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Korean Sweet Pancakes (Hotteok) Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 124 reviews

Korean Sweet Pancakes, known as Hotteok, are a deliciously soft and chewy treat filled with a warm, gooey mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and sunflower seeds. These pancakes are pan-fried to golden perfection, making them a popular street food snack especially enjoyed in colder months. The dough is made with both all-purpose and sweet rice flour to create a perfect texture, and the filling caramelizes inside during frying for a sweet surprise in every bite.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour)

Filling

  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds

For Frying

  • Oil for shallow frying (neutral oil such as vegetable or sunflower oil)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the filling: Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and sunflower seeds together in a bowl and set aside. This will create the sweet and crunchy center of the pancakes.
  2. Activate the yeast: In a separate bowl, combine the warm water with active dry yeast and sugar. Let it sit for a few minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active and ready.
  3. Make the dough: Add sea salt and neutral oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Then add the all-purpose flour and sweet rice flour gradually. Mix to form a sticky dough that clings slightly to your fingers.
  4. First fermentation: Cover the dough with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and let it ferment for 1 hour at room temperature. The dough should double in size. (If it doesn’t rise, your yeast may be inactive or the environment is too cold.)
  5. Knead and second fermentation: After one hour, knead the dough gently to release trapped air, then cover again and let it rise for another 30 minutes. The dough should become less sticky and rise slightly again.
  6. Prepare the dough for shaping: Lightly flour your workspace and knead the dough once more. Form it into a ball.
  7. Divide and shape: Cut the dough evenly into 8 pieces. Flatten each piece into a 5-inch diameter circle.
  8. Add filling and seal: Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prepared filling in the center of each dough circle. Gather the edges and pinch together firmly to seal the filling inside.
  9. Heat the pan and fry: Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and add enough oil for shallow frying. Place each filled dough ball seam side down in the pan.
  10. Cook pancakes: Fry until the bottom side turns golden brown, then flip each ball over. Flatten them gently with a spatula, and fry until the other side turns golden brown as well.
  11. Cool and serve: Remove the pancakes from heat and let them cool for a few minutes. Serve warm, either whole or cut in half to add extra nuts or seeds if desired.

Notes

  • If you don’t have sweet rice flour, you can omit it and use 2 cups of all-purpose flour instead; the texture will be less chewy but still delicious.
  • If your dough doesn’t rise, double-check your yeast freshness and ensure the water temperature is warm but not hot.
  • Use neutral oils like vegetable or sunflower oil for frying to avoid overpowering flavors.
  • Be gentle when flattening the pancakes after flipping to avoid breaking the crust and leaking the filling.
  • Feel free to customize the filling by adding chopped nuts such as walnuts, peanuts, or pecans for extra crunch.

Keywords: Hotteok, Korean sweet pancakes, Korean street food, sweet pancakes, cinnamon pancakes, sticky rice flour pancakes

Find it online: https://tastybella.com/korean-sweet-pancakes-hotteok-recipe/