Hotteok

There are many flavors that evoke the essence of autumn, from fresh apple cider donuts to pumpkin spice lattes. But nothing quite brings me peak-fall bliss and makes me recall the memories of past seasons quite like the aroma of hotteok, Korean sweet cinnamon pancakes. 

When I briefly lived in South Korea last fall, I ate fresh hotteok every other day. All it took was the sight of a street cart or market stall with a friendly cook behind a sizzling grill table or the intoxicating aroma of cinnamon and fryer oil to incite a craving. 

I urge everyone to try this street food in Korea, but because that’s not entirely possible, I argue that this easy-to-make-at-home recipe for hotteok comes pretty close. On a fall or winter day, one bite of this snack will make the cold weather almost bearable. 

Hotteok is a pancake made by stuffing balls of yeasted dough with cinnamon and brown sugar, then frying them on a hot pan or griddle while pressing into flat, crispy round pancakes. 

While the combination of brown sugar and cinnamon is synonymous with hotteok, the pancake can be stuffed with a whole medley of fillings both sweet and savory. Here are a few suggestions worth trying. 

• When I traveled to Busan for a girls’ trip with my mom and aunt, I was introduced to ssiat hotteok, which is a style of hotteok filled with cinnamon sugar and a variety of seeds — including pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds — that the city is famous for. 
• You can also swap out the dry ingredients for something gooey like mozzarella cheese or your favorite store-bought or homemade jam. 

• Don’t be afraid to fry. While most vendors in South Korea will deep-fry or shallow-fry the hotteok they sell, this recipe uses slightly less oil but yields a pancake that’s crisp-tender on the outside and soft on the inside. If you want to get the hotteok more golden-brown and extra-crispy, feel free to add more oil. 
• Switch up the spice. Cinnamon is typically incorporated into the brown sugar, but you can use apple pie spice or pumpkin spice.
• Serve ‘em hot. A fresh hotteok is absolutely sublime because the sugar filling is gooey, while the bread is hot and ultra-crispy. Eat on its own or pair with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.