Vegan Matcha Jelly with Shiratama & Azuki | Japanese Kanten Dessert
Vegan Matcha Jelly with Shiratama and Azuki
This vegan matcha jelly made with kanten (agar-agar), chewy shiratama dango, and sweet azuki bean paste is a refreshing Japanese dessert that’s perfect for hot summer days.
Hello from Nara, Japan!
It’s too hot outside, so I decided to stay home and make something cold and refreshing.
That’s exactly why I made this Matcha Kanten Jelly with Shiratama Dango and Sweet Azuki Bean Paste.
It has everything I love about a Japanese summer dessert: the gentle bitterness of matcha, soft and refreshing kanten jelly, chewy shiratama, and just enough sweetness from azuki.
Put everything together in a glass bowl, and you’ll feel like you’re in a Japanese sweets shop—right in your own kitchen!
What Is Matcha Kanten Jelly?
Kanten is a traditional Japanese gelling ingredient made from seaweed. Outside Japan, it is commonly known as agar or agar-agar.
Unlike gelatin, kanten is completely plant-based, making this matcha jelly naturally vegan.
Traditional kanten can have quite a firm texture. For this recipe, however, I use much less kanten than you might expect so the jelly is softer, lighter, and more delicate.
The result is a refreshing matcha jelly with a clean bite that pairs beautifully with chewy shiratama and sweet red bean paste.
Kanten vs. Gelatin: What’s the Difference?
Many people outside Japan are more familiar with gelatin.
Gelatin is made from animal-derived collagen and creates that familiar soft, bouncy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Kanten, on the other hand, is made from seaweed and naturally sets more firmly.
That means the amount of kanten you use really matters.
For this matcha jelly, I use only a small amount so the texture stays soft and refreshing instead of becoming hard.
Another big difference is the setting temperature.
Gelatin
- Sets when chilled, generally below about 15°C / 59°F
- Needs refrigeration to stay set
- Soft and bouncy
- Delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Animal-derived
Kanten (Agar-Agar)
- Starts setting at around 30–40°C / 86–104°F
- Can set and remain firm at room temperature
- Naturally firmer than gelatin
- Clean, crisp bite
- Plant-based and made from seaweed
Kanten is especially convenient during the hot Japanese summer because it does not melt as easily as gelatin.
But of course, I still recommend serving this matcha kanten well chilled. It tastes so much better cold!
How to Make Vegan Matcha Jelly with Kanten
Servings
2–3 servings
Container
Approximately 14 cm × 10 cm
Ingredients
Matcha Kanten Jelly
- 1 g (1/4 teaspoon) kanten powder (agar-agar)
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) matcha powder
- 30 g (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water
Instructions
1. Combine the matcha and sugar
Mix the matcha powder and granulated sugar together until well combined.
You don’t necessarily have to sift the matcha first. Mixing it thoroughly with sugar helps break up the lumps and makes the matcha easier to disperse evenly in the liquid.
2. Cook the kanten
Add the kanten powder and water to a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring.
Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about 1 minute, stirring continuously.
This step is important. Kanten needs to be properly heated and fully dissolved in order to set correctly.
3. Add the matcha
Add the prepared matcha and sugar mixture to the saucepan.
Stir until completely dissolved and smooth.
4. Pour and chill
Lightly wet the inside of your container. This makes the kanten easier to remove once it has set.
Pour the matcha mixture gently over a spatula as you transfer it to the container. This helps prevent splashing.
Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate or chill it in an ice bath while you prepare the shiratama.
How to Make Soft and Chewy Shiratama Dango
To upgrade your matcha jelly, let’s make shiratama dango.
Shiratamako is a Japanese glutinous rice flour used to make small, soft, chewy dumplings.
Mochiko can also be used, although the finished texture will be slightly different.
Shiratama Dango Ingredients
- 1/4 cup shiratamako or mochiko
- About 1/5 cup water, adjusting as needed
Instructions
1. Make the dough
Add the water gradually while mixing.
Don’t add all the water at once.
The amount you need can vary, so check the texture as you go.
You want a soft, smooth dough with a consistency similar to play dough.
2. Make evenly sized shiratama
Here’s my easy trick.
Roll the dough into a cylinder, then cut it into 8 equal portions.
Roll each portion into a small ball.
This is much easier than trying to guess the same size eight times!
3. Boil the shiratama
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the shiratama.
They will sink to the bottom at first.
Once they float to the surface, continue cooking for about 1 more minute.
Transfer them immediately to cold water.
Now you have soft, pleasantly chewy shiratama dango.
How to Serve Matcha Jelly with Azuki
Once the matcha kanten is chilled and set, remove it from the container and cut it into bite-size pieces.
Place the matcha jelly in a glass serving bowl.
Add the freshly made shiratama dango and finish with a spoonful of sweet azuki red bean paste.
My red bean paste is homemade and only lightly sweetened, but store-bought azuki paste works perfectly well.
Some store-bought red bean pastes can be very sweet, so start with a small amount and add more if you like.
The slight bitterness of matcha, the sweetness of azuki, the clean texture of kanten, and the chewiness of shiratama create an irresistible combination.
Storage Tip
Enjoy this dessert on the same day you make it.
Because this matcha jelly uses only a small amount of kanten to create a softer texture, it may start to release some moisture after it is cut into cubes.
Shiratama is also best eaten fresh. It tends to become firm and lose its soft, chewy texture when refrigerated.
For the best texture, assemble and enjoy the dessert the same day.
Why Azuki Is Special in Japan
Azuki beans are more than just a delicious ingredient in Japanese sweets.
In Japan, the red color of azuki has traditionally been associated with warding off bad luck and welcoming good fortune.
That is one reason azuki appears in celebratory foods such as sekihan, Japanese red rice, as well as many traditional Japanese sweets.
And this particular dessert had a little extra lucky meaning.
Japan also uses an imperial era calendar connected to the current Emperor. In that calendar, 2026 is Reiwa 8.
So when I made this dessert on August 8, it became a rather special 8-8-8 day.
A bowl of matcha kanten with lucky azuki seemed just right.
And Yes, I Made a Mistake Live!
This recipe also gave me a livestream moment I won’t forget.
During the live, I accidentally mixed the kanten with the matcha when I meant to mix the matcha with the sugar.
No way!
I’ve never done that before.
And of course, I did it while nearly 1,000 people were watching!
It was supposed to be my perfect 8-8-8 special livestream, but somehow it went in the opposite direction.
There is a Japanese saying:
若い頃の苦労は買ってでもせよ
It roughly means that struggles and mistakes can become valuable experiences—even experiences worth “paying for.”
Well, apparently we never become too old to keep buying a few mistakes. 😂
Thankfully, the dessert still turned out beautifully, as always.
And maybe that’s one of the things I enjoy about cooking live: it isn’t perfectly polished like an edited YouTube video.
Things happen.
You adjust.
You just keep going.
And then you smile with something delicious at the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is matcha kanten jelly vegan?
Yes. Kanten is made from seaweed rather than animal collagen, so this matcha jelly is naturally vegan.
Is kanten the same as agar-agar?
Kanten is the Japanese name for a seaweed-based gelling ingredient commonly called agar or agar-agar in English.
Can I use gelatin instead of kanten?
You can make matcha jelly with gelatin, but the texture will be different. Gelatin creates a softer, bouncier jelly, while kanten gives a cleaner bite and can remain set at room temperature.
Can I use mochiko instead of shiratamako?
Yes. Mochiko can be used, although the texture may be slightly different from shiratama made with traditional shiratamako.
What goes well with matcha jelly?
Sweet azuki bean paste and shiratama dango are classic Japanese pairings. You could also serve matcha jelly with fresh fruit, soy milk, or a scoop of vegan ice cream.
Enjoy your vegan matcha jelly, chewy shiratama, sweet azuki bean paste, and Japanese sweets shop vibes, right in your own kitchen!
