Mung beans substitutes
Mung beans substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Yellow split peas
Same amount as the mung beans
Cooked 5-10 minutes longer
For split or peeled yellow mung beans, which become a paste, use yellow split peas 1:1 and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer; red lentils also work if you cut the water slightly. For whole green mung beans in soups and salads, use whole green or brown lentils 1:1, or adzuki beans 1:1 in sweet dishes.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- What changes —
- different taste, similar texture
- Best for —
- banh fillings
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of mung beans | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yellow split peasbanh fillings | Same amountCooked 5-10 minutes longerTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Red lentils (masoor dal)dal | Same amountWith about ¼ cup less liquid per cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Chana dal (split chickpeas)savory dal | Same amountSoaked 2 hours and cooked longerYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Whole green or brown lentilssoups | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Adzuki beansche | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | No substitute: sprouting, and smooth pale pastesbean sprouts | See notesYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Yellow split peas
different taste, similar texture
Hulled split field peas, the closest structural match to split yellow mung beans.
- Best for
- banh fillings, che desserts, xoi, dal, purees
They break down into the same thick, smooth, spoonable paste, which is the key thing. The flavor is greener and distinctly pea-like, so a sweet banh filling tastes slightly vegetal; a little extra sugar and a spoonful of coconut milk cover that almost completely.
Red lentils (masoor dal)
different taste and texture
Split hulled red lentils that collapse quickly into a puree.
- Best for
- dal, soups, quick purees, savory fillings
They cook much faster and much looser, so check them ten minutes early. The result is softer and wetter with a slightly earthy flavor and a pinkish tan color instead of pale yellow, so a filling will not hold a ball shape unless you cook the paste down noticeably drier.
Chana dal (split chickpeas)
different taste and texture
Split hulled chickpeas, firmer and nuttier than mung beans.
- Best for
- savory dal, rustic fillings, stews
Nuttier and much firmer, and it stays slightly grainy no matter how long you cook it, so it is good in a savory dal and too coarse for a smooth sweet paste unless you push it through a sieve. It needs both a soak and a longer simmer, so plan around it.
Whole green or brown lentils
different taste, similar texture
Standard whole lentils, used where whole green mung beans are called for.
- Best for
- soups, salads, stews, grain bowls
They hold their shape through a simmer much like whole mung beans, so they work well where you want distinct beans in a broth. The flavor is earthier and less sweet, and the skins are a bit tougher. They will not sprout usefully, so this is a cooking swap only.
Adzuki beans
different taste and texture
Small red beans widely used in Asian sweets, cooked with sugar to a paste or left whole.
- Best for
- che, sweet fillings, mooncakes, shaved ice toppings
A traditional choice in its own right across Asian desserts, so it never tastes like a mistake. It is sweeter and richer with a firmer skin that stays noticeable in the mouth, and it turns the dessert purple-brown instead of pale yellow, so a che that should look creamy and blond looks dark instead.
No substitute: sprouting, and smooth pale pastes
different taste and texture
The two cases where only mung beans will do.
- Best for
- bean sprouts, mooncake filling, banh cam, banh chung
Nothing else in a pantry sprouts into bean sprouts, so if the recipe says sprout them, buy a bag of fresh sprouts instead. And for a mooncake or banh filling that must be smooth, pale and sweet, canned or frozen prepared mung bean paste from an Asian market beats any different bean.
Questions
5 questionsCan I just leave the mung beans out?
It depends on what they are doing. In a dal or a bean soup they are the substance, so no. In xoi vo or a layered che they are one component among several and the dish still works without them, just thinner and less filling. In a banh filling they are the filling, so you need something in their place.
Is moong dal the same as mung beans?
Yes. Moong dal is the Indian name for mung beans, and dhuli moong dal or yellow moong dal specifically means the hulled and split yellow version, which is the same product Vietnamese markets sell as dau xanh ca. Whole green moong is the same as whole green mung beans.
Are mung beans the same as bean sprouts?
Bean sprouts are germinated mung beans, so they come from the same bean but they are a completely different ingredient in the kitchen. You cannot swap a cup of dried mung beans for a cup of fresh sprouts in a recipe, and sprouting takes three to five days on a counter.
Can I use canned mung beans?
Canned whole mung beans work fine in soups and salads; rinse them and add them near the end. For sweet fillings, look instead for canned or frozen sweetened mung bean paste, which is a different and much more useful product, and reduce the sugar in your recipe because it is already sweetened.
What is the difference between green and yellow mung beans?
They are the same bean. Green ones still have their skins on, so they hold their shape, taste slightly grassier and take longer to soften. Yellow ones are the same beans hulled and split, so they cook faster and collapse into a smooth, sweeter paste. Recipes for fillings and desserts almost always want the yellow split ones.
Tips for substituting mung beans
5 tips- Buy the right form for the job, because it is the thing that ruins recipes. Split, peeled yellow beans, labelled peeled split mung bean or dau xanh ca, cook in 20 to 25 minutes and turn into paste. Whole green mung beans hold their shape and are what you sprout. They are not interchangeable without adjusting liquid and time.
- Steam split mung beans rather than boiling them when you are making a filling. Boiling waterlogs them and you then spend ten minutes driving the moisture back out over the heat.
- Soak split mung beans for 30 to 60 minutes if you have the time. They cook more evenly, hold less foam and taste cleaner, though unlike chickpeas they do not require it.
- Salt at the start does not toughen mung beans, but acid does. Add lime, tamarind or vinegar only after the beans have already gone completely soft, or they stay stubbornly firm.
- Whole green mung beans do not need an overnight soak. Two hours is plenty and they cook in 30 to 40 minutes, so treat them as fast beans and start checking early rather than following chickpea timings.