These sticky Korean sweet rice cake bars are originated from Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, California. You don’t need butter or oil, but still creates crispy and chewy bars. Loaded with nuts and seeds, these bars make a perfect gluten-free snack!

LA style rice cake bar slices are placed on a serving tray.

Baked goodies with NO flour and NO butter or oil.., Would it be possible? These Korean style sweet rice cake bars make it possible.

They originated from the Koreans living in Los Angeles, California many years ago. Their craving of traditional Korean sweet rice dessert, which sometimes is hard to achieve in a home kitchen, turned this bars more like ‘east meets west’ version of rice cakes.

There is no wheat flour nor any butter or oil in the recipe, but still creates crisp texture on the outside and chewy (almost mochi-like) inside.

LA style sweet rice cake bars are gluten-free.

The filling can be adapted to any choice of nuts, seeds and dried fruits for your liking. You can adjust the amount of sugar depends on the sweetness you desire. That makes this bars great for snacks, quick breakfast, and even a dessert.

The best part? You can whip the batch in less than 10 minutes before you put in the oven to bake. This is another gently sweet Korean rice treat.

Choice of Nuts and Seeds

Variety of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit is used to make Korean style sticky rice bars.

Here are my chosen plant based filling. Walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, raisins, almonds and pistachios. Use any nuts, edible seeds, and dried fruits. You can throw some chocolate chips if you like.

Nuts are coarsely chopped and collected on a round dish.

Coarsely chop your nuts.

How to make LA Style Sweet Rice Cake Bars

Salt is added to the dry ingredients for LA Chapssalteok.

In a large bowl, mix rice flower, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. I only used 1-1/2 cup of brown sugar for 3 cups of rice flower. It gave very subtle sweetness. If you prefer sweeter treat, add more sugar as you desire.

Dry ingredients are mixed with a whisk.

Mix well with a whisk.

Milk is poured onto a dry ingredient mixture.

Pour milk to the flour mixture, and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well to combine everything. It will be a thin batter.

UPDATE: If using Mochiko flour instead of sweet rice flour, you will need more milk to get the right consistency. Increase the amount of milk to 3 cups.

Chopped nuts are added to rice flour mixture.

Add your chopped nuts…

Seeds and dried fruits are added to the wet mixture.

Seeds and dried fruits, and other wonders of nature if you like. Mix well.

Pour the batter into a greased pan.

Pour on a well greased 9×13 pan.

LA rice cake batters are added to a greased baking pan.

Make sure you even out the nutty goodness. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 30-35 minutes.

LA style Korean rce cake is baked beautiful golden brown.

Voila! You’ve got a cake or bars. Make sure to cool down completely before you cut.

Korean sticky rice cake has crispy edge on the side.

Here is the finished product. Let’s pay a moment of adoration…

Cut the LA style rice cake bars into desired sizes.

Cut into any size bars you desire. I like my bars long and skinny.

Chewy and sticky texture of the Korean rice cake bar is showing.

“Here! Take a bite!” I gave it  to my kids but UNFORTUNATELY they did not like it that much. It must be too healthy for them.

“You said it’s healthy. That means it is not supposed to taste good…”  My little son responded after he ate half of it.

Wrap the rice cake bars with plastic wrap to store.

Wrap these bars with plastic wrap and they will keep fresh for a few days. They can be stored in the freezer for a couple of month.

They will be my breakfast, afternoon snack, and midnight munch for the next few days. And I am very happy about that.

Ubud-Bali flowers are showing their vibrant colors.

My family and I had a wonderful trip to Penang, Malaysia and Bali, Indonsia over the holidays. I will try to post some pictures soon to share with you. I had a great time and the ‘FOOD’ was just amazing in both places.

Hope all of you had a great season with your family and friends over a scrumptious feast. And I wish you a very very Happy New Year!

Other Korean Sweet Treats

LA style sweet rice cake bars are loaded with nuts and seeds
LA style rice cake bar slices are placed on a serving tray.

Korean Sweet Rice Cake Bars (LA Chapssalteok)

These crispy chewy Korean style sweet rice cake bars are made without butter or oil. Loaded with nuts and seeds, these bars make perfect gluten-free snack!
5 from 4 ratings

Ingredients

  • 3 cup sweet rice flour (chapssal-garu), See note below
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup walnuts , coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup pecan , coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup almond , coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF
  • In a large bowl whisk together rice flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour milk and vanilla and stir to mix well.
  • Add the assorted nuts, sunflower seeds and raisins. Mix well.
  • Pour the batter over well greased 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top gets brown and crisp.
  • Cool completely and cut into bars. Wrap leftover bars with plastic wrap and store in the freezer.

Notes

If you are using mochiko flour, increase the amount of milk to 3 cups
Did you make this recipe?Tag @beyondkimchee on Instagram. I love to see your masterpiece.