Crispy-edged, chewy Korean street-food pancakes filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped walnuts — a beloved winter street snack.
Hotteok (호떡) is one of Korea's most beloved street foods — thick, yeasted pancakes with a crispy fried exterior and a molten, caramelized filling of brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts. The dough is made from a combination of wheat flour and sweet rice flour (chapssal-garu), which gives hotteok its characteristic chewy, slightly glutinous interior. After a brief rise, the dough is portioned, stuffed with the sweet filling, sealed, flattened on a hot oiled griddle, and pressed with a special hotteok press (or spatula) that compresses the pancake and creates the crispy, lacey-edged shell while the interior filling melts into a pool of fragrant, liquid caramel. Hotteok stalls are a fixture at Korean winter street markets (particularly around Gwangjang Market in Seoul), and the sight of vendors pressing rows of sizzling pancakes on outdoor griddles while bundled-up customers line up in the cold is one of the defining images of Korean street food culture. A good hotteok should be eaten immediately, while the filling is still liquid and the shell still crisp.
Serves 8
Combine both flours, yeast, sugar and salt. Add warm water and oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead 5 minutes until smooth. The dough will be slightly sticky. Cover and rise 1 hour until doubled.
Sweet rice flour makes the dough sticky — oil your hands rather than adding more flour.
Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped walnuts in a bowl. Mix well.
Divide risen dough into 8 equal balls. Flatten each ball in your palm, place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center, then gather edges and pinch tightly to seal completely.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place 2–3 filled balls sealed-side down. Immediately press flat with a spatula (or hotteok press) to about 1cm thickness. Cook 2–3 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.
Don't press too thin — the filling needs space to expand.
Flip carefully and cook another 2–3 minutes. The filling inside will have melted into liquid caramel. Serve immediately.
Muscovado or dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor than light brown sugar — worth seeking out.
Let the filled balls rest 5 minutes before pressing so the dough relaxes and doesn't tear when flattened.
Eat hotteok immediately — within 2 minutes of cooking. The filling re-solidifies as it cools and the shell loses its crispness.
Japchae hotteok: savory version filled with glass noodles, vegetables and soy sauce instead of sugar.
Sunflower seed hotteok (ssi hotteok): popular Busan variant stuffed with mixed seeds and brown sugar.
Hotteok is a fresh-eat only dish and does not store well. The raw dough can be refrigerated overnight before frying — pull from fridge, shape, fill and fry directly.
Hotteok was introduced to Korea by Chinese merchants who emigrated to Korea in the late 19th century during the Joseon Dynasty period and the following decades. The original version was a simple flat bread; Korean cooks adapted it with the sweet filling and the characteristic pressing technique that creates its distinctive crispy shell. It became a quintessential Korean winter street food by the 20th century.
You can, but the texture will be notably different — less chewy and without the characteristic slightly sticky bite. Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour) is widely available at Asian grocery stores and is worth using for authentic hotteok.
The seal was not tight enough. After placing filling, make sure to pinch the edges firmly multiple times and ensure no gaps remain. Cook sealed-side down first so any weak seam is sealed by the hot pan.
Yes — substitute with 1½ tsp baking powder and skip the rising time. The texture will be slightly more dense and biscuit-like rather than chewy and bready, but still delicious.
Per serving (120g / 4.2 oz) · 8 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.