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Yaksik (Sweet Rice Cake with dried fruits and chestnuts)
4.8 from 51 votes

Yaksik (Sweet Rice Cake with dried fruits and chestnuts)

Yaksik is a traditional Korean sweet rice cake made from glutinous sweet rice cooked with chestnuts, jujubes, pine nuts, and pumpkin seeds, flavored with a syrup of soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, and sesame oil. The sticky, sweet rice carries a blend of nutty and fruity notes, complemented by warm cinnamon and savory soy sauce, creating a dense, chewy cake that is both aromatic and textured.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Asian, Korean

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sweet rice Standard measuring cup before soaking, aka glutinous rice, chapssal (찹쌀
  • 4 ounces chestnuts ½ to ¾ cup cut pieces (See note 1, peeled fresh, frozen or canned, about 12 to 15 whole depending on sizes
  • 2.5 ounces jujube ½ cup, packed, cut pieces, daechu (대추), about 10 to 15 depending on sizes
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts optional
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds optional
Seasonings
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce See note 2
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar use ⅓ cup for less sweet yaksik
  • 2 tablespoons honey or use about 2 to 2.5 tablespoons more brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder, optional

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse the sweet rice 3 or 4 times until the water is fairly clear. Soak the rice for an hour or up to 2 hours. Drain well while preparing the other ingredients. Tap the strainer to shake off any excess water. See note 3.
  2. Meanwhile, rinse the jujubes. Cut around the seed of each jujube to separate the flesh, and then cut the flesh into small pieces. Reserve the seeds to make jujube water. See step 4.
  3. To make jujube flower decorations, roll the flesh tightly, and cut into thin slices.
  4. In a small saucepan, boil 3 cups of water and the jujube seeds over medium high heat until the liquid is reduced to 1.5 cup (15 to 20 minutes). Measure this for the accurate ratio of rice and water.
  5. To 1.5 cup of jujube flavored water, add the soy sauce, sugar, and honey. Bring it to a boil and continue to boil for a minute, which will yield about 1 and 3/4 cups of seasoned water. Add the sesame oil.
Cooking options
Instant Pot
  1. Place the rice in the Instant Pot, pour the seasoned water over the rice, and gently shake the pot to evenly spread the rice.
  2. Add the chestnuts and jujubes on top. Do not stir. The optional pine nuts and pumpkin seeds should be added after cooking the rice to keep the texture and color better. Click the “Rice” mode. It should be 12 minutes and low pressure. Allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes. See note 4.
Electric rice cooker
  1. Place the rice in the rice cooker, pour the seasoned water over the rice, and gently shake the pot to evenly spread the rice. Add the chestnuts and jujubes on top. Do not stir. Select the white rice cooking mode.
Final steps
  1. Open the lid, add the optional pine nuts and pumpkin seeds and gently fluff up the rice with a rice paddle, evenly distributing the pine nuts and pumpkin seeds.
  2. Transfer the rice into a shallow container and gently press down with a plastic wrap to shape. When it’s cooled, cut into desired serving sizes. You can also shape it into serving size rice balls with your hands or using an ice cream scoop.
How to store leftovers
  1. Wrap serving size yaksik in a plastic wrap and freeze. Leave them out for an hour or two to defrost and briefly microwave if needed before serving. See Note 5.

Notes

  • Drain sweetened canned chestnuts well if used, since they can add extra sweetness; adjust sugar as needed.
  • Use Korean soy sauce (Jin Ganjang) for authentic flavor; lighter soy sauce may require extra amount for color and taste.
  • Drain rice thoroughly after soaking to maintain proper rice to liquid ratio and prevent sogginess.
  • After pressure cooking, allow natural pressure release and freeze leftovers promptly to keep freshness.