Korean dessert recipes offer a delightful world of flavors, textures, and vibrant colors. These sweets are unique in flavor and deeply rooted in Korean culture, often inspired by traditional ingredients such as rice, red beans, and seasonal fruits.
In recent years, Korean sweets have gained worldwide popularity due to the country’s culinary creativity and the growing influence of Korean pop culture.
Here’s a handy guide to some popular and accessible Korean dessert recipes.
- 1. Hotteok
Hotteok is a popular and delicious tasty winter street food in Korea. They are sweet, chewy pancakes filled with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts, often walnuts or peanuts.
Pancake dough is made from a mixture of wheat flour and rice flour, giving it a soft and chewy texture.
Hotteok is pan-fried until the sugar filling melts into a gooey caramel, making it irresistibly delicious. This treat is quick to make and perfect for cold weather.
- 2. Bingsu
Bingsu, or shaved ice dessert, is especially popular during the hot Korean summer. It usually consists of finely shaved ice with various ingredients such as sweetened condensed milk, chopped fruit, sweet red beans and rice cakes.
The most traditional version is called “patbingsu,” which is made with red beans, but modern variations include flavors like matcha, mango, and chocolate.
Bingsu is light, refreshing, and endlessly customizable, making it a fun dessert to experiment with different toppings.
- 3. Yakgwa
Yakgwa is a traditional Korean cookie made with wheat flour, honey, sesame oil and ginger. The dough is rolled out, cut into flower shapes, then deep fried and soaked in honey syrup.
With a chewy, cake-like texture, yakgwa has a mildly sweet and gingery flavor. It is often enjoyed on holidays and special occasions but is also a delicacy with tea.
Although Yakgoya requires a little more time, it is worth the effort for its rich flavor and texture.
- 4. Dasik
Dasiks are small, elegant tea cookies made with powdered ingredients like rice flour, black sesame seeds, chestnuts or green tea powder.
The dough is pressed into beautifully carved wooden molds, creating intricate designs on each cookie. Dasik are minimally sweet and traditionally served with tea, as they pair well with the subtle flavor of Korean green tea.
These cookies are easy to make but give an elegant and sophisticated look, ideal for gatherings.
- 5. Tteok
Tteok, or Korean rice cakes, are an integral part of Korean celebrations and come in a variety of flavors, colors and textures. Some popular varieties include injeolmi (rice cakes coated with roasted soybean powder) and ganpyeon (crescent-shaped rice cakes filled with sweet fillings such as sesame or red beans).
Tteok is made with glutinous rice flour, which gives it a chewy and dense texture. These rice cakes are mildly sweet, which allows them to be paired with other desserts or enjoyed as a stand-alone snack.
- 6. Yaksik
Yaksik, also known as Korean sweet rice, is made from glutinous rice mixed with honey, brown sugar, chestnuts, jujubes (Korean dates) and pine nuts.
This dessert is steamed and has a chewy, sticky texture. Traditionally served during Korean festivals, yaksik has a subtle sweetness and a nutty flavor that makes it filling and satisfying.
Let’s make these amazing korean dessert recipes at home and enjoy!
31. Strawberry Bingsu
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29. Korean Honey Cookies
28. Matcha Chiffon Cake Sandwiches
27. Korean Strawberry Cake
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26. Korean Shaved Ice
25. Snow Skin Mooncakes
24. Hotteok Recipe (Sweet Korean Pancakes)
23. Hwachae Recipe
22. Baked Cheesy Korean Mochi Bread
21. Korean Cream Cake
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20. Dalgona Candy
19. Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Mochi with Chocolate Hazelnut Filling
18. Deliciously Soft & Chewy Baked Strawberry Mochi Cake
17. Mini Mochi Cakes Recipe
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16. Ichigo Daifuku – Strawberry Mochi Recipe
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14. Vegan Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream
13. Strawberry Snow Skin Mooncakes
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12. Matcha Hotteok (Sweet Korean Pancakes)
11. Candied Korean Sweet Potato
10. Matcha Bingsu (Green Tea Shaved Ice Dessert)
9. Blender Matcha Kakigori
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8. Mango Bingsu
7. Korean Strawberry Milk Recipe
6. Korean Rice Balls
5. Pepero Cake
4. Sponge Candy
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3. Strawberry Roll Cake
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1. Korean Strawberry Daifuku
Korean dessert recipes are as varied as they are delicious. From warm, comforting hotak in winter to refreshing bingsu in summer,
Korean dessert recipes celebrate each season with unique flavors and textures. These recipes are relatively easy to try at home, with many ingredients found in Asian supermarkets or online.
If you want to explore new flavors, Korean desserts offer a perfect balance of sweetness and satiety without being overly sugary.