Introduction

Yakgwa (약과) is a traditional Korean honey cookie and one of the best-known types of hangwa, Korea’s traditional confections. A rich dough of wheat flour, sesame oil and honey is pressed into flower-shaped molds, slowly deep-fried until it puffs into flaky layers, then soaked in a ginger-scented honey syrup. Long served at holidays, weddings and ancestral rites, yakgwa has also become a trendy snack with younger Koreans, and packaged yakgwa is now easy to find in Korean grocery stores.

Yakgwa at a Glance

What it is

• A fried Korean honey cookie soaked in syrup

Main ingredients

• Wheat flour, sesame oil, honey, rice wine or soju, ginger, rice syrup

Taste

• Very sweet and honeyed, nutty from sesame oil, with a warm ginger note; flaky outside and moist, chewy inside

Main uses

• Holiday and ritual tables, tea-time snack, gifts, café desserts

What is Yakgwa Made Of?

The flour is first rubbed with sesame oil, which coats it and creates flaky layers, then mixed with honey, a little rice wine and ginger juice. After frying, the cookies soak up a syrup called jipcheong, made from rice syrup or honey with ginger. Common types include:

• Flower-shaped yakgwa: the classic small round cookie pressed in a chrysanthemum-patterned mold.
• Mo-yakgwa (square yakgwa): a layered, square version from the Gaeseong tradition.
• Mini yakgwa: bite-size packaged cookies sold in bags at Korean markets.
• Modern yakgwa desserts: yakgwa paired with cream, ice cream or cookies in Korean cafés.

What Does Yakgwa Taste Like?

Yakgwa tastes like a cross between a honey cake and a dense, flaky doughnut. The outside is slightly crisp and layered, the inside is soft and soaked with syrup. Sesame oil gives a toasty, nutty depth, and ginger keeps the sweetness from feeling flat. It is rich, so one or two pieces with a cup of tea is plenty.

Popular Ways to Enjoy Yakgwa

With Korean Tea

Served with green tea, barley tea or a sweet drink like sikhye.

Holiday Tables

Stacked on Chuseok and Seollal tables and ancestral ritual offerings.

Yakgwa Cookies and Ice Cream

Café-style desserts that top vanilla ice cream or cookies with a mini yakgwa.

Gift Sets

Boxed hangwa assortments with yakgwa, yugwa and other sweets.

Easy Homemade Yakgwa Recipe (Makes about 20 small cookies)

Dough Ingredients

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/3 cup (about 110 g) honey
• 3 tbsp soju or rice wine (or water)
• 1 tsp ginger juice (grated fresh ginger, squeezed)
• Neutral oil for deep frying

Ginger Syrup (Jipcheong)

• 1 cup rice syrup (jocheong) or light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 4–5 thin slices fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup honey

Instructions

1. Make the syrup first: simmer the rice syrup, water and ginger for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the honey and let it cool to room temperature.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and cinnamon. Add the sesame oil and rub it in with your fingertips until the flour feels like damp sand.
3. Mix the honey, soju and ginger juice, add to the flour and fold gently with a spatula until it just comes together. Do not knead – overworking makes yakgwa tough instead of flaky.
4. Press the dough into a yakgwa mold, or pat it 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) thick and cut into small rounds or squares. Poke each piece a few times with a fork so it cooks through.
5. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy, deep pot to about 230–250°F (110–120°C), using a thermometer. Gently lower in the cookies and fry slowly for 8–10 minutes until they float and puff.
6. Raise the heat to about 300°F (150°C) and fry 3–5 minutes more, turning, until deep golden brown.
7. Drain briefly on a rack, then immediately put the hot cookies into the cool syrup. Soak for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, turning occasionally.
8. Lift out, let excess syrup drip off, and garnish with pine nuts or sesame seeds.

Tip and oil safety: Low-temperature frying is the secret to flaky layers – if the oil is too hot, the outside burns before the inside cooks. Use a deep pot filled no more than one-third with oil, never leave hot oil unattended, keep water away from the pot, and let the oil cool completely before disposing of it.

Where to Buy Yakgwa

United States

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Amazon
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H-Mart
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Canada

Search Korean yakgwa on Amazon.ca

Europe

Search Korean yakgwa on Amazon.co.uk

How to Store Yakgwa

Keep homemade yakgwa in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 3–4 days, or refrigerate for about 2 weeks. It also freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature. Unopened packaged yakgwa can be stored according to the label, usually in a cool, dry place.

Yakgwa FAQ

What does “yakgwa” mean?

“Yak” means medicine and “gwa” means confection. Honey was traditionally regarded as a beneficial ingredient, which gave the cookie its name.

Why is my yakgwa hard?

The dough was probably kneaded too much, or the oil was too hot. Mix gently and fry slowly at low heat first.

Does yakgwa contain alcohol?

Traditional recipes use a small amount of soju or rice wine in the dough, most of which cooks off. You can use water instead.

Can I bake yakgwa instead of frying?

Some home cooks bake or air-fry it, but the texture is more like a cookie and less flaky than fried yakgwa.

Conclusion

Yakgwa is a beautiful taste of traditional Korean sweets: honey, sesame and ginger in a flaky, syrup-soaked bite. Buy a pack to try first, then make a batch at home for the holidays. To make the syrup, see our guides to jocheong rice syrup and oligodang.