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What Is Injeolmi Bingsu?

In English, you can translate ‘injeolmi bingsu’ (인절미 빙수) to ‘sweet rice cake shaved ice.’ This word consists of the terms ‘injeolmi’ (인절), which refers to a type of Korean ‘sweet rice cake,’ and ‘bingsu’ (빙수), meaning ‘shaved ice.’

You make this shaved ice base using milk, condensed milk, and/or water. Then, you top the shaved milk ice with different topping ingredients. These toppings can include condensed milk, ice cream, fruits, nuts, red beans, fruit syrups, purees, and more!

For this injeolmi bingsu recipe, I top my Korean shaved ice with sweetened condensed milk, roasted soybean powder, nuts, homemade sweetened red bean paste, and homemade injeolmi! I hope you enjoy this recipe! This recipe has similar ingredients to my patbingsu recipe, but instead of the sweetened red bean paste being the focus it is the roasted soybean powder!

Note: While I typically measure ingredients to be exact in my recipe, that is not the case for this dessert. You can add more or less of each ingredient based on your personal taste!

Korean injeolmi bingsu in a clear bowl. The bingsu is topped with injeolmi, soybean powder, nuts, and red bean paste.

Korean Injeolmi Bingsu Ingredient List:

Below, I list the ingredients used to make this recipe:

Milk
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Your Choice of Tree Nuts (Such as walnuts, almonds, etc)
Homemade or Store-Bought Red Bean Paste (Learn how to make this recipe here)
Homemade or Store-Bought Injelomi (Learn how to make injeolmi here)
Korean Roasted Soybean Powder (Learn about this ingredient here)

Korean Injeolmi Bingsu Tips & Tricks:

Here, I list some helpful tips & tricks to help you make this easy Korean injeolmi bingsu recipe. If you have any questions, comment below or email me at [email protected]! I hope these tips help!

The tips for making this recipe are the same as found in my patbingsu, mango bingsu, and strawberry bingsu recipe articles!

Korean injeolmi bingsu in a clear bowl on a blue tray. The bingsu is topped with injeolmi, soybean powder, nuts, and red bean paste. The tray sits next to a yellow tray with patbingsu on it.

How to Make Shaved Milk-Ice:

To make the shaved ice, combine your sweetened condensed milk and milk in an airtight container such as a freezer-safe plastic bag. Then, freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Once frozen, you can use different methods to make the fluffy texture. I mentioned these methods in my recipe articles for strawberry bingsu and mango bingsu. I copied those instructions and added them for you below.
- Method 1: Using a fork, scrape the frozen mixture to make the shaved ice texture.
- Method 2: If you place the mixture into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag, you can use a rolling pin to break apart the icy clump. To do this, you can roll over and hit the outside of the bag. I prefer this method. On many Korean home cooking websites, this seems to be the preferred method. Once you have created the fluffy texture, spoon the edible ‘snow’ into a bowl.
- Method 3: Place the frozen mixture into a blender and quickly pulse into coarse shavings. This method can be tricky. Blenders heat up when running. As the machine heats while running, it also heats the ingredients inside the blender. If you use this method, pulse quickly so as not to melt your ice back into a liquid. Then, add the shaved ice to your serving bowl and place it back in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
OR, you can use a bingsu ice machine or shaved ice machine. Professional kitchens use these machines. You can buy smaller versions for your house as well! Online, you can find hand crank machines as well as electric-powered ones.

Once you make your shaved milk ice and put it into a serving bowl, add your red bean paste, nuts, and injeolmi, and roasted soybean flour fixings over the top!

Korean Injeolmi Bingsu Frequently Asked Questions:

Now that we learned about some tips & tricks, I want to answer some questions you may have about this recipe! If I do not answer your question, feel free to leave a comment in the section below or email me at [email protected].

Does This Recipe Contain Major Allergens? (Gluten, Soy, Etc.)

Before listing all of the major allergens, I want to state that all of my recipes are naturally gluten-free. On this blog, I only use and recommend gluten-free ingredients and brands. That being said, I list gluten as a potential allergen when necessary– this is because many Korean ingredients (such as soy sauce, gochujang, and doenjang) contain gluten unless you specifically buy gluten-free versions. Not only is this true for gluten, but it is true for other major allergens as well. As such, I always list allergy substitutions in the next section of my post.

This recipe does not contain 6 of the 9 major allergens. It does not contain:

Peanuts
Fish
Crustacean Shellfish
Sesame
Wheat (Gluten)
Eggs

This recipe does contain 3 of the 9 major allergens. It can contain:

Milk (Dairy)
Soybean
Tree Nuts

Allergy Substitutions or Omissions:

For those with lactose intolerance: Replace the milk and sweetened condensed milk with lactose-free versions. Note that milk alternatives tend to get grainier than regular dairy milk when frozen.

For those with a milk allergy: I recommend replacing the milk with your favorite milk-free alternative (such as soy, almond, or coconut milk). Then, you can replace the condensed milk with a milk-free sweetened condensed milk alternative (such as those made out of oats). I found many recipes when I searched ‘vegan condensed milk alternative!’

For those with a soybean allergy: If you have a soybean allergy, I recommend trying to make another type of bingsu recipe (such as my recipes for patbingsu, strawberry bingsu, and/or mango bingsu). The main ingredient for injeolmi bingsu is roasted soybean powder, which cannot be replaced.

For those with a tree nut allergy: If you have a tree nut allergy, you can leave off the nuts from the top of this sweet treat! Then, you can enjoy the rest of the injeolmi bingsu!

Finally, as always, check the ingredients on any processed item you buy for my recipes. Sometimes, food can be processed with other allergens. It’s always best to double-check if it is safe if you have any allergies!

Korean shaved ice in a clear bowl on a blue tray. The shaved ice is topped with sweet rice cakes, soybean powder, nuts, and red bean paste. The tray sits next to a yellow tray with patbingsu on it.

Is This Recipe Vegetarian or Vegan?

Excitingly, this recipe is naturally vegetarian! Unfortunately, this recipe contains dairy. Therefore, it is not vegan.

How Do I Store Leftover Korean Injeolmi Bingsu Ingredients?

To store leftover bingsu, you need to store all of the unused ingredients separately:

To store the leftover frozen milk and sweetened condensed milk ice, place it in the freezer. This keeps it frozen.
Leftover sweetened red bean paste should be stored in the refrigerator. If you do not plan on eating it within a few days, it should be stored in the freezer.
Injeolmi can be stored in an airtight container on your kitchen counter for 12 hours. After that, place them in the refrigerator. They last in the fridge for about a week. If you do not plan on eating them in that time frame, store the injeolmi in the freezer. Injeolmi tends to harden over time. To soften it, microwave the pieces for a few seconds!
Your unused nuts should stay in their original packaging. Then, you can store them in your refrigerator or pantry.
Finally, the unused roasted soybean powder should be stored in an airtight container. Then, it should be stored in the pantry or refrigerator based on the instructions on the packaging.

If you have leftover made bingsu with all the ingredients, I recommend throwing it away. The shaved ice will melt out of the freezer but many of the topping ingredients won’t freeze and thaw well overtop the ice.

Where Can I Buy the Ingredients for This Recipe?

When making this recipe, I recommend shopping at your local family-owned Korean grocery store or an Asian grocery store chain (such as H-Mart). You need to do so for two of the key ingredients.

You can buy either pre-made red bean paste or make your own red bean paste. If you want to make your own, you can learn how to do so via my recipe. You can find all the necessary ingredients at a Korean grocery store.
You can also buy pre-made injeolmi at your local Asian grocery store chain. Once again, if you want to learn how to make your own you can check out my recipe. You can find all the necessary ingredients (such as roasted soybean powder also needed to sprinkle over this sweet treat) at a Korean grocery store.

Finally, if you do not have an Asian grocery store in your area, you can buy the necessary ingredients for red bean paste and injeolmi online! All of the other ingredients you can find at your local typical well-stocked grocery store.

Sweet rice cake shaved ice in a clear bowl on a blue tray. It is topped with sweet rice cakes, soybean powder, nuts, and red bean paste. The tray sits next to a yellow tray with patbingsu on it.

Where to Buy Korean Ingredients Online?

Nowadays, there are many online options to choose from when ordering Korean food online. These websites are not limited to but include:

Amazon
H-mart
Hanpoom
Wooltari
Seoul Mills

I Hope You Enjoyed Learning How to Make This Korean Injeolmi Bingsu Recipe!

In the end, I hope you enjoyed learning how to make this Korean injeolmi bingsu recipe. If so, let me know in the comment section!

If you would like to read more about cooking, you can find recipes as well as further Korean ingredient articles on my blog. I listed some of our favorite Carving A Journey recipes below! For reference, many recipes are influenced by my family’s blended Korean and Southern heritage.

Further Carving A Journey Recipes:

If you have any questions or comments, email me at [email protected]. And, finally, I would love to hear from you through our social media as well! You can follow me at @carvingajourney on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I also started a vlog YouTube channel with my husband! Or, if you would like more articles like these, you can subscribe to the blog by joining the mailing list. Let me know if you try making this injeolmi bingsu recipe. Thank you so much for stopping by!