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Bánh khọt, Vietnamese savory mini pancakes, is a must-try Vietnamese dish that offers a delicious blend of flavors and textures. This iconic Vietnamese street food is easy, versatile, and absolutely delicious.

Beautiful, golden, banh khot, or crispy Vietnamese pancakes, is a popular Vietnamese street food that is equal parts crispy, savory, and addicting. The crisp on the outside and soft on the inside texture, paired with a delicious savory marinated shrimp, scallion oil, fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, and the signature Vietnamese dipping sauce, make banh khot simply irresistible.

This banh khot recipe will show you a detailed step-by-step journey of creating the most perfect crispy savory pancakes in the comfort of your own kitchen. If you are looking for more popular Vietnamese recipe inspiration, check out my banh xeo (Vietnamese crepes), banh tom (Vietnamese shrimp and sweet potato fritters), and cha gio (Vietnamese egg rolls).

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Banh khot is a truly unique and delicious Vietnamese street food that has several qualities which make them so great. Here are the top 3 reasons why you’ll love this banh khot recipe.

• Crispy and delicious: the outer layer of these savory pancakes provides a satisfying crispy crunch with every bite, while the inside is soft and delightful which keeps you coming back for more.
• Small bite-sized goodness: these small bite-sized Vietnamese pancakes make them a perfect snack, appetizer, or full main course.
• Versatile: While this banh khot recipe is made with a traditional shrimp filling, you can be creative and customize your filling according to your taste preferences. I’ve listed some ideas for you in the Substitutions and Additions section below!

Kitchen Equipment

Here are all the items of kitchen equipment you will need for this crispy Vietnamese pancake recipe.

• Blender: you will need a blender to blend the cold day-old rice to add to the savory pancake batter.
• Mixing Bowls: mixing bowls are necessary to make the Vietnamese rice pancake batter and to marinate the shrimp.
• Skillet: you will need a medium-sized skillet to cook the marinated shrimp.
• Banh Khot Pan with lid: you will need a banh khot pan, a takoyaki pan, or an aebleskiver pan with a corresponding lid to make these crispy Vietnamese pancakes.

Ingredients

You can find all of the ingredients for this Vietnamese pancake recipe at your local Vietnamese, Chinese, or Asian grocery store or online. I’ve listed the links of most of the ingredients that I used below.

Banh Khot Batter

• Cold Day Old Rice: the cold day old rice is what thickens the rice batter and adds a heartiness to the small pancakes.
• Water: you will need water to blend the day-old rice for a clean emulsion.
• Rice Flour: rice flour is the base for this Vietnamese pancake recipe. Make sure to NOT use glutinous rice flour.
• Coconut Milk: coconut milk adds a sweet coconut flavor to these Vietnamese rice pancakes.
• Club Soda: club soda makes these savory pancakes light, fluffy, and crispy.
• Turmeric Powder: turmeric powder has a distinct peppery, earthy, musky flavor that works beautifully with the coconut milk and gives the prawn pancake batter a beautiful bright yellow hue.
• Salt: salt seasons the batter.
• Eggs: large eggs will bind all the ingredients together and aid in a soft rise in the banh khot.

Shrimp Marinade

• Shrimp: you can use any shrimp size that you’d like. I used large Tiger prawn shrimp because I love a higher protein-to-batter ratio. However, traditionally Vietnamese banh khot vendors use small school prawns with the shell still on. The cook time may vary depending on the size of the shrimp that you use
• Fish Sauce: this wouldn’t be a Vietnamese pancake recipe without fish sauce. It adds a rich savory flavor to the shrimp marinade.
• Sugar: a touch of sugar balances out the salty rich flavors.
• Chicken Bouillon Powder: chicken bouillon powder adds a hint of umami flavor to the shrimp.
• Black Pepper: black pepper season the shrimp.
• Garlic: adds a rich garlic flavor to the shrimp.

Scallion Oil

• Green Onions: minced green onions are the main aromatic agent in scallion oil.
• Salt: salt seasons the scallion oil.
• Chicken Bouillon Powder: my mom loves adding chicken bouillon powder to everything since it adds an additional umami flavor that makes your mouth water.
• Vegetable Oil or Neutral Oil: you can use any neutral oil such as vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.

Serve

• Lettuce: used to wrap each small savory pancake
• Vietnamese Perilla, Mint: these Vietnamese herbs brighten up the richer fried flavors of the banh khot.
• Do chua: do chua or pickled carrots and daikon to add a fresh, pickled flavor.
• Nuoc Cham: nuoc cham, or Vietnamese dipping sauce, is the dipping sauce for this banh khot recipe.

Substitutions and Additions

There are so many variations of this banh khot recipe. You can easily customize or personalize this Vietnamese pancake recipe with any of the following recommendations below.

Substitutions

• Cornstarch: instead of the cold day-old rice, you can use a substitute with cornstarch to thicken the small pancake batter.
• Banh Khot Mix: if you don’t want to make the batter from scratch, you can easily buy banh khot premade mix at the Asian grocery store.
• Water: if you don’t have soda water, you can use regular still water instead.
• Beer: for more added flavor in these savory pancakes, you can use beer instead of soda water.
• Vegetarian version: instead of shrimp, you can easily use mushrooms or tofu instead.

Additions

• Protein: you can add marinated squid, quail eggs, or minced pork.
• Mung Beans: you can soak and steam the mung beans for added texture and flavor.

How to Make Bánh Khọt

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this banh khot recipe.

1. Blend the rice and water. Add 1 cup of day-old cold rice and 1 cup of water in your blender and pulverize until the rice is mashed.

1. Mix banh khot batter. In a large mixing bowl, add the rice water mixture, rice flour, coconut milk, club soda, turmeric flour, and salt. Mix until combined. Then add the eggs and mix until combined. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest.

1. Season the shrimp. In a medium mixing bowl, add the shrimp, fish sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, and black pepper. Mix until the shrimp is evenly coated.

1. Cook the shrimp. In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat on medium-high heat until hot. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant and lightly golden brown. Then add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until opaque, curled, and pink. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Make scallion oil. In a mixing bowl, mix together the diced green onion, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and vegetable oil. Microwave for 30 seconds, mix and microwave for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Cook the banh khot. Place the banh khot pan on the stove over medium heat. Brush about a half teaspoon of oil over each mold and pour in the batter to fill about 2/3 of the mold. Cover with the lid for about 2 minutes then add one shrimp to the middle of each mold. Make sure to press the shrimp into the batter so they will adhere together. Cover with the lid and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

1. Serve. Remove from the pan and drizzle some scallion oil on top. Serve with greens, do chua (pickled carrots and daikon), and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).

Storage Instructions

These crispy Vietnamese pancakes are best served immediately for the most satisfying crispy exterior. However, you can store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Reheat: to reheat, you can either microwave covered until warm or reheat them back on the banh khot pan to get a similar crisp.

Make ahead: you can make the Vietnamese savory pancake batter at least 2 days in advance, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator. Bring the batter to room temperature before cooking.

Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s

What is banh khot made of?

This banh khot recipe is made with rice, rice flour, coconut milk, club soda, turmeric powder, salt, and eggs.

What kind of pan do I use for banh khot?

You can use a banh khot pan, a Japanese takoyaki pan, or even a aebleskiver pan as well.

How do I serve Banh Khot?

These crispy Vietnamese pancakes are served with a drizzle of scallion oil, and served with lettuce, Vietnamese perilla, mint, do chua (pickled daikon and radish), and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).

What is the difference between banh khot and banh xeo?

Bánh khọt and banh xeo are both similarly made with rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric powder giving them a beautiful rich yellow color. They are also served with a plate of fresh lettuce and herbs, do chua (pickled carrots and daikon), and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce). However, they are different based on how they are cooked.

Banh khot are small Vietnamese savory rice pancakes that are cooked in a cast iron pan with small round molds and topped with scallion oil, and shrimp. Meanwhile, banh xeo are Vietnamese savory crepes that are cooked on a wok or large skillet that is stuffed with mung beans, sprouts, shrimp, and pork belly.

What is the origin of banh khot?

Although unclear, according to the Vietnamese chefs who have specialized in preparing these crispy Vietnamese pancakes, its origin stems from Central Vietnam in the regions of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa. Individuals then migrated to Southern Vietnam carrying this dish with them.

Did you make this Banh Khot Recipe?

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