Hotteok Recipe: Korean Sweet Filled Pancakes

Hotteok (호떡) are Korean sweet pancakes sold at street stalls throughout Korea, particularly popular in winter. A slightly yeasted dough encases a filling of brown sugar, cinnamon, crushed peanuts, and sesame seeds. The pancake is pressed flat on a hot oiled griddle, creating a crispy, caramelized exterior while the sugar filling melts into a hot, fragrant liquid inside.

They are genuinely dangerous to eat fresh off the griddle — the filling is liquid and extremely hot. Waiting 2-3 minutes is both physically and emotionally difficult.

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Ingredients (8 hotteok)

The dough:

• 300g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 180ml (¾ cup) warm water (40°C / 105°F)
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil

The filling:

• 100g (½ cup packed) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons crushed peanuts or walnut pieces
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• Optional: 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

For cooking:

• 2-3 tablespoons neutral oil

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The Dough

Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water and oil. Mix until a rough dough forms, then knead 5 minutes until smooth. The dough should be slightly sticky — more hydrated than bread dough, less structured.

Cover and let rise 1 hour at room temperature until doubled.

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The Filling

Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, crushed peanuts, and sesame seeds. The mixture should look like rough, lumpy brown sugar. Keep it coarse — finely ground nuts won't give enough texture.

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Shaping Hotteok

Punch down the dough. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Keep pieces covered as you work.

For each hotteok:

1. On a lightly oiled surface (not floured — oil prevents sticking without tightening the dough), flatten one dough piece into a circle about 10cm across.
2. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center.
3. Pull the dough edges up and over the filling, gathering and pinching to seal. The goal is a sealed ball with filling completely enclosed.
4. Turn sealed-side down. Press gently into a small disc shape.

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Cooking on the Griddle

Heat a flat griddle or wide skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the surface.

Place hotteok sealed-side down in the pan. You'll hear immediate sizzling. Cook 90 seconds until the bottom is golden.

The press: Flip. Immediately press down with a flat spatula (a wooden press called a hotteok nuri in Korean, but any flat metal spatula works). Press firmly — the hotteok should flatten from a ball to about 1cm thick. Hold the press down for 30 seconds.

Cook another 90 seconds until the second side is golden and the center is slightly puffed from the melting sugar inside.

Temperature warning: The sugar filling reaches much higher temperatures than the dough exterior. Let hotteok rest 2-3 minutes before biting into one.

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Street Food vs Home Version

Korean street hotteok are cooked on large flat griddles with significant oil — essentially shallow-fried. The home version uses less oil and a regular pan, producing a similar result with less crispiness. If you want a closer street food result:

• Use a cast iron skillet for better heat retention
• Use more oil (enough to come 3-4mm up the sides of the hotteok when placed flat)
• Higher heat — medium-high rather than medium

The oil-poached version produces a crispier, more golden crust, closer to Korean street food. The drier version is fine but lighter.

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Pajeon Hotteok (Green Onion Savory Version)

While the sweet version is classic, savory hotteok exist — filled with glass noodles, vegetables, and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame. This variation (yachae hotteok, vegetable hotteok) is less common on the street but popular at home as a quick meal.

Savory filling: 100g cooked glass noodles (dangmyeon), minced + 2 tablespoons chopped kimchi + 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1 teaspoon sesame oil + a few drops of gochugaru. Mix and use as filling. Cook the same way.

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Storing

Raw shaped hotteok (pre-cooked) can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. The dough continues to slowly proof in the refrigerator and will be slightly more bubbly when cooked — which is fine.

Cooked hotteok are best eaten immediately. The sugar filling re-solidifies as the hotteok cools, and the crust softens. If you must store them, reheat in a pan with a little oil to re-crisp the exterior.