Make Ahead

Homemade Pocky Recipe

by:
August 18, 2014
3
8 Ratings
Homemade Pocky Recipe
  • Makes about 90 cookie sticks
Author Notes

My idea of fun has two basic ingredients: movies and snacks. So take my word for it when I tell you that I’ve done quite a bit of research on the question of the perfect movie snack.

A perfect movie snack should be quiet; popcorn munching, while socially acceptable, is rather disruptive. And you shouldn’t have to look at your snack while you eat it, so say goodbye to nachos, hotdogs, and the like. Your snack should be easy to handle–Junior Mints will fall and stick to your jeans–and tidiness is imperative: Small chocolate treats inevitably lead to melted-chocolate fingers. Gummy treats? They're great until your jaw gets sore.

But don’t worry because I have the answer: Pocky. The Japanese chocolate-covered cookie sticks are just right. They’re quiet. They’re neat (the bottom 1/4 is conveniently left chocolate-free!). And they’re easy to eat in the dark. I’ve been known to inhale them, one after another, like a woodchipper taking down miniature logs, without even registering that I’ve eaten twenty-two in two minutes. They feel light. And fun.

There's only one problem with the perfect snack: They don’t sell Pocky at movie theaters. Good thing it’s so easy to make at home. —Samantha Seneviratne

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 teaspoons water, at room temperature
  • 9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300° F. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the egg and extract and stir to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine. Add the water and stir until smooth.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a #7 plain round (3/8-inch) pastry tip. Pipe the batter onto two parchment-lined baking sheet in straight lines, about 6 inches long, at least 1/2 an inch apart. Bake until the sticks are set and light golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Let the sticks cool on the sheets on cooling racks for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter. Save the parchment-lined sheets for the next step.
  3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a 2-cup glass measuring cup (or another microwave-safe, narrow vessel) in 15-second increments. One at time, carefully dip each stick in the melted chocolate. (Be careful. The sticks are somewhat fragile.) In order to get the chocolate up higher on the stick, tip the cup on its side and dip each stick in where the chocolate is the highest. Scrape off excess chocolate and lay each stick on the prepared sheets. Transfer the sheets to the refrigerator to set the chocolate. Store in an air-tight container in the freezer or fridge. (Alternatively, you can temper the chocolate so that the chocolate is hard at room temperature. For directions, see: http://food52.com/blog/3601-how-to-temper-chocolate)
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12 Reviews

mysterydinner
mysterydinner February 3, 2022
Not a bad recipe. Making the dough was a breeze. Piping was difficult but I managed by twisting the top and putting a LOT of pressure on the dough as I piped; made sure I kept twisting the bag as I went so the bag stayed as tight as possible and used a paper towel to help my grip. This cannot be piped like buttercream, but once you get going, the dough comes out on its own. Once it came time to dip, I found they were super fragile. Next time I won’t let my stomach tell me what to do and I’ll try refrigerating overnight or freezing them for a few hours after I bake them to see if they hold together better when dipping. Also, with the size of piping tip that is recommended, they tend to snap less when they’re 4-5” long instead of 6. Overall it wasn’t difficult and they’re very tasty! Even the broken ones still taste good!
 
CatWoman (.
CatWoman (. November 11, 2020
Ummmmmm....my dough turned out really lumpy. And it was literally SO gross. I hated this recipe. Put some better work into it one day.
 
wfydu
wfydu June 4, 2020
My sticks weren't very breakable. I actually had some fun with making them and I made a giant trident and it didn't break. Piping was kinda hard so I just did it with my hands like a real man. I also didn't have chocolate so I substituted it for nutella mixed with coconut oil and cocoa powder. I also don't have a microwave so I did it on the stove.1
 
wfydu
wfydu June 4, 2020
My sticks weren't very breakable. I actually had some fun with making them and I made a giant trident and it didn't break. Piping was kinda hard so I just did it with my hands like a real man. I also didn't have chocolate so I substituted it for nutella mixed with coconut oil and cocoa powder. I also don't have a microwave so I did it on the stove. jhbkj
 
wfydu
wfydu June 4, 2020
My sticks weren't very breakable. I actually had some fun with making them and I made a giant trident and it didn't break. Piping was kinda hard so I just did it with my hands like a real man. I also didn't have chocolate so I substituted it for nutella mixed with coconut oil and cocoa powder. I also don't have a microwave so I did it on the stove.
 
Jenna9595
Jenna9595 March 27, 2020
Hi all! Just wanted to leave a quick review. A fair warning, these sticks are very breakable and can also be hard to pipe. I recommend using the largest tip you have, as this is what worked for me. I decided to use milk chocolate and white chocolate for my pocky, and I have to say it turned out well. What worked best for me was placing pocky stick on a spoon with some chocolate on it, then rolling it until it was well covered. It’s a little tricky, but hey. If a 13 year old can do it, so can you!
 
japanna
japanna December 16, 2019
Making this with my 9 year old daughter and finding the dough much too stiff to pipe... very frustrating! We settled on this recipe since piping sounded easier than cutting and rolling, but I guess I should have checked the reviews first. Be warned!
 
Amanda M.
Amanda M. September 30, 2019
I tried this recipe and I don't love it. The batter is very thick to pipe, but too thin to hold its shape well. I think it would be better to leave the water out and try just cutting and rolling. Maybe add a little more flour. The dough may need to be worked a little so it's less breakable. Also, next time I'll make sure to use Meltys instead of regular chocolate chips. The pocky kept breaking in the chocolate. The flavor of the pocky sticks are good and I did enjoy eating them. 3/5 stars.
 
Aoi
Aoi November 3, 2016
cool
 
Nancy
Nancy February 23, 2016
I'm not sure how I missed this recipe but I'm very excited to make them. I do have one question though. The recipe says to use a 3/8" tip but the photos seem to show a much smaller tip. I'd love to know if that's really what was used. Thank you!
 
karolina
karolina November 6, 2014
älskar POCKY <3 kawaii ashiteru
 
Assonta W.
Assonta W. August 28, 2014
Living in Japan, this is a staple in our house! I cannot wait to try these!