Songpyeon (송편) are soft, chewy half-moon rice cakes made for Chuseok. Learn how to make them with sweet fillings, natural colors, and traditional pine-needle steaming for the classic texture and aroma.

Colorful Songpyeon steamed over pine needles in a bamboo steamer

Every year during Chuseok (추석), Korea’s autumn harvest holiday, families gather to make songpyeon, small half-moon rice cakes filled with sweet sesame, chestnut, beans, or nuts.

The half-moon shape is part of what makes songpyeon so recognizable. Rather than representing something already complete, it has traditionally been associated with growth and a hopeful future. And because families often shape the rice cakes together, making them is as much a Chuseok tradition as eating them.

Songpyeon, Korean rice cakes for Chuseok, on pine needles in a bamboo steamer.

Growing up in Korea, I remember sitting around the table shaping songpyeon with my family. My aunts used to tell me that if I made beautiful songpyeon, I would someday have beautiful daughters. My early attempts were anything but beautiful. The dough cracked, fillings escaped, and some shapes were hard to identify. We laughed anyway.

With practice, I learned how the dough should feel, how much filling it can hold, and how firmly to seal it before steaming. Those small details make a much bigger difference than trying to shape a perfectly photogenic rice cake.

This recipe uses the same basic method I grew up with, including wet rice flour, naturally colored dough, sweet fillings, and pine needles for steaming. If you are planning a larger holiday meal, my Chuseok food guide has more traditional dishes to serve alongside them.

Essential Ingredients for Chuseok Rice Cakes

Ingredients for making songpyeon for Chuseok.

The Rice Flour Makes the Biggest Difference

If there is one ingredient to pay attention to when making songpyeon, it is the rice flour.

Traditional songpyeon dough uses wet short-grain rice flour (습식 쌀가루). The rice is soaked before grinding, so the flour already contains moisture. This gives the finished rice cake its smooth, pleasantly chewy texture.

You will usually find wet rice flour in the freezer section of a Korean grocery store.

Dry rice flour behaves differently. Because it is ground without soaking the rice first, it needs more hydration and resting time. You can still make songpyeon with it, but the dough tends to crack more easily if the flour has not absorbed enough water.

My preference: use frozen wet rice flour whenever you can. It gives me the most reliable texture and makes shaping much easier.

Natural Colors for Songpyeon

Colorful songpyeon look beautiful on a Chuseok table, but you do not need artificial food coloring to make them.

I like using dried Korean vegetable powders because they add both color and a subtle flavor:

I usually start with about 1 tablespoon of powder per cup of rice flour and adjust from there.

Powders are also easier to control than vegetable or fruit purées. Purées add extra liquid, which can quickly make the dough too sticky.

A plate of Korean half-moon rice cake garnished with pine needles.

Sweet Songpyeon Fillings

The sesame filling is my favorite and probably the one most people associate with songpyeon.

Toast sesame seeds, grind them coarsely, and mix them with sugar and honey. The filling should be moist enough to hold together but not runny.

Other traditional filling options include:

  • Black sesame
  • Chestnuts
  • Red beans
  • Peanuts
  • Walnuts

You do not need much filling. About 1 teaspoon per rice cake is enough.

More filling sounds tempting, but songpyeon has limits. Overstuff it and the filling usually finds its own exit during steaming.

Fresh pine needles used for Korean Chuseok rice cakes.
Pine needles soaking in cold water to remove dusts.

Pine Needles Add More Than Fragrance

Songpyeon gets its name partly from song (송), meaning pine.

Traditionally, the rice cakes steam over fresh pine needles. The needles give them a gentle pine aroma while also helping prevent the cakes from sticking together.

Growing up, collecting and washing pine needles was simply part of the Chuseok preparation.

If you have access to suitable culinary-safe pine needles, rinse them thoroughly before using. Otherwise, line the steamer with a damp cotton cloth or silicone steaming liner. Your songpyeon will still turn out well.

Purple songpyeon showing sweet sesame filling inside.

How to make Songpyeon

Rice flour and hot water mixed with a spoon.
Hand kneading the rice cake dough to get soft and chewy texture.
Rice dough is formed to be a ball shape.
Songpyeon dough ball is covered with a plastic wrap.

1. Make the rice cake dough. Mix wet rice flour, salt, and hot water until soft and slightly springy—like pressing your earlobe. Knead a few minutes for elasticity, then cover and rest the dough.

Water is added to the Rice flour and purple sweet potato powder mixture.
Purple songpyeon dough is mixed with a spoon.
$ different colors of rice cake dough balls for making sonpyeon.
Songpyeon dough broken into small pieces.

For colored Dough. mix the natural coloring powder into the rice flour before adding the hot water. Watch the dough more than the measuring spoon. The correct amount of water can vary depending on your rice flour.

Grinding black sesame seeds in a suribachi mortar
Three sweet songpyeon fillings ready to use.

2. Prepare the fillings Toast sesame seeds (I use both regular and black sesame seeds) and grind them coarsely, then mix with sugar and honey. Chestnut, peanut, or red bean fillings are also traditional options.

Shaping songpyeon dough into a half-moon rice cake.

3. Shape the half-moon rice cakes. Roll the dough into small balls, then press a pocket in the center with your thumb. Spoon in about a teaspoon of filling, seal the edges firmly to push out any air, and smooth the cake between your palms. Finish by pinching it into a neat half-moon shape.

Raw songpyeon arranged on pine needles in a bamboo steamer
Bamboo steamer lid lined with cotton cloth for steaming songpyeon

4. Steam over pine needles. Line the steamer with pine needles (or a damp cloth) and arrange the cakes with space between them. Steam about 20 minutes, until the surface looks slightly translucent.

Chuseok rice cakes finished steaming.
Steamed songpyeon immersed in a bowl of ice water.
Songpyeon cakes drained from ice-water.
Oil is applied to steamed Korean half-moon rice cakes.

5. Cool and coat with oil. Dip the hot rice cakes briefly in ice water to set their shape, then drain well. Coat lightly with sesame oil for shine and softness.

Enjoy your songpyeon warm or at room temperature. During Chuseok, these rice cakes are often enjoyed alongside other festive treats like sikhye (Korean rice punch) or injeolmi (sweet rice cake coated in bean powder). Together, they make a holiday table that feels both traditional and celebratory.

Tips for Soft, Chewy Songpyeon

Keep the dough covered.
Rice flour dough dries quickly. Cover any dough you are not actively shaping.

Work while the dough is warm.
Warm dough stretches and seals much more easily. As it cools, it becomes firmer and more prone to cracking.

Do not overfill.
A teaspoon of filling is plenty. Too much can split the rice cake while it steams.

Remove trapped air.
After sealing, gently squeeze the cake before shaping. Air expands during steaming and can cause cracks.

If the dough cracks, add moisture.
Knead in hot water about a teaspoon at a time rather than pouring in a large amount at once.

Protect the cakes from condensation.
Wrap the steamer lid with a kitchen towel so water droplets do not fall onto the songpyeon.

If You Only Have Dry Rice Flour

Wet rice flour gives the best result, but dry short-grain rice flour can work with extra preparation.

Sprinkle roughly 3 tablespoons of hot water over the flour and rub it between your palms to distribute the moisture evenly. Sift the flour, cover it, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

This resting time allows the flour to hydrate more thoroughly and helps reduce the grainy texture and cracking that can happen with dry rice flour.

You may still need to adjust the hot water when making the final dough.

Colorful Korean half-moon rice cakes on a serving plate

Making Songpyeon Ahead for Chuseok

Songpyeon tastes best on the day you steam it, when the rice cake is at its softest and chewiest.

If you are preparing several Chuseok dishes, you can make the fillings ahead and have the coloring powders measured before you start. You can also shape the rice cakes a few hours before steaming. Keep them tightly covered so the dough does not dry out.

I would steam them as close to serving time as practical rather than refrigerating cooked songpyeon, since cold temperatures quickly firm up rice cakes.

Storing and Freezing Songpyeon

Room temperature: Keep freshly made songpyeon in an airtight container and enjoy within 1–2 days. The texture gradually becomes firmer as it sits.

Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the rice cakes in a single layer first. Once firm, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. They keep well for about 2–3 months.

To reheat: Steam frozen or thawed songpyeon briefly until soft and chewy again.

I prefer steaming over microwaving. A microwave can easily turn the rice cakes tough once they cool.

Making songpyeon takes a little time, but that is part of its charm. The shapes do not have to match, and a few may even crack along the way. What matters is the tradition of making and sharing them together.

행복한 추석 보내세요. Happy Chuseok!

Colorful songpyeon steamed in a bamboo steamer

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Colorful songpyeon Korean half-moon rice cakes with pine needles

Songpyeon (Korean Half-Moon Rice Cakes)

Servings: 32 pieces
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Soft, chewy songpyeon are Korean half-moon rice cakes filled with sweet sesame or nuts and naturally colored for Chuseok. This recipe makes 32 rice cakes and includes traditional pine-needle steaming. This recipe makes 32 rice cakes.
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Recipe Video

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (480 g) frozen wet rice flour, see note below
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 oz (340 g) pine needles, soaked in water for 10 minutes, optional
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil mix with 2 tsp vegetable oil

For basic white songpyeon dough

  • 1 cup (120 g) frozen wet rice flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2-3 tbsp (30–45 ml) hot water, more as needed, in 1 teaspoon gradations

Other colored songpyeon (yellow, green, and purple dough)

  • 1 cup (120 g) frozen wet rice flour, per each batch
  • 1/8 tsp salt, per each batch
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) pumpkin powder, mugwort powder or purple sweet potato powder, per each batch
  • 2 1/2-31/2 tbsp (37–52 ml) hot water, more as needed, in 1 teaspoon gradations, per each color

Sweet filling (for sesame seeds) – fills 1 batch

For other sweet filling options

  • 1/4 cup (30 g) black sesame seeds, or finely chopped peanuts or walnuts
  • 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar, per each filling
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) honey, per each filling

Equipment

Instructions 

Preparing the Dough

  • For plain dough: In a bowl, mix rice flour and salt. Add hot water gradually, stirring until the dough comes together. Knead 4–5 minutes until smooth and pliable, then cover with plastic wrap and rest 20 minutes. T
  • For colored dough: For each color batch, Mix rice flour with natural powder, add hot water gradually, and knead until smooth. Rest covered.

Make Sweet Fillings

  • Sesame Filling: Coarsely grind toasted sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl, add sugar and honey, and mix until evenly moistened.
  • Peanut filling: In a separate bowl, combine the chopped peanuts with sugar and honey.

Shaping Songpyeon Dough

  • Begin by tearing off a small piece of the dough, enough to create roughly a 1-inch ball. Roll the dough tightly between your palms to form a smooth ball.
  • Press your thumb into the ball to create a well in the center. Then, using both thumbs, gently push outwards on the inner walls of the well to slightly expand the opening.
  • Place approximately 1 teaspoon of your chosen filling into the well. Seal the dough tightly by pinching the edges together. Lightly squeeze the entire rice cake in your palm to eliminate any trapped air. Then, gently roll it between your palms to achieve a smooth surface.
  • Form the rice cake into an oval shape. Lastly, pinch along the sides to create a wing-like appearance. Repeat these steps until you have shaped all the dough and used up the filling.

Steaming and finishing touch

  • Line a steamer with pine needles or a damp cloth. Arrange rice cakes, cover the lid with a towel, and steam 18–20 minutes until translucent. Cool briefly in ice water, drain, and coat with oil mixture.

Notes

  • Frozen wet rice flour is sold in Korean grocery freezers (preferred for best texture).
  • If using dry rice flour, see Dry Rice Flour Tips above for how to rehydrate.
  • For authentic flavor, steam over pine needles if available; otherwise use a damp cloth or silicone liner.
  • Songpyeon are best enjoyed fresh but can be frozen and re-steamed later.
Cuisine: Korean
Course: Dessert
Author: Hyegyoung K. Ford
Serving: 1piece, Calories: 192kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 55mg, Potassium: 51mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 0.3IU, Vitamin C: 0.003mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 1mg
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