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Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)

Learn to make popular Korean winter street food – Hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes). It’s crispy outside and inside is filled with sweet gooey indulgence!

How to make popular Korean winter street food - Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok). It's the ultimate sweet comfort! | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Today I’m sharing my sweet tooth love with you. I’m here to present my Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok, Hoddeok or Hodduk, 호떡) recipe! My original recipe is like 9 years old now and I wanted to revamp this recipe for a while with a better, clearer & quicker version and some new photos.

Seriously, these Korean sweet pancakes used to be my favourite childhood snack! I was always excited tagging along with my mum when she went grocery shopping. Because it meant I would get an opportunity to have some pancakes on my way home! Who would say no to that?!

How to make popular Korean winter street food - Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok). It's the ultimate sweet comfort! | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Some facts about Hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes)

  • Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok) are one of the most popular Korean street snacks. They are particularly popular in winter.
  • They were introduced by Chinese immigrants in the early 1900s in Korea.
  • Typically they are stuffed with dark brown sugar, cinnamon powder & some grounded nuts or seeds but in recent times savoury style pancakes (vegetable, Kimchi, Bulgogi or cheese etc. stuffed) are also available.
  • Commonly the colour of the uncooked pancake (dough) is white but green tea coloured and flavoured pancakes are also available.
  • You can also buy premix versions from a Korean grocery store.

I haven’t tried vegetable stuffed versions yet but whether I do or not, I know my love will always be with the sweetened pancakes. 🙂 It really smells and tastes heavenly. It’s stuffed with sweet gooey syrup. ? Who can resist it?! Give it a try and let me know what you thought of it!

How to make popular Korean winter street food - Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok). It's the ultimate sweet comfort! | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Ingredients for Hotteok, 6 pancakes (medium size)

Main

  • 1 & 1/4 cup (157 g, 5.5 ounces) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp instant dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) lukewarm milk
  • Some cooking oil

Fillings (mix these well in a bowl)

  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 2 Tbsp crushed nuts of your choice (I used walnuts. Peanuts, almond slices and sunflower seeds are also popular choices.)

*1 cup = 250ml, 1 Tbsp = 15ml

How to Make Hotteok

1. Sieve through the flour into a large bowl then add the salt, sugar, yeast and milk. Mix them well into a dough and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment it at a comfortable room temperature until the dough doubles in size. (Mine took 1 hour at room temperature 27 C/80.6 F but it could vary depending on the effectiveness of your yeast and also your room temperature.)

Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok) | MyKoreanKitchen.com

2. Once the dough is raised, release the gas by punching the dough with your hands a few times. Cover with the wrap again and rest for another 20 mins.

Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok) | MyKoreanKitchen.com

3. When the dough is ready, put some cooking oil on your hands (for anti stick purpose) and separate the dough to allow 6 medium sized pancakes to be made.

Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok) | MyKoreanKitchen.com

4. Put one of the pieces of dough on your hand, flatten the dough with your hands so that you can add about 1 Tbsp size filling onto it. Once it’s done, seal the dough by gathering the corners. Repeat this for the remaining dough.

Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok) | MyKoreanKitchen.com

5. Pre heat a frying pan on medium heat and once it’s heated add a thin layer of cooking oil.

6. Place a dough (1 or more depending on size of your pan. If more, allow enough room to expand between the dough when pressed down) into the pan and cook it on medium heat until the bottom side is lightly golden brown (about 30 seconds). Flip it over and press the dough down with a solid turner or professional press. Cook until the bottom part is golden brown (about 1 min). Flip the pancake over one last time then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the sugar filing fully melts (about 1 min).  – It is still edible if you don’t further cook with a lid on but not all the sugar filling will be melted.

Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok) | MyKoreanKitchen.com

7. Transfer the pancake onto a plate and repeat step 6 for the remaining dough. Enjoy hot!

How to make popular Korean winter street food - Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok). It's the ultimate sweet comfort! | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok) | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Note

  • It tastes best when you eat it while it’s still “bearably” hot. Take extra caution when you approach the sugar filling as it can be really hot especially for young children.
  • I used instant dry yeast in this recipe, so I didn’t need to activate (proof) before adding it to rest of the dough ingredients. You can learn more about active dry yeast and instant yeast from this article.
  • If you’re allergic to dairy products, you can use water instead of milk. (Though I haven’t tried this way.)
  • It is best to consume all the pancakes on the day of making them. While it reheats well in a microwave the filling isn’t as gooey after a while as it’s mostly soaked into the dough (the gooey filling is part of its attraction!).


How to make popular Korean winter street food - Korean sweet pancakes (Hotteok). It's the ultimate sweet comfort! | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)

Hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes) recipe
4.95 from 51 votes
Print Pin Rate Save
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: Korean
Prep Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 174kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (157 g / 5.5 ounces)
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp instant dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm milk (125 ml)
  • Some cooking oil

Fillings (mix these well in a bowl)

  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 2 Tbsp crushed nuts of your choice (I used walnuts. Peanuts, almond slices and sunflower seeds are also popular choices.)

Instructions

  • Sieve through the flour into a large bowl then add the salt, sugar, yeast and milk. Mix them well into a dough and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment it at a comfortable room temperature until the dough doubles in size. (Mine took 1 hour at room temperature 27 C/80.6 F but it could vary depending on the effectiveness of your yeast and also your room temperature.)
  • Once the dough is raised, release the gas by punching the dough with your hands a few times. Cover with the wrap again and rest for another 20 mins.
  • When the dough is ready, put some cooking oil on your hands (for anti stick purpose) and separate the dough to allow 6 medium sized pancakes to be made.
  • Put one of the pieces of dough on your hand, flatten the dough with your hands so that you can add about 1 Tbsp size filling onto it. Once it’s done, seal the dough by gathering the corners. Repeat this for the remaining dough.
  • Pre heat a frying pan on medium heat and once it’s heated add a thin layer of cooking oil.
  • Place a dough (1 or more depending on size of your pan. If more, allow enough room to expand between the dough when pressed down) into the pan and cook it on medium heat until the bottom side is lightly golden brown (about 30 seconds). Flip it over and press the dough down with a solid turner or professional hotteok press. Cook until the bottom part is golden brown (about 1 min). Flip the pancake over one last time then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the sugar filing fully melts (about 1 min). – It is still edible if you don’t further cook with a lid on but not all the sugar filling will be melted.
  • Transfer the pancake onto a plate and repeat step 6 for the remaining dough. Enjoy hot!

Nutrition Info (per serving)

Calories: 174kcal

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Tried this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Rate this recipe with a comment below and tag me on Instagram @MyKoreanKitchen.

 

Written by: Sue

Last Updated:

Welcome to my Korean kitchen! I’m so happy that you're here. I am Sue, the creator behind My Korean Kitchen (since 2006). I love good food and simplifying recipes. Here you will find my best and family approved recipes. Thanks for stopping by!

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132 Comments
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Sadia
September 10, 2023 11:59 am

Hi, I’ve seen many recipes use glutinous rice flour with the all-purpose flour. Is that generally how it’s made traditionally? Please let me know. Thanks.

Rebekah
January 24, 2023 1:58 pm

There is a Korean Food Van at my local Farmers Market who makes these also they have for sale 3 other types Pork & vegetables, kimchi and one with 3 different types of cheese. They are all great.

Jessie
January 22, 2023 3:35 am

My family looks forward to these as a special treat on the lunar new year. I am wondering if you could make the dough and fill them ahead of time and put them in the fridge until you are ready to fry them?

Jeremiah
February 7, 2022 12:36 am

Dough is too wet. Needs more flour.

October 26, 2021 4:10 am

This is a very good recipe and I have made a very easy way to make pancake for myself. Thank you.

October 1, 2021 12:51 am

Truly appreciate the way you made this delicious pancake. Everything is so nicely described that really helped me. I am looking forward for more such recipes in future too.

Stina
September 20, 2021 4:18 am

Oh my word, this has got to be my née favorite treat!! I’ve never tried them before but your recipe made it so easy! Sooooo yummy! 호떡 고모 맛있어! (Did I say that right?)

Anna
April 30, 2022 2:39 am
Reply to  Stina

so close, the second word is 노무 😆

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