Patbingsoo or Bingsu is the perfect summertime dessert that will instantly cool you off after one bite.
A bowl of shaved ice is topped with various toppings, such as glutinous Korean rice cakes, fruits, nuts, ice cream, etc. – satisfying everyone’s sweet tooth as the combination of toppings is endless!
After starting this blog, I realized the lack of desserts in Korean cuisines. Yes, there is the popular Korean rice cakes or the trendy Injeolmi toast, but there aren’t that many. My family never had freshly baked chocolate chip cookies or blueberry pie on the counter. Instead, our counter was filled with an abundance of seasonal fruits – strawberries, blueberries, cherries, pears, kiwis, watermelon, etc! My mom would always wash and slice them after dinner for us to enjoy as a treat!
It’s funny how old habits die hard because I always have a batch of seasonal fruits in the fridge to enjoy after dinner. I consider myself to have the biggest sweet tooth (as you can tell by this blog), but for me, nothing beats a bowl of refreshing, ripe seasonal fruit! It’s also interesting because my other Korean friends grew up eating seasonal fruits for desserts and feel exactly the same way!
So it’s no surprise that Bingsu is the poster child for Korean desserts. Shaved ice with seasonal fruits and rice cakes – it’s very Korean!
Typically, Korean cafes offer different flavors of Bingsu but my favorite is Injeolmi Bingsu. It’s topped with Injeolmi, a type of glutinous sweet rice cake coated with kinako, or roasted soy bean powder, and anko, a sweet red bean paste. The hint of savoriness from the kinako compliments the sweetness from rice cakes! It’s absolutely delicious!
The other two flavors I love are matcha and raspberry. Matcha is also typically offered in Korean cafes but raspberry is a flavor I created from pulverizing freeze dried raspberries! It really adds a refreshing tartness fresh fruit can’t replicate!
The possibility of creating your own flavors are endless. Try adding different types of fruits or nuts and experiment!
quick notes
- Bingsu is typically not vegan as condensed milk is poured into the shaved ice to add sweetness. To compensate, I add a few teaspoons of coconut sugar to my non-dairy milk before freezing it and then pulverizing the ice cubes to make shaved ice. If you have non-dairy condensed milk on hand, skip adding sugar to the non-dairy milk and drizzle a 2-3 teaspoons into the shaved ice.
- Injeolmi rice cakes can be typically purchased in Korean cafes or grocery stores but not the untraditional flavors like matcha and raspberry. Recipe for the untraditional flavors can be found here.
VEGAN BINGSU (MATCHA, RASPBERRY, AND INJEOLMI)
Shaved ice
- 1 ½ cup of non-dairy milk
- 2-3 tsp coconut sugar
Combine the non-dairy milk and sugar into a pot over low heat until the sugars have dissolved. Alternatively, you can microwave the non-dairy milk and sugar together for 30 seconds.
Wait until the mixture has cooled and pour into an ice cube tray to freeze. (If making your own rice cake, use this time to make them.) After 2-3 hours, transfer the ice cubes into a food processor and blend, making sure not to over blend.
Injeolmi
- ¼ cup canned adzuki beans
- 2 medjool dates
- 5-6 pieces injeolmi rice cakes (homemade or store bought)
- homemade kinako or store bought roasted soy bean powder
To make the anko, pour boiling water over dates for 10 minutes. Once soft, transfer dates and adzuki beans into a blender or food processor and blend until incorporated. Alternatively, you can mash the dates and adzuki beans together with a wooden spoon.
In a bowl or cup, add a few tablespoons of shaved ice. Sprinkle with kinako powder then add a few tablespoons of shaved ice again. Repeat sprinkling with kinako powder and shaved ice. Sprinkle another layer of kinako and top with injeolmi rice cakes and anko paste.
Matcha
- Matcha powder
- 5-6 pieces matcha rice cakes
- coconut flakes
In a bowl or cup, add a few tablespoons of shaved ice. Sprinkle with matcha powder then add a few tablespoons of shaved ice again. Repeat sprinkling with matcha powder and shaved ice. Sprinkle another layer of matcha and top with matcha rice cakes and coconut flakes.
Raspberry
- ¼ cup freeze dried raspberries
- 1 tbsp homemade kinako or store bought roasted soy bean powder
- 5-6 pieces raspberry rice cakes
Transfer freeze dried raspberries into a blender or food processor and pulse until finely ground. Place in a bowl and add in 1 tbsp of kinako powder and mix. Free feel to add more kinako or raspberry powder.
In a bowl or cup, add a few tablespoons of shaved ice. Sprinkle with raspberry/kinako powder then add a few tablespoons of shaved ice again. Repeat sprinkling with raspberry/kinako powder and shaved ice. Sprinkle another layer of raspberry/kinako and top with raspberry rice cakes.
p.s. If you like this recipe, click the icons below to share and leave a comment below! Make sure to tag me @girlmeetsradish & #girlmeetsradish so I can see what you are making!
