Pumpkin Injeolmi (Hobak Tteok): Korea’s Viral Rice Cake Recipe

If you’ve been on Korean social media lately, you’ve probably seen pumpkin injeolmi everywhere and there’s a very good reason why.

A legendary rice cake shop called Chang-eok Tteok (창억떡) in Gwangju, Korea with over 60 years of history, recently went viral after Korean YouTube food vlogger Heavytalker (하말넘많) featured it in a Gwangju food travel vlog. Their signature: chewy hobak tteok (pumpkin rice cake) coated in homemade castella crumbs instead of the traditional soybean powder. The result is something so soft, so lightly sweet, and so addictive that people started queuing for hours just to get a box.

The good news? You can make this exact pumpkin injeolmi at home, no trip to Gwangju required.

I grew up in Korea where my grandmother ran a traditional rice cake shop, and I’ve adapted her pumpkin injeolmi recipe so it’s easy to make anywhere in the world. No special equipment, no hard-to-find ingredients, just the real thing.

Let’s make it.

What Is Pumpkin Injeolmi? (Hobak Tteok 호박 인절미)

What is Injeolmi?

Injeolmi (인절미) is one of Korea’s most beloved traditional rice cakes. Made by steaming glutinous rice flour and kneading it until chewy, then coating it with nutty soybean powder. It’s been enjoyed in Korea for centuries. The texture is soft, sticky, and deeply satisfying.

What Makes Pumpkin Injeolmi Different?

Pumpkin injeolmi (호박 인절미) is made by adding steamed pumpkin puree directly into the glutinous rice dough before steaming. The pumpkin gives it a beautiful golden color, a natural subtle sweetness, and a softer, more tender chew than regular injeolmi.

Traditional pumpkin injeolmi uses soybean powder as the coating. The modern viral version — made famous by Chang-eok Tteok – uses finely ground castella crumbs instead, which adds a soft, lightly sweet, cloud-like texture that pairs perfectly with the chewy rice cake.

Pumpkin Injeolmi Ingredients

Can’t find Castella Cake?

Castella cake is a Japanese-style sponge cake popular across East Asia. Outside Korea, it can be hard to find. Here’s what works just as well:

• Plain sponge cake
• Madeleines (my personal favorite substitute – great in Europe!)
• Pound cake
• Plain egg muffins

Simply grind whichever you use into fine crumbs. The key is using a soft, lightly sweet, egg-based cake — the flavor and texture of the crumbs is what makes this recipe special.

• Soybean powder: You can use soybean powder like basic injeolmi, or in countries where it’s hard to find, you can use misutgaru (roasted grain powder) as a more accessible alternative.

How to Make Pumpkin Injeolmi Step by Step

Cook the Pumpkin

Cut pumpkin into quarters and remove the seeds. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with ½ cup water, cover with a lid or plastic wrap with holes, and microwave for 5–7 minutes until tender when pierced with chopsticks.

Make the Pumpkin Dough

Peel the cooked pumpkin. Add sugar and salt, then mash until smooth. Add glutinous rice flour and knead into a dough.

Steam the Dough

Line a steamer with a cloth or parchment paper (with holes poked for steam). Steam over medium heat for 10–15 minutes. It’s ready when the color turns slightly translucent and no white flour is visible.

Knead for Chewiness

Remove the hot dough and also apply a little sesame oil to the dough so it does not stick to your hands while kneading and knead it well. This is what makes injeolmi chewy. Start with a spatula, then use plastic gloves lightly oiled with sesame oil. The dough is sticky when hot, so don’t skip the gloves. Flatten into a thick, wide sheet.

Make the Castella Crumbs

Grind only the white/soft part of the castella cake in a food processor or chopper until fine. Sift through a fine sieve for an extra delicate texture.

Coat and Cut

Sprinkle the castella crumbs generously over the pumpkin rice cake. Cut into bite-sized pieces and serve.

• Quick tip for the fluffiest rice cake toppings: use a Ninja Chopper! Unlike my old cheap one that struggled with clumping, this one grinds the castella crumbs perfectly even and super fast. It’s easily one of my favorite kitchen finds. Check it out if you’re tired of uneven chopping!
• [Shop Ninja Chopper on Amazon]

Now I see why everyone loves the Ninja Chopper.

How to Store Pumpkin Injeolmi

• Never refrigerate tteok. The fridge dries it out within hours and makes it hard and unpleasant.
• Room temperature: Eat within 2 hours in summer, within half a day in cooler weather.
• Freezer (best method): Wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap, then store in an airtight bag. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature for 3 hours, or microwave for about 1 minute. The texture comes back to about 80–90% of fresh.

This is exactly how Chang-eok Tteok recommends storing their pumpkin injeolmi and it works perfectly.

More Korean Rice Cake You’ll Love

Pumpkin Injeolmi FAQ

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