Hello everybody, let’s twist with kkwabaegi! Cooking is fun fun fun!

Today I’m going to introduce you to one of my favorite after-school treats when I was a kid, something you can still find in many Korean bakeries and being sold on Korean streets today. It’s called kkwabaegi (꽈배기), or twisted dougnuts.

I’m very happy to see that the bread rolls (roll-ppang 롤빵) on my website were such a big hit for many of you. I learned this kkwabaegi recipe from the same friend who taught me roll-ppang! The dough is similar, but kkwabaegi are firmer.

You can buy kkwabaegi, but when you make them at home you can make sure the oil is fresh, and make them with care so they taste better and are cleaner and cheaper than what you can get on the street or a bakery. They are a nice treat once in a while when you or your children want some sweet stuff.

They are best right after making them, spongy on the inside when you tear them open with the steam pouring out. Tasty and fluffy!

The key to making beautiful kkwabaegi is to make sure that when you roll them, the center is just a bit thinner than the edges. That way, when you twist them, the end is nice and tight and not lumpy.

When I make these, I make a lot at once. That way I have hot fresh kkwabaegi to share right away, and then I keep the rest in the freezer to eat later. If I want one as a snack or dessert later, I take it out and let it thaw out at room temperature for a bit before eating it.

They go great with milk, and if you want to make yours sweeter than I make mine, add a little more sugar in the dough.

Try these out, and let me know how it goes!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour for doughnuts, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 packet of dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons: 7 grams)
  • 5 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • corn oil for frying
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

Directions

Make the coating

  1. Add 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon powder to a brown paper bag. Shake to mix well. Set aside.

Make the dough

  1. Fully melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add milk, the rest of 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Mix well until everything is well dissolved. Crack an egg into the saucepan and mix well. Add the yeast and stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a large bowl. Add 3 cups flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. When everything is well mixed, use your hand to knead the dough for a few minutes, and shape it into a big lump. Cover with plastic wrap.
  3. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, usually about 1 hour to 1½ hours.kkwabaegi dough
  4. Deflate the gas with your hand and knead the dough for a few minutes until it’s soft and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap again and let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour until it doubles in size again.

Roll out the doughnuts

  1. Uncover the dough and knead it for a few minutes. Put 2 tablespoons of flour on the corner of your cutting board to use for dusting. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.divided
  2. Take a piece of dough and roll it out on your cutting board so it forms a rope 10 inches long and ½ inch in diameter. If it’s sticky, sprinkle some flour on the area you’re working in. When you roll out the dough, move one hand upward and the other downward so that the rope is twisted in between your hands as you roll it.making twisted donuts
  3. Take the dough off the board, hold it aloft, and bring the ends together. The tension in the dough will twist it as it hangs. You can add as much tension as you like, but I think the best looking kkwabaegi has 3 to 4 twists in it.
  4. Place the twisted dough on a floured cutting board or tray. Repeat with the rest of the pieces of dough.
  5. Let the doughnuts expand for about 30 minutes. 15 minutes in, gently flip each doughnut over with your hands so the bottoms don’t get flat and all sides expand nice and round.

twisted donut dough rising

Fry the doughnuts

  1. Heat up 4 inches of oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat, until the temperature reaches 350° F. Lower the heat to medium heat, then gently set each doughnut into the hot oil by hand. Be careful not to get your hands too close to the oil. Add as many pieces to the oil as your skillet will allow, enough so the doughnuts can sit in the oil without pushing against each other.
  2. Cook for about 5 minutes, occasionally gently flipping them over with tongs, until they get crunchy outside and are evenly golden brown.
  3. Strain the cooked doughnuts. Put them in the brown paper bag with the sugar cinnamon mixture. Shake a few times until they are evenly coated. This is best done when the doughnuts are still warm. Repeat this with all the doughnuts until they are all cooked and coated.

kkwabaegi (twisted Korean dougnhuts: 꽈배기)

Serve

  1. Serve hot.
  2. You can freeze any leftovers for up to a month. To rejuvenate them, take them out of the freezer and thaw at room temperature for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

Posted on Thursday, November 19th, 2015. Last updated on June 24, 2023.
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185 Comments:

  1. Medina Europe joined 4/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 25th, 2016 at 8:10 am | or create a profile.

    Hi maangchi, you were right this recipe is a hit! Everybody loved it young and old !! Thank you so much. If i want to make 32 pieces do i double this recipe or adjust?

  2. thekrnvegan Chicago, IL joined 3/16 & has 3 comments
    Posted March 19th, 2016 at 5:01 pm | or create a profile.

    It took me a very very long time, but I finally figured out how to make a vegan version of these. I loved your videos before I tuned vegan and now I am slowly trying to figure out how to make all my favorite Korean foods vegan. :) Thank you so much for always being so positive and for posting videos on all my favorite foods. Even if I can’t eat all of them anymore, I still feel like I’m listening to my mom when I watch your videos. <3


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  3. ahgijijibae California joined 3/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted March 15th, 2016 at 8:37 pm | or create a profile.

    My very first bread!!!! Thank you for an “easy to follow” recipe.
    I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!


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  4. Roaa93 Jordan joined 3/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted March 13th, 2016 at 5:04 pm | or create a profile.

    Thank you for this amazing recipe, I have always wanted to make korean food so this was a great start in addition to the bread rolls. My father has a bakery factory and he can tell a good bakery from another, i did them twice and they were a success the next time since I am not so good at cooking. Looking forward to try the kimchi.


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  5. cutiepatootie abu dhabi, uae joined 3/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 11th, 2016 at 3:44 pm | or create a profile.

    hi Maangchi, thank u very much for your recipe. eversince i found your site, i’ve been making bread rolls and donuts regularly and it always turns out perfect. i’m working away from my children & i can’t wait to go home & make these for them ☺ i’ll be trying ur other recipes soon

    PS. my eldest daughter is fascinated with Korean actors & wants to visit Korea someday, i’ll just introduce her to Korean food for now


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  6. Helennguyen168 Vietnam joined 3/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 6th, 2016 at 11:08 am | or create a profile.

    Hello Maangchi. Thanks for your amazing receipe. I have a question. Can i use strong flour (bread flour) substitute for all purposes flour? Thank you.

  7. salmie malaysia joined 2/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 29th, 2016 at 8:00 am | or create a profile.

    thank you for providing a delicious doughnuts recipes..but i cannot twist them so i just made simple round doghnut.. it turned out very fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside..i like…i also gave the recipy to my freind, she said the doughnut turn out very soft n fluffy her children finished the doughnuts while they still hot.. :))


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  8. symandgod New Zealand joined 2/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 26th, 2016 at 1:32 am | or create a profile.

    I had experienced few failures in kneading a dough so I used to always be doubtful in making bread at home. However this recipe was total success!
    I live in NZ, and it is quite dry here. So I microwaved a cup of water for 2.30 min and kept my dough inside of microwave then the dough started rising. Thanks for the recipe Manngchi!


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  9. Killerbeat148 New York joined 2/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 21st, 2016 at 1:22 pm | or create a profile.

    My mom and I made some kkwabaegi and they taste really yummy. Thanks for posting this recipe! :)


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  10. Leeleerirililly Los Angeles joined 2/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 3rd, 2016 at 8:56 pm | or create a profile.

    Hello Maangchi,
    Big fan!^^ I want to try making these kkwabaegi, but will it work if I substitute the milk for almond milk or coconut milk? Also, is it okay if I use salted butter or will it come out too salty? I’m sorry for all of the questions as I am a bit new to baking

  11. whiteroseprinces2013 Nevada joined 2/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 1st, 2016 at 7:03 am | or create a profile.

    Oh my gosh thank you so much for putting up this recipe! I have never made doughnuts before but I wanted to do something special for my three year old birthday. So I looked online and found your recipe and just got finished making them. They are so VERY delicious!! I love them and I know my son will love them in the morning lol again thank you so much for the recipe! Oh and if you could answer one question it would be greatly appreciated. I currently don’t have a cooking thermometer, so for future reference. If you don’t have a thermometer how can you tell when your oil gets to 350°


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  12. jubillante Vancouver, BC joined 1/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted January 17th, 2016 at 1:29 am | or create a profile.

    I work at a Korean-run restaurant and I made these for the restaurant’s Christmas party. I got to use a restaurant deep-fryer, so that was a lot of fun. They were a hit! Everyone was super impressed, and my boss’s mom LOVED them, she ate three, apparently said she couldn’t help herself! Fluffy and delicious, kansamnida Maangchi ^^

    Now I only wish I could get away with deep frying stuff at home. My mom doesn’t like wasting so much oil for deep frying haha.

  13. Nelsianne joined 1/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted January 6th, 2016 at 2:26 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi,

    I made your Kkwabaegi today and it’s tasty, soft and fluffy inside. Initially, my dough was kinda flaky, hard and difficult to mold, so I tried it for the second time. Thankfully the second try turned out really nice. This bread really make my day! =) I will definitely make this one tomorrow.

    P.S.
    I was just wondering, Is it possible to put some stuffing inside the dough before frying them? Your response will be very much appreciated. thanks!


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  14. ghadir200 joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 29th, 2015 at 3:55 pm | or create a profile.

    It was good but I don’t know why my donuts were hard

  15. Norazea joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 21st, 2015 at 6:22 am | or create a profile.

    Hey maangchi :D I was wondering..does this work with self-raising flour? Just wondering whether it works cause I have a lot of this flour at home :( I made your doughnuts yesterday using plain flour and it turned out good! :D i really want to make more but we’re out of plain flour :( all i have is self-raising..

  16. MIN joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 9th, 2015 at 7:02 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi, when I saw your youtube video on kkwabaegi, I craved for it immediately because they’re so tempting! I tried doing them about 3 weeks ago. They’re soft and delicious, the cinnamon powder and sugar ratio is perfect. The only thing is shaping the doughnuts, mine did not turn out as beautiful as yours. :( I craved for it again but do not want to eat oily so I tried to edit the recipe a little and bake it, it’s still delicious like fried doughnut without oil. I baked them in the afternoon and coat one with cinnamon sugar and another one glaze it with lemon curd the next morning for breakfast. It was amazingly delicious! I made only 5 as my parents don’t like eating sweet stuffs. Green color is green tea and the purple is purple sweet potato. Natural color and flavoring ;) I cannot shape the doughnuts well so I made it like the traditional doughnut style. *laughs* Sorry it’s not good looking. :( I will do it again next time and continue practicing shaping and twisting the dough and also experimenting with different flavors! I do not have a sweet tooth but after trying and making your recipes I’m starting to have a sweet tooth! Hehe. Thank you for your wonderful recipes and looking forward to more of your recipes! :)


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  17. yan_93 joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 8th, 2015 at 1:25 am | or create a profile.

    Hi maangchi! I don’t have the cup u are using. May I know how many grams are 3 cups of flour and ml for 1 cup of milk? Sorry there are too many versions online and i want to try making it this week! Thanks!

    • sanne Munich joined 8/14 & has 312 comments
      Posted December 8th, 2015 at 6:41 am | or create a profile.

      Hi yan_93,

      there’s a conversion-machine on this site – just scroll up a bit.
      That’s for the size of the cups (237 ml).
      Usually, flour weighs half as much as water, therefore 3 cups of flour equal about 355 grams.

      Bye, Sanne.

  18. YomYums joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 6th, 2015 at 4:08 pm | or create a profile.

    SOOOOOO Yummy! I made them first time today and tried your cinnamon sugar topping, a plain glaze and chocolate. So So So So perfect. Love all your recipes and I have made so many of them always coming out perfect each time. You have made me love korean cuisine. I wish to one day visit korea and experience the amazing culture and food! <3 Love from Texas x


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  19. AKved joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 5th, 2015 at 2:27 pm | or create a profile.

    Hello!
    I’ve tried this recipe today and the dougnuts turned out perfectly. I’ll make sure to make them again as soon as possible, thank you so much for this recipe <3


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  20. Jelly joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 5th, 2015 at 7:18 am | or create a profile.

    Thank you Maangchi for sharing this recipe!! I had made my delicious kkwabaegi today.


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  21. Syazana Yahaya malaysia joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 2nd, 2015 at 7:19 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi,
    I’ve made this kkwabaegi for the second time and it’s so tasty!! So fluffy on the inside yet crispy on the outside, just like you said in the video. Thanks!

    p.s I always feeling hungry whenever i watched your video, hehe..


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  22. Jennifer Hoang joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 2nd, 2015 at 7:07 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi, I love this cake and I want to try make it but I haven’t corn oil so can I use vegetable oil for frying ?

  23. feriel joined 12/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 30th, 2015 at 7:42 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi,
    My Mom just made your doughnuts recipe and it’s amazing!!!!
    Thank you so much :)


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  24. Seri ikd joined 11/15 & has 3 comments
    Posted November 30th, 2015 at 1:15 am | or create a profile.

    Hi maangchi. I made this today and everyone loves it. Its gone in 5 min. Everyone complain though, because I didn’t make enough for them. Which shows that everyone loves it i made two batch just for today. Thank you for the recipe maangchi.


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  25. ahuva joined 11/15 & has 2 comments
    Posted November 29th, 2015 at 12:54 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi :) I’m a big fan. Thank you for this video, the doughnuts look so yummy, can’t wait to make them.
    I have a question. Can I put this video in my blog to introduce and recommend to my friends?
    Thank you

  26. sallynip New York joined 5/12 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 28th, 2015 at 1:17 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi,
    I am about to try this recipe, since my husband is a big fan of doughnut!! You mentioned that it can be frozen. Do you freeze after you finish the whole process (include putting sugar?) Since we only have two people at home, there will definitely be left over!!
    Sally

  27. Coffee break joined 11/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 27th, 2015 at 7:04 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi!
    I stick in your video clip, you are so funny. I have seen its many times, Love you :) Every recipes when you cooked why it look like so easy humm? Lol i will try to cook this recipe first but i don’t want to fry it. I think i will bake it like a bread coz now I am on diet. i wanna try its texture but dont want to feel ashame for myself.
    why not i use bread roll recipe? Hehee. I try to find the difference between 2 video of bread roll and doughnut. Bread roll look like more sticky when you knead it. It may be too difficult for me. That is a reason. Haha
    Do you have any recommend if i bake it? How could it be? Think Think!!!!! Lol.


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  28. cymkia joined 11/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 26th, 2015 at 10:19 am | or create a profile.

    Hello Maangchi!

    I’ve been following your blog for a long time, and when I saw this I just knew I had to try it out. It turned out perfect; a nice and crispy outside with a soft and fluffy inside. My mother, who doesn’t like sweets much and hates doughnuts, couldn’t stop eating these, she even complained that they were too good. Thank you for the fabulous recipe! I’ll be making these and practising a lot to hopefully make them visually as perfect as yours!
    ^ Q ^ /

  29. nura joined 11/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 25th, 2015 at 8:05 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi. I think you forgot to add egg as part of the ingredient list. I went shopping for the ingredients only by looking at the list and realised i forgot the egg when i looked at the method hehe oops. Will be attempting this recipe for a potluck later. Thanks for the recipe Maangchi!

  30. Sittie Sakhira joined 11/15 & has 2 comments
    Posted November 24th, 2015 at 5:05 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi!
    I made this twisted doughnuts yesterday. I’m a big fan of you even though i am only 15 years old.
    The shapes doesn’t look right LOL but i’m proud with the taste it is so fluffy and so smooth. I just had a hard time kneading the flour because it is so sticky and i needed about 1 cup flour or more to knead it. And finally it turned out great Yeah! Just a little burnt because i don’t have the paper bag and i just rolled it with my tongs, therefore the sugar was burnt and it sticked with flour while frying.

    PS: It is so delicious. Thanks for thhis recipe maangchi!!


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  31. Vanessa Austin, TX joined 11/11 & has 2 comments
    Posted November 22nd, 2015 at 9:07 pm | or create a profile.

    Made them tonight. They’re delicious. They aren’t as sweet as the donuts I’m used to so they’re really good for snacking on. Unfortunately this also means I can’t stop eating them all at once.


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  32. Fen joined 11/15 & has 4 comments
    Posted November 22nd, 2015 at 4:34 am | or create a profile.

    I had made my Kkwabaegi today, it’s delicious, my family loved it!
    My doughnuts look weird compare to Maangchi and others shown here, I need lots & lots of practice to do.
    Overall I’m happy it taste so good!
    All thanks to Maangchi, you made everything look so easy to make, I just want to try most of you recipe. Great job!
    I had tried your Japchae few days ago, it’s good too!


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  33. Joyce Irvine, CA. joined 9/09 & has 17 comments
    Posted November 20th, 2015 at 11:54 am | or create a profile.

    Mei-Mei will love this. I am always intimidated to make anything with flour… I hope to gather my luck and make this too :-)

  34. lorensantoso Indonesia joined 11/08 & has 5 comments
    Posted November 20th, 2015 at 4:22 am | or create a profile.

    Hi maangchi,

    This recipe is delicious !!!! I tried it right away. My husband and students love them !!!!! But i still have question. I found out that my sugar does not coat my kkwuabaegi as pretty as yours. The sugar is hard to stick. Do you have any tips ? Thanksss


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    • peonygirl portland, oregon joined 8/09 & has 51 comments
      Posted November 21st, 2015 at 10:36 pm | or create a profile.

      Hi!
      I’ve made a dessert similar to this. I would make a larger amount of cinnamon sugar and roll them in the sugar when they are still quite hot. It sticks better. I also wonder if you use fine sugar ( not powdered) it make stay on better because the granules are so heavy that they fall off. Your donuts look so good!!

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments
      Posted November 25th, 2015 at 12:46 pm | or create a profile.

      It looks so yummy! Congratulations! ” I found out that my sugar does not coat my kkwuabaegi as pretty as yours.” As peonygirl said the doughnuts should be coated when they’re still hot.

  35. aTrueRedHead Germany joined 8/14 & has 17 comments
    Posted November 20th, 2015 at 3:18 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi

    These twisted doughnuts look delicious. I wish I could have some with my coffe right now. I will try them.
    Hope you had a great time in Seoul.
    All the best.

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