Korean Hotteok-Inspired Brown Sugar Filled Muffins
Tender, lightly sweet muffins inspired by Korean hotteok (filled pancakes), with a cinnamon-brown sugar filling that creates a gooey center. These are studded with sesame seeds and have a subtle honey sweetness reminiscent of the traditional street snack.
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners
- Bring eggs and milk to room temperature for better mixing
- Have all dry ingredients measured and ready
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 2½ tsp (12 g) baking powder, ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt, and ¼ tsp (1 g) cinnamon.
- This ensures the leavening is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
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Ready when: Flour mixture is light and well combined
Tip: Don't skip whisking the baking powder—it helps muffins rise evenly without tunneling
Combine wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 large room-temperature eggs, ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, 6 tbsp (85 g) cooled melted butter, and 1 tbsp (21 g) honey until smooth and homogeneous.
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Ready when: Wet mixture is uniform and no streaks of egg remain
Tip: Room-temperature eggs mix more smoothly into the batter, reducing lumps
Make filling mixture
- In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup (110 g) packed brown sugar, 2 tbsp (28 g) softened butter, ¾ tsp (3 g) cinnamon, and 3 tbsp (30 g) toasted sesame seeds until well blended.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Brown sugar and butter are fully incorporated, mixture looks moist and clumpy
Tip: The softened butter helps distribute the filling more evenly in each muffin
Combine wet and dry
- Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold together gently just until combined—about 10 to 12 folds.
- Do not overmix; the batter should be slightly lumpy.
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Ready when: Batter is chunky with visible flour streaks; no lumps of dry flour remain
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten, making muffins tough and dense. Stop folding while streaks of flour are still visible
Fill muffin cups
- Spoon about 1½ tbsp (22 ml) of batter into each paper-lined muffin cup.
- Place a generous teaspoon (about ½ oz/14 g) of the brown sugar filling in the center of each, then top with another 1½ tbsp (22 ml) of batter, covering the filling completely.
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Ready when: Each cup is two-thirds full with filling completely covered by top layer of batter
Tip: If the filling peeks out during baking, it can leak. Make sure the top batter layer fully seals the filling
Bake muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the tops are light golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake part (avoiding the filling center) comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
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Ready when: Tops are evenly golden-brown, muffins spring back when lightly touched, interior toothpick test shows no wet batter in the cake
Tip: Use an oven thermometer to verify your oven temperature; even a 25°F variance can change baking time. If tops brown too quickly, tent with foil in the last 5 minutes
Cool in tin
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes.
- This allows them to firm up so they don't fall apart when removed, but they'll still be warm.
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Ready when: Muffins pull away slightly from the sides of the cups
Tip: Don't let them cool longer or they'll stick to the paper liners from condensation
Good to know
Tips
- For extra hotteok authenticity, dust the warm muffins with a pinch of cinnamon sugar or drizzle with a thin honey glaze
- Toasted sesame seeds make a huge flavor difference—buy them pre-toasted or toast raw sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant
- If your muffins sink in the center after baking, your batter may have been overmixed or your baking powder is old; always check the expiration date
- These muffins are best eaten still warm or gently reheated, when the brown sugar filling is soft and caramel-like
Make ahead
Prepare the filling mixture up to 24 hours ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Mix the dry ingredients the morning of, then combine and bake when ready.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days; rewarm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–10 minutes. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature and reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 10–12 minutes.
Substitutions
- whole milk, at room temperature → Buttermilk or Greek yogurt thinned with 2 tbsp water. This adds a slight tang and makes muffins more tender; reduce baking powder to 2 tsp if using buttermilk
- honey → Light brown sugar syrup or agave nectar. Use the same amount; adjusts sweetness subtly. Avoid dark molasses as it overpowers the hotteok flavor
- toasted sesame seeds → Chopped toasted hazelnuts or crushed Korean crispy cookie pieces (hodugwaja). Maintains crunch and nods to Korean street snack tradition while changing the nutty note
- packed brown sugar → Coconut sugar mixed with a pinch of molasses. Creates a more caramel-like filling; use the same amount
