Red Bean Pancake (Dorayaki)
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Whether you’re looking for an easy snack for the kids or want to satisfy your own sweet tooth, this Red Bean Pancake recipe is the perfect dessert to try.
You can find red bean pancakes at your local Asian grocery store in the cookie aisle. They’re popular among most Asian cultures including Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan. Even though you can get them at the store, fresh homemade red bean pancakes are definitely still the best
This red bean pancake recipe is an authentic Japanese recipe, where it’s traditionally called dorayaki. China has its own version of red bean pancakes, but it’s more of a crepe rather than a pancake. You can check out a Chinese red bean pancake recipe here.
What is Red Bean Pancakes?
Dorayaki is best described as a dessert with red bean filling between two slices of sweet fluffy pancakes.
There are different kinds of dorayaki too, red bean being the classic flavour. There are custard-filled ones, chestnut, cream, cream with fruits and different flavoured creams. Recently, the varieties of red bean pancakes have exploded with new and unique flavours. New recipes include matcha, black sesame and even pudding. The possibilities seem endless!
This red bean pancake recipe is based on the classic red bean and honey pancake flavour. You can easily change it up and get creative with it! The soft moist honey pancakes make a great base for many other fillings, such as jam and Nutella.
Regardless of which flavour you try, dorayaki goes perfect with some warm and slightly bitter Japanese green tea.
A Quick Tip Before You Start
To get that signature golden brown look of the pancakes, make sure to wipe off any excess oil on the pan’s surface before making each pancake. Leaving oil streaks will create coloured spots. If the first few pancakes don’t turn out perfect, don’t worry about it! Just keep going and you’ll get the hang of it very quickly.
Also, if making the red bean filling is too much work, you can buy pre-made red bean paste from the store to save time.
Now let’s get started on this red bean pancake recipe! If you’re a fan of red bean, check out our red bean-filled Peach Buns recipe!
Red Bean Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1-2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 18 oz red bean paste store-bought or homemade
Red Bean Filling
- 7 oz red beans (Azuki)
- water as needed
- ¾ - 1 cup sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt (Use half the amount for table salt)
Instructions
Filling (optional)
- Rinse red beans and discard any broken ones. Then drain them and add them to a large pot. Fill the pot with water until it reaches 1-2 inches above the beans. Turn the heat to high and let it boil for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, drain the beans and discard the water. Then put the beans back into the same pot and add in more water, about 1-2 inches above the beans again.
- Bring the water to a boil again over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover the pot with a lid and turn down the heat to medium-low. Keep it simmering for the next 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Make sure to check the boiling beans every so often and make sure the water hasn’t evaporated too much. The beans should always be submerged in water so add water if needed.
- After the 1-hour mark has passed, test the softness by picking up one bean and mashing it with your fingers. If it’s mashed easily, it’s done. If not, then continue boiling for another 30 minutes.
- Once the red beans are done, drain them over a sieve and reserve some of the liquid.
- To get a fine paste, transfer the beans to a food processor and run the food processor until the beans become a fine paste. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid if necessary. Skip this step to get a chunkier consistency.
- Then transfer the paste back into the same pot from earlier and turn the heat to medium-low. Add in half the amount of sugar.
- Mix until everything is well combined. Once the sugar is dissolved, taste the red bean paste. Add in the rest of the sugar if you’d like or whatever amount you prefer. Less sugar for a less sweet red bean paste and more for a sweeter red bean paste.
- Cook the paste until most of the moisture has evaporated, stirring constantly and add the salt.
- When you can draw a line on the bottom of the pot, turn off the heat. Don't worry if it's still loose; the paste will continue to thicken as it cools. Transfer to a flat baking sheet to let cool completely.
Pancakes
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and honey. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix everything together. Cover and rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, the batter should be slightly smoother now. Stir in 1-2 tablespoon water.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Dip a small piece of paper towel in the vegetable oil and coat the bottom of the pan with oil. Make sure there is no excess oil on the pan to get the nice even golden colour.
- Using a ladle or a small measuring cup, pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan to breathe pancakes with a 3-inch diameter. If your pan is large enough, make multiple at once to save time.
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate and cover the pancakes with a damp towel to prevent them from drying. Oil the pan if needed and repeat steps 5-6 until the batter is finished. You should end up with about 12 pancakes.
Making the Sandwich
- Create a sandwich by spreading the red bean paste onto one of the pancakes and then adding another pancake overtop. Put more of the paste in the center so the shape of the red bean pancake will be curved.
- They’re ready to eat. Enjoy!
- If you don't eat it on the same or next day (keep it in a cool place), wrap the red bean pancakes in plastic wrap and put in a Ziploc bag to store in the freezer for up to a month.
