26 Most Popular Korean Desserts Dishes
Korean Desserts may not be as popular as Bibimbap or the famous Kimchi Side dish. In fact with Korean Cuisines, people does not really think of desserts. There are however Korean Desserts that is loved by Koreans . These desserts are sweet treat and colorful. In today’s post, we have gathered some of the popular Korean Desserts dishes for you to try.
Popular Korean Desserts Dishes
In Korea, the term “Hasik” means Dessert, usually the food that is always served after a meal. Desserts comes in different colors, flavors and can either be warm or cold dessert. Listed below are some of the most widely known Traditional Korean dessert that you can try.
Korean Rice Cakes
Korean Rice Cakes or also known as Tteok-Bokki or simmered rice cake. It is a popular Korean desserts made from rice flour and tapioca starch. If you only use rice flour to make rice cakes, the result will give you a firmer and more dense cake while when tapioca starch is added it’ll make the rice cake more chewy.
Rice cakes are either steamed or grind rice (glutinous rice), although you can use other grains as well.
There are a wide variety of rice cakes and the most popular ones are the following:
- Ggul Tteok
- Garaetteok
- Baek-Seolgi
- Injeolmi
- Chapssaltteok
- Yeongyang-chaltteok
- Sultteok
- Siru-tteok
Pan-fried Sweet Rice Cakes with Flower Petals
Another popular delicious Dessert is the Pan-fried sweet rice cakes or also referred to as Hwajeon. These are small pan-fried Korean rice cake made of Glutinous rice flour, honey and seasonal petals such as roses during summer, azaleas during spring, rhododendron during months of may to June and Chrysanthemums during autumn.
Hwajeon is usually eaten during Korea’s special occasions such as Buddha’s birthday.
Korean Honey Cookies
Korean Honey Cookies is also known as Yakgwa. In Korea, Yak means medicine and Gwa means snacks. It is a popular Korean desserts that is mostly found in grocery stores and Traditional Korean Tea houses. It is a fried cookie that is dipped in a honey and ginger syrup.
It is called honey cookies because it is made from honey, oil and flour powder. You can also sprinkle it with sesame seeds.
Korean Sweet Pancakes
Korean Sweet pancake is also known as Hotteok. It is popular dessert in Korea that is made from cinnamon, Chopped walnuts , all purpose flour and sweet rice flour.
Korean Sweet pancakes are deliciously chewy dessert. There are different varieties of Hotteok such as pancake with ice cream or cheese fillings.
Sweet Rice Balls
Sweet rice balls is also known as Gyeongdan. Considered to be one of the famous dessert in Korean that is made of glutinous rice or other grains. After shaping the rice into small balls, it is then boiled. It is then rolled in sesame seeds or mugwort powder.
Pressed Sweets
Pressed Sweets is also called Dasik in Korea. It is another tradition Korean desserts that is made by kneading grains then pressed into a molding called Dasikpan.
Fine powders such as chestnut powder, bean powder, starch powder, and sesame powder are mixed with honey to make into a dough. Dasik sweets are made into 5 different beautiful colors such as yellow, blue, white, black and green.
Since “Da” in Korea means “Tea”, therefore pressed sweets are usually paired with tea.
Sweet Taffy
Sweet taffy or also called “Yeot” in Korea is a Hangwa variety that actually refers to the Traditional Korean Confectionary. It is made with steamed rice. corn , sweet potatoes, or pumpkin. Then the steamed ingredients are then placed in a hot pot for boiling.
The term “Yeot” is named according to the ingredient being used:
- Hobakyeot if it is made using pumpkin
- Kkaeyeot if the dessert is covered with Kkae
- Ssallyeot if the dessert is made using rice.
Crispy Snack (Gangjeong)
Gangjeong is another Hangwa variety that also refers to the Traditional Korean Confectionary. It is made with glutinous rice flour that is deep fried. The sweet rice batter is coated with honey syrup then covered in sesame seeds, or sometimes nuts. Though the inner portion of this rice puff tens to be hollow inside.
This type of Korean desserts is usually served during special occasions such as ancestral rites, wedding and New Year celebrations in Korea.
Iced Ripe Persimmon
Persimmon is a common fruit found in Korea, in fact it is considered to be one of the popular fruits during autumn.
Frozen Persimmon or also called Ice Hongsi is a Korean Fruit ice cream. It is made from red persimmon fruit.
Traditional Korean Punches
Hwachae is a term used to describe Traditional Korean Punches. It is a popular dessert during summer season. It is made from different varieties of fruits. In fact, there are about 30 varieties of Hwachae that depends on the fruit the is used.
Since it is a cold drink, it is usually made during hot season to rehydrate and also helps boost the individual’s immune system.
Korean Cinnamon Punch
Korean Cinnamon Punch is also known for as Sujeonggwa. A Traditional Korean cinnamon punch that is distinguished by its dark red brown in color. It is made by boiling gotgam (Dried persimmon), ginger and cinnamon.
Sujeonggwa dessert drink is considered before as a luxury drink because cinnamons are imported , thereby Sujeonggwa it always thought to be the same as a caviar.
Sweet Korean Rice Beverage
Sikhye or Sweet Korean Punch is a traditional Korean drink in Korea. It made from fermented malt barley, and short grain rice. Other ingredients includes sugar and water.
The sweetness of the beverage comes from the flavor of the rice grain and milled malt barley. It has high fiber content that can help with digestion since it is fermented.
Magnolia Berry Tea (Omija Cha)
In Korea, Omija refers to the “five flavors berry” such as sour, sweet, salty, pungent, and bitter. It is made by drying Omija berries and putting dried Omija in boiling water to sit overnight. Ice cubes of Omija will be enjoyed the following day.
Omija Cha Tea is usually prepared during summer time or hot season because it will help hydrate and cool down the heat off the person’s body.
Plum Tea (Maesilcha)
Maesilcha is one of the most popular Korean Tea nowadays. It a traditional Korean tea that is made from the mixture of Maesil which is fresh plums, Omae or smoked plums and Maesil-cheong or plum syrup in either hot or cold water.
Though it is believed that plum is not the fruit used with Maesilcha but rather Japanese apricot. Hence, terms are interchangeable: Maesil Cha or Korean Plum Tea or Japanese Apricot Tea.
Shaved Ice with Sweet Rea Beans
Korean Shaved ice is also known as Bingsu or commonly known as Patbingsu (refers to shaved ice with sweet rea beans). Korean shaved ice dessert is one of the most popular tasty dessert during summer.
Other than sweet rea beans, other ingredients includes chopped fruits, fruit syrup and condensed milk. There are however different varieties of Korean shaved ice other such as Oreo Bingsu.
Patbingsu where “Pet” that refers to sweet red beans that are topped on the shaved ice flakes. Rice cakes, jellies or soybean powder, fruit, yogurt and green tea powder are also added on top.
Walnut Cookies (Hodu-Gwaja)
Hodu-Gwaja in Korea also refers to as Walnut cookies, walnut cakes or walnut pastries. It is also considered to be a popular Street snack in Korea.
In Korea, Hodu means walnut. Therefore these are cookies that are filled with walnuts and sweet red bean paste.
Pepero Cake
Peppero is actually a popular Korean snack made by the Lotte Confectionery. These are cookie sticks that are dipped in chocolates.
Aside from eating Peppero sticks, another way to enjoy this chocolate stick is to make a Peppero Cake out of the Peppero Sticks. Layers of Peppero sticks are formed into a cake then topped with pistachio nuts. You will surely love the finish product.
Honey Bread
Korean often refers to Honey Bread as Sweet tidings. It is a popular Korean dessert that is served Korean Restaurants and Cafe. It is a thick bread that is actually divided into 9 slices. Each slice is filled with whipped cream. It is then topped with honey, cinnamon powder and caramel syrup.
This Korean Dessert is usually paired with coffee or Tea.
Honey Rice Cake Sandwich
Honey Rice cake sandwich is also called Injeolmi in Korea. It is another Tteok variety that is also made by steaming and then pounding on its main ingredient which is the Glutinous rice flour then topped with powdered dried beans.
Making this dessert only involves 3 main ingredients: seared rice cakes, butter then drizzle in honey
Korean Sponge Candy (Dalgona Candy)
Korean Sponge Candy is also known as Dalgona Candy in Korea. It is made from sugar, baking soda and vegetable oil. A popular Korean sweet street treat.
At present, Sponge candy has gained its popularity not only in Korea but in other countries as well because of a Famous Korean series.
Egg Bread (Gyeran-ppang)
Gyeran-ppang or Egg Bread is a Korean Street dessert snack. It has a sweet and savory taste. What’s unique about this dessert is that it is stuffed with a whole egg. It made by mixing the baking powder, milk, eggs, flour, butter, sugar and then sale. Gyeran-ppang machine is used in the cooking process.
Korean Fish Shaped Pastry (Bungeo-ppang)
Bungeo-Ppang is a Korean Fish shaped pastry that is similar to Taiyaki (japanese fish-shaped cake) although Bungeo-ppang only contains one filling such as sweet red bean filling.
Buengo-Ppang is considered to one of Korea’s popular dessert during winter though another version called Buengo Samanco, an ice-cream version that is best eaten during summer time.
Twisted Korean Doughnuts (Kkwabaegi)
Kkwabaegi also known for as Twisted Korean Doughnuts are sweet, twisted, spongy and fluffy doughnuts that is made with glutinous rice flour and butter. It is another popular Korean Dessert that is commonly sold in bakeries and as a street Korean food.
In making this dessert, the dough is deep fried in oil. Topped with sugar and cinnamon powder to taste.
Fat Macaron (Ddungcaron)
Ddungcaron is a term used to refer Fat in Korea. Hence, a Ddungcaron is a Fat Macaron dessert. A Korean-style Macaron with a thick filling in between two Meringue crusts.
Sweet Rice Mini Bundt Cake
Sweet rice mini bundt cake is a gluten-free dessert made with brown sweet rice flour, whole milk, butter (unsalted), eggs and sweet red bean paste.
These are oven-baked Korean dessert that uses sweet rice flour instead of using wheat flour.
Red Bean Mochi
Red Bean Mochi is also known as Daifukumochi in Korea. It is a wagashi variety that is round shaped with sweet fillings known as Anko.
Red Bean Mochi made from red bean paste.
Wrap Up
There are a wide variety of Traditional Korean desserts and Modern Korean desserts available nowadays made from rice and other grains, to fruit based desserts and Korean dessert drink.
With the lists of Korean desserts mentioned here, which one of these desserts have you tried? and which ones are your favorite. Let us know what you think.
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