Dorayaki
どら焼き
Two small honey-sweet pancakes, browned evenly and soft as sponge, sandwiched around chunky red bean paste. A Japanese tea-time classic.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: どら焼き.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Dorayaki are two small, honey-sweet pancakes sandwiched around a layer of anko. The batter is egg-rich and thick, sweetened with sugar and honey, with a little mirin and baking soda, which together give the deep, even brown face and the soft, slightly springy crumb. That even colour is the trick. The pan is wiped with only a film of oil and held at a low-medium heat, and the batter is poured from a little height so it spreads into a neat circle by itself. Cook one side until bubbles show, flip briefly, and keep the cooked pancakes under a damp cloth so they stay soft.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Pancakes
- Filling
Ingredients
Pancakes
- Egg3 large
- Sugar100 g
- Honey15 ml
- Mirin15 ml
- Baking soda2½ ml
- Water, 2 tbsp for the soda, the rest to loosen the batter59 ml
- Wheat flour, plain, sifted150 g
- Neutral oil, for wiping the pan4.9 ml
Filling
- Sweet red beans, tsubuan, chunky anko300 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Whisk the eggs, sugar and honey for about 3 minutes, until pale and thick.
3 min
Step 2
Dissolve the baking soda in 2 tablespoons of the water and whisk it in with the mirin. Sift in the flour and fold until just smooth. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
32 min
Step 3
Stir in the remaining water a spoonful at a time until the batter falls from the spoon in a thick ribbon, like yoghurt that only just pours.
2 min
Step 4
Heat the frying pan over low-medium heat for 2 minutes. Wipe it with oiled kitchen paper, then wipe again so almost nothing is left. Pour 2 heaped tablespoons of batter from about 10 cm up so it spreads into a 9 cm circle. Cook 2 minutes, until bubbles cover the surface and the edges look dry, then flip for 30 seconds. Stack the pancakes under a damp tea towel and repeat to make 16.
25 min
Tip: The first pancake is a test. If it browns in patches, the pan is too oily; if it browns in under 2 minutes, it is too hot.
Step 5
Spread about 35 g of anko on the pale side of one pancake, mounding it in the middle. Top with a second pancake, pale side down, and press the edges together. Wrap each one in cling film for 15 minutes so it sets into shape.
15 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 209 kcal
- Protein
- 7.3 g
- Carbs
- 38.8 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Saturated fat
- 0.8 g
- Fibre
- 3.3 g
- Sugar
- 15.1 g
- Sodium
- 42 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Eggs
- Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.
Substitutions
Anko → Custard, chestnut paste or chocolate spread
Shops sell all of these. Only anko makes it dorayaki to a purist.
Mirin → 1 tsp sugar plus 1 tbsp water
Mirin helps the colour and shine. The swap works but the face is a little paler.
Tips
- Wrapped dorayaki keep two days at room temperature and stay soft. They also freeze well.
- Whipped cream with the anko, or matcha in the batter, are both common shop variations.
History & culture
Dorayaki is an everyday wagashi, sold in packs in every supermarket and fresh at old confectioners, some of which draw queues. Children know it as the favourite food of Doraemon, the robot cat of the manga and cartoons, who has probably sold more dorayaki than any advertisement.
Dora means gong, for the shape. The story goes that the warrior monk Benkei left his gong at a farmhouse and the farmers cooked cakes on it. More reliably, the two-pancake sandwich is credited to Usagiya, a confectioner in Ueno, Tokyo, in 1914; earlier dorayaki were a single folded cake.
Traditional — Confectioners cook dorayaki on a large copper griddle at a steady low heat. A heavy non-stick frying pan does the same job if you keep the heat down and wipe the oil almost off.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Dorayaki take?
1 hr 30 min all in — 15 min prep, 30 min cook, 45 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 8 pieces. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
9 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Mixing bowl, Kitchen scale.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
How much sugar?
100 g of Sugar.
How much honey?
1 tbsp of Honey.
How much mirin?
1 tbsp of Mirin.
What can I use instead?
Anko → Custard, chestnut paste or chocolate spread. Shops sell all of these. Only anko makes it dorayaki to a purist. Mirin → 1 tsp sugar plus 1 tbsp water. Mirin helps the colour and shine. The swap works but the face is a little paler.
Any tips from this recipe?
Wrapped dorayaki keep two days at room temperature and stay soft. They also freeze well. Whipped cream with the anko, or matcha in the batter, are both common shop variations.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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