Sweet Rice with Nuts and Jujubes (약밥, Yakbap)

Chelsea Oct 13, 2025

Welcome back to Chelsea’s K-Food Recipes! Today, we’re making a beloved traditional Korean dessert — Sweet Rice with Nuts and Jujubes (약밥, Yakbap).

This fragrant, sweet, and chewy rice dish is often enjoyed on special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, and ancestral ceremonies. Made with glutinous rice, honey (or brown sugar), chestnuts, jujubes (Korean dates), and pine nuts, Yakbap is a beautiful combination of texture and flavor. Let’s get started!

🍚 Ingredients

  • 2 cups glutinous rice (sweet rice)
  • 1½ cups water
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar (or honey)
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 8–10 jujubes (pitted and sliced)
  • 6–8 chestnuts (peeled and halved)
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for greasing)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1️⃣ Prepare the Rice

Rinse the glutinous rice until water runs clear.
Soak for 2 hours or overnight for best texture.
Drain well.

2️⃣ Make the Sweet Sauce

Mix soy sauce, brown sugar (or honey), and sesame oil until sugar dissolves.

3️⃣ Combine Ingredients

Toss drained rice with the sauce until evenly coated.
Gently mix in chestnuts, jujubes, and pine nuts.

4️⃣ Steam the Yakbap

Grease a heatproof dish or steamer tray.
Spread rice mixture evenly.
Steam 40–50 minutes, until rice is tender.
Check steamer water occasionally.

5️⃣ Rest & Serve

Let rice rest 10 minutes.
Fluff gently.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

💡 Tips for Perfect Yakbap

  • ✅ Soak rice long enough for best chewy texture
  • ✅ Adjust sweetness — traditional Yakbap is mildly sweet
  • ✅ Add walnuts, raisins, or extra jujubes for variation
  • ✅ Stores 3 days in fridge or freeze in portions
    Reheat by steaming or microwaving with a splash of water

Yakbap isn't just a dessert — it's a warm, nostalgic celebration dish full of tradition and love. With its glossy golden grains and nutty aroma, it’s a perfect treat to share with family on holidays or special days.

Thanks for joining me on Chelsea’s K-Food Recipes!
Stay tuned for more delicious and heartwarming Korean dishes! 🍯✨