Matcha Hotteok (Sweet Korean Pancakes)

These Matcha Hotteok are sweet Korean yeasted pancakes with a delicious filling of brown sugar, cinnamon and crushed peanuts. Green tea gives the dough a light earthy flavour and they're best enjoyed fresh and warm.

I tried my first Korean hotteok just recently and wanted to put my own spin on it, with a matcha version. 

What is hotteok?

Hotteok is a Korean "pancake" made from a dough with a sweet filling stuffed inside.

It is not a true pancake in the sense that it is not made from a batter, but rather a yeasted dough.

It's more similar to a flattened, filled bun.

Traditionally, the filling is very sweet and consists of brown sugar, cinnamon and crushed peanuts.

Sometimes honey is added in for additional sweetness.

I don't like terribly sweet things so adding matcha to the dough helps to temper the sweetness of the pancake. 

Hottoek is eaten during the cold winter season, which makes it the perfect recipe to make now! 

Ingredients you'll need

To make the matcha hotteok dough, you'll need:

• active dry yeast
• warm whole milk: or any milk will do
• granulated sugar: adds sweetness to the dough
• all-purpose flour
• glutinous rice flour: is different than rice flour; it's the ingredient that gives mochi its signature chewy texture
• tapioca starch: is the ingredient in boba pearls and also adds a chewy bouncy texture
• sea salt
• matcha: use a high-grade matcha powder for better flavour and colour retention
• avocado oil: or any light vegetable oil

Note on flours:

I added a combination of tapioca and glutinous rice flour since the packaged version I tried had tapioca flour in their mix.

Tapioca and glutinous rice flour add a little more of a chewier texture to the dough, which I find pleasant.

If you can't find tapioca and glutinous rice flour, you can omit them and replace with the same amount of regular all-purpose flour. It won't produce the same chewiness, but it will still work.

Hotteok fillings

As mentioned before, traditional hotteok filling consists of brown sugar, cinnamon and crushed peanuts. 

Red bean paste is another common option -- and I've always got a batch of it.

But you can also change it up and do a matcha jam filling, or even try a savoury filling. 

I turned these into mini pizza pockets (with pepperoni, cheese and tomato sauce, minus the matcha) and the boys loved it!

How to make it

Make the dough:

The matcha hotteok dough is like any other yeasted dough. 

Combine the warmed milk, sugar, yeast in a small bowl, and let the yeast become bubbly.

Add the dry ingredients into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook and then pour in the yeast mixture.

Start to knead the mixture and pour in the oil. Knead until the dough becomes soft and elastic.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise in a warm location, until doubled in size.

Once risen, divide the dough into 6 equal balls.

Make the cinnamon-sugar filling:

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and crushed peanuts in a small bowl and give it a stir.

Fill the hotteok:

Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough and place about 2 heaped teaspoons of the brown sugar-cinnamon-peanut filling.

If you're using red bean paste, use about 20g (a small ice cream scoop) of filling.

Gather and pinch the seams together and press down firmly to flatten.

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease the griddle.

Place the flattened hotteok onto the griddle and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden in colour.

Note: you may need to adjust the heat of your griddle, depending on how quickly the hotteok is browning.

Remove from the griddle and enjoy while warm.

How to store & reheat

Place the matcha hotteok in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

You can also store them in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

Freeze the matcha hotteok for up to 1 month in a freezer-safe container.

To reheat, simply microwave the hotteok for approximately 1 minute, until the pancake is soft and warm. 

Other recipes you may like

Korean Matcha Mochi Bread

Matcha Brownie Mochi (Brochi)

Hodugwaja-Inspired Chestnut Black Sesame Waffles

Homemade Adzuki Red Bean Paste

Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns

Warm and chewy, Matcha Hotteok is a sweet and delicious treat -- perfect as a snack or even as a breakfast. Try it out and let me know! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer and leave me a comment/rating!

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Matcha Hotteok (Korean Pancakes)

Delicious, Korean-style matcha pancakes filled with a brown sugar filling or red bean paste.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Resting Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Korean

Servings: 6

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Michelle

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

Dough:

• 120 ml whole milk warmed
• 15 g granulated sugar
• 3 g active dry yeast
• 140 g all-purpose flour
• 15 g glutinous rice flour
• 15 g tapioca starch
• 2 g sea salt
• 5 g matcha
• 15 ml avocado oil

Filling:

• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon crushed peanuts

OR

• 130 g red bean paste store-bought or homemade

Metric | US Customary

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make the dough:

• Combine the warmed milk, sugar, yeast in a small bowl, and let the yeast become bubbly.
• Add the dry ingredients into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook and then pour in the bubbly yeast mixture.
• Start to knead the mixture and pour in the oil. Knead until the dough becomes soft and elastic.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise in a warm location, until doubled in size.
• Once risen, divide the dough into 6 equal balls.

Make the filling:

• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and crushed peanuts and give it a stir.

Fill the hotteok:

• Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough and place about 2 heaped teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar-peanut filling.
• If you're using red bean paste: use about 20g (a small ice cream scoop) of filling per hotteok.
• Gather and pinch the seams together and press down firmly to flatten.
• Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease the griddle.
• Place the flattened hotteok onto the griddle and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden in colour.
• Note: You may need to adjust the heat accordingly.
• Remove from the griddle and enjoy while warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 78IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

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