Bungeoppang is a Korean name for Japanese taiyaki, a fish shaped pastry that is particularly popular in winter streets of Korea. With this recipe, you can now make it at home! Super easy!
Bungeoppang (붕어빵) is my favorite childhood snack. When I was younger, you could easily see a cart or van selling it on the street in Korea during winter.
If I gave the vendor 1000 won (about AUD $1) then I would get 5 bungeoppang wrapped in a beige coloured paper bag. These fish were as big as my hand.
Though, my sister in Korea is telling me that nowadays you can get 2 medium sized bungeoppang for 1000 won or 3 gold fish size bungeopang for 1000 won.
The fish shaped pastry are often filled with something inside. Back in the days (I sound so old by saying this! Lol), the only available fillings were sweetened red bean paste. But, nowadays, you have more choices.
As an example, custard is a popular option. Particularly, if you’re not used to the asian style sweets (e.g. red bean paste), like my husband and daughter, you will actually prefer having chocolate, Nutella, peanut butter etc. as a filling.
Though, cooking is easier if you use a more solid filling option. (e.g. red bean paste is easier than runny custard for cooking).
To cook bungeoppang, it is necessary to have a fish shaped mould / pan, like this one.
As most of these pans are to be used on a gas stove, if you have an electric or induction cooktop, you will also need a portable gas stove like me.
Anyway, big kids and small kids both love this special treat at our place. I hope you enjoy making homemade bungeoppang!
P.S. If you liked today’s recipe, you might also like to try these popular Korean street foods as well. Korean sweet pancake (Hotteok) and Korean sweet rice flour donuts (Chapssal Donuts).
Ingredients for Bungeoppang (6 to 7 servings)
Batter
- 1 cup (125 g / 4.4 ounces) plain flour or cake flour (*see note), sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder, sifted
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 175 ml milk or water
- 3 Tbsp castor sugar
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 egg
Filling options (Use about 1 Tbsp of filling per fish)
- sweetened red bean paste
- custard
- chocolate
- nutella
- ham and cheese (for savoury type fillings)
Others
- 1 Tbsp melted butter or cooking oil for cooking
*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml
How to Make Bungeoppang (Korean Taiyaki)
1.Combine all batter ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix them well. Transfer the mixture into a jug that has a spout for easy pouring.
2. Preheat a bungeoppang pan over medium low heat. Quickly brush the pan with some melted butter or cooking oil.
3. Pour the batter mixture onto the bungeoppang pan. Only cover about 50 % of the pan. Add your choice of filling then add more batter mixture on top to cover the fish mould. Close the pan and turn it over quickly.
4. Cook both sides of the pan until the fish pastry turns golden brown (about 2 mins each side). Remove the fish pastry from the pan and cool down on the rack briefly. Serve.
Note
Depending on your texture preference, you can use plain flour or cake flour. Plain flour gives a slightly more fluffy texture, like western style pancakes.
On the other hand, cake flour will give you slightly crisp and less doughy texture. Also, you can even mix in some sweet rice flour for mochi like texture. FYI, we prefer plain flour based Taiyaki!
Bungeoppang (Korean Fish Shaped Pastry)
Ingredients
BATTER
- 1 cup plain flour or cake flour (125 g / 4.4 ounces), sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder sifted
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 175 ml milk or water
- 3 Tbsp castor sugar
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 egg
FILLING OPTIONS (USE ABOUT 1 TBSP OF FILLING PER FISH)
- sweetened red bean paste
- custard
- chocolate
- nutella
- ham and cheese (for savoury type fillings)
OTHERS
- 1 Tbsp melted butter or cooking oil for cooking
Instructions
- Combine all batter ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix them well. Transfer the mixture into a jug that has a spout for easy pouring.
- Preheat a bungeoppang pan over medium low heat. Quickly brush the pan with some melted butter or cooking oil.
- Pour the batter mixture onto the bungeoppang pan. Only cover about 50 % of the pan. Add your choice of filling then add more batter mixture on top to cover the fish mould. Close the pan and turn it over quickly.
- Cook both sides of the pan until the fish pastry turns golden brown (about 2 mins each side). Remove the fish pastry from the pan and cool down on the rack briefly. Serve.
The dough was really thick, so I added milk and egg. It made this taste more like pancakes than bungeoppang. Any suggestions for next time?
Want to try making this. Any substitute for caster sugar? Can I use granulated or powdered?
Thanks!!
You can make caster sugar alternative by processing granulated sugar in a food processor, blender, or coffee grinder using the pulse button until finely ground.
Make sure to stop when it’s super-fine texture but not powdery consistency. Let the sugar settle for a few minutes then use it. Hope this helps!
this tases just like a regular waffle, i was hoping for a more original mochi texture to the batter.
Would you post (if you have) a korean vendor version of bunggeoppang with the stick rice flour? With just flour as an ingredient, the consistency and texture is more like the japanese Taiyaki (almost like anko pan). All the buggeoppang in korea that I’ve tried have had sticky rice flour added texture to it.
I don’t know how many times you’ve tried bunggeoppang in Korea, but there are many varieties. The ones with sweet rice flour are called chapssal bunggeoppang.
If you want more sticky textured bunggeoppang, you’re welcomed swap out the ingredients (flour -> sweet rice flour). Or reduce the flour & add some sweet rice flour. Hope this helps!
I Love this recipe! I’ve made it a number of times now, I also made my own sweet red beans for the bread. My family really loves these and my co workers love to ask about them when I bring them in.
So far all who have tried them have like them and each time I make them they get better.
Thank You!
That’s awesome, Cassie! I’m happy to hear that. And also proud of you for perfecting it each time! 🙂
I bought the fish pan and couldn’t wait to try it. I tried pancake mix which worked very well. Hershey’s kisses held up as a filling. I tried maple syrup and butter, not that good. Freezing them (syrup&butter) before hand may stop it running out of the pastry. I found you can grind sugar in a food processor as a substitute. Reese’s mini peanut butter cups are going to be in the next batch. Next shopping trip I have to pick up the rest of the ingredients. Thank you for the recipe.
Wow, you’re really experimenting various filling options! Sounds fantastic. Hope you enjoy!
To people who can read Korean.
This is my version of boong-uh-pang.
밀가루 1/2 컵
찹쌀가루 1컵
설탕 1큰술
소금 1/4 작은술
베이킹소다 1/2 작은술
Skim milk 1/4컵
계란 1개
물 1컵. 이물은 맨 나중에 consistent 보면서 조금씩 넣으세요.
청주 1/4컵
버터 1 stick (1/2컵 )
먼저 한그릇에 밀가루와 찹쌀가루 그리고 설탕을 넣어두고 그 밑에 있는재료를
다같이 다른그릇에 먼저 섞은 다음에 whisk 로 잘 섞고 나서 가루가 들어간곳에 액체를
같이 섞으세요.
만들고 하루 냉장고에 있어도 되요.
틀이 있으시면 약간의 기름을 가열된 팬에 뭍히시고 두번째
부터는 안하셔도 되요.
버터가 있어서 팬에 안붙어요.
불은 야간 낮은 중간불에 시작해서 한쪽에 4분씩 구으면되요.
먼저 몸통에 반죽 부어서 팥을 길게 넣고 그 위에
국물을 몸통에 좀넣고 꼬리에넣고 닫아서 upside down 을 합니다.
그래서 4분, 또 뒤집어서 4분 하시면 되요.
각자의 불의 강도가 틀리니 잘 조절해서 하세요
Why did you rate this a 3 star? I’m genuinely curious. I was about to try this recipe and yours was the only one with a 3 star which made me curious as to why you rated it as such. I can read Korean and I see your recipe but it doesn’t explain why you rated THIS recipe as 3 Star.
Thanks
its like taiyaki in japan… thnk you for recipes… i can make it for my breakfast . . .
do you know what the difference between taiyaki and bungeoppang is? i tried to look it up, and asked around, and still have no idea. i love them no matter what (: ‘ve had it stuffed with custard, sweet potato and nutella, but red bean is still my favorite!
The only difference is the name. Taiyaki is Japanese name and Bungeoppang is Korean name. I believe its origin is Japan.
The origin is Korea. Japan took it during occupation in the 1930s.
It’s so cute 🙂 !
Thanks. 🙂
OMG I haven’t had these in forever. I don’t think I’ve tried homemade ones before, but I’m sure they’re going to be way tastier than the store bought ones.
Yes, it’s very tasty! Hope you try making one at home soon! 🙂