Kkul-tteok (꿀떡)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 24 mini balls (Serves 4)
Country of Origin
Korea
Colorful, bite-sized mini glutinous rice cake balls stuffed with a sweet mixture of brown sugar, honey, and ground sesame seeds that melt into a warm, burst-in-your-mouth syrup when cooked.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
Served in small bowls, glistening with a light coating of sesame oil. Eaten whole with toothpicks so the liquid sugar center bursts in your mouth without leaking.
Ingredients
2 cups sweet glutinous rice flour
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 tsp salt
Natural food coloring (spinach powder for green, mugwort or beetroot for pink)
1 tbsp sesame oil (for coating)
Liquid Honey Filling:
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (ground fine)
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
Step-by-Step Directions
Mix Dough: Combine glutinous rice flour, salt, and hot water. Divide dough into batches and fold in food coloring powders to create pink, green, and white dough balls.
Prepare Filling: Stir dark brown sugar, ground sesame seeds, honey, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Stuff Rice Cakes: Pinch off small cherry-sized dough pieces. Roll into a smooth sphere, press a pocket in the center, insert 1/2 tsp of brown sugar filling, and pinch edges tight to seal completely.
Boil Rice Cakes: Drop filled balls into a pot of gently boiling water. Cook until they float to the surface, plus 2 additional minutes (about 5 minutes total).
Chill & Coat: Transfer cooked balls immediately into an ice water bath for 1 minute. Drain and toss in sesame oil.
Cooking Tips
Pinch Seals Tightly: Make sure every mini rice ball is sealed thoroughly with no cracks, otherwise the liquid sugar will leak into the boiling water.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving, 6 pieces)
Calories: ~230 kcal
Total Fat: 4.5g
Saturated Fat: 0.6g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: ~160mg
Total Carbohydrates: 44g
Dietary Fiber: 1.5g
Sugars: 15g
Protein: 3.5g
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