Chapssal donuts are a popular Korean dessert snack made from sweet potatoes. This recipe is free of the top 9 allergens, very shareable, and a wonderful treat. This post was updated on 6/11/2024.
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Top 9 allergen free donut!
Candice, a food allergy mom friend, offered to share her recipe for a top 9 allergen free Korean donut. She was inspired by her dad to make these donuts. He used to tell her stories about buying hot and tasty chapssal donuts from street vendors in Korea as a child.
These cinnamon and sugar coated donuts are popular churro-like donuts that are often sold in Korean bakeries. However, her daughter who has a severe peanut allergy experienced severe allergic reactions due to eating treats from a Korean bakery. Candice saw recipes posted on Pinterest and Beyond Kim Chee and she was inspired to make her own chapssal.
Finding top 9 allergen free recipes of foods that typically contain allergens are difficult. I love it when people share recipes with me from other cuisines that lots of people with food allergies might enjoy.
What Are Chapssal Donuts?
Chapssal donuts are usually made with wheat, butter, milk, and sometimes peanut flour. Sometimes they’re filled with red beans or chopped peanuts. Thanks to Candice we can enjoy a top 9 allergen free version of the recipe.
She often makes Asian sweet potatoes for her daughters. They’re great as an easy on the go snack and you only need a few to make chapssal. The chapssal donuts are round, usually filled with a red bean. Some variations include a flat shaped donut filled with a similar bean filling.
I love that she uses nutritious sweet potato in her recipe, which naturally sweetens the dough. Look for sweet potatoes with a purple skin and white on the inside. I buy them from Trader Joe’s for my mom.
I tried the recipe and it’s delicious!! I recommend using a spider strainer, which is a stainless steel wire ladle for deep frying, to scoop out the donuts and drain the oil back into the pot. If you don’t have a hot oil thermometer already, I use an infrared thermometer device to check the oil temperature.
Thank you for sharing your version of Korean Chapssal Donut recipe with Nut Free Wok readers, Candice! ~Sharon
Allergy Aware Korean Chapsal Donuts
This recipe is free of wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, sesame, egg, dairy, beans, fish and shellfish as written. The recipe is also free of the top 9 allergens, gluten free, and vegan.
“We avoid Peanuts, Tree Nuts (but not coconut), Sesame, Soy, Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Peas, Lentils and most legumes. The Trader Joe’s items above I use have been called prior to the recipe to verify if peanuts/tree nuts are in the facility or shared lines. Since Trader Joe’s products frequently change their manufacturing practices, I recommend you verify the safety for your family and call prior to using their brand or you can use brands you are comfortable with. You can substitute for other gluten free flours, make sure there are rice and tapioca in the flour. That’s what makes the center chewy. Enjoy! ~Candice Van Devender”
Korean Chapssal Donut Recipe
Chapssal donuts are a popular Korean dessert snack made from sweet potatoes. They're free of the top 9 allergens, very shareable, and a wonderful treat. Thank you Candice for guest posting at www.nutfreewok.com
Ingredients
- 3 medium Asian sweet potatoes purple or yellow inside —baked or steamed.
- 2 cups Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Flour must have rice & tapioca flour for chewiness or Mochiko sweet rice flour for really chewy
- 1/4 cup organic sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Clabber Girl baking powder
- 1/2 cup hot non-dairy milk I use coconut or flax milk
- Trader Joe’s grapeseed or rice bran oil for frying — I only fill enough oil for half a donut ball to be in oil for my saucepan I only use 1 cup of oil.
- 1/4 cup organic sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
Instructions
Prepare the dough
Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork or potato masher, or use a food processor.
In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients —flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
- Add sweet potatoes and knead.
Slowly add hot milk, a little at a time.
Once it feels like play dough (smooth and not sticky) make 1” balls with your hand. Children are great helpers during the rolling process.
The dough is very forgiving and if it’s too dry add little more milk and if too wet, add more flour.
Deep fry the donuts
- Heat oil in small saucepan on medium heat.
- Test by placing a ball and if it sizzles quickly the oil is ready.
- Tilt the pan to make sure the balls are evenly coated during frying or use a dry metal spoon to turn over.
- Once they are golden, remove with a strainer and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Roll the cooked donuts in bowl of cinnamon sugar. Swirl them around in the bowl.
Serve donuts warm or same day. Next day donuts are not as crispy outside and chewy inside.
Storage tips
- Store extra dough in refrigerator to make more donuts in the next few days.
- The extra cinnamon sugar can be kept in freezer to use next time.
- When done, store cooled oil in glass jar to reuse.
Related Recipes
Other top 8 or top 9 allergen free Asian desserts made from rice. Easy Top 9 Allergen Free Banana Rolls Recipe are a Chinese bakery style recipe that is easy to make and also involves a little bit of rolling and shaping. Baak Tong Gou, a Top 9 Allergen Free Chinese Dessert is also a Chinese steamed rice dessert.
If you are interested in other Korean inspired recipes, try my Korean Style Beef Short Ribs. It’s a simple recipe which makes it easier to adapt for food allergies and so good. I also love making (and eating) Delicious Beef Japchae, A Korean Glassy Noodle Stir Fry. It’s a delicious side dish for a crowd or an entree for a small family.
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Can organic sugar be granulated sugar? Or are there any substitutes?
Yes, you can use regular granulated sugar. My experience is that organic sugar tastes sweeter than granulated sugar so adjust accordingly depending on your preference.