A classic Japanese confection, Dorayaki is a honey pancake sandwich filled with sweet red bean paste called anko. It‘s a wildly popular snack and dessert among children and adults alike in Japan.

A round plate containing Dorayaki (Japanese Red Bean Pancake).

Dorayaki (どら焼き) is best described as a dessert with red bean filling between two slices of sweet fluffy pancakes. If you are familiar with Japanese cartoons from the ’70s, you probably know this dessert from the anime character Doraemon who is crazy about this snack and falls for any trap involving them.

A bamboo tray containing Dorayaki (Japanese red bean pancake).

Different Types of Dorayaki

Besides Doraemon, my entire family including my children and husband all love this snack. This traditional Japanese confectionery is most commonly filled with sweet azuki red bean paste called anko; however, custard cream (recipe), chestnuts (kuri), and cream (matcha cream, cream with fruits, etc) are also popular.

Homemade Custard Cream

The soft moist honey pancake with sweet red bean filling goes perfectly with warm and slightly bitter Japanese green tea. I am drooling just thinking about these tasty pancake snacks.

Three dorayaki pancakes on top of each other.

Golden Brown Dorayaki Pancakes

For perfect golden brown pancakes, make sure to wipe off all excess oil on the frying pan’s surface. If you leave oil streaks on the pan, the pancakes will not turn into nice golden color without spots. Don’t worry if the first few don’t turn out perfect, just keep going and you’ll get the hang of it very quickly.

Most of the Japanese confectionery stores in Japan carry these traditional sweets. Here in the U.S., Japanese and Asian grocery stores carry packaged dorayaki. They taste good, but homemade ones are very easy to make and I hope you give this homemade recipe a try!

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Dorayaki (Japanese Red Bean Pancake)

4.73 from 203 votes

A classic Japanese confection, Dorayaki is a honey pancake sandwich filled with a sweet red bean paste called anko. It‘s a wildly popular snack and dessert among children and adults alike in Japan.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Resting Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: dorayaki

Ingredients

▢ 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
▢ 140 g sugar (⅔ cup + ½ Tbsp)
▢ 2 Tbsp honey
▢ 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) (weigh your flour or use the “fluff and sprinkle“ method and level it off)
▢ 1 tsp baking powder
▢ 1–2 Tbsp water (adjust to achieve the desired batter consistency)
▢ neutral oil (for greasing the pan)
▢ 1.1 lb sweet red bean paste (anko) (you can make Homemade Anko)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Instructions

Before You Start: I highly encourage you to weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale for this recipe. Click on the “Metric“ button at the top of the recipe to convert the ingredient measurements to metric. If you‘re using a cup measurement, please follow the “fluff and sprinkle“ method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle the flour into your measuring cup, and level it off. Otherwise, you may scoop more flour than you need.
Please note that this recipe requires 15 minutes of resting time for the batter.
Gather all the ingredients.

To Make the Batter

In a large bowl, combine 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell), 140 g sugar (⅔ cup + ½ Tbsp), and 2 Tbsp honey. Whisk well until the mixture becomes fluffy.
Sift 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 1 tsp baking powder into the bowl with the egg mixture and mix until combined. Put the bowl in the refrigerator to rest the batter for 15 minutes.
After resting, the batter should be relaxed and slightly smoother. Now, stir in half of the 1–2 Tbsp water and check the consistency. It should be similar to pancake batter. Add more of the water, as needed, until you achieve the right consistency. Depending on the size of the eggs and how accurate your flour measurement is, the water amount may vary.

To Cook the Honey Pancakes

Heat a large nonstick frying pan over the lowest heat setting for 5 minutes. It‘s best to take your time and heat the pan slowly. When it is thoroughly heated with no hot spots, increase the heat to medium low. Dip a paper towel in neutral oil and coat the bottom of the pan with oil. Then, use another paper towel to remove the oil completely. This is the key to evenly golden brown Dorayaki pancakes. With a ladle or a small measuring cup (I use a 4 Tbsp measuring cup), pour 3 Tbsp of the batter from 3 inches (8 cm) above the pan to create a pancake that‘s 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter. Cook one pancake at a time.
When you see the surface of the batter starting to bubble, flip the pancake over and cook the other side. (With my stove and frying pan, it takes 1 minute and 15–30 seconds to cook one side and 20–30 seconds for the other side.) When done, transfer it to a plate and cover it with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Grease the pan between batches, as needed. Continue making the rest of the pancakes; you can make about 12 pancakes.

To Assemble the Dorayaki

Assemble the Dorayaki by making sandwiches using two pancakes and a scoop of the 1.1 lb sweet red bean paste (anko) as filling. Put more red bean paste in the center of the pancakes so the sandwich‘s middle is thicker than the edges and the Dorayaki's overall shape is curved. Wrap the Dorayaki with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

To Store

The leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored in a cool place for 2 days. They also can be put in a freezer bag and stored in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition

Calories: 452 kcal · Carbohydrates: 93 g · Protein: 11 g · Fat: 8 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 124 mg · Sodium: 201 mg · Potassium: 443 mg · Fiber: 5 g · Sugar: 55 g · Vitamin A: 184 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 80 mg · Iron: 6 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: pancake, wagashi

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Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on October 28, 2011. The new post includes updated images and the new video.