Korean Buns
The viral Korean street food snack you can easily make at home! It’s the perfect mix of sweet, savory, cheesy, and garlicky in every single bite. These buns are fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and absolutely unforgettable.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 buns 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Snack
- Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients
Scale
For the Buns:
- 16 King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, must be room temperature!
- 2–3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pinch of salt
Garlic Butter Custard:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 2–3 tbsp fresh minced garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Prep Oven & Buns: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, make 4 deep cuts into the top of each roll (like a tic-tac-toe board), stopping just before the bottom so they stay intact.
- Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese, condensed milk, and salt until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off) and pipe generously into the cuts of each roll.
- Make the Custard: In a separate, wide bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, milk, condensed milk, minced garlic, salt, parsley, and paprika until everything is well combined.
- Dip & Top: Briefly dip each filled bun into the garlic butter custard, coating it on all sides. Place the coated buns on your prepared baking sheet. Spoon any leftover garlic bits from the bowl onto the tops of the buns. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, or until the buns are a beautiful golden brown and the tops are slightly crisp. For the best experience, serve immediately while they’re warm and gooey!
Notes
- Serving Suggestions: These are fantastic on their own as a snack or appetizer. They also pair wonderfully with a simple green salad or a bowl of tomato soup.
- Tips & Tricks: For the best texture, let the Hawaiian rolls sit out on the counter for a couple of hours to dry out slightly. This helps them soak up the custard without getting soggy. And always use fresh garlic for the best flavor!
- Storage & Reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To bring back that crispy texture, reheat them in an air fryer or oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5-7 minutes. Avoid the microwave if you can.
Find it online: https://recipesh.com/korean-buns/