Rice Cooker Yaksik (Korean Sweet Rice Dessert)
Sweet and chewy yaksik (Korean sweet rice dessert) made easily in an electric rice cooker.
📝 Editor's Notes
This easy yaksik recipe, made in an electric rice cooker, boasts a superb sweet and chewy texture.
The nutty flavor of ingredients like jujubes, chestnuts, and walnuts, combined with the aroma of cinnamon, creates a rich and deep taste.
It's an attractive dish that even beginner cooks can easily try, as you can complete a wonderful yaksik with just one rice cooker, without complex procedures.
It's perfect not only for holidays or special occasions but also as a hearty breakfast substitute for busy mornings or a healthy snack.
Prepare it as a delicious treat for the whole family to enjoy.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
When choosing ingredients that determine the taste of your rice cooker yaksik, remember this!
First, select glutinous rice that is clean and has intact grains, and it's important to soak it thoroughly and remove all moisture.
For dried jujubes, it's best to choose plump ones with a clear reddish color and fewer wrinkles.
The process of extracting water from the jujube seeds is a secret to achieving the deep flavor of yaksik, so make sure to use it.
For chestnuts, use fresh, firm ones without blemishes to enjoy a nutty and fluffy texture.
Don't forget that using good quality ingredients is key to creating the best flavor!
🔄 Substitution Guide
If you're missing certain ingredients or have allergies, try these substitutions.
Instead of chestnuts, you can slice sweet potatoes or kabocha squash to add a sweet and soft flavor.
The texture will be much softer than chestnuts.
If you don't have dried cranberries, raisins, dried blueberries, or even finely chopped dried persimmon (곶감) work well.
You'll still get a similar sweet-and-sour taste and chewy texture.
You can also use regular sugar instead of unrefined raw sugar, but brown sugar will give the yaksik a deeper color and richer flavor characteristic of the dish.
However, since regular sugar is sweeter, it's recommended to reduce the amount by 1-2 tablespoons.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
Here are the key cooking points for successfully making rice cooker yaksik.
First, it's crucial to soak the glutinous rice sufficiently and then drain it completely.
Too much water can make the yaksik mushy, while too little can reduce its chewiness.
Second, precisely adhering to the total water amount of 750 ml, combining the extracted jujube seed water with additional water, is the most important point of this recipe!
Accurate measurement is essential to ensure the yaksik is neither too wet nor too dry.
Third, utilizing the 'multi-grain rice' function on your rice cooker will help you achieve chewy yaksik with good stickiness.
After cooking, gently mix the ingredients with a spatula to ensure they are evenly combined and don't clump together.
👨🍳 Directions
Rinse 4 cups (650g) of glutinous rice 3-4 times with plenty of water. Drain completely using a colander.
Soak 30 dried jujubes in water for 20 minutes. Pat dry the soaked jujubes with a paper towel, then separate the seeds from the flesh.
Do not discard the jujube seeds. Place them in a pot with 800 ml of water and boil over medium heat for 20 minutes to extract the jujube seed water.
Stack 20 of the soaked jujubes and julienne them. Roll the remaining 10 jujubes and slice thinly to create decorative jujube flowers.
Blanch 1 cup of walnuts in rapidly boiling water for just 10 seconds, then remove and drain.
Slice 12 peeled chestnuts thickly.
Add the rinsed glutinous rice, julienned jujubes, blanched walnuts, sliced chestnuts, and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries to the rice cooker pot.
Add 6 tbsp of soy sauce, 6 tbsp of unrefined raw sugar, 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon powder, and 2 tbsp of sesame oil.
Add additional water to the extracted jujube seed water to reach a total of 750 ml, then pour it into the rice cooker. Make sure to adhere strictly to the water quantity to ensure the rice is neither too sticky nor too dry.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly with a spatula, then select the 'multi-grain rice' function on your rice cooker to cook the yaksik.
Once the yaksik is cooked, if you have any pumpkin seeds at home, add them and mix well.
Lightly coat a rectangular tray with sesame oil using a brush, then transfer the yaksik into it and spread it evenly and flat.
Decorate beautifully by pressing the jujube flowers and pumpkin seeds into the surface.
Cover the yaksik tightly with plastic wrap to prevent the top surface from drying out, and let it cool at room temperature until firm.
Once the yaksik is firm, lightly grease a knife with sesame oil and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Place each piece of yaksik on plastic wrap, wrap individually, and portion.
Store the portioned yaksik in the freezer.
💡 Tips
If you want a richer flavor, you can add 1-2 more tablespoons of soy sauce and sugar.
You can use regular sugar (brown sugar, light brown sugar, or white sugar) instead of unrefined raw sugar. However, unrefined raw sugar has a lower sweetness level, so using regular sugar might make the yaksik sweeter.
When cutting the yaksik, lightly greasing the knife with sesame oil will prevent it from sticking, making it easier to cut.
The cooked yaksik can be conveniently enjoyed as a meal substitute by portioning it individually with plastic wrap and storing it in the freezer.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Proper storage is key to enjoying your cooked yaksik for a long time.
After it has completely cooled in the rectangular tray, cut it into bite-sized pieces and meticulously seal each piece individually with plastic wrap.
For refrigeration, 2-3 days is ideal, but due to the nature of glutinous rice, it may harden over time.
For longer storage, freezing is the best method.
You can enjoy it fresh for up to 1-2 months in the freezer.
To serve, simply microwave briefly or steam to regain that freshly made, chewy, and moist texture.
🥢 Who This Is For
This rice cooker yaksik is an excellent nutritious snack enjoyed by people of all ages.
It's especially wonderful for holiday guest meals or as a heartfelt gift for loved ones.
You can enjoy it as a satisfying breakfast substitute on busy mornings, or confidently serve it as a snack for children.
Pair it with a warm glass of sujeonggwa (수정과) or sikhye (식혜) for an even richer flavor, and surprisingly, it also pairs well with coffee or milk.
Enjoy this healthy and delicious delicacy not only on special occasions but also in your daily life!
🔥 Nutrition Info
One slice (approximately 100g) of this rice cooker yaksik is estimated to contain about 400-450 calories, with roughly 70g of carbohydrates, 15g of fat, and 5g of protein.
Glutinous rice serves as an excellent energy source, while jujubes and chestnuts are rich in dietary fiber and vitamins (especially vitamins C and B-complex).
Walnuts and pumpkin seeds provide unsaturated fatty acids and Omega-3, which can contribute to cardiovascular health.
Additionally, the antioxidant compounds in jujubes aid in boosting immunity.
However, as it contains unrefined raw sugar, it's important to enjoy it in moderation rather than excessive consumption for a healthy yaksik experience.
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