Yangjae Station walnut pie shop, less-sweet pies: Hodu Kkakki Brothers

Tired of Overly Sweet Walnut Pie? Back to Hodu Kkakki Brothers

Hodu Kkakki Brothers (호두까끼형제) is a handmade walnut pie shop near Yangjae Station that serves walnut pie with a gentle sweetness instead of a heavy one. Just the name makes you feel that cozy nutty flavor, and it's a healthy, tasty pie! Walnut pie used to be my family's favorite snack, but at some point the filling started to taste way too sweet, and I could barely finish a single piece.

The sweetness wore me out, so I forgot about walnut pie for a while. Then I found the pie of my life, with a subtle, refined sweetness instead of a strong one!

If you love walnut pie, Hodu Kkakki Brothers at Yangjae Station is a must-visit. Here's the story of my second visit.

What Are Hodu Kkakki Brothers' Pies Made With?

Here's what the shop says makes it special.

• Pure handmade pies, with the dough mixed and baked in the shop
• A blend of organic wheat flour and Korean rice flour
• Unsalted butter from New Zealand
• Honey, oligosaccharide syrup and maple syrup
• No preservatives, chemical additives or colorings

Hodu Kkakki Brothers Location and Hours near Yangjae Station

The Yangjae Station branch of Hodu Kkakki Brothers is at 10 Nambusunhwan-ro 351-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Unit 101). It's open Monday to Friday 11:00–21:00 (break time 14:30–15:30), Saturday 11:00–20:00 and Sunday 11:00–19:00.

Come out of Exit 4 of Yangjae Station (Line 3), walk a little way ahead, turn into the alley on the left, and walk a bit more. The shop appears right away, so it's easy to find.

Inside the Hodu Kkakki Brothers Shop at Yangjae Station

Since 2017, the Yangjae Station branch of Hodu Kkakki Brothers (Nutcracker Bros) has caught the eye with its cozy wooden interior, a carriage-style display that feels like a scene from a fairy tale, and a bright red door.

Let's step inside. These days most places just bake pie dough made in a factory and sell it, so a true handmade pie shop like Hodu Kkakki Brothers, which starts from mixing the dough in the shop and bakes everything by hand, is hard to find. That made it feel extra special.

All kinds of pies that look delicious just to look at were neatly lined up by type, so my eyes were happy first.

How to Choose from the Hodu Kkakki Brothers Menu

The menu shows photos and prices together, so even first-timers shouldn't have any trouble choosing.

As you'd expect from a walnut pie specialist, there's a wide range, from walnut & pecan mixes to various cheese cream pies and cacao pie, so choosing was fun.

After some agonizing, I picked the Nut & Cream pie mix!

I'd wanted to try the walnut pies topped with soft milk cream and rich cream cheese for ages. ;) By the way, all the pies at Hodu Kkakki Brothers are also sold by the piece, so keep that in mind.

The packaging was neat and pretty enough to give to anyone as a gift. Now all that's left is to rush home and eat. Haha.

Nut & Cream Pie Mix: What's Inside and How It Tastes

The Nut & Cream pie mix comes in a classy, soft-textured gift box printed with the cute nutcracker brothers, along with a brochure describing the pies and how to store them.

They say the pies taste best refrigerated and eaten cold. (But who can wait? Haha.) With a pounding heart I opened the box, and wow! Doesn't it look delicious just to look at?

• Signature walnut pie
• Original pecan pie
• Milk cream walnut pie
• Cream cheese walnut pie

There are two pieces of each. They're made by hand in the shop rather than stamped out by machine in a uniform shape, so each pie looks slightly different, which I found part of the charm.

Signature Walnut Pie

The signature walnut pie of Hodu Kkakki Brothers is piled with plump walnuts! The walnut flavor and the moist crust went perfectly with a cup of brewed coffee.

The base flour is organic wheat flour plus Korean rice flour, so my stomach felt comfortable even after eating.

Original Pecan Pie

The original pecan pie has a nutty flavor that feels different from walnut!

The secret to a subtle, natural sweetness on the tip of your tongue, rather than an artificial one, is honey, oligosaccharide syrup and maple syrup! There's no refined sugar, so I think it would make a great snack for kids too. On top of that they use unsalted butter from pristine New Zealand, so you can really see how much care goes into every ingredient.

Cream Cheese Walnut Pie and Milk Cream Walnut Pie

Honestly, the milk cream and cream cheese walnut pies were the ones I was most excited about! After taking off the thoughtful plastic wrap...

I took a big bite~ the soft, sweet taste that's typical of cream cheese filled my mouth.

The sweetness was gentle rather than artificial, so I really enjoyed it.

My number-one pick at Hodu Kkakki Brothers is the milk cream walnut pie, with sugar-free, nutty French fresh milk cream and strawberry jam! They say nothing like preservatives, colorings or chemical additives goes in, and everything from the cream filling to the strawberry jam is a handmade base made carefully in the shop over several hours, so you can eat with peace of mind.

How to Store Walnut Pie: 7 Days Refrigerated, 30 Days Frozen

The walnut pies keep for 7 days in the fridge or 30 days in the freezer, and if frozen, just thaw naturally for 10 minutes and enjoy! Cream pies should be refrigerated and eaten within 3 days.

Putting leftover pies in a zipper bag like this keeps them from picking up the smells of other food in the fridge.

I stored the cream pies in a Glasslock container so they wouldn't lose their shape.

Who Is Hodu Kkakki Brothers at Yangjae Station For?

The walnut pies at Hodu Kkakki Brothers are a special nutritious snack for your precious family and the best gift for people you're grateful to! If you happen to be near Yangjae Station, I recommend dropping by Hodu Kkakki Brothers.