Bungeoppang (Korean Fish-Shaped Pastry)
Make crispy, golden bungeoppang (Korean fish-shaped pastry) at home with this quick stovetop recipe. You’ll get that classic street-food texture using a simple mold, and you can fill each one with sweet red bean, custard, or chocolate. Ready in about 30 minutes—perfect for a cozy snack or dessert.
When the weather turns chilly in Korea, you know it’s bungeoppang season! These fish-shaped pastries, resembling fish waffles, are a winter street food favorite—crispy on the outside, soft inside, and filled with something sweet. Cute, right?
Bungeoppang (붕어빵) is made in a fish-shaped mold, kind of like a waffle iron, and traditionally filled with sweet red bean paste — the original, and still my personal favorite. But in true Korean fashion, there are plenty of variations too: vanilla custard, chocolate, and even savory versions with cheese.
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Similar to Japanese taiyaki, you’ll find these warm, golden treats sold fresh on the street, usually in bundles of 2 to 5 for just a dollar. They’re easy on the wallet and packed with nostalgia, bringing back childhood memories for anyone who grew up in Korea.
Along with hotteok (gooey syrup-filled pancakes) and gyeran-ppang (Korean egg muffins), they round out the cozy winter snacks many of us grabbed on the way home from school. I still can’t resist one when I spot a street cart in winter.
If you love these classic street bites, you might enjoy more ideas in my Korean street food recipes collection—perfect for cold days when you want a little edible comfort at home.
Bungeoppang Mold (Fish-Shaped Pan)
Making bungeoppang at home is easier than you think—as long as you have the right bungeoppang mold. You can find a fish-shaped pan at major Korean stores or online. If unavailable, a Japanese taiyaki pan works just as well!
Most of these molds are designed for gas stoves, so if you have an electric or induction cooktop, a portable gas stove might be a good investment for that perfect crispy texture.
With your fish-shaped mold and an store-bought red bean filling (highly recommended for convenience!), you’re just a few steps away from making crispy, golden bungeoppang at home. Totally worth it!
How to Make Bungeoppang (Korean Fish Shaped Pastry)
First, mix the dry and wet ingredients to make the batter. I like to use an immersion blender for a super smooth texture, but you can definitely whisk it by hand. The goal is a thin, pourable batter. Don’t overmix, though! We want light and airy, not chewy and dense.
Preheat your bungeoppang mold before adding the batter. Lightly grease your mold to prevent bungeoppang from sticking, then pour in just enough batter to fill it halfway. Add a scoop of sweet red bean paste, then top it off with more batter to seal it in. Simple, right?
Now, cook over medium heat until both sides are golden and crispy. If there’s extra batter sticking out, you can trim it—but honestly, those crispy edges are the best part. Yum!
Let them rest for a few seconds on a wire rack. (Keeping them upright is ideal, but unless you’ve got a special rack or wizard powers, laying them flat works just fine.) And just like the street vendors, these are best eaten hot—crisp shell, warm filling, everything at its happiest.
If you have leftovers, reheat them in an air fryer or dry skillet for a couple of minutes. They won’t be street-cart fresh, but they crisp back up surprisingly well.
Enjoy—and I hope your kitchen feels a little bit like a cozy winter street stall.
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Bungeoppang (Korean Fish-Shaped Pastry)
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (150 g) cake flour
- 1/4 cup (40 g) sweet rice flour (chapssal-garu)
- 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp (18 g) sugar
- 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) salt
- 1 1/4 cup (300 ml) milk
- 2 tbsp (28 g) melted butter, or oil
- 10 oz (300 g) sweet red bean paste, or other fillings of your choice (see note below)
Equipment
- taiyaki pan https://amzn.to/3ZVMzVs
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake flour, sweet rice flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk and melted butter, then whisk until the mixture reaches a thin consistency, similar to crepe batter. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender for a smoother mix. Transfer the batter to a pourable jug for easy pouring later.
- Place your fish shaped mold (Taiyaki pan) over medium-low heat. Once hot, lightly grease the fish-shaped molds with cooking oil. A pastry brush or an oiled paper towel works best to ensure even coverage without pooling oil.
- Fill each fish-shaped mold about 70% full with the batter. Spoon approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of red bean paste — or your chosen filling— into the center of each mold. Top off with more batter to completely cover the filling. It is okay if the batter overflows to the sides of the pan. Close the lid and immediately flip the pan.
- Allow to sizzle for 3-4 minutes on the first side, then flip and continue for another 2-3 minutes. If the fish isn't golden brown yet, continue cooking, flipping as needed, until you achieve that perfect golden-brown hue.
- After cooking, let them cool on a wire rack and trim away any excess batter for a polished look. Serve hot.
Is sweet rice flour same with glutinous rice flour?
Yes, they are the same.
can we use all cake flour, 190g? tks
HELLO
THANK U FOR THE RECIPE..
WHAT CAN SUBSTITUTE THE SWEET RICE FLOUR ? ןITS UN AVAILABLE AROUND ME…
You can use omit the sweet rice flour and use plain wheat flour.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
We made this tonight with good results, but we added extra 1/2 cup of milk to achieve pouring crepe-batter consistency. The batter was very thick (like muffin batter, not pourable) with
1 1/4 cups of milk.
We filled them with sugar cinnamon (like hotteok). Very tasty! Thanks again.
Hi Angie
I’m glad you enjoy bungeoppang. Thanks for sharing your adaptation idea to achieve the right batter consistency. Thank you!