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These Hotteok (Sweet Korean Pancakes) are a popular Korean street food made with a super simple yeast dough and filled with an amazing melt-in-your mouth mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.
They are perfectly crispy on the outside and deliciously sweet and gooey on the inside...and terribly addictive!
These sweet Korean pancakes, or Hotteok, are not pancakes in the "want to drizzle syrup and butter all over them and eat them for breakfast" sense.
No, they are a very popular street food in Korea, commonly served during the cold winter months. Lightly browned and crisped on the outside with a gooey, melt in you mouth filling, these are the perfect treat to warm you up on a cold winter day
Gooey, melted brown sugar and crushed nuts, delicious, chewy dough....that's what life is all about!
If you like gooey, warm desserts, you may also want to try one of these:
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What are Hotteok?
Hotteok (or sweet Korean pancakes) are a very popular Korean street food (like this tteokbokki or Korean sweet potatoes). Pockets of dough typically stuffed with a mixture of dark brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon, they are delicious and ultra popular during winter.
Pan fried or deep fried to be slightly crisp on the outside and wonderfully gooey and melty on the inside, they really are the ultimate snack!
While typically sweet, they can also be made with vegetables, meats, or other savory items. I've included some options further down in the post.
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Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Rice Flour (also known as glutinous flour)is used to give the hotteok a slightly chewy texture. We use a combination of regular all purpose flour and rice flour.
Walnuts are used as part of the filling in this recipe, but you can also substitute with chopped pecans which are equally (and some may say better) good.
Instant yeast makes it really easy for us to get the right dough texture without without waiting for it to proof.
The recipe also calls for brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
**You can also purchase hotteok mix and make it from a box, but I prefer this homemade version.
Step By Step Instructions
Combine the warm milk and melted butter in a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let the granules dissolve for 1-2 minutes.
Mix the remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the milk and yeast mixture and mix until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix or the dough will get tough.
Cover and let sit in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours.
In the meantime, mix the walnuts (or whatever nuts you choose), brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl and set aside.
Once your dough has risen (it should be about double the size), knead it again to remove any air bubbles.
Separate it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 3-4 inch circle.
Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in each dough circle and fold the dough up around the filling (see photos below).
Roll the dough back into a ball, making sure the filling is not coming out anywhere.
Heat 4 tablespoons of cooking oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the dough balls and brown for about 1 minute, until they start to turn light brown.
Use a nonstick spatula or this more traditional Korean style Hotteok press to flatten the pancakes as thin as you can get them without the filling coming out.
Let them cook another 1-2 minutes, until they are a medium golden brown.
Flip them over and cook another 30-60 seconds, until they are light golden brown.
Place the lid on and cook another 60-90 seconds, until medium golden brown. *The lid helps hold the heat in so the inside will become like a syrup.
Serve immediately while the insides are still nice and gooey on the inside.
Variations for Hotteok
- Fill them with sweet red bean paste.
- Fill them with Nutella or chocolate chips.
- Replace the filling with peanut butter, peanut butter chips, or a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter.
- Fill them with fruit, jam or caramel.
- Make them savory by filling them with cheese, pepperoni, ham, roasted meats, curry, etc. etc. etc. The possibilities are endless!
Expert Tips
- Instant yeast should be used to allow the dough to rise quickly.
- The dough should almost double in size after rising.
- The dough should be just slightly sticky. Add additional flour if needed to form it into balls.
- The dough should have air bubbles in it after it has risen.
- Lightly oil your hands when stuffing the dough - it will help prevent it from sticking.
- Make sure all the edges are fully sealed before frying. Otherwise, the filling will ooze out.
- Hotteok are best served fresh and warm.
- Because the sugar heats as the hotteok cook, be very careful when biting into them as the filling will be incredibly hot (especially for small children).
Frequently Asked Questions
Hotteok tastes like a pocket of slightly chewy, bready dough filled with gooey melted brown sugar and nuts. It's almost kind of like a cinnamon roll with crispy outsides.
We use a lightly fermented dough filled with brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg, mashed into a flat disc and fried until golden brown.
I don't recommend it. They are best served hot so the sugar is warm and gooey and the dough is warm and chewy. However, technically it can be eaten cold, I just don't find it to be very appetizing that way.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
You can reheat leftovers in a little bit of oil on the stovetop, or just heat it in the microwave in 30 second increments until warmed through.
**Note Hotteok are best eaten fresh and hot. While they can be eaten leftover, the results are not nearly as good.
You can make them in advance and store them in the fridge until ready for serving (up to 3 days). Reheat in a 350°F oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
To freeze: wrap the Hotteok in plastic wrap then store in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat it in a 350 degree oven until warmed through, about 10 -15 minutes.
More Favorite Korean Recipes
- Korean Rice Bowls
- Spicy Tofu Soup
- Korean Sweet Potatoes
- Korean Purple Rice
- Rabokki
- Tteokbokki (Korean Rice Cakes)
Browse ALL the Korean Recipes!
Did you make this Hotteok recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out!
Recipe
Hotteok Recipe (Sweet Korean Pancakes)
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ½ cup rice flour
- 1 packet yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk warmed
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil (for frying)
Filling:
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons walnuts chopped (substitute pecans)
Instructions
- Combine the warm milk and melted butter in a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let the granules dissolve for 1-2 minutes.
- Mix the remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the milk and yeast mixture and mix until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix or the dough will get tough.
- Knead the dough into a ball and cover to rise for 1-2 hours. Dough should almost double in size. TIP: leave to rise in a warm area.
- Once your dough has risen (it should be about double the size), knead it again to remove any air bubbles.
- Separate it into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it to about 3-4 inches wide.
- Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each dough circle.
- Fold the dough up and around the filling and make a ball. Be sure that all the filling is surrounding by the dough.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet.
- Add the dough balls and brown for about 1 minute, until they start to turn light brown.
- Use a nonstick spatula or this more traditional Korean style Hotteok press to flatten the pancakes as thin as you can get them without the filling coming out.
- Let them cook another 1-2 minutes, until they are a medium golden brown.
- Flip them over and cook another 30-60 seconds, until they are light golden brown.
- Place the lid on and cook another 60-90 seconds, until medium golden brown. *The lid helps hold the heat in so the inside will become like a syrup.
- Serve immediately while hot. Be careful as they will be HOT.
Expert Tips:
- Instant yeast should be used to allow the dough to rise quickly;
- Dough should be placed in a warm (not hot) area to rise more quickly;
- The dough should almost double in size after rising;
- The dough should be just slightly sticky. Add additional flour if needed.
- Lightly oil your hands when stuffing the dough - it will help prevent it from sticking;
- Make sure all the edges are fully sealed before frying. Otherwise, the filling will ooze out.
- Hotteok are best served fresh and warm.
Nutrition
Kim Durand says
Being a profession chef. I tried this recipe and it was a complete success. I added just a little flour but that is normal due to humidity levels that affect the flour absorbency.
Danielle says
I'm so glad to hear it worked out for you!
Roberta says
I've made this twice already in one week because it tastes amazing! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Danielle says
You're welcome! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!