The sesame seeds
Sesame seeds are a staple in Korean cooking, so I always have a plenty of them around.
It’s much more economical to buy raw sesame seeds than the ones already toasted. Plus, they taste better when you toast them yourself before using them. Store the portion you are not going to use anytime soon in the freezer. The low temperature prevents the natural oils in the seeds from spoiling, keeping them fresh for a long time.
In Korea, sesame crunch is also commonly made with black sesame seeds or a combination of black and white. Try it if you want something different for a change.
You can toast raw sesame seeds in a pan over medium to medium low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly golden brown and fragrant.
Other additions
You can make these only with sesame seeds, but the addition of some nuts and/or seeds makes it more interesting and tastier. I like to add pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. Peanuts, almonds, pistachios, and sunflower seeds are all great options.
How to make sesame crunch
To turn the sesame seeds into candy, all you need is sugar and honey with a little bit of salt. Add the honey, sugar, salt and water to a pan. Stir to mix over medium low heat. Let it bubble up. Continue to cook, without stirring, until it turns light golden brown, about 3 minutes or a little longer depending on your heat. This cooking time is necessary for the sugar mixture to harden when cooled.
I use honey but you can use any sort of syrup such as maple syrup, corn syrup, oligo syrup (oligodang, 올리고당), rice syrup (jocheong, 조청) etc. These are less sweet than honey, so use a little more sugar if using one of these.
The sugar mixture hardens quickly as it cools, so work quickly once the mixed sesame seeds are off the heat. With parchment paper and a rolling pin, you can roll it out as thick or thin as you want. Finally, cut into any size and shape you want.
Wishing you and your family happy holidays!!
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons honey or corn syrup, oligo syrup, rice syrup, etc.
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup roasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup any roasted nuts and seeds (pine nuts, almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.)
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Keep your eye on it not to burn them.
- Add the honey, sugar, salt and water to a pan. Stir to mix over medium low heat. Let it bubble up. Continue to cook, without stirring, until it turns light golden brown, about 3 minutes or a little longer depending on your heat.
- Turn the heat off. Stir in the sesame seeds and nuts. Stir well until everything is well coated with the syrup.
- Place the mixture between two pieces of parchment paper. Let cool for a minute, or the mixture can stick to the paper. Press it down to flatten it, and roll it out with a rolling pin to a 1/4 to 1/2-thick rectangle. Using a side of a knife, push in the rough sides to straighten up a bit. Roll it again to an even thickness, as necessary.
- When the crunch is hardened but still slightly warm, cut with a sharp knife into desired sizes.
Sylvia Newman says
I loved these! I would like to know if anyone has used a candy thermometer or the water test (hard ball, soft crack stage etc) to be more precise on the cooking time?
Sylvia says
Has anybody done this with a candy thermometer or the soft-hard-ball test? That would really help get the right texture. I loved these and would like to get the crispiness right.
NB says
Hi,
This is my first time making this sesame seeds bars. I also add sunflower seeds but the result was very soft and hard time to separate from the paper. Any suggestion to have a firm ones. Thank you again for your recipe.
NB
Hyosun says
It sounds like the syrup needed a little more cooking time until it bubbles up all the way and turns deep golden brown. Everyone’s medium low heat is slightly different.
Joe says
Can you give recipe with weight in grams? Your recipe use 1/4 cups of sesame but the pictures shown more than 1/4 cups. Thanks
Hyosun says
The recipe says 1 cup roasted sesame seeds. 1/4 cup listed right below is for other nuts and seeds. Hope this helps.
Anne Lau says
My sesame seeds candy has become soft and not crisp. How do I make it crunchy again?
Hyosun says
Put it in the fridge. It will harden again.
Elainne says
I just tried this now because I’m looking for healthier snacks post-New Year and I couldn’t find it in any Korean stores from where I live. Actually enjoyed making them especially the flattening part. I used black and white sesame seeds and added nutmeg and they turned out amazing and addicting. Thank you again for sharing this the recipe!
Jess says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s my Mom’s favourite snack and I did not know it was possible to make this at home! I look forward to trying your recipe! You make fancy recipes easy to follow, thank you! Happy new year!
Hyosun says
Thank you! I’m sure your mom will be happy to have these made by her daughter.
Sharon Lee Fernberg says
I know you’ve mentioned that this recipe must use sesame seeds but my twin sister and I are allergic to sesame seeds and sesame oil. But this treat sounds delicious and I like crunchy and gooey. Can I use something else instead?
Jennifer says
will this work with black sesame seeds? I just happen to have corn syrup and toasted black sesame!
Hyosun says
Of course! In fact, I say to try it in my head notes under The Sesame Seeds.
Wanda says
So easy and ono (delicious). Mahalo for the recipe.
Les says
I’ve made this a few times and found that 3 minutes is not enough boil time for the syrup, and the candy doesn’t harden enough. 3 1/2 minutes works out just about perfect for me. I’ve also been adding dried cranberries, raisins, or dried cherries, without exceeding 1 1/4 cups for the seed mix overall. This is easy to make and a big hit with my Korean co-workers, who think I’m very talented, LoL.
Carol Petroccia says
Can this be made using Splenda or Stevia instead of sugar and honey?
tammy says
You need to rename this korean crack. Just made it and it’s wonderful. Mine isn’t cool yet but I loved it gooey, as well. This stuff needs a warning label! 🙂
Hyosun says
Ha ha! That good? I’m thrilled to hear that. Thanks for the feedback!
Li-Yong says
Hi Hyosun – I have tried 2 other (messy and wet) unsuccessful attempts using other recipes but finally with your recipe I have success!! Thank you so much!
Hyosun says
That’s awesome! You just made my day. Enjoy!
Fabio says
Well, it’s not Christmas, but I’ve just made it. – I used sesame seeds, whole cane sugar as sugar and roasted peanuts as nuts. It’s perfect! Also, I thought not, but the pan was easy to clean. Now, I don’t need to buy it anymore; I’ll do it by myself. – Many thanks!
Hyosun says
That sounds great! Of course this is good any time of the year. I should make it again soon.
Curvyyogi says
Love them! Simply delicious! Used pumpkin, sunflower, flax seeds and almonds and they turned out great! Who needs candied pecans on their salad when these are around?
Thanks for making this so easy!
Hyosun Ro says
Sounds great! Thanks for letting me know.
denise @ singapore shiok says
Hi Hyosun 🙂 Your sesame crunch looks lovely. My grandmother used to love nibbling on a very similar snack, when she was still around. Don’t know how she managed to…. she was toothless for as long as I knew here LOL
Hope your Christmas was lovely and that you and your family will have a wonderful New Year filled with peace. blessings and joy!
The Squishy Monster says
Mama loves this stuff…can’t wait to try it out very soon. Lovely blog =) Happy (belated) Christmas!!
Pola M says
Never thought these would be so easy to make! Have to try!
LeahTN says
THANK YOU for posting this recipe!! I did not realize these were so easy to make. These are a great low-carb treat for the low-carb eater! I made a batch tonight, but mine never hardened. I’m thinking I did not boil the honey and sugar long enough to make a true syrup. I’m a novice at that stuff. 😡
Hyosun Ro says
Hi Leah – It’s really easy. I’ve made about 10 batches over the last couple of days to share with friends and relatives. I think you figured out the problem yourself. I timed it, and it takes a couple of minutes from the point it starts to bubble up. I’ve added the time to the recipe. Try it again. You can whip up this yummy snack in a few minutes. Thanks for the feedback! Happy holidays!!
Sandra Mihic says
Those look fantastic and very delicious! I wish you and your family Merry Christmas!