I’ll show you how to make potstickers at home, step-by-step! My vegan version of these traditional Chinese dumplings has a savory tofu and veggie filling, paired with a sweet ginger sauce for dipping.
Before I made this recipe, I had never made Chinese dumplings at home because I assumed it would be time-consuming. How wrong I was! Making potstickers is quick and easy, especially when you start with pre-made wonton wrappers. It’s a nice little shortcut that makes homemade vegan dumplings much more manageable! Potstickers make a great side or starter to General Tso’s tofu , vegan fried rice , and easy peanut butter ramen noodles .
What to Expect From This Homemade Potstickers Recipe
- Easy filling. The filling here isn’t an authentic Chinese recipe, made with pork—I simply used some of my favourite stir-fry ingredients, including tofu, Swiss chard, carrots, and green onions.
- Make them your own. Once you’ve got the technique down, you can make potstickers with any filling you like!
- Homemade dipping sauce. You can use bottled or jarred dipping sauce for your dumplings, but I’m definitely partial to my sweet ginger dipping sauce recipe. It combines sweet and savory flavours with a heavy dose of ginger and red pepper flakes. It’s the perfect complement to the mild vegan potsticker filling!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is helpful information on the ingredients needed to make these vegan potstickers. The FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
Dumpling ingredients.
- Round wonton wrappers – If you buy these frozen, they’ll need to be thawed before you start.
- Carrot – Grate the carrot with a box grater or your food processor. If neither is an option, you can finely mince it with a knife.
- Baby Swiss chard – If you can’t find baby Swiss chard at the grocery store, you can substitute baby spinach or kale.
- Green onions – If you don’t have green onions, any mild, finely chopped onion will work.
- Fresh ginger and garlic – You can substitute these fresh ingredients with their powdered counterparts if you need to. In this case, you’ll need about ⅓ the amount.
- Tofu – The tofu needs to be pressed before you make the filling. Learn more about pressing tofu in my in-depth tutorial, How To Cook Tofu 101 .
- Liquid aminos or soy sauce – Whichever you prefer. Liquid aminos are lower in sodium, but you can use low-sodium soy sauce if you’d like.
- Sesame oil – There really isn’t a substitute for sesame oil in Chinese cooking. However, if you have tahini (sesame paste), it will do the trick in this recipe.
- Rice wine vinegar – Make sure you buy plain rice wine vinegar, not the seasoned kind.
Homemade Ginger Dipping Sauce
- Maple syrup or agave nectar – You could use another sweetener here, like raw sugar.
- Soy sauce – Tamari or liquid aminos work here, too.
- Sesame seeds – Use white, black, or a combination of the two.
- Ground ginger – Feel free to use fresh if you prefer.
- Red pepper flakes – Use more or less, according to your taste preferences. Chili sauce , like Sriracha, is also a good way to add heat to the sauce.
- Green onions – Optional, for garnish and extra flavor.
How to Make Potstickers (Chinese Dumplings)
You don’t need to cook the filling for these potstickers in advance, so cleanup is very quick and easy. Here’s how to assemble and cook your dumplings, step-by-step.
Combine the ingredients.
- Make the filling. Combine the carrot, green onions, ginger, garlic and tofu in a medium bowl. Stir in the pepper, liquid aminos, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. Fill the center of each wonton wrapper with a scant tablespoon of the tofu mixture.
Fold the wrapper in half.
- Fold the dumplings. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water using a brush or your fingertips, then fold it over so the middle meets, creating a half-moon shape. Use your fingers to pinch the edges sealed, adding a frill if you’d like.
Cook the Potstickers
Traditionally, potstickers are fried and steamed in the same pan (resulting in the name “potsticker”). However, for simplicity’s sake, I skip the frying step in this recipe. You can steam your dumplings using a specialty bamboo steamer if you have one. Once your potstickers are in the steamer, steam them for 10 minutes until tender.
Otherwise, you can make a steamer by adding boiling water to a pan. Place a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper over the water, and arrange the dumplings on top. Cover the potstickers with foil, and steam.
Serve With the Dipping Sauce
Make the ginger sauce.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Serve . Serve the steamed dumplings with the dipping sauce and additional sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish.
Tips for Success
- Square vs. Round wonton wrappers. If you can’t find round wonton wrappers, you can use square ones. Fold them into triangles, then fold the two far corners together to seal them.
- Seal the dumplings tight. Make sure to wet the edges of the wrappers and pinch the dumplings tightly closed. Otherwise, they may split open while they steam.
- Pan-frying. If you prefer dumplings that are crispy, you can pan-fry them in oil instead of steaming.
- Traditional method. Or, cook them the traditional way, and add the potstickers to the oiled pan, and then pour water into the pan and place the lid on top to let them steam.
More Serving Suggestions
Serve these potstickers as part of a full Chinese-inspired feast, with fried rice, edamame salad , or sesame noodles on the side. For a main, try homemade vegan moo goo gai pan , chow fun noodles , or crispy General Tso’s cauliflower . I also love this easy air fryer orange tofu on a weeknight! As something special for dessert, try homemade Chinese tangulu .
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate. If you have leftover dumplings, you can place them in an airtight storage container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat. Warm them up by putting them back in the steamer or by microwaving. To keep the potstickers from drying up in the microwave, you can place a damp paper towel over them.
- Freeze. You can freeze potstickers in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet; once they’re frozen through, place them in an airtight storage container or freezer bag. Reheat them by steaming them or in the microwave, as directed above.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Korean Gochujang Tofu Rice Bowls
- Fresh Summer Rolls
- Spicy Ramen
- Vegan Katsu Curry
- Tempeh Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 12 circular wonton wrappers
- 1/2 carrot , grated
- 3/4 cup baby swiss chard , chopped
- 3 teaspoon chopped green onion or two stalks
- 2 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic , chopped finely
- 8 ounces tofu , pressed for 30 minutes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid aminos , or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- pinch salt
Sweet Ginger Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Chopped scallions , for garnish
- sesame seeds , for garnish
Instructions
- Before starting, thaw the wonton wrappers for a few minutes.
- Mix the carrot, green onions, ginger, garlic and tofu in a medium sized bowl and mix together. Add the pepper, liquid aminos, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar into the mixture and stir everything together.
- To arrange the dumplings, fill each wonton wrapper with a bit less than a tablespoon of filling right in the middle. wet the edges with water (you can use your fingers) and fold over so that the middle meets, creating a half moon or crescent shape. Using your finger, pinch the edges to seal, adding a frill if you want. It helps to add a bit more water on your fingers if it isn’t pressing together.
- Steam dumplings for 10 minutes in a bamboo steamer or a makeshift steamer (a bit of boiling water in a pan, a cookie sheet over it, parchment paper on the cookie sheet, the dumplings on the sheet and cover with foil to keep steam in!).
- Remove and serve with sweet ginger sauce.
Sweet Ginger Sauce
- Whisk all the ingredients together and add garnishes (if desired).
Notes
I’ll show you how to make potstickers at home, step-by-step! My vegan version of these traditional Chinese dumplings has a savory tofu and veggie filling, paired with a sweet ginger sauce for dipping.
Before I made this recipe, I had never made Chinese dumplings at home because I assumed it would be time-consuming. How wrong I was! Making potstickers is quick and easy, especially when you start with pre-made wonton wrappers. It’s a nice little shortcut that makes homemade vegan dumplings much more manageable! Potstickers make a great side or starter to General Tso’s tofu , vegan fried rice , and easy peanut butter ramen noodles .
What to Expect From This Homemade Potstickers Recipe
- Easy filling. The filling here isn’t an authentic Chinese recipe, made with pork—I simply used some of my favourite stir-fry ingredients, including tofu, Swiss chard, carrots, and green onions.
- Make them your own. Once you’ve got the technique down, you can make potstickers with any filling you like!
- Homemade dipping sauce. You can use bottled or jarred dipping sauce for your dumplings, but I’m definitely partial to my sweet ginger dipping sauce recipe. It combines sweet and savory flavours with a heavy dose of ginger and red pepper flakes. It’s the perfect complement to the mild vegan potsticker filling!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is helpful information on the ingredients needed to make these vegan potstickers. The FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
Dumpling ingredients.
- Round wonton wrappers – If you buy these frozen, they’ll need to be thawed before you start.
- Carrot – Grate the carrot with a box grater or your food processor. If neither is an option, you can finely mince it with a knife.
- Baby Swiss chard – If you can’t find baby Swiss chard at the grocery store, you can substitute baby spinach or kale.
- Green onions – If you don’t have green onions, any mild, finely chopped onion will work.
- Fresh ginger and garlic – You can substitute these fresh ingredients with their powdered counterparts if you need to. In this case, you’ll need about ⅓ the amount.
- Tofu – The tofu needs to be pressed before you make the filling. Learn more about pressing tofu in my in-depth tutorial, How To Cook Tofu 101 .
- Liquid aminos or soy sauce – Whichever you prefer. Liquid aminos are lower in sodium, but you can use low-sodium soy sauce if you’d like.
- Sesame oil – There really isn’t a substitute for sesame oil in Chinese cooking. However, if you have tahini (sesame paste), it will do the trick in this recipe.
- Rice wine vinegar – Make sure you buy plain rice wine vinegar, not the seasoned kind.
Homemade Ginger Dipping Sauce
- Maple syrup or agave nectar – You could use another sweetener here, like raw sugar.
- Soy sauce – Tamari or liquid aminos work here, too.
- Sesame seeds – Use white, black, or a combination of the two.
- Ground ginger – Feel free to use fresh if you prefer.
- Red pepper flakes – Use more or less, according to your taste preferences. Chili sauce , like Sriracha, is also a good way to add heat to the sauce.
- Green onions – Optional, for garnish and extra flavor.
How to Make Potstickers (Chinese Dumplings)
You don’t need to cook the filling for these potstickers in advance, so cleanup is very quick and easy. Here’s how to assemble and cook your dumplings, step-by-step.
Combine the ingredients.
- Make the filling. Combine the carrot, green onions, ginger, garlic and tofu in a medium bowl. Stir in the pepper, liquid aminos, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. Fill the center of each wonton wrapper with a scant tablespoon of the tofu mixture.
Fold the wrapper in half.
- Fold the dumplings. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water using a brush or your fingertips, then fold it over so the middle meets, creating a half-moon shape. Use your fingers to pinch the edges sealed, adding a frill if you’d like.
Cook the Potstickers
Traditionally, potstickers are fried and steamed in the same pan (resulting in the name “potsticker”). However, for simplicity’s sake, I skip the frying step in this recipe. You can steam your dumplings using a specialty bamboo steamer if you have one. Once your potstickers are in the steamer, steam them for 10 minutes until tender.
Otherwise, you can make a steamer by adding boiling water to a pan. Place a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper over the water, and arrange the dumplings on top. Cover the potstickers with foil, and steam.
Serve With the Dipping Sauce
Make the ginger sauce.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Serve . Serve the steamed dumplings with the dipping sauce and additional sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish.
Tips for Success
- Square vs. Round wonton wrappers. If you can’t find round wonton wrappers, you can use square ones. Fold them into triangles, then fold the two far corners together to seal them.
- Seal the dumplings tight. Make sure to wet the edges of the wrappers and pinch the dumplings tightly closed. Otherwise, they may split open while they steam.
- Pan-frying. If you prefer dumplings that are crispy, you can pan-fry them in oil instead of steaming.
- Traditional method. Or, cook them the traditional way, and add the potstickers to the oiled pan, and then pour water into the pan and place the lid on top to let them steam.
More Serving Suggestions
Serve these potstickers as part of a full Chinese-inspired feast, with fried rice, edamame salad , or sesame noodles on the side. For a main, try homemade vegan moo goo gai pan , chow fun noodles , or crispy General Tso’s cauliflower . I also love this easy air fryer orange tofu on a weeknight! As something special for dessert, try homemade Chinese tangulu .
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate. If you have leftover dumplings, you can place them in an airtight storage container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat. Warm them up by putting them back in the steamer or by microwaving. To keep the potstickers from drying up in the microwave, you can place a damp paper towel over them.
- Freeze. You can freeze potstickers in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet; once they’re frozen through, place them in an airtight storage container or freezer bag. Reheat them by steaming them or in the microwave, as directed above.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Korean Gochujang Tofu Rice Bowls
- Fresh Summer Rolls
- Spicy Ramen
- Vegan Katsu Curry
- Tempeh Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 12 circular wonton wrappers
- 1/2 carrot , grated
- 3/4 cup baby swiss chard , chopped
- 3 teaspoon chopped green onion or two stalks
- 2 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic , chopped finely
- 8 ounces tofu , pressed for 30 minutes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid aminos , or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- pinch salt
Sweet Ginger Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Chopped scallions , for garnish
- sesame seeds , for garnish
Instructions
- Before starting, thaw the wonton wrappers for a few minutes.
- Mix the carrot, green onions, ginger, garlic and tofu in a medium sized bowl and mix together. Add the pepper, liquid aminos, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar into the mixture and stir everything together.
- To arrange the dumplings, fill each wonton wrapper with a bit less than a tablespoon of filling right in the middle. wet the edges with water (you can use your fingers) and fold over so that the middle meets, creating a half moon or crescent shape. Using your finger, pinch the edges to seal, adding a frill if you want. It helps to add a bit more water on your fingers if it isn’t pressing together.
- Steam dumplings for 10 minutes in a bamboo steamer or a makeshift steamer (a bit of boiling water in a pan, a cookie sheet over it, parchment paper on the cookie sheet, the dumplings on the sheet and cover with foil to keep steam in!).
- Remove and serve with sweet ginger sauce.
Sweet Ginger Sauce
- Whisk all the ingredients together and add garnishes (if desired).
Notes
Vegan Potstickers (Chinese Dumplings)
Ingredients
- 12 circular wonton wrappers
- 1/2 carrot grated
- 3/4 cup baby swiss chard chopped
- 3 teaspoon chopped green onion or two stalks
- 2 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic chopped finely
- 8 ounces tofu pressed for 30 minutes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- pinch salt
Sweet Ginger Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Chopped scallions for garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Before starting, thaw the wonton wrappers for a few minutes.
- Mix the carrot, green onions, ginger, garlic and tofu in a medium sized bowl and mix together. Add the pepper, liquid aminos, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar into the mixture and stir everything together.
- To arrange the dumplings, fill each wonton wrapper with a bit less than a tablespoon of filling right in the middle. wet the edges with water (you can use your fingers) and fold over so that the middle meets, creating a half moon or crescent shape. Using your finger, pinch the edges to seal, adding a frill if you want. It helps to add a bit more water on your fingers if it isn’t pressing together.
- Steam dumplings for 10 minutes in a bamboo steamer or a makeshift steamer (a bit of boiling water in a pan, a cookie sheet over it, parchment paper on the cookie sheet, the dumplings on the sheet and cover with foil to keep steam in!).
- Remove and serve with sweet ginger sauce.
Sweet Ginger Sauce
- Whisk all the ingredients together and add garnishes (if desired).
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Potstickers (Chinese Dumplings) https://jessicainthekitchen.com/chinese-dumplings-potstickers/ March 4, 2022
You can’t beat a classic, and these are the perfect vegan chocolate chip cookies! They’re chewy, rich, and chocolatey. No one ever guesses that they’re made without eggs and dairy.
Chewy. Soft. Chocolatey. Just a little bit salty. There’s a reason why everyone loves chocolate chip cookies so much. They’re pretty much the perfect cookie! I’ve taken that classic, chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe and made it vegan. It took quite a bit of testing, but I think I nailed it. These vegan chocolate chip cookies are just as satisfying and packed with chocolate chunks, minus the eggs and dairy.
Why This Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Works
- Made with brown sugar. Brown sugar adds some extra moisture, which is essential for achieving that chewy texture.
- The magic of cornstarch. The cornstarch lends a soft, tender texture rather than a crispy one. There’s a time and place for crispy cookies, but for these vegan chocolate chip cookies, I was aiming for soft and chewy. As a bonus, the cornstarch gives the cookies some height, keeping them from going flat and spreading on the pan.
- Keeping it simple. Best of all, my vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe requires no fussy ingredients. That means no aquafaba, no flax eggs, and no pricy egg replacer !
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
- Vegan butter – Let the butter come to room temperature so it can be creamed with the sugars.
- Organic white sugar
- Brown sugar – Either light or dark brown sugar will work; a dark brown sugar will add more depth to the flavour of your cookies since it has a higher molasses content.
- Vegan milk – This will also need to be room temperature. Use any variety you like or have on hand!
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Vegan chocolate chips or chunks
What Makes a Chocolate Chip Vegan?
It’s common for chocolate chips—even dark and semisweet chips—to be made with milk fat or dry milk powder, which means they’re not vegan. Make sure you buy chocolate chips without these ingredients to make vegan chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Be sure to account for the chilling time when planning to make this recipe! Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Mix the wet ingredients . Use a stand mixer, hand mixer , or whisk to cream the vegan butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add the vegan milk and vanilla extract, then mix again for 30 seconds.
Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt.
Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix gently until fully combined (about 1 minute), then fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours. When you’re ready to finish the cookies, start preheating the oven to 350ºF.
Form the cookies. Scoop out the cookie dough by the heaping tablespoon. Place the dough on baking sheets, allowing 3 inches of space for each cookie. Make sure the dough remains cold while you work; return it to the refrigerator if needed.
Bake. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 11 to 12 minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
These vegan chocolate chip cookies are pretty easy and unfussy, but here are some hints and tips to help you make sure they turn out perfect!
- Working with chilled dough. If you chill the dough for more than 2 hours, it might be tough to work with. Let it sit on the counter a bit until it’s easy to scoop.
- Baking in batches. If you need to bake the cookies in batches, I recommend returning the bowl of dough to the refrigerator between batches to make sure it doesn’t warm up too much.
- Can’t find vegan butter? I developed this recipe with vegan butter, so I don’t recommend substituting oil. Try my Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe instead, which can be made with coconut oil.
How to Store
Keep these vegan chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze both the baked cookies and the dough. Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
To freeze the dough, form the dough into balls and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once the dough is frozen through, transfer it to a freezer bag or airtight container. You can bake it from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter , 1 stick or 112g, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup organic white sugar , 100g
- ½ cup brown sugar , 100g
- 3 tablespoons vegan milk , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups flour , 210g
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 ounces of chopped vegan chocolate chips/chunks
Instructions
- Cream together the vegan butter and sugar for 3 minutes. You can also use a whisk. Add in the vegan milk & vanilla extract and mix again for 30 seconds.
- In a bowl mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and sea salt. Add that into the wet ingredients. Mix gently until fully combined (about 1 minutes). Fold in the chocolate chips and stir until just combined. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Scoop out the cookies as 1 heaping tablespoon each. Allow 3 inches for each cookie. Keep the dough cold while doing this (don’t let it thaw too much).
- Bake at 350°F/180°C for 11-12 minutes. Remove immediately from the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (don’t skip this part) then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
