How to Make Korean Sweet Pancakes (Hotteok Recipe 호떡)

3 hotteok pancakes stacked on top of each other with one broken in half to show the filling inside.

How to Make Korean Sweet Pancakes (Hotteok Recipe 호떡)

How to make a popular and beloved South Korean street food dessert right in your home kitchen! This Hotteok Recipe, or Korean Sweet Pancakes, features tender, chewy pancake dough stuffed with a cinnamon sugar filling. The perfect treat for any dessert lover!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Dough Rising Time1 20

Total Time1 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: gluten-free, hotteok recipe, Korean sweet pancakes

Servings: hotteok

Calories: 215kcal

Ingredients

1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 cup warm milk any dairy free milk will work
1¼ cup gluten free all-purpose flour I used Bob's Red Mill
3/4 cup sweet rice flour
Cooking oil for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp crushed nuts walnuts, pine nuts, and/or almonds

Instructions

Whisk together yeast, salt, and sugar in warm milk in a large mixing bowl.
Add gluten free flour and sweet rice flour, and mix with a spatula until a sticky dough forms.
Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature. The dough should double in size.
Punch the dough to remove air bubbles. Cover again for another 20 minutes.
Mix together ingredients for the filling in a bowl.
Add more gluten free flour to the dough, if needed, until it's workable. Divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls.
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 dough pieces.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a thin layer of oil.
Place 1-3 balls on the skillet (depending on the size of your pan), let it cook for 30 seconds 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.
Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining dough balls. Serve warm and be aware that the center filling will be hot.

Video

Notes

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.

Nutrition