Matcha Dorayaki with White Chocolate – Japanese Pancakes (Easy & INEXPENSIVE!)

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Soft and lightly sweetened matcha dorayaki (Japanese pancake sandwich) filled with white chocolate paste for a decadent and silky texture. As a snack or dessert, they’re always such a sweet and delicate treat.

What is dorayaki?

Dorayaki is one of the most popular Japanese sweets consisting of two pancakes filled with anko (red bean paste made from azuki beans) and presented just like a sandwich. In Japanese “dora” means “gong” which isn’t surprising given their similar round and bumpy shape. According to its legend, it is believed that the first dorayaki were made and fried using the gong left behind by a samurai. Dorayaki is also famous thanks to the cartoon Doraemon who loves eating dorayaki.

My recipe varies a little from the original red bean version as I felt like making a matcha batter and filling the dorayaki with white chocolate paste (I love the combination of white chocolate and matcha in general, both go so well together).

What is the difference between dorayaki and regular pancakes?

Dorayaki and pancakes (such as my easy & fluffy pancake recipe) look alike however they’re not total twins. Dorayaki is always made with a little honey in it and doesn’t contain any milk. Its batter is lighter than a pancake batter, although thicker than a crêpe batter. If your batter ends up as thick as a regular pancake, you won’t be able to properly join both pancakes and close their sides together.

The texture of dorayaki also isn’t exactly like pancakes. They are a little more spongy and chewy than a pancake and the egg taste is a little stronger. Dorayaki also varies in terms of appearance, the external sides of the pancakes should look a perfectly homogeneous golden brown.

Which ingredients do I need to make dorayaki?

• eggs – for this recipe I used 2 medium eggs. According to the size of your eggs, you may have to reduce or increase the amount of water you add to the batter once refrigerated.
• sugar – Asian sweets usually aren’t extremely sweet. As per my personal tastes, I also prefer sweets which are not overly packed with sugar so I have used just enough sugar to make the dorayaki slightly sweet. Don’t forget, you’ll be adding fillings which will already be sweetened.
• honey – don’t substitute honey, the slight honey taste in dorayaki makes them particularly delicious.
• matcha powder – I have added just enough to taste the matcha but not too much to avoid the matcha taste taking over the filling.
• flour – I used regular flour. Make sure to sift it through to avoid lumps.
• baking powder – the quantity of baking powder is one of the keys to making the perfect dorayaki that is close to a sandwich. If you use too much baking powder, you will end up with pancakes as thick as regular pancakes and won’t be able to stick their sides to each other.
• water – once refrigerated, add 1 tbsp water to the batter to liquefy it further.
• cooking oil – oil your pan just once before using it, you do not need to re-oil before each pancake. Another important note: remember to wipe off the oil to obtain a perfectly homogeneous and golden brown surface. If the oil isn’t properly wiped away, your pancake surface won’t be perfectly homogeneous, you will note some lighter-colored spots, just like a crêpe or a regular pancake. The goal here is to achieve a perrrrfect golden brown.
• white chocolate paste – I used a Belgian white chocolate paste, it is so silky and smooth and has a milky taste. White chocolate is always a winner in combination with matcha. But of course, you can adapt the filling as per your preference : )

How to make perfectly even dorayaki?

It is important to make pancakes the same size. If not, you won’t be able to stick both sides to each other. The first time I made dorayaki, I used a big soup spoon and filled it only partly, but that constantly resulted in pancakes of slightly different sizes. The best tip is to use one tool which you will fill up to the top and empty till the last drop : ) this way, you’re certain to always pour the same amount of batter. I used a 1/8 cup (30 ml cup) and that gave me the perfect-sized dorayaki!

Which fillings to use?

As mentioned before, the traditional dorayaki are filled with anko (Japanese sweet red bean paste) but you can also use Nutella or other chocolate paste as I did, whipped cream, vanilla or matcha custard, etc. This is up to your preference, dorayaki are easily customizable.

How to store dorayaki?

You can keep dorayaki for about two days. Store them either in an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap or foil to avoid them from drying out. This way, they will remain as moist and fresh as the first day.

How to prepare matcha dorayaki?

1. In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar and honey either by whisking them or by mixing them with a hand mixer.

2. In a small cup, dissolve matcha powder with 1 tbsp water until it becomes lump-free. Pour the matcha into the eggs/sugar/honey mixture and whisk until the matcha is totally integrated with the batter.

3. Sift the flour into the batter. Then add the baking powder. Mix everything together once again until you obtain a smooth and lump-free texture.

4. Place the batter in your refrigerator for 15 minutes.
5. Once the batter has been refrigerated, add 1 tbsp water into it and whisk well. You should now have a batter a little more liquidy. The batter consistency of dorayaki should be more liquid than traditional pancakes but thicker than crepes.

6. Coat the surface of a pan with some cooking oil. Then use a paper towel to wipe off all oil excess. This is important to obtain a homogeneous and golden color on one side of the pancake.
7. Turn your stove onto medium-low heat.
8. Pour the batter onto the pan – I used a 30ml cup / ⅛ cup to make sure all pancakes end up the same size. You can use any other measuring tool however it is important for all pancakes to be the same size in order to close the dorayaki afterwards.

9. Let the pancake cook for 1 minute to 1 minute and 15 seconds. Then flip it. You know it is time to flip once bubbles start appearing all over the pancake.

10. Cook the other side of the pancake for 30 seconds.
11. Remove the pancake from the pan and let it cool down.

12. Once all pancakes are cooked, place some white chocolate paste onto the rough side of the pancake (+- 3 tbsp). Cover with another pancake just like a sandwich. Then press the sides of both pancakes to stick them together.

Looking for more matcha treats?

• Matcha Patbingsu – Korean Shaved Ice Dessert
• No-Churn Matcha Ice Cream (5 Minutes ONLY!)
• Bungeoppang – Fish-Shaped Korean Street Food