Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes) – A delicious stuffed sweet pancake inspired by a popular street food in South Korea. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!

Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)

I can’t get enough of Korean food right now. Whether it is just adding kimchi or gochujang to a recipe or making japchae, it’s all so good! One of my favorites though is hotteok. Now for those who haven’t heard of it before, it is a Korean street food that is basically a stuffed pancake filled with sweet, syrupy yumminess!

Something that is great about hotteok is how easy it really is to make at home. It does take a bit less than two hours start to finish but it is well worth it. Trust me, you aren’t going to want to go back to regular pancakes after you have tried these!

Hotteok can be served for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack. It’s completely up to you! The recipe only makes about six but it is easy to double or triple. I ate about 3 when I made them last time so beware, they are addicting!

Common questions about making Korean hotteok

What does hotteok taste like?

Hotteok tastes like a bready pancake filled with cinnamon sugar. Because it is a yeasted dough, you get a nice rise that resembles a soft bread but the manor of cooking gives it the crisp outsides of a pancake made in a skillet.

What is inside of hotteok?

The filling of a hotteok is flexible with a few different options. One of the most popular in South Korea is a mixture of brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and peanuts but you can alternatively you can use other nuts such as walnuts or pecans. Personally, I like to make them with brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts with a drizzle of honey on top when serving.

Is hotteok vegan?

Hotteok can be made vegan by either removing honey from the recipe or substituting in pure maple syrup instead and using non-dairy milk instead of dairy. The rest of the recipe is already vegan.

How do you store hotteok?

You can freeze or frefridgerate them before cooking them in an air tight container. They are best eaten immediatly but if you do end up with extras after cooking, refridgerate them and then cook them again in a cast iron pan to help crisp them up again.

Can’t get enough of this hotteok (korean sweet pancakes) recipe? Try these other recipes!

Yield: 6 Servings

Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)

Name: Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1/4 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 3 tablespoons chopped peanuts (or walnuts); 2 tablespoons honey; 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon active dry yeast; 1/4 cup water; 1/4 cup milk; Neutral oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, etc)

Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes) - A delicious stuffed sweet pancake inspired by a popular street food in South Korea. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
Neutral oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, etc)

Filling

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons chopped peanuts (or walnuts)
2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and active dry yeast. Mix until combined.
Bring the milk and water up to 120-130 degrees and add into the dough.* Mix until well combined and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
While dough is rising, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Mix together and set aside.
Once an hour has passed, punch dough down to release some of the gas trapped in the dough. Cover and let rise about 30 more minutes.
Remove dough from bowl and divide into 6 evenly size pieces. Roll into a ball and then roll out into circles about 2-2.5" across. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of honey into the middle of each disc of dough and then top it with about 1 tablespoon of filling.
Bring together the edges of the dough and pinch together in the middle.
Bring a cast iron skillet up to medium heat with a thin layer of oil at the bottom. Once warm, add dough balls into the pan with the pinched side on the bottom. Make sure to leave at least 2-3" empty around each piece. Cook for about 30-40 seconds or until the bottom turns golden.
Flip them over and press down until they are about 1/2" thick using a spatula. Let cook for about 1 minute or until the bottom is golden brown. Flip 1 more time and cover the pan with a lid, cooking for a final minute. This helps melt the filling.
Serve immediately.

Notes

*Bringing liquids up to 120-130 degrees is a necessary part of activating active dry yeast. I strongly suggest you have a food thermometer on hand but if you don't, the water should be warm, but not hot.

Also check and make sure that your yeast has not expired. These are two common problems that people have when they are cooking with yeast and things don't go as planned for them such as the dough not rising.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 205Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 204mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 14gProtein: 4g

This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.

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