Small pancakes stuffed with sweet red bean paste, dorayaki are fantastic both as a dessert and as a snack at home or on the go.
It’s like a sweet pancake… hamburger!
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Paste to taste
If the recipe looks a little long, don’t worry: You don’t have to make sweet red bean paste from scratch, of course. You can find it (or other fillings you like) ready-made in many stores. There are also simpler fillings you can make at home, e.g. fruit, jam, cream cheese, Nutella, peanut butter, and any combination of those. My go-to is actually mascarpone blended with sugar and blueberries. I chose red bean paste for the recipe because it appears to be the most classic choice. If you go with that, be sure to buy azuki (aka adzuki) beans, the small dried ones – not kidney beans!
It takes time to be this smooth
If you want perfectly smooth, evenly browned dorayaki, you need to keep the heat pretty low, and the oil to a minimum. Perfection takes a while, that’s just how it is. This recipe makes 16 pancakes, which take about 5-6 minutes each. I was able to fit two at once in the pan, so it took around 45 minutes total to fry them all.
Consistency is key
The amounts of water added both to the red bean paste and dough are based on my experience. You may need to add a little more or less to get ideal results. Just keep in mind that the red bean paste will thicken as you add the sugar, and more when it cools down.
By the way, the dorayaki doesn’t need to fully close around the filling. The store-bought ones are usually fully closed, but the homemade variation can show off the filling.
Dorayaki
Equipment
- 1 blender / food processor for homemade red bean paste
- 1 fine-mesh sieve for homemade red bean paste
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 4 eggs
- 140 g sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp water
- some neutral oil for frying
For the red bean paste
- 100 g azuki beans aka adzuki beans
- 100 g sugar
- 0.25 tsp coarse salt
- 1 pot water
Instructions
Make the bean paste (optional)
- Briefly rinse the beans, then put them in a small saucepan.
- Add enough water to cover the beans plus a few extra centimeters.
- Put the pot on the stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
- Boil briefly, then drain the beans using a fine-mesh sieve.
- Put them back into the pot and add the same amount of fresh water again.
- Keep simmering over medium low heat for about 90 minutes. Check in sometimes and top up with water to keep the beans submerged..
- Once the beans are easy to squash between your fingers, they're ready.
- Drain the beans again, but keep 125 ml (0.5 cup) of the cooking liquid.
- Transfer them to a blender or food processor. Blend and add cooking liquid until you have a smooth and somewhat liquid paste. I usually all the reserved water. The paste will thicken again over the next steps.
- Put the paste back into the pot and turn the heat to medium low.
- Slowly add in the sugar and keep stirring until it is fully dissolved.
- Keep going for a few minutes to let the paste thicken. Once you can draw a line at the bottom of the pot that doesn't close quickly, it's thick enough.
- Stir in the salt.
- Take it off the heat and store the paste in a bowl or food container. You can keep it in the fridge for a few days in a closed container.
Make the dorayaki dough
- Crack the eggs and whisk in a large bowl until foamy.
- Gradually add the sugar and honey, and keep whisking until well-integrated.
- Sift the flour into the bowl and thoroughly whisk again.
- Put the bowl in the fridge and let it rest for at least 15 minutes, up to a few hours.
- Take it back out and add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of water. Stir until well-mixed.
Fry the pancakes
- Put a large frying pan on your stove over medium low heat. (My electric stove goes from 1 to 9, and 4 was just right.)
- Put some neutral cooking oil on a paper towel and wipe it through the pan. You want to create a thin and even layer that's barely visible. If needed, take a clean paper towel to wipe off excess oil. This is important for even browning.
- Wait a few minutes until the pan is fully heated up.
- Slowly pour 30ml (2 tbsp) of batter into a spot in the pan. The batter should extend from there to an even disk 10 cm (4 in) in diameter.
- After 3 minutes, carefully separate the pancake from the pan and flip it over. Fry for another 2-3 minutes from the other side.
- Store all finished pancakes under a damp towel or cheesecloth so they don't dry out.
- Repeat until all pancakes are done. If your pan is big enough, make 2 at a time. The default amount of dough should yield 16 pancakes (8 dorayaki).
Assemble dorayaki
- Distribute the red bean paste to half your pancakes using a spoon. Put more in the middle and less around the edges.(The pancakes often have a rounder side, which should be outside, and a flatter side, where the paste should go.)
- Add a second pancake on top of each one. Press down around the edges a little so the dorayaki is slightly curved. It doesn't need to fully close.
- Enjoy!If you don't eat them all, wrap the leftover dorayaki in plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge for up to a few days.
