japanese snacks” … There are many variations of wagashi, but… common types of wagashi include mochi, daifuku, nerikiri, and rakugan.
And today, we’ll be sharing a simple recipe to make Nerikiri Wagashi, which is made with white bean paste and sweet rice flour.
In my opinion, Nerikiri is one of the most “instragammable” type of Wagashi. Don’t you think?
Ingredients to Make Japanese Nerikiri Wagashi
For the Shiro-an (White Bean Paste)
- 8 oz lima beans, soaked for 12 hours and skin discarded
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Nerikiri Wagashi
- 1¼ tbsp sweet rice flour (I like this one)
- 1½ tbsp water
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 1 cup shiro-an (white bean paste)
How to Make Japanese Nerikiri Wagashi
For the Shiro-an (White Bean Paste)
- Add the soaked lima beans into a large pot, then add enough water to barely cover the beans. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until beans are soft (you can also cook it in a pressure cooker, like this Instant Pot, for 15-20 minutes)
- Once done, drain the water and blend the tender lima beans in a food processor.
- Working in batches, transfer a portion of the bean puree to a fine-meshed strainer. Using a spatula or spoon, press the beans through the strainer to produce a smooth white bean paste.
- Into a medium saucepan, add in sugar, salt, and the white bean paste. Cook on medium-low heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture becomes a moldable paste, about 15-20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, then transfer the shiro-an into a large plate or container.
For the Nerikiri Wagashi
- In a medium pot over medium heat, mix sweet rice flour, water, and sugar with a wooden spatula.
- Add in the shiro-an (white bean paste). Continue to mix until a tacky, moldable dough forms.
- Turn off heat, then transfer nerikiri to a plate or baking sheet to cool.
- Once cool, split the “dough” and place in different bowls/containers to color with food dye.
- Shape the nerikiri wagashi in different forms. ENJOY!
Looking for More Japanese Inspiration?
Hungry for More Asian Dessert Recipes?
- Simple Ube Ice Cream (GF, V)
- Purple Sweet Potato Klepon (Indonesian Sweet Rice Ball)
- Balinese Milk Tarts (Pie Susu)
- Matcha Granola Clumps (GF, DF)
- Señorita Bread Recipe (Filipino Spanish Bread)
- Pink Power Pitaya Smoothie Bowl (GF, DF, V)
- Dark Chocolate Coconut Granola (GF, DF, V)
- Indian Masala Chai Spiced Overnight Oats
- Tropical Mermaid Blue Spirulina Smoothie Bowl
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If you make this Japanese Nerikiri Wagashi recipe, please drop a comment below! I’d LOVE to know what you think! Or take a picture and share it on Instagram by tagging @dwellbymichelle!
Japanese Wagashi Recipe : Nerikiri
Ingredients
For the Shiro-an (White Bean Paste)
- 8 oz lima beans, , soaked for 12 hours and skin discarded
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Nerikiri Wagashi
- 1 ¼ tbsp sweet rice flour (I like this one)
- 1 ½ tbsp water
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- 1 cup shiro-an (white bean paste)
Instructions
For the Shiro-an (White Bean Paste)
- Add the soaked lima beans into a large pot, then add enough water to barely cover the beans. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until beans are soft (you can also cook it in a pressure cooker, like this Instant Pot, for 15-20 minutes)
- Once done, drain the water and blend the tender lima beans in a food processor.
- Working in batches, transfer a portion of the bean puree to a fine-meshed strainer. Using a spatula or spoon, press the beans through the strainer to produce a smooth white bean paste.
- Into a medium saucepan, add in sugar, salt, and the white bean paste. Cook on medium-low heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture becomes a moldable paste, about 15-20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, then transfer the shiro-an into a large plate or container.
For the Nerikiri Wagashi
- In a medium pot over medium heat, mix sweet rice flour (I like this one), water, and sugar with a wooden spatula.
- Add in the shiro-an (white bean paste). Continue to mix until a tacky, moldable dough forms.
- Turn off heat, then transfer nerikiri to a plate or baking sheet to cool.
- Shape the nerikiri wagashi in different forms. ENJOY!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Just wanted to let you know that my wagashi was a success! i was so nervous it wouldn’t turn out right but it did and i couldn’t be happier with how everything came together.
wonderful experience making this. I wasn’t very good at shaping the wagashi but the flavor was still fantastic.
It’s definitely a bit tricky to shape them just right, but with practice (and lots of wagashi batches haha) you’ll be an expert in no time! 🙂
The flavor and texture was spot on! I’ll be making this recipe again.
Great to hear! Thanks for your feedback.
This was a fun recipe to make and the wagashi tasted delicious. I’m so glad I tried it!
Hi im just wondering before i make this for the shiro-an can it harden if i put it on the pot on high?
Hi Ash! If you keep your heat to medium-low when making the shiro-an, you should not have that problem. I would also recommend regularly stirring the bottom of the pan to avoid the mixture getting burnt. Hope this helps!
i loved this recipe so much I decided to host a wagashi party this weekend so my friends can try too! Thank you for this, Michelle!
Hi Lana, that sounds super fun! I’m glad you loved it (and I hope your friends did too!)
My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this! Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
Hi there! How can we store the nerikiri? And how long can it last before it goes bad or the texture is off? Should we eat it right away or leave in fridge for a moment before serving? Thanks!
Hi Betty!
These nerikiri should be refrigerated and eaten within 5 days 🙂
this was the most fun family activity to do with my 5 and 7 year old! I promised them a “baking with mom” day and found your wagashi recipe. While it’s not necessarily baking, the kids loved coloring and shaping the Japanesee nerikiri and the wagashi tasted delicious as well. Next time, do you know if I can use canned white beans to cut cooking time?
Hey Susan! I’m so glad that you had fun! It definitely reminds me of play-dough, except that nerikiri wagashi is edible! 🙂 I have not personally tried using canned white beans, but I would think it works (though I’d expect you’d have extra water from the beans that you’d need to simmer longer/strain to get the right “paste” consistency)