How to Make Korean Sweet Pancakes (Hotteok Recipe 호떡)

What Are Korean Sweet Pancakes (Hotteok Recipe)?

Hotteok (호떡), or sweet Korean pancakes, are a popular Korean street snack. They are sweet, filled pancakes made with a dough-like batter and a traditional Hotteok filling made with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed nuts. 

Hotteok are typically served hot and eaten immediately after cooking. They are enjoyed for their sweet flavor and delightful texture, making them a beloved street food in Korea.

What Makes This Recipe Great

These delicious sweet pancakes were among my favorite treats growing up (I also love these Melona bars and this Mango Coconut pudding). You’ll find street food vendors in Korea serving piping hot Hotteok in the colder months, making them such a warm and cozy dessert. You know you are by a hotteok stand when you walk down the street because you can smell the heavenly melted sugar from far away. This recipe brings up tons of nostalgia for me, and I am so excited to share it with you!

This Hotteok recipe itself is straightforward. Chewy yeast dough is stuffed with a cinnamon sugar filling with nuts. When pan friend, the sugar melts into a syrupy texture that smells and tastes amazing. The dough gets crispy on the outside while chewy on the inside, making a mouthwateringly tasty and deliciously sweet pancake!

For my version of this sweet treat, I combined gluten-free all-purpose flour and sweet rice flour to replicate that crispy but chewy dough without needing regular wheat flour. 

Pancake

• Instant Yeast
• Sea Salt
• Granulated Sugar
• Milk: Any dairy-free milk will work. If you aren’t dairy free, feel free to use regular milk. 
• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I used Bob’s Red Mill. 
• Sweet Rice Flour: This is a glutinous rice flour used in many Asian recipes. You can find this online, in your local Asian market, or even in some local grocery stores. 
• Cooking Oil: This is for frying. Feel free to use your favorite neutral oil. 

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• Coconut Sugar: You can also use brown sugar. 
• Cinnamon
• Crushed Nuts: Pine nuts, walnuts, and/or almonds.

1. Whisk together the yeast, salt, and sugar in warm milk in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add gluten-free flour mixture and sweet rice flour, and mix with a spatula until a sticky dough forms.
3. Cover the large bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature. The Hotteok dough should double in size.
4. Punch the dough to remove air bubbles. Cover again for another 20 minutes. 
5. Mix together the ingredients for the sweet filling in a small bowl.
6. Add more gluten-free flour to the dough, if needed, until it’s workable. Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized balls.
7. Flatten out a dough ball, and add a tablespoon of filling in the center. Seal to make a ball again. Repeat with the rest of the pieces of dough.
8. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a little oil.
9. Place 1-3 balls on the frying pan (depending on the size of your pan), and let it cook for 30 seconds in the hot oil until the bottom turns golden brown. Flatten with a flat-bottomed plate or spatula, then flip. Cook for 1 minute, then flip again. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for another minute until the sugar inside is melted to a syrupy texture.
10. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining dough balls. Serve warm, and be aware that the center filling will be hot.

Expert Tips

• Yeasted Dough: Remember that you want to use instant (or rapid) active dry yeast. Using a different version can affect the dough rise and may not work properly. 

Serving Tips

• Serve warm as a snack or dessert. Keep in mind that the center filling will be hot.  

Storage Tips

• Leftovers will keep well for up to 3 days in the refrigerators in an airtight container. 
• You can reheat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, but they will lose their crispiness. The best way to reheat is in the toaster oven or in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Recipe Variations (Different Types of Hotteok Fillings!)

While the classic hotteok consists of a filling of brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed nuts, there are other delicious fillings you can find in variations of hotteok. Some of these include:

Sweet Versions:

• Honey: Some hotteok recipes use honey as a sweet alternative to brown sugar.
• Chocolate: Filled with melted chocolate or chocolate spread.
• Nutella: A popular filling choice, combining the flavors of chocolate and hazelnut.
• Red bean paste: Traditional in Korean cuisine, sweet red bean paste is a common filling for hotteok.
• Cream cheese: Hotteok filled with a creamy cheese filling, sometimes combined with sweet ingredients like berries or jam.

Savory Versions:

• Cheese: Hotteok with a gooey mozzarella cheese filling, which can be combined with other savory ingredients like ham or vegetables.
• Kimchi: A Korean staple, kimchi-filled hotteok offers a unique combination of sweet and spicy flavors.
• Vegetable: Hotteok filled with a mixture of sautéed or seasoned vegetables.

Hotteok fillings can vary depending on personal preferences, regional variations, and creative twists by street vendors. Experimenting with different fillings is part of the fun when enjoying hotteok!

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