A Premium Childhood Snack: Does Haitai Homerun Ball Still Taste the Same?

When I was a child, Homerun Ball was not an everyday snack.

I remember my mother buying it for me on special occasions, such as Christmas or school field trips. At the time, Homerun Ball felt a little more premium than other snacks. Its shiny green package stood out, but what I especially liked was the chocolate hidden inside each small pastry. Chocolate-filled snacks and treats with such a soft texture were not very common during my childhood.

Homerun Ball was first introduced 45 years ago, and I still eat it about once a month. Even as an adult, my impression of its flavor has not changed very much. Several new varieties have been released over the years, but my older daughter and I still prefer the original chocolate flavor.

The fact that Haitai Homerun Ball has been sold for so long is not enough by itself to make it worth introducing. Once you actually eat it, however, you realize that its structure and texture are quite different from those of an ordinary chocolate cookie. I took a closer look at what is inside the package and compared how it tastes straight from the bag, warmed in a microwave, and heated in an air fryer.

Homerun Ball Is More Like a Small Cream Puff Than a Cookie

The English name printed on the package is Homerun Ball Choco. The name may make it sound like a ball-shaped piece of chocolate, but the snack is actually closer to a miniature cream puff.

Each piece is round, although the size and shape are not perfectly uniform. The surface has a lightly baked color, and a small hole where the chocolate filling was added can be seen on the side or bottom. When I pick one up, it feels lighter than it looks.

Cutting one in half explains why. The thin, puffed pastry shell is mostly hollow, with chocolate filling concentrated on one side. Anyone expecting a pastry packed with chocolate may feel that there is not enough filling. In my opinion, however, the empty space and modest amount of chocolate create Homerun Ball’s distinctive light texture.

The outside does not snap like a firm cookie. When I bite into it, the thin shell breaks easily and quickly softens in my mouth. The chocolate flavor follows afterward. It is neither intensely chocolatey nor extremely sweet. That makes it easy to eat several pieces in a row, which can be both an advantage and a drawback.

If you prefer a softer, more cake-like Korean chocolate snack, you may also want to read my Haitai Oh Yes Review: Comparing This Moist Korean Chocolate Cake with Choco Pie. Unlike Homerun Ball’s light, hollow pastry shell, Oh Yes has soft cake layers with chocolate cream inside.

Sharing a 45-Year-Old Snack With My Daughter

It feels a little strange that the snack I ate on special occasions as a child is now one of my daughter’s favorites.

Homerun Ball has been released in several flavors, and we have tried some of them. Still, my older daughter and I always return to the original chocolate version. It is not that the newer flavors are bad. I think the original chocolate flavor simply became my standard for what Homerun Ball should taste like.

One day, my daughter was eating Homerun Ball with a glass of milk and accidentally dropped one into the milk. I expected her to take it out and throw it away, but she ate it and said it tasted good. These days, instead of dropping one in by accident, she deliberately puts Homerun Ball into her milk and lets it soak for a moment.

At first, I found this funny. When I thought about it, however, her method made sense. The thin, dry shell becomes softer after absorbing some milk, and milk naturally pairs well with chocolate. I still prefer to eat the snack and drink the milk separately, but dipping Homerun Ball in milk has become another option in our family.

The reason a long-running snack remains memorable is not always explained by flavor alone. For me, Homerun Ball brings back memories of school trips and Christmas. For my daughter, it is a snack she enjoys soaking in milk. The same product can create different memories for different generations.

Plain, Microwaved, or Air-Fried: How Does Each Version Compare?

Homerun Ball is designed to be eaten straight from the package. It does not require any preparation. In Korea, however, some people also warm it in a microwave or air fryer.

I tried all three methods. The air fryer produced the most noticeable change in texture, but I still prefer eating Homerun Ball directly from the package.

1. Eating It Straight From the Package

Eating Homerun Ball as it is allows me to experience its original light texture and the way its shell breaks apart softly. The chocolate inside keeps its shape rather than becoming runny.

This is the version I remember from childhood. It requires no preparation, and the balance between the pastry shell and the chocolate is the most familiar to me. Warming it can be an interesting experiment, but if I bought another package, I would probably eat most of it without heating it.

2. Warming It in the Microwave

Warming Homerun Ball in a microwave makes the pastry warmer and slightly crispier. The chocolate filling also becomes softer than it is at room temperature.

With my microwave, about two minutes was enough to produce a noticeable change. However, the required time can vary depending on the microwave’s wattage and the number of pieces being heated. I would not recommend automatically using two minutes with every microwave.

Do not place the original wrapper or plastic tray in the microwave. Transfer the snacks to a microwave-safe plate first. If you are trying this method for the first time, heat them briefly, check their condition, and add more time if necessary. Do not leave the microwave unattended, and remember that both the pastry and chocolate may be hot immediately after heating.

3. Heating It in an Air Fryer

Using an air fryer creates a more noticeable contrast between the crisp exterior and the soft chocolate filling. The outside becomes crispier while the chocolate inside warms up.

However, these small pastries can darken or burn easily if the temperature is too high or they are heated for too long. One of the preparation references I reviewed suggested heating them at approximately 150°C, or 302°F, for four minutes while checking their condition. This is an individual cooking example rather than an official method provided by the manufacturer, so the results may vary depending on the air fryer and the number of pieces being heated.

Instead of beginning with a high temperature and a long cooking time, it is better to check the color partway through. Do not put the paper package or plastic tray in the air fryer. Transfer only the Homerun Ball pieces to the air-fryer basket.

The air-fried version offered the most interesting change in texture. Personally, however, I would not prepare the air fryer every time I wanted to eat this snack. It may be worth trying once if you enjoy a crispier texture, but I still prefer the familiar texture of the original, unheated version.

What the Package and Serving Size Actually Look Like

The product I photographed was the chocolate-flavored Homerun Ball in its familiar green package. The front of this particular package lists a net weight of 41 grams and 240 calories. Haitai’s official online store also sells a separate 46-gram version, which suggests that the package size may differ depending on how the product is sold. If you are purchasing it outside Korea, check the weight printed on the package rather than relying on the product name alone. Haitai’s official product page

Inside the bag is a separate tray holding the Homerun Ball pieces in a single layer. The tray may help prevent the round pastries from being crushed, but the amount can look smaller than expected if you assume the outer package will be completely full.

Because each piece is hollow inside, Homerun Ball also feels very light. It is easy to reach for several pieces in succession rather than eating only one or two slowly. The exact number may vary because of differences in package weight and the size of individual pieces, so it would be misleading to claim that every bag always contains the same number.

Ingredients and allergen information may vary depending on the product and the country where it is sold. If you buy Homerun Ball outside Korea, check the ingredient list on the Korean package, the English label added by the importer, and the best-before date. If you are allergic to wheat, milk, eggs, or nuts, do not rely only on the product name or a seller’s brief description.

Who Might Enjoy Homerun Ball—and Who Might Not?

Homerun Ball Choco may suit people who prefer a light, delicate snack over a firm cookie. It may also appeal to those who like the combination of a thin pastry shell and a moderate amount of chocolate rather than a heavily filled chocolate snack. It is easy to serve with milk or coffee if you are looking for a simple Korean snack.

On the other hand, anyone expecting a filling snack may find one package too small. People looking for a rich pastry packed with chocolate may also be disappointed after seeing the cross-section. If you prefer very firm, crunchy cookies, Homerun Ball’s light and somewhat soft texture may not match your taste.

Heating it does not necessarily make it better for everyone, either. Some people may prefer the stronger crispness created by an air fryer, while others, like me, may find the original unheated version more familiar and enjoyable.

I Would Still Choose the Original Chocolate Flavor

New Homerun Ball flavors and different ways of eating the snack continue to appear. I have warmed it in both a microwave and an air fryer and experienced a crispier version of the familiar pastry. My older daughter has also created her own way of eating it by soaking it in milk.

Even so, the next version I buy will probably be the original chocolate flavor. The first way I eat it will most likely be the simplest one: opening the bag and eating it as it is.

I can now buy whenever I want the snack that was once reserved for special occasions during my childhood. Even so, the first bite still briefly takes me back to the night before a school trip or the excitement of receiving a bag of snacks at Christmas. The reason this 45-year-old snack still means something to me is not that its flavor feels completely new, but that it has remained largely unchanged for so long.

About the Author

K-papa is a creator, husband, and father of two daughters living in South Korea. He shares firsthand experiences with Korean food, products, and everyday culture to help international readers understand how they are actually enjoyed and used in Korean homes. Learn more about K-papa and The Korea Picks.