Banh Bo: Discover Vietnam's Traditional Honeycomb Cake

Soft, lightly sweet and wonderfully chewy, Banh Bo is one of Vietnam's most distinctive traditional cakes. Written Bánh Bò in Vietnamese, this popular sweet treat is known for its airy texture, delicate sweetness and characteristic honeycomb-like structure. Made using ingredients such as rice flour, coconut milk and sugar, Banh Bo can be steamed or baked, creating different textures and flavours. Some versions are white, while others have a beautiful green colour from pandan leaves. Whether enjoyed as a snack, dessert or sweet treat with tea, Vietnamese honeycomb cake offers a delicious introduction to the diversity of Vietnamese desserts.

Source: uber eats

What Is Banh Bo?

Banh Bo is a traditional Vietnamese cake recognised for its soft, spongy texture and small air pockets created during cooking. Unlike many Western cakes, which rely heavily on wheat flour, butter and eggs, traditional steamed Banh Bo is commonly made with rice flour, sugar, water or coconut milk and a leavening agent such as yeast. The fermentation and cooking process create a light, porous structure that gives the cake its distinctive appearance.

Depending on the preparation, Banh Bo can be served as small individual steamed cakes or as a larger baked cake cut into slices. The result is a dessert that feels both familiar and surprisingly different from conventional sponge cake.

Why Is Banh Bo Called Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake?

The English name Vietnamese honeycomb cake comes from the cake's unusual interior. When cut open, Banh Bo can reveal a network of small holes or elongated air pockets resembling a honeycomb. These openings are created by gases released during fermentation or leavening and set during cooking. The structure is particularly noticeable in baked Banh Bo Nuong, which often develops long, vertical air channels inside. This honeycomb texture is not simply decorative. It also contributes to the cake's light, springy and slightly chewy consistency, making it one of the most recognisable features of Banh Bo.

What Is Banh Bo Made Of?

The ingredients used to make Banh Bo depend on the version. Traditional steamed Banh Bo commonly contains rice flour, sugar, water or coconut milk and yeast. Some recipes include tapioca starch to create additional elasticity. Pandan extract may be added for colour and fragrance.

Baked Banh Bo Nuong often uses tapioca starch, eggs, coconut milk, sugar and baking powder or another leavening system. These differences explain why steamed and baked versions can have noticeably different textures, even though they share the same Vietnamese name.

Banh Bo Hap: Vietnamese Steamed Honeycomb Cake

Bánh Bò Hấp is the steamed version of Banh Bo. It is commonly prepared as small, soft cakes with a gently sweet flavour and a light, spongy texture. The batter is traditionally fermented before steaming, allowing air bubbles to develop and create the cake's characteristic porous structure.

Steamed Banh Bo can appear in different colours, including white and green pandan varieties. Some versions are served with a coconut-based topping or sauce, adding richness to the cake's delicate sweetness. Banh Bo Hap is particularly associated with traditional Vietnamese snacks and sweet treats sold in markets and neighbourhood food stalls.

Banh Bo Nuong: Vietnamese Baked Honeycomb Cake

Bánh Bò Nướng is the baked version of Vietnamese honeycomb cake. Unlike the small steamed cakes, Banh Bo Nuong is usually baked as a larger cake and cut into slices. It often has a golden-brown exterior and a striking honeycomb structure inside. Pandan-flavoured versions are especially recognisable because of their green interior and fragrant aroma.

The texture is typically springy, chewy and slightly elastic, with a richer flavour than many steamed versions because of ingredients such as coconut milk and eggs. Although both are called Banh Bo, the steamed and baked preparations are distinct desserts with different methods and ingredient combinations.

What Does Banh Bo Taste Like?

Banh Bo is generally mildly sweet, with a delicate rice flavour and a soft, springy texture. Coconut milk can add richness, while pandan contributes a fragrant, grassy and slightly vanilla-like aroma. The steamed version is often lighter and more delicate, while the baked version can have a richer flavour and a chewier texture.

One of the most interesting characteristics of Banh Bo is that its appeal comes as much from texture as from sweetness. The airy honeycomb structure creates a distinctive mouthfeel that makes the cake different from ordinary sponge cakes.

What Is Pandan and Why Is It Used in Banh Bo?

Pandan is a tropical plant widely used in Southeast Asian cooking, particularly in desserts. Its leaves have a distinctive sweet, fragrant aroma often compared with vanilla, coconut or freshly cooked rice. In Banh Bo, pandan can be used to flavour the batter and give the cake its characteristic green colour.

Pandan is especially common in Banh Bo Nuong, although it can also appear in steamed versions. Not every Banh Bo contains pandan, and traditional white varieties remain popular. The use of pandan demonstrates how Vietnamese desserts often rely on aromatic plants rather than heavy flavourings.

What Makes Banh Bo Soft and Chewy?

The texture of Vietnamese Banh Bo depends on the balance between starch, liquid, leavening and cooking technique. Rice flour provides structure, while tapioca starch can create elasticity and chewiness. In steamed versions, fermentation helps develop air bubbles before cooking.

In baked versions, the interaction between the batter, leavening agent and oven heat creates the characteristic honeycomb channels. If the batter is prepared incorrectly or the cooking temperature is unsuitable, the cake may become dense instead of developing its expected porous texture. This is why achieving the right consistency is one of the most important parts of making Banh Bo.

Is Banh Bo the Same as Banh Bo Thot Not?

Bánh Bò Thốt Nốt is a regional variation of Banh Bo associated with Southern Vietnam, particularly areas where palmyra palm sugar is produced. Instead of relying only on white sugar, this version uses thốt nốt, or palmyra palm sugar, which contributes a golden colour and a distinctive caramel-like sweetness.

The cake is especially associated with An Giang Province and the food traditions of the Mekong Delta. While it shares the soft, porous texture of other Banh Bo varieties, the flavour of palm sugar gives it a recognisable regional identity.

Is Banh Bo Gluten-Free?

Traditional Banh Bo recipes often use rice flour and tapioca starch, which are naturally gluten-free. However, not every Banh Bo should automatically be considered gluten-free. Commercial flour mixtures, flavourings and other ingredients can vary, and cross-contact may occur during preparation. Anyone avoiding gluten for medical reasons should check the exact recipe and production conditions rather than relying only on the traditional ingredient list.

When Do Vietnamese People Eat Banh Bo?

Banh Bo is commonly enjoyed as a snack or dessert rather than a main meal. In Vietnam, small steamed cakes may be sold in markets, street stalls or neighbourhood shops, while baked pandan honeycomb cake is often sliced and shared with family or friends. It can be eaten on its own or enjoyed with tea or coffee. Its mild sweetness and distinctive texture make it suitable for different moments of the day, from an afternoon snack to a simple dessert after a meal.

Banh Bo vs Other Vietnamese Desserts

Vietnamese dessert culture includes far more than cakes and pastries. Chè refers to a broad family of sweet soups, puddings and fruit-based desserts, while Banh Bo belongs to Vietnam's tradition of rice-based cakes. Other desserts use glutinous rice, mung beans, coconut, tapioca or tropical fruits. What makes Banh Bo particularly interesting is its honeycomb structure and springy texture.

Unlike colourful desserts such as Chè Thái, where different ingredients remain separate, Banh Bo creates its distinctive eating experience through the structure of the cake itself.

Discover Vietnamese Desserts with Ha Noi 1988

At Ha Noi 1988, sharing Vietnamese cuisine means exploring more than phở, bánh mì and spring rolls. Vietnamese desserts are an equally important part of the country's food culture, from colourful bowls of chè to traditional rice cakes and coconut-based sweets. Banh Bo is a wonderful example of how simple ingredients such as rice flour, coconut milk and sugar can create something distinctive through technique and texture.

Through our food and stories, Ha Noi 1988 aims to introduce diners in Paris to the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine, including the traditional sweets and everyday treats that form part of life in Vietnam.

Frequently Asked Questions About Banh Bo

What is Banh Bo? Banh Bo is a traditional Vietnamese cake known for its soft, spongy and slightly chewy texture. It can be steamed or baked and is often made with rice flour, coconut milk, sugar and leavening ingredients.

What does Banh Bo mean in English? Banh Bo is commonly described as Vietnamese honeycomb cake because of the porous structure inside the cake. The term refers to several related Vietnamese cake preparations.

What is the difference between Banh Bo Hap and Banh Bo Nuong? Banh Bo Hap is steamed and typically uses a fermented rice-flour batter, while Banh Bo Nuong is baked and often contains tapioca starch, eggs and coconut milk.

Why is Banh Bo green? Green Banh Bo is commonly flavoured and coloured with pandan, an aromatic tropical plant used in many Southeast Asian desserts.

Is Banh Bo vegan? Some steamed Banh Bo recipes are vegan when made without eggs or dairy, but baked versions often contain eggs. Ingredients should be checked individually.

Is Banh Bo gluten-free? Many traditional recipes use rice flour and tapioca starch, but commercial ingredients and cross-contact can affect gluten-free suitability.

What does Banh Bo taste like? Banh Bo is mildly sweet, soft and slightly chewy, often with coconut or pandan flavours depending on the recipe.

Where can I find Banh Bo in Paris? Vietnamese bakeries, dessert shops and some restaurants in Paris may offer Banh Bo. Availability varies, so checking current menus is recommended.  Reserve a table.