Name: Hotteok (Sweet Stuffed Korean Pancake) (Seoul style)
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: For the dough: 250g bread flour; 250g sweet rice flour (chapssal-garu) or substitute glutinous rice flour; 1 tsp fine sea salt; 60g caster sugar; 7g instant yeast; 250ml warm whole milk; 100ml warm water; 30g unsalted butter melted; For the filling: 120g dark brown sugar (the muscovado kind, not refined); 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 60g coarsely crushed roasted peanuts (or walnuts); 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional); Neutral oil, for frying (about 60ml)

Yeast-leavened pancakes pan-fried in oil and stuffed with a molten filling of brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed peanuts. A winter street food sold from kiosks across Seoul, with Namdaemun Market the reference stall.

Hotteok arrived in Korea via Chinese immigration in the late 19th century and naturalised as a winter street food by the 1920s. Sambodang Hotteok at Namdaemun Market has fried hotteok for over 40 years; the brown-sugar-cinnamon filling crystallised as the canonical version in the 1970s. Modern variations include green tea filling, ssiat (seed-filled) hotteok, and ice cream hotteok.

5 editor picks for Hotteok (Sweet Stuffed Korean Pancake) in Seoul, ranked by editorial score. All Seoul signature dishes · Hotteok (Sweet Stuffed Korean Pancake) across every city.

Sambodang Hotteok ★ 4.4

Street food

Jongno and Insadong · 48-1 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Sambodang sells only one item from a maroon-awning stall halfway down Insadong-gil: a fist-sized hotteok stuffed with brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts.

Namdaemun Market Hotteok Stalls ★ 4.4

Street food

Jung-gu and Myeongdong · 21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Namdaemun Market hotteok stalls fry thick dough discs filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and crushed peanuts on flat irons in the market's main food lane.

Tongin Market ★ 4.4

Market

Jongno and Insadong · 18 Jahamun-ro 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Tongin Market: buy a dosirak tray and brass yeopjeon coins, fill the tray from banchan stalls across the market, then eat in the communal hall at the back.

Myeongdong Street Food Alley ★ 4.2

Street food

Jung-gu and Myeongdong · Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

The Myeongdong pedestrian strip turns into one of the densest street food corridors in Asia after 16:00, with stalls selling tteokbokki (spicy rice.

Hongdae Street Food Strip ★ 4.1

Street food

Hongdae and Yeonnam · Yeonhui-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul

The Hongdae strip around Hongik University generates dense street food every evening: chimaek, takoyaki, and Korean corn dogs from the university exit.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Hotteok (Sweet Stuffed Korean Pancake) makes more sense with someone from Seoul explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

Book food experiences in Seoul

Seoul: Small-Group Night Food Tour in Seoul with Korean BBQ

Guided tour3.5 hours4.9 from 14 reviewsfrom $96

Join the Seoul Night Food Tour for a unique culinary adventure, exploring street food and traditional dishes under the city's vibrant nightscape. An unforgettable even...

Check dates and book

Seoul: Guided Food & Market Tour with 8+ Tastings

Guided tour3 hours4.9 from 486 reviewsfrom $97

Discover Seoul’s hidden foodie gems on a flavorful journey through markets, backstreets, and teahouses, tasting authentic dishes, local snacks, and our surprise Secret...

Check dates and book

Seoul: Food Tour with 11+ Tastings in the Heart of the City

Guided tour3 hours5.0 from 9 reviewsfrom $130

Embark on a walking food tour in Seoul, tasting over 10 kinds of food from restaurants, stalls, and local eateries. Explore Seoullo 7017, Namdaemun Market, and Myeongd...

Check dates and book