Gluten-Free Hotteok Recipe 호떡 (Korean Sweet Pancakes)

What Is Hotteok?

Hotteok is a popular street food snack in South Korea. They are a flat, chewy pancake filled with a sweet cinnamon filling that’s fried or griddled. The batter is chewy and dense, and it’s best served hot. 

Often, you’ll find nuts in the traditional hotteok filling as well. The great thing is that these pancakes are often accidentally vegan because the dough is a simple yeast dough made with flour and water (no eggs)!

However, in Korea, the classic version of these pancakes are usually made with wheat flour, meaning they’re not gluten-free. That’s why I made this gluten-free version so that everyone can enjoy it!

What Makes This Recipe Great

Your girl is back with another recipe adaptation that gives everyone a chance to enjoy popular, beloved snack foods that are often filled with allergens! And if you’re gluten-free and looking for even more snacks, try my Chex mix, cake pops, lotus root chips, or these matcha cookies! 

This time, we’re making my Hotteok recipe, also known as Sweet Korean Pancakes. They are super popular and such a delicious, sweet treat, but one that is filled with gluten, so many of us just can’t enjoy them.

This gluten-free recipe is easy to make with a simple all-purpose flour swap. They’re naturally vegan, meaning no egg, no dairy, and no animal products whatsoever. I’ve even included a nut-free version for those of you who are interested. I know you are going to love this hotteok recipe, and I am so happy to share this beloved street snack with you! 

How to Make Korean Sweet Pancakes

The two components of these pancakes are the dough and filling. The dough is gluten-free and egg-free, making these pancakes a little easier for everyone to eat!

The most time-consuming part of this hotteok recipe is waiting for the dough to rise, which is normal for recipes that contain active yeast. However, once your dough is ready, these Korean sweet pancakes can be assembled, cooked, and served in less than 20 minutes! 

Hotteok Dough

• Gluten-free flour: I like Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 flour blend.
• Sweet rice flour: Find this at Asian markets or on Amazon. Just be sure not to use regular rice flour. It will not work! Sweet rice flour is needed to give the characteristic chewy texture to these pancakes. This is essentially the same thing as glutinous rice flour.
• Tapioca starch: This helps keep the dough light and fluffy.
• Instant yeast: Also called rapid-rise yeast or active dry yeast.
• Plant milk: You can use any kind you like, including coconut, almond, and soy.
• Oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil like avocado or grapeseed.
• Sugar: Use coconut sugar if you like! Otherwise, brown sugar is great.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Start by sifting your flour mixture into a large mixing bowl and whisk to evenly combine.
2. Warm your milk and water to roughly 125F degrees (warm, not too hot) and add yeast, sugar, and oil. When the yeast is nice and bubbly, add the flour mixture and stir to combine.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, until doubled in size. Punch the dough down to deflate it and divide it into 8-10 equal portions.
4. At this point, you want to add any additional flour as needed to achieve a workable dough with your hands.
5. Prepare your sweet filling by mixing together your coconut sugar or brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts in a small bowl.
6. To assemble, add a generous amount of oil to your hands and grab a portion of dough, stuff it with about 2 tsp up to a tablespoon of the filling, and close tightly to seal inside (think like a dumpling filling!). Do your best to avoid any open seams, as the filling will leak out.
7. Heat a large pan over medium heat and generously oil the surface. Once sizzling, place a dough ball seam side down, then cover it with a piece of parchment paper or your oiled hand and gently press down. I recommend using parchment paper and a large bowl or plate to press evenly.
8. Cook for roughly 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown, and remove. Let sit on a paper towel or cooling rack while you cook the rest of your hotteok.

Variations

• Nut-Free Cinnamon Pancakes: To make this hotteok recipe nut-free, simply omit the nuts in the syrup filling. Or you can substitute with seeds (pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower seeds all work) or toasted cooked grains like buckwheat crunch.

Storage Tips

• Like most pancakes, these are best served hot off the griddle. However, you can easily store leftovers. In fact, I like to make a double batch and freeze them for later. You can thaw them on the counter at room temperature, then reheat pancakes in the toaster oven or in a skillet on the stove to serve.

More Asian & Korean Recipes

• Kashiwa Mochi (Japanese Rice Cake with Oak Leaf)
• Zenzai (Sweet Red Bean Soup with Mochi) | Vegan Japanese Desserts
• Anko: Red Bean Paste (vegan, gluten free)
• Candied Korean Sweet Potatoes