I’m always so excited to share my family’s favorite recipes here, and this time I’m sharing one of my mom’s favorite cookies ever. Bean Paste Cookies (a.k.a. 상투과자)♥️ You might not think of bean paste when you hear the word cookie, but you do if you’re Korean. Sangtugwaja is just that, white bean paste cookies. Delicate, soft and fudgy, these cookies are one of those one-biters that make you roll your eyes back in satisfaction. Really! And the best part is that they’re ready in minutes, and you only need five ingredients and a piping bag.
Ingredients Used to Make This
**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Sweetened White Bean Paste (a.k.a. Shiro An): I eat this stuff by spoonfuls! It’s a versatile ingredient that goes inside my sweet rice mochi recipe as well my tofu mochi recipe, but it’s also used as fillings inside sweet breads, pancakes, cookies and more. While some asian grocery stores carry them, I usually buy them in bulk directly from a Korean bakery. You can also find Sweetened White Bean paste online (just look up Shiro An on Amazon). Or make your own. I recommend this recipe from Just One Cookbook.
- Egg yolk – the traditional recipe uses egg yolks as a binder for these cookies, and is not vegan. You could try using egg substitutes like flaxseeds and chia, but I haven’t tried using them so I can’t say much on whether they work.
- Milk – milk of your choice. I used almond milk since that was what I had at home.
- Honey – honey is what I used, but good substitutes include brown rice syrup, maple syrup or agave syrup.
- Coconut Flour – be sure to read the recipe note for substituting this ingredient!
Equipment
Ateco 869 Pastry Tube – French Star – Size 9
How to Make
How to Make Korean White Bean Paste Cookies
STEP 1
In a clean bowl, mix sweetened white bean paste with egg yolk, milk, honey and coconut flour
STEP 2
Mix together until smooth
STEP 3
Prepare a piping bag with a French Star shaped piping tip (I used Ateco 869 size 9)
STEP 4
Pipe small dollops of the cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie pan
Bake and carefully remove the cookies when cool enough to handle. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- Love Coffee? Just add 1-2 tsp of coffee extract (1 tsp of instant coffee granules plus 1 tsp hot water) to the bean paste batter before baking. For the mocha version, add 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder
- Matcha bean paste cookies – add 1 tsp of matcha powder to the batter
- This recipe is very food coloring friendly, so you can color the cookie batter to whatever color you like before piping.
- Add natural flavoring / extracts. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (I didn’t feel like it was essential so I left it out in this recipe), or other flavorings or extracts, such as caramel flavoring, hazelnut extract or almond extract.
- You can also use sweetened red bean paste (a.k.a. Koshi An) if you can’t find the white bean paste near you.
How to Store
- You can store these cookies in an airtight container – in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 4 months.
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Korean White Bean Paste Cookies (Sangtugwaja)
Equipment
- Ateco 869 Pastry Tube – French Star – Size 9
Ingredients
- 500 g sweetened white bean paste (shiro an)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
Instructions
- In a clean bowl, mix sweetened white bean paste with egg yolk, milk, honey and coconut flour
- Mix together until smooth
- Prepare a piping bag with a French Star shaped piping tip (I used Ateco 869 size 9)
- Pipe small dollops of the cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie pan
- Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden.
- Carefully remove the cookies when cool enough to handle. Enjoy!
Nutrition
This was so unique! Delicious! I never knew about these Korean cookies but I’m saving this recipe in my books!
Thank you!
What temperature should the oven be for the baking? And should they stay in for 24 minutes, as the ‘Cooking Time’ indicates?
I have added pandan extract for a Singaporean flavor.
Hi Becky, the pandan extract seems like a unique and fun addition to this recipe! I baked these in a 350F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. I’ve fixed the cook time in the recipe card so that it reflects this. Hope this helps!