Dorayaki (Japanese Red Bean Pancake)

Honey-scented Japanese-style pancakes filled with red bean paste, dorayaki is a traditional Japanese dessert that is loved by all!

What is dorayaki?

Dorayaki (どら焼き) is a traditional Japanese snack made up of sweet red bean paste aka anko, sandwiched in between two soft honey pancakes.

This is a snack that is still widely loved by Japanese children and adults, while also gaining love from other parts of the world! However, the most well-known lover of dorayaki has to be none other than the famous cartoon character Doraemon!

While the traditional version is filled with a sweet red bean aka adzuki bean paste, the newer version uses all kinds of fillings, ranging from custard cream and fresh fruit to ice cream!

Personally, I love ice cream in my dorayaki! The sweet and creamy frozen treat in those soft honey pancakes is pretty much a better ice cream sandwich ????

Tips on making the perfect dorayaki pancake

The trademark of a good dorayaki is the perfectly even golden brown surface of the pancake. While you might look at this and think it’s impossible to achieve, with a couple of tips you’ll be surprised at how perfect your pancakes are turning out.

Use a non-stick pan

One of the most important tips is to use a good quality nonstick pan, this ensures that the pancakes don’t stick to spots on your pan, causing it to tear or darken.

Wipe your pan with a paper towel and a splash of vegetable oil

The trick to that perfectly even surface is to use a minimal amount of oil. You might notice that American-style pancakes have a splotchy kind of surface, this is from the bubbling of the butter that is used to fry the pancakes.

By only using a little oil you are preventing this from happening. If you are noticing streaks on your pancakes it’s most likely because there is still excess oil on your pan.

Pour your batter onto your pan from a jug

After trying a couple of different methods I found that using a jug makes the roundest and most evenly shaped pancakes. Simply pour the batter directly onto the pan to form a small round pancake.

You can also use a ladle to pour it into the pan if you don’t have a jug.

How to customize dorayaki

There are so many different ways to customize your dorayaki. Here are just a couple of my absolute favorite ways to eat dorayaki.

• Fresh fruits: Fresh fruits are the best way to eat dorayaki, whether that be strawberries with your red bean paste or mixed fruits with whipped cream.
• Ice cream: Ice cream and pancakes are always a good idea. Personally, I love a scoop of matcha ice cream with red bean paste in my dorayaki. The combination of frozen and creamy with soft and sweet is perfection.

• Your favorite spread: If you prefer a sweeter filling try filling these with your favorite kind of spread. Think chocolate, Nutella, Biscoff, peanut butter, jam… the options are endless
• Custard cream: Custard cream is a popular variation of these, particularly with kids. It’s sweet creamy and delicious! Make your own and fill these up for a totally different dessert.
• Chestnuts: Chestnut cream or paste is another popular traditional Japanese take on this dessert!

Ingredients

Pancake Batter

• Cake flour: You can use all-purpose flour if you don’t have any cake flour on hand. However, cake flour gives these a softer, more tender texture
• Baking powder: Baking powder helps these rise to that soft, fluffy consistency
• Eggs: Egg help bind the batter together. Make sure you use large eggs.

• Honey: Honey gives these pancakes their characteristic flavor! The resulting pancakes are sweet and fragrant.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar gives the pancakes sweetness as well as a soft texture.
• Milk: Milk gives the pancakes moisture and flavor.
• Water: Water helps the pancakes stay moist and fluffy.

Red Bean Paste

• Red beans: Make sure you use adzuki beans, not regular red beans!
• Brown sugar: The brown sugar gives the red bean paste sweetness while also thickening up the red bean mixture. You can increase or decrease the amount of brown sugar according to your personal preferences.

Dorayaki

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Honey-scented Japanese-style pancakes filled with red bean paste, dorayaki is a traditional Japanese dessert that is loved by all!

See Also This Recipe:  Taro Snow Skin Mooncakes

• Author: Catherine Zhang
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 Sandwiched Pancakes 1x
• Category: Asian Dessert
• Method: Easy
• Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Pancake Batter

• 120g Cake flour (1 cup)
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 2 Large eggs
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 65g Granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
• 2 tbsp Whole milk
• 2 tbsp Water

Red Bean Paste

• 100g Red beans, aka adzuki beans (1/2 cup)
• 60g Brown sugar (1/3 cup)

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Instructions

1. Combine the eggs, sugar, honey, milk, and water together in a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined
2. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until smooth
3. Cover with cling wrap and let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge 
4. Uncover and pour into a jug
5. Heat a non-stick frypan over medium-low heat
6. Wipe the surface of the frypan with a paper towel lightly drizzled in vegetable oil
7. Then pour the pancake batter onto the pan in small rounds, try not to make more than 3 at a time
8. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until you notice bubbles on the surface of the pancake
9. Then flip and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes
10. Remove from the pan and continue until all the batter has been used

Red Bean Paste

1. Wash the red beans and place them in a medium-sized saucepan
2. Cover the red beans with water until they are completely submerged, cover and bring it to a boil
3. Cook the beans for 1-1.5 hrs or until the beans are easily mashed between your fingers
4. Alternatively, you can cook the beans in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes
5. Drain the cooked beans
6. Combine the beans and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until it thickens into a paste
7. Remove from the heat and cool

Catherine Zhang

My name is Catherine, a food blogger and dessert lover. If I look familiar you may have seen me on NETFLIX's Zumbo’s Just Desserts S2! As an Australian-Chinese pastry chef and recipe developer I share recipes and tips on desserts inspired by amazing flavours, fresh produce and of course my Asian background.

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