Honey-Glazed Mushroom Snack Buns

If you’re a hiker, backpacker, or skier, chances are you love snacks. And if you love snacks, you’ll love these sweet, spicy, and savory Honey-Glazed Mushroom Snack Buns. They’re the perfect size for on-the-go eating, and they’re packed with flavor, fresh ingredients, and of course, protein to fuel your next trip up (or down!) the mountain. They are also healthy and vegetable-forward for everyone getting their New Year’s resolutions off to a good start.

What are Honey-Glazed Mushroom Snack Buns?

Snack Buns (or Bao) are a type of Chinese steamed bun that is filled with different ingredients. The buns can be either sweet or savory and they are a popular dish in China and other parts of Asia. Bao are becoming more popular in the United States, and you can find them at restaurants or food stands that serve Asian cuisine, but they are also easy to make at home… or even better at camp.

Bao can be filled with just about any ingredients: pork, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and of course mushrooms, like in these Honey King Trumpet Mushroom Snack Buns.

I chose mushrooms for this bao as I had a fresh crop ready to harvest. In the winter when snow covers my outdoor garden, I grow my own mushrooms in my laundry room (spores love warm and humid… thank you washer and dryer!).

Secrets to Growing Mushrooms Indoors

• Start with quality spores and spawn // Mushrooms grown from spores, not seeds, in an organic base know as a spawn. The type of spawn that works best depends on the type of mushroom you are growing. Luckily, there are many kits to purchase online that provide you with both spores and spawn in the form of a kit. My favorite is North Spore.
  
• Follow the instructions // How to get the spores to bloom depends on the type of mushrooms. Some may need to be refrigerated or soaked in a bucket of water over night. Read the instructions for best results. (Something, admittedly, I’m not always the best at!)
  
• Provide a humid environment // Humidity should be over 80%. For dry climates (like the high desert of Central Oregon, add a humidifier to the room where you are growing them.

Mushrooms are little sponges and absorb the flavors around them. For these Honey-Glazed Mushroom Snack Buns, I added traditional Asian flavors: soy, mirin, garlic, and scallions. Then, I glazed them in sweet honey. Lastly, the pickled carrot is an acidic note to this savory bite and the cabbage makes the perfect crunch.

What I love most about these snack buns is that they are so easy to make in the outdoors with boiling water. I prep the dough at home and at camp steam the buns. For on trail-eating, or dare I say apres-ski tailgating, I steam the buns at home and then make the filling in my backpacking stove for a quick, warm bite.

The number of ingredients can seem daunting, but I simplify that by combining the ingredients that are used together in the same travel container, you can save time and space in your pack. Also, the steamed buns also freeze easily and then can be easily thawed and re-warmed. Anything can happen with a little prep!

Love this dish? Leave a comment below! Love Mushrooms? Me too. Check out some of my other favorite mushroom recipes like Mixed Mushroom Soup, Shiitake Noodle Soup, or Rigatoni with Pink Oyster Mushrooms and Peas.

4.88 from 8 votes

Honey-Glazed King Trumpet Mushroom Snack Buns

Servings 12 buns

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Rising Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Equipment

• Bamboo Steamer

Ingredients

For the Buns…

• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

For the Filling…

• 1 cup carrot julienned
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1/2 lbs King Trumpet Mushrooms sliced and scored
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp mirin
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup cabbage shredded
• 3 green onions minced
• 1 tbsp panko breadcrumbs toasted

Instructions

For the Buns…

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and milk. Set aided for 10-15 minutes while yeast activates. Add in oil.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in yeast mixture. Knead for 2-3 minutes and shape into a ball. Let dough rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
• Divide dough into 14 – 16 equal size balls. Roll out each ball until a 1/4 inch think. Fold in half and place a small piece of wax paper in the middle. Let rest for another 30 minutes.
• Fill wok or shallow pan with water, roughly 2 inches of water. Place buns in a lined bamboo steamer and add to the pan. Steam for 8-12 minutes.

For the Filling…

• Start with a quick pickle on your carrots. Heat vinegar and water in a saucepan. Stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Remove from heat and add carrots. Let sit for 30 minutes or store in a fridge for up to 3 days.
• To prepare the mushrooms, heat oil in a frying pan and add mushrooms. Cook for 4-6 minutes until mushrooms have released their water and are nicely browned. Add garlic, soy, and mirin and cook for another 1-3 minutes. Toss with honey and butter and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Assemble the buns by adding a small amount of cabbage and pickled carrot. Top with 2-3 slices of mushroom. Garnish with green onions and panko breadcrumbs.

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Forage, Vegetable

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @bewildeats on Instagram and hashtag it #bewildeats.