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–+ servings

Easy Dorayaki (Japanese Red Bean Pancake)

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 6 dorayaki

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 70 g sugar white granulated
  • 1 ½ tbsp honey
  • ⅛ tsp salt fine sea salt preferred
  • 120 g cake flour low-protein, substitute with all-purpose
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp cooking oil for batter, flavorless neutral oil like vegetable, canola, rice bran works best
  • 3 tbsp water room temperature
  • cooking oil for frying
  • 300 g red bean paste (anko) about 2 tbsp per pancake, koshian for smooth texture, tsubuan for chunky

Instructions 

Dorayaki Batter

  • Crack 2 eggs into a mixing bowl and add 70 g sugar, ⅛ tsp salt, and 1 ½ tbsp honey. Whisk until well combined.
    eggs, honey and sugar in a steel mixing bowl
  • Sift 120 g cake flour and ½ tsp baking soda into the bowl and whisk until smooth. Then drizzle in ½ tsp cooking oil and give the batter just 5 to 10 lazy folds to incorporate it.
    sifting flour and baking soda into wet ingredients to make dorayaki
  • Add 3 tbsp water and mix once more.
    pouring water into dorayaki batter
  • Transfer the mixture into a jug or bottle and store in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    dorayaki batter in a glass measuring jug covered with plastic wrap

Frying

  • Start heating the pan on a low heat for about 5 minutes before you plan to start. Thorough preheating yields more even results. Add a small amount of cooking oil to the pan, then use kitchen paper to spread a thin even film and wipe any excess.
    spreading a thin layer of oil over frying pan using kitchen paper
  • Take the batter from the fridge and give it a quick mix to redistribute the ingredients. Pour the batter into the pan approximately 8cm (3 inch) diameter per pancake. Try and keep each pancake spaced well apart to prevent merging. Depending on the size of your pan, cook 1-3 at a time.
    3 dorayaki pancakes frying in a large frying pan
  • Cook until the edges start to dry and you see bubbles forming on the top, typically 1-2 minutes.
    3 dorayaki pancakes frying in a pan with bubbles appearing on the surface
  • When you see two to three surface bubbles pop to form tiny craters, use a spatula to carefully flip each pancake and cook on the other side for about 40 seconds to 1 minute or until cooked all the way through.
    3 dorayaki pancakes flipped in a frying pan to show golden surface
  • Transfer to a plate and grease the pan before each batch. Repeat until all of the batter is used up.
    dorayaki pancakes stacked on a white plate
  • Add about 2 tbsp to the center of one pancake, spreading it thicker in the middle to create dorayaki's classic dome shape.
    coating one side of dorayaki pancake with a generous layer of red bean paste
  • Place another pancake on top and lightly press to seal it. Repeat until all the dorayaki are filled. For best results, rest for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!
    hand holding completed dorayaki filled with smooth red bean paste

Notes

Use cake flour for soft, flexible skins, all-purpose works but gives a slightly chewier texture.
Scorching means the pan is too hot or oily, while pale, rubbery skins mean heat is too low or batter under-rested.
Filling Variations: You can play around with white, matcha, or chocolate anko. Mix anko with cream cheese or tuck in salted butter for a modern twist.
Storage: Refrigerate individually wrapped dorayaki up to 2 days, or freeze tightly wrapped for up to 3 weeks to maintain quality.
Reheating: Microwave wrapped dorayaki at 500W for 10-15 seconds to restore softness without overheating.