Bánh Khọt Recipe (Vietnamese Crispy Rice Cakes)
Watch the reel -here-.
Bánh Khọt – Vietnam’s Crispy, Golden Rice Cakes
If you’ve ever walked through the streets of southern Vietnam, chances are the smell of sizzling coconut rice batter pulled you right to a food stall. That’s Bánh Khọt — tiny golden rice cakes, crisped in a cast iron pan, topped with shrimp and scallions, wrapped in lettuce and herbs, and dunked in nước mắm, the mother sauce of Vietnam.
It’s one of those dishes that’s as fun to eat as it is to make. And for me and my dad, it’s one of our favorites to cook together at home.
Get the Banh Khot / Ableskiver pan -here-.
Bánh Khọt vs. Bánh Xèo
You might have heard of Bánh Xèo, the big savory Vietnamese “pancake” folded with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. Bánh Khọt is like its little cousin. Instead of one large pancake, you get bite-sized, crispy rice cakes cooked in a pan with little wells (kind of like an aebleskiver or takoyaki pan).
Where Bánh Xèo is thin and lacy with a soft chew, Bánh Khọt is all about the crunch. The outside edges crisp up beautifully, while the middle stays tender from the coconut milk and beer in the batter. Both are wrapped with lettuce, herbs, and nước mắm — but Bánh Khọt is easier to share, and honestly, impossible to stop eating once you start.
The PAN:
For this recipe, the flour batter matters (you can even buy a premade mix), but the pan is EVERYTHING. I use an Aebleskiver pan because its cast-iron build holds steady under high heat and won’t warp. Plus, the perfectly rounded wells create that iconic Bánh Xèo shape every time. It’s also non-stick so it’s easy to dislodge the rice cakes from the molds. This particular pan has the best diameter slots and depth for the most perfectly shaped rice cakes aka Banh Khot!
Get the Banh Khot / Ableskiver pan -here-:
Get the Banh Khot pre-mixed flour -here-:
If you’re using a gas burner, you may need a diffuser plate to help diffuse the heat and for the pan to lay flat on your stove
A Little History
Bánh Khọt has roots in southern Vietnam, especially around Vũng Tàu — a coastal city famous for seafood. Traditionally, street vendors cooked these in large cast iron pans over charcoal, serving them straight from the pan to your plate.
The batter base is simple: rice flour, coconut milk, and water. But every family puts their own twist on it. Some add turmeric for color, others add beer for extra crisp. My parents always added just a touch of curry powder — it deepens the flavor and pairs so well with the coconut milk.
Over time, Bánh Khọt became a favorite for family gatherings because they’re fun to make in batches and even more fun to eat together.
Why It’s a Family Favorite
When my dad and I were traveling through Vietnam, we could never pass a stall without stopping for a plate of these golden little cakes. It’s one of those dishes that immediately connects me back to home cooking — crispy edges, coconut fragrance, fresh herbs, and that punchy nước mắm dip.
Making them at home isn’t just about the taste — it’s about recreating those moments. Standing over the hot pan with Dad, flipping out one batch after another, stacking them high, and racing to see who can grab the crispiest ones first.
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup rice flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups water
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup beer
Toppings & Garnish:
Small shrimp, peeled and deveined
Chopped scallions
Fresh cracked black pepper
Lettuce leaves & mixed herbs (mint, perilla, cilantro, Thai basil)
Nước mắm dipping sauce (see recipe below)
Vegetable Wraps:
Lettuce (Boston lettuce or Romain)
Cilantro
Vietnamese Perilla (optional if you can find it)
Instructions:
Make the batter:
In a large bowl, whisk together rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, turmeric and water. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
Add flavor:
Stir in coconut milk, beer, and the additional 2 cups of water. The batter should be thin but smooth.
Heat the pan:
Brush oil generously into each well of your Bánh Khọt pan (or use an aebleskiver/takoyaki pan if that’s what you have). Heat until hot.
Cook the cakes:
Pour in the batter to fill each well halfway. Immediately top with a shrimp, a sprinkle of scallions, and a crack of black pepper.
Crisp them up:
Cover with a lid and let them steam for 3–4 minutes. Remove the lid and let them continue cooking until the edges are golden and lacy. Use a spoon to gently loosen and lift them out.
Serve & wrap:
Stack the cakes on a platter. To eat, wrap each one with lettuce and herbs, then dunk into nước mắm. You can also eat these alone without the lettuce wraps but I prefer them with the fresh crisp greens.
*Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase the featured pan (or any item) through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.