Easy Coffee Bun Recipe with Dinner Rolls – Korean Bakery Style

Coffee bun fans, here’s an easy way to make a delicious Korean bakery-style coffee bun at home in just 10 minutes using simple dinner rolls. No dough needed—these soft, sweet, and buttery buns taste just like your favorite Korean bakery treats!

What is a Coffee Bun?

History of Coffee Bun

Coffee bun originated in Malaysian bakeries and became a classic in Korean bakeries. Topped with sweet coffee cream, the bun has a slightly crispy exterior and soft, fluffy, buttery interior.

History of Coffee Bun

Coffee bread became popular worldwide thanks to Rotiboy, a bakery chain that opened in Malaysia in 1998. From there, the trend spread to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and beyond. In Korea, coffee buns reached peak popularity in the mid-2000s. While they’re not considered a trendy item today, they’ve settled into their place as a classic Korean bakery bread.

Korean Coffee Bun Culture

In Korea, there’s also a chain called Rottibun, but you’ll more commonly find coffee buns at highway rest stops, making them a nostalgic and popular travel snack for Koreans. If you want to try one easily, the best place is Paris Baguette, the Korean bakery franchise you can find almost anywhere in Korea. Personally, I think their mocha bun tastes even better than the original Rotiboy version.

Making Korean Bread with Dinner Rolls

Most Koreans don’t really enjoy baking. First of all, many Korean households don’t have an oven. Traditional Korean cuisine doesn’t have recipes that require an oven like Western food. However, most households do have an air fryer, so many people use it for simple baking.

Why Dinner Rolls Work

That’s why, in Korean homes, people often use dinner rolls for quick baking. Of course, when it comes to bread, Koreans still buy it more often than make it at home, but if there are leftover dinner rolls, they sometimes use them like this. There are so many Korean breads that can be finished in the air fryer in just 10 minutes.

One of them is this Korean Salt Bread recipe. Actually, this bread was created in Japanese bakeries, and it’s usually not too difficult to make. But bread in Korea is quite expensive, so if there are leftover dinner rolls, Koreans sometimes make it this way. This can also be made in the air fryer in just 10 minutes, and the taste is unbelievably amazing, so you must try it. I’m confident that over 80% of the bakery-quality flavor is similar.

Ingredients for Mocha Bun

The mocha bun is great because you can make it with simple ingredients you probably already have at home. No need to go grocery shopping.

• Dinner rolls

• Flour
• Unsalted butter
• Salt and sugar
• Instant coffee powder (for coffee cream topping)
  • Instant coffee that I used: US l UK

• Egg

Optional Tools

• Chopper on Amazon: US
• Oven or air fryer on Amazon: US

Step-by-Step Coffee Bun Recipe

• Prepare coffee mixture: Mix instant coffee with hot water and set aside.

• Make coffee batter: Blend room-temperature butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, then fold in sifted cake flour. Transfer to a piping bag.

• Prep dinner rolls: Hollow out each roll slightly. Add 8 g butter and a pinch of salt, then replace the top.

• Assemble buns: Pipe the coffee batter over each roll.

• Bake: In a preheated oven or air fryer at 180°C (355°F) for 8–10 minutes until golden and crispy.

Korean Bakery Culture

Korean bread is very different from European bread. It started with baking techniques learned from Japanese bakeries. Nowadays, there are also many Korean bakers who studied in Europe, so you can find really delicious pastries in Korea, but many Koreans still prefer Japanese-style bakery breads.

• Texture: In Europe, breads like baguettes are often hard and crusty, but Koreans generally prefer soft and chewy textures. They love the softness of Japanese-style milk bread or buns like the coffee bun shown here. Even bagels in Korea are often made soft — they look like bagels, but the taste and texture are more like a soft bun.

• Flavor: Koreans enjoy sweet bread. For example, European sandwiches rarely taste sweet; they are mostly savory with ham, cheese, or salad. In Korea, even sandwiches are often made slightly sweet by adding jam or honey.

• Cream: Koreans love cream in bread. While many European bakeries also use cream, Koreans really go all out. They enjoy buns with lots of cream, and even macarons often have 3–4 times more cream than in French versions, creating a rich, indulgent treat. Croissants in many Korean bakeries are also filled with fresh cream or chocolate cream, and these versions are often more popular than plain croissants.

• Snack or Dessert: In Europe, bread is often a staple food, but in Korea, it is not. While some people eat bread as a main meal, for most Koreans, bread is a snack or dessert. That’s why croissants and other breads are often enjoyed sweet, with cream or fruit fillings.

10 Best Korean Bakery Bread in Korea

Pairings

In Korea, most bakeries aren’t like in Europe where you just buy bread and leave. There are more bakery cafés in Korea. If there’s no place to sit, the bread really has to be either delicious or cheap. That’s why Koreans always order a drink along with their bread.

• Iced Americano: After moving to Europe, I miss iced Americanos the most! Many Koreans drink it almost every morning, as if their breakfast is an iced Americano. The cold taste wakes up your morning and your brain. Korean iced Americanos aren’t weak, but after moving to Europe, when I drink an iced Americano, I understand why Italians call it dirty water. The reason I recommend Korean bread with an iced Americano is that most Korean bread is sweet. The bitter taste of the Americano balances the sweetness, making it a really harmonious combination.

FAQs about Coffee Bun

Kitchen Guide for Mocha Bun

• Samsung Oven with Air Fryer, Microwave:US

• Chopper: US

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