The Korean Twisted Donuts or Kkwabaegi are crispy and soft and absolutely delicious. Not that hard to make and includes easy-to-find ingredients. These are worth every minute trying to make because they are so good and fun to eat.
Who doesn’t love donuts?
They are one of my favorite things to eat and being coated in cinnamon sugar makes it so much better. There is nothing greater than a freshly made donut.
While not traditionally vegan, with a few modifications, you can still enjoy these beautifully made and irresistible donuts. And these may look interesting with the twists of dough, but I think it makes for a fluffier and spongier donut. It is not an overly sweet dough, so the addition of sugar and cinnamon on the outside really adds to the flavor.
These are popular not only in Korea but in China and the Philippines. When you make these, you will see why!
This recipe was inspired by Maangchi, she is a goddess in the kitchen. Go check out her website and YouTube channel!
Important note: This post contains affiliate links, but it does not affect my opinion of the products. I used all of these and love these products. You can read my full disclosure here.
Ingredients
- Flour. I use classic All-purpose flour. You can try to experiment with gluten-free flours, but I have not done it myself.
- Butter. For this recipe, I use plain dairy-free unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter, just omit the salt from the recipe.
- Instant Yeast. This specifically calls for Instant yeast, but if all you have is active yeast, you will need to put it in the liquid ingredients. Stir it in the warm milk and the butter and let sit until foamy. Then add it to the dry ingredients.
- Sugar. I use cane sugar, but you can use any granulated sugar.
- Milk. Any milk is fine, non-dairy or otherwise.
- Flax Egg. I use a flax gel in this recipe for the egg component, but you can replace that with 3 tbsp of aquafaba or 1 large egg. You can find my recipe for flax gel here.
- Oil. This will be used for frying the donuts. I recommend using an oil with a neutral flavor and high smoke point. I used canola.
How to Shape the Korean twisted donuts
First, start with cutting the dough into 16 pieces and then round it into balls. This will make it easier to roll into a long rope of at least 12 inches.
Place one hand on either end of the dough. Begin to twist it by moving one hand up and one hand down. Once there is enough tension, lift it and bring your hands together. It should naturally start to twist together. Help it along until it forms the shape you want. Aim for three to four twists per donut.
Repeat with all the remaining pieces and lay on a baking sheet to proof.
Frying the Donuts
Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can put a bamboo chopstick in the oil and see if tiny bubbles appear. These are moisture from the bamboo heating up and bubbling.
Carefully place in the oil. You can fry 2-3 donuts at a time.
Once golden brown on both sides, put in the paper bag with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Shake the bag to coat it.
Repeat with all the donuts and enjoy while warm.
Want More?
Try Out Similar recipes below:
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Korean Twisted Donuts (Kkwabaegi)
Equipment
- Paper Bag
- Pot for Frying
Materials
- 3 cups flour plus more for sprinkling
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter or oil
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast or one packet
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 3 tbsp flax gel or same amount of aquafaba, or 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- oil for frying
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Whisk.
- In a saucepan with the the melted butter, add the milk and heat gently. Once warm, add the flax gel. Mix and add to the flour mixture.
- Knead for a few minutes until there is a cohesive dough. Round into a ball and put in a bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let proof for 1-1½ hours.
- Punch down and knead until soft and smooth. Cover again and let proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Punch down and knead for a few minutes. Divide into sixteen pieces. You don't have to fry it all. Any leftover pieces can be placed in a bowl and stored in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Lightly flour a work surface and roll a piece into a long rope. You want it at least 12".
- Place one hand on either end of the dough. Begin to twist it by moving one hand up and one hand down. Once there is enough tension, lift it and bring your hands together. It should naturally start to twist together. Help it along until it form the shape. Aim for three to four twists per donut.
- Repeat with all the pieces.
- Put on a baking tray and let proof for 30 minutes in total, but carefully flip it after 15 minutes to make it has no flat bottom.
- In a pot or pan, heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F.
- In a paper bag, put the cinnamon and sugar inside and shake. This is the easiest way to evenly coat the donuts when they are hot.
- Carefully fry the donut for about 5 minutes on each side. You can fry 2-3 at a time. Once golden brown on all sides, put in the bag and shake to coat. Make sure to do this while hot.
- Best when served hot or you can put leftovers in an air tight container. Leave it at room temp and when ready to eat, heat for a few minutes in a oven or toaster oven.
Notes
If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!