Mochi muffins are made with rice flour, sugar, coconut milk, and plenty of butter and vanilla! They’re sweet, chewy, and wonderfully light and fluffy. Enjoy it as an afternoon snack, or as a treat for breakfast!
Mochi Muffins are Simple and Delicious
Mochi is a traditional Japanese food made from glutinous rice or mochigome. Traditionally, mochi is made by steaming glutinous rice and then pounding it with a large wooden mallet until it becomes a sticky paste.
Mochi muffins are a delicious and unique twist on the traditional mochi and muffins. Luckily, they are made with mochiko, also known as glutinous rice flour, which makes it much easier to make. It also gives them a chewy and slightly sweet texture.
One of the best things about mochi muffins is that they are extremely versatile. You can add in a variety of mix-ins to customize the flavor to your liking. Some popular options include chocolate chips, fruit, nuts, and even savory ingredients like cheese and bacon.
I’m a huge fan of mochi. Things like chichi dango mochi, poi mochi, mochi donuts, and mochi brownies. I’ve also used it in mochi waffles and mochi pancakes. It’s an excellent ingredient for anyone with gluten allergies or sensitivities as it’s naturally gluten-free.
This butter mochi muffin recipe is a great breakfast option, tasty snack, or even dessert. Perfect for packing in a lunchbox or taking on the go. Give these unique muffins a try the next time you are in the mood for something a little different. You won’t be disappointed!
Mochi Muffins Key Ingredients
(Full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)
- Mochiko Flour. A white flour made from glutinous rice. You can use whatever brand you like, but I love Mochiko!
- Golden Brown Sugar. Opt for golden brown sugar instead of traditional brown sugar for this recipe. It’s a bit lighter and boasts a delicate flavor, which is perfect for this dish.
- Granulated White Sugar. You’ll also need regular granulated white sugar.
- Coconut Milk. Featuring a light coconut flavor, this ingredient adds a touch of natural flavor to the muffins. It also ensures that they are perfectly moist!
- Eggs. Fresh eggs are best.
- Butter. Butter mochi muffins wouldn’t be complete without butter! Use unsalted.
- Vanilla. For even more light and delicate aromas, add a splash of vanilla to your mochi muffin batter. You can make your own homemade vanilla extract or buy pick some up from the store.
How to make perfect Mochi Muffins
Prep your space. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and gather your ingredients.
Combine the dry ingredients. Add the rice flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl and mix until well combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a different, larger bowl, add the coconut milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Add the dry and wet ingredients together. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir — it should be just combined, don’t over-mix!
Pour into a cupcake/muffin pan. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray or line it with cupcake/muffin wrappers. Fill each tin ⅔ of the way full with the batter.
Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Use the toothpick test — if it comes out clean you can remove the mochi muffins from the oven. Allow to cool a bit and enjoy!
Tips
- Use the right type of flour: It is important to use glutinous rice flour, also known as mochiko, to make mochi muffins. This type of flour is available at most Asian markets or online. Using regular rice flour or another type of flour will not give you the same chewy and slightly sweet texture that is characteristic of mochi muffins.
- Don’t overmix the batter: When making the muffin batter, be careful not to overmix. This can cause the muffins to become tough and lead to a less desirable texture. Mix the dry and wet ingredients just until they are combined, and then gently fold in any mix-ins.
- Experiment with mix-ins: As mentioned, one of the great things about mochi muffins is their versatility. Feel free to get creative and try out different mix-ins to find your favorite flavor combination. Some options to consider include chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, and even savory ingredients like cheese and bacon. Just be sure to not add too much, as this can affect the texture of the muffins.
- Add sesame seeds on top. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of your muffins to add a bit of crunch. They will toast up perfectly as they bake!
Frequently Asked Questions
The main ingredient in this mochi muffin recipe is rice flour. Again, I usually use Mochiko flour — it’s easy to find, and the results are always phenomenal. Other key ingredients include butter, two types of sugar, coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla.
This recipe will give you light and fluffy baked goods every time, thanks to unique ingredients like rice flour and coconut milk. That said, if the texture is a real concern, consider making sure that all of the ingredients are at the same temperature before you get started. Lots of chefs swear by this method!
Mochi is Japanese. As I mentioned, the original mochi (mochigome) recipe is a traditional Japanese sweet made with glutinous rice flour and a few other ingredients. It comes in several different flavors, but the most popular is green tea.
Other Mochi Recipes You’ll Love
- Red Velvet Mochi Brownies
- Mochi Crunch Cookies Recipe
- Delicious Butter Mochi
- Chocolate Butter Mochi Recipe
- Pumpkin mochi
Mochi Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups mochiko flour
- 1/2 cup golden brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, add flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- To another large bowl, add coconut milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined.
- Spray a cupcake pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with cupcake wrappers. Fill each cavity with batter ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool slightly and ENJOY!!
Notes
Tips for the best mochi muffins
- Use the right type of flour: It is important to use glutinous rice flour, also known as mochiko, to make mochi muffins. This type of flour is available at most Asian markets or online. Using regular rice flour or another type of flour will not give you the same chewy and slightly sweet texture that is characteristic of mochi muffins.
- Don’t overmix the batter: When making the muffin batter, be careful not to overmix. This can cause the muffins to become tough and lead to a less desirable texture. Mix the dry and wet ingredients just until they are combined, and then gently fold in any mix-ins.
- Experiment with mix-ins: As mentioned, one of the great things about mochi muffins is their versatility. Feel free to get creative and try out different mix-ins to find your favorite flavor combination. Some options to consider include chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, and even savory ingredients like cheese and bacon. Just be sure to not add too much, as this can affect the texture of the muffins.
- Add sesame seeds on top. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of your muffins to add a bit of crunch. They will toast up perfectly as they bake!
Nutrition
© Relle Lum for Keeping It Relle. Please do not copy and paste or screenshot recipes online or on social media. I’d love it if you share a link with a photo instead. Mahalo!
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Sounds wonderful but I don’t see the recipe card. Mahalo!
Aloha. My apologies, it should be visible now. Can you let me know? Mahalo.
I love how chewy these mochi muffins come out! I added the sesame seeds on top and it was a nice mini crunch too!
Aloha Shelby. Right, so so good. Thank you for stopping by.
Made these and they’re terrific! We gobbled them all up in one go so I’ll have to make more! Yum!
Aloha Jenn. Yay. So happy to hear. Thank you.
I was looking for a recipe to use up some rice flour and found these muffins. They were easy to make and super delicious. Even the kids loved them.
Aloha Lisa. Great way to use up extras and so happy the kids love it. Have a great day.
These muffins were delicious! Nice and chewy and just enough sweetness. My boyfriend and I both loved them!
Aloha Lara. Happy to hear. Thank you for stopping by and sharing.
I was so apprehensive about trying this mochi muffins recipe since I don’t like to bake. But, I am so happy I made it! The muffins came out so soft and delicious. Your instructions were right on point.
Aloha. So awesome to hear. I’m glad it was easy to understand and follow. Thank you.
I love using mochiko when I need a gluten free treat for family or guests. These yummy muffins were perfect! They have that signature mochi chewiness and were sweet without the sweetness being too much. We loved them next to omelets over the weekend!
Me too. It’s a great gluten free option.
I could eat these EVERY day. Sooo good! I was surprised by how easy these were to make, and they were perfect with some toasted sesame seeds on top. Will absolutely be making these again!
Easy and yummy. Win, win!
This was the first time I used rice flour and I am happy to say this ending up being a family favorite! These muffins were so easy to make and the flavor and texture was really great. Will be making these again! Thanks!
Aloha Brooke. So great to hear. Thank you for sharing.
Hi there! Is there a certain kind of coconut milk to use for these? Full fat/less fat etc?
So excited to make – thanks!
Up to you. Full fat is more rich. Less fat not as rich. I usually use less fat.
Can left over batter be saved or should it be used up/discarded?
Aloha Brian. You can totally store the left over batter in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a few days.
Mahalo! I made it with cupcake liners but the bottoms didn’t come out right. The tops were perfect. It still tasted amazing as I remember, many years ago!
Aloha Brian. What happened to the bottoms? Glad to hear it tasted great.
The bottoms were soft and stuck to the cupcake liners. I realized that I placed the pan on the top rack in the oven. I think that affected it the most.
Ah yes. For these I’d suggest baking on the middle rack.
Absolutely love this recipe ! it’s great following exactly as is, but I have also used it as a base & made so many different flavor/add in varieties . Browned butter choc chip, pineapple upside down, Reese’s pieces, just to name a few . Thanks for sharing, I miss my time on the islands . can’t wait to try more of your recipes !
Thank you so much. Happy to hear. Have a great day.
These came out soooo ono Relle! I ended up putting the rest of the batter into a loaf pan because I only have one muffin pan and didn’t want to wait. It needed about 10 more mins overall, but came out perfect!
Aloha Sarah. So great to hear. Mahalo for sharing. Have a great day.