Yakshik, a traditional Korean sweet rice dessert, is made with sticky rice, dried jujube, chestnuts, and assorted nuts and seeds. The Instant Pot makes this authentic recipe quick and easy to prepare, and it’s perfect as a satisfying breakfast or snack.

Yakshik, a traditional Korean sweet rice cake with jujube, chestnut, and seeds.

Traditionally, Koreans celebrate the first full moon of the Lunar New Year (Jeongwol Daeboreum, 정월 대보름) by making yakshik (약식), also known as yakbap (약밥), a sweet rice dessert shared with family and friends to wish for good health throughout the year.

My mother made this delicious rice cake dessert from scratch every year. I remember watching her follow the traditional process, which was quite time-consuming.

Thanks to modern cooking technology, this old-fashioned treat can now be made quickly and easily with the help of an Instant Pot. I only wish my late mother had been able to experience this method—she loved this dessert so much, she would have made it year-round.

I introduced the Instant Pot version of this classic recipe in my cookbookKorean Cooking Favorite, and I’m excited to share it here so you can make it effortlessly at home.

What is Yakshik (약식)?

Yakshik, meaning “medicine food” (yak = medicine, shik = food), gets its name from ingredients like dried jujube, honey, and cinnamon, once believed to have some medicinal properties. It’s also known as yakbap (약밥), meaning “medicine rice.”

This traditional Korean sticky rice dessert is made with sweet rice (glutinous rice—gluten-free), dried jujube, chestnuts, pine nuts, and seeds. Seasoned with soy sauce, honey (or brown sugar), and sesame oil, it’s gently sweet, nutty, and chewy with a perfect contrasting texture.

Proper preparation ensures the rice stays chewy without becoming mushy. Yakshik is often enjoyed during holidays and special occasions.

Cooking Yakshik in an Instant Pot

The traditional preparation of yakshik requires soaking the rice overnight and steaming it twice. You make the caramel sauce separately and combine it with the rice during the second steaming. It takes lots of time and it’s labor-intensive.

With my instant pot method, you can make it a lot more easily and quickly. Although the authentic method makes an incredible sweet rice dessert, I will take the easier route by using the instant pot method to save myself from slaving in the kitchen.

If you have an instant pot, try my instant pot Korean rice punch called sikhye. It’s refreshingly cool and delicious. Making authentic Korean dessert becomes easier.

Sweet rice cakes slices (yakshik) served on dessert plates.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Sweet rice (aka glutinous rice) is a must and it has to be the Korean short grain sweet rice called chaphsal (찹쌀). This rice is especially sticky and chewy when cooked. It is easily found in any Korean grocery store. You can also find Korean sweet rice online as well.
  • Dried jujube (daechu, 대추) is a traditional ingredient for yakshik. If jujube is not available, raisins, “craisins,” dried prunes, and dried persimmon are all great substitutes.
  • Chestnuts (bam, 밤) are sold as fresh or peeled and frozen in vacuumed packages in most Korean stores. If those are not available, try canned sweetened chestnut or roasted chestnut in the pacakage.
  • Pine nuts are another classic yakshik ingredient. You can also add walnuts or other nuts and seeds of your choice.
  • Roasted Sunflower seeds and/or pumpkin seeds are great option to add.

How to make Korean sweet rice dessert (Yakshik)

Soak sweet rice

Rinse sweet rice several times and soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.

Note: If using an electric rice cooker instead of a pressurized instant pot, soak the rice in water for 8 hours in the refrigerator before cooking with the rest of ingredients.

Prepare chestnut and jujube

Cut the chestnut in halves or quarters depending on the size. Set them aside.

Put the seeds in a small pot and pour in 2 cups of water. Bring it to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. The water will become dark amber.

Make Yakshik

Remove the jujube seeds and pour the stock into the Instant Pot. Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), honey (or brown sugar), and cinnamon; stir to combine.

Add the rice, chestnuts, and jujube flesh to the stock and mix well. Close the lid, seal the vent, and set the Instant Pot to the rice setting or 12 minutes on manual.

Once cooking is done, quick release the steam. Open the lid, add pine nuts and pumpkin seeds, drizzle with sesame oil, and gently toss to combine.

Grease a 9-inch square pan with sesame oil. Press the rice mixture into the pan with a spatula and let it cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, turn it out onto a cutting board, cut into bars, and garnish with jujube flowers and seeds if desired.

No instant pot? No worry!

If you don’t have an instant pot, you can use an electric rice cooker to achieve a similar result. You will have to soak the rice for 6-8 hours beforehand, though, since it has no pressure to speed up the cooking.

  • Rice cooker method: Combine soaked rice with sauce mixture, jujube and chestnut. Cook with regular rice setting, about 20-30 minutes. Mix in the nuts, seeds, and sesame oil. Proceed to cooling.
  • Steaming method: Steam soaked rice in a steamer for 40 minutes. Add the sauce mixture, jujube, chestnut and steam again for 30 minutes. Mix in the nuts, seeds, and sesame oil. Proceed to cooling.

How to make dried jujube flower

Often, Korean dessert recipes and Korean drink recipes uses dried jujube as a decoration. The outer skin layer of dried jujube is cut around the seed, and roll it tightly, then sliced into small pieces.

Sweet rice cake (yakshik) decorated with jujube flowers.

Freezing Tips

This Korean sweet rice dessert is best fresh but freezes well. To freeze, wrap bars tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. To thaw, leave at room temperature or microwave unwrapped for about 2 minutes until soft.

Yakshik is traditional Korean sweet rice dessert with jujube, chestnut, and seeds.

Korean Sweet Rice with Dried Fruit and Nuts (Yakshik)

Korean sweet rice cake (yakshik) is made with sticky rice, jujube, chestnut, and other nuts. An instant pot makes this authentic recipe extremely easy and quick to prepare. It also serves as a good breakfast or snack.
5 from 3 ratings

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Rinse sweet rice several times and soak the rice in water for 10 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.
  • Cut the chestnut in halves or quarters depending on the size. Set them aside.
  • Cut the flesh off of dried jujube to separate it from the seeds. Set the flesh on the side and collect the seeds. Put the seeds in a small pot and pour in 2 cups of water. Bring it to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. The water will become dark amber. Discard the jujube seeds and reserve the stock.
  • Pour the jujube stock into an instant pot. Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), honey (or brown sugar), and cinnamon; stir well until combined.
  • Add the rice, chestnut, and jujube flesh to the stock and mix well. Close the lid and set the instant pot to a rice setting (or 12 minutes on manual setting). Make sure to seal the vent.
  • When cooking is done, move the vent to quick release and let the steam escape. Open the lid and add the pine nuts and pumpkin seeds (or other nuts and seeds of your choice). Drizzle sesame oil and gently toss everything well.
  • Grease a 9-inch squire pan (or similar in size) with sesame oil. Put the rice mixture into the pan and press down with spatula or rice scoop. Let it sit on a wired rack to cool.
  • When fully cooled, turn out the rice on a cutting board and cut into desired size bars. You can garnish with jujube flowers and more seeds as you wish.

Notes

If you don’t have an instant pot, you can use an electric rice cooker to achieve a similar result, or try with the traditional steaming method. You will have to soak the rice for 6-8 hours beforehand, though, since both method have no pressure to speed up the cooking.
  1. Rice cooker method – Combine soaked rice with caramel sauce mixture, jujube and chestnut. Cook with your regular rice setting, about 25-30 minutes. Add nuts, seeds, sesame oil and toss. Proceed to cooling.
  2. Steaming method – Steam soaked rice in the steamer for 40 minutes. Mix steamed rice with sauce mixture, jujube, and chestnut. Steam again for 30 minutes. Mix in the nuts, seeds, sesame oil and toss. Proceed to cooling.
If using roasted chestnut in the package, add them in the last step of cooking together with nuts and seeds.
Calories: 139kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 246mg, Potassium: 113mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg
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