Chewy Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe (2024)

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Try this Hawaiian butter mochi recipe for a chewy, buttery, fudgey dessert with crisp, crunchy edges. A Hawaiian favorite, this butter mochi is highly addictive!

The first time I had Hawaiian butter mochi was on a trip to Maui and I happened across these in an outdoor market. Initially I thought they were blondies and was curious why there were so popular but then I saw the words "butter mochi" written on top and I knew I would love them as I'm a huge fan of mochi.

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What is Hawaiian Butter Mochi?

Hawaiian butter mochi is a popular sweet treat made with mochiko flour, sugar, eggs, and coconut milk. If you've never had it before, it's chewy, fudgy, sweet, coconut-y, and surrounded by the crunchiest crust you can imagine. The best way I can describe it is like an extra fudgy brownie with crunchy edges and a chewy center.

What is mochiko?

Mochiko is sweet rice flour ground into a fine powder. The texture is very similar to flour but when it's baked or cooked, the texture becomes chewy and stretchy. It's widely used in Hawaiian, Korean, Japanese, and south east Asian recipes.

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Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe Tips:

The trick to getting these butter mochi chewy is to let them cool completely. I waited a good 3 hours until they were cool enough to achieve the right texture. It'll be worth the wait. If you eat them before they're cool, the texture won't be firm enough and you'll miss out on all that chewy, fudgy texture. Just let them cool on a wire rack and you'll notice them firming up.Chewy Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe (5)

How to Make Hawaiian Butter Mochi

I used a mini loaf pan and muffin pan because I wanted more of those crunchy edges. I'm definitely a lover of those crispy, crunchy corner/edge pieces when it comes to any baked good so what better way to capitalize on that than a using these rectangular mini loaf pans. You get 4 edges in one piece - winning!

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These butter mochi don't rise that much so feel free to fill them up. You'll see a bit of rise from the baking powder and egg but not enough to overflow the pan.

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Look at those edges! I wish you could hear how crunchy and crispy the top edges are. It's literally like biting into a crunchy cookie. The edges are nice and hard, but the center will still be too soft to fully enjoy these, so remove them from the pan and let them cool.

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This Hawaiian butter mochi recipe is perfect for get togethers or parties. They're perfect at room temperature and everyone loves it when I bring them to get togethers. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Microwave them for about 10 seconds to soften up or reheat them in a toaster oven. Let them cool before enjoying.

Chewy Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe (9)I hope you enjoy this Hawaiian butter mochi recipe! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

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Recipe

Chewy Hawaiian Butter Mochi

Try this Hawaiian butter mochi recipe for a chewy, buttery, fudgey dessert with crisp, crunchy edges. A Hawaiian favorite, this butter mochi is highly addictive!

5 from 157 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Hawaiian

Servings 12

Equipment

☑ Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:

  • 13.5 oz lite coconut milk
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • 7 Tablespoons butter - melted
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  • In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk out any lumps. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth.

  • Pour the mixture into a well greased nonstick muffin pan or mini loaf pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes until the edges and surface turn a golden brown. If baking in a 9 x 9 baking dish, bake for 1 hour.

  • Remove them from the pan and set them on a wire rack to cool before serving. Be sure to let them cool completely to firm up and get a chewy mochi texture.

✎ Recipe Notes

Leftovers: Store the butter mochi in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Afterwards, refrigerate or freeze it.

Reheat: You can microwave it but if you want that crispy crust back, reheat it in the toaster oven until it's soft throughout and the surface and edges crisp up.

Nutrition

Calories: 318.31kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.33g | Protein: 5.08g | Fat: 10.4g | Saturated Fat: 6.81g | Cholesterol: 70.29mg | Sodium: 107.96mg | Potassium: 103.5mg | Fiber: 0.84g | Sugar: 25.18g | Vitamin A: 280.63IU | Calcium: 37.18mg | Iron: 1.74mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was and give it a 5 star rating! Tag @drivemehungry to show off your creations! I love seeing your photos!

*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.

Chewy Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes mochi so chewy? ›

Mochi is a traditional Japanese sweet treat made from glutinous rice that has been pounded into a sticky, chewy, and slight gummy dough. The word “mochi” comes from the Japanese verb “motsu” which means “to pound”, and this process of pounding the rice is what gives mochi its unique texture.

What is Hawaiian mochi made of? ›

Many families pride themselves on having “the best” butter mochi recipe, and while recipes vary slightly from family to family, the base ingredients are pretty standard: a box of mochiko (glutinous or sweet rice flour), butter, coconut milk, some kind of other milk (evaporated, whole, skim, etc.), eggs, baking soda, ...

Does butter mochi need to be refrigerated? ›

Butter mochi can last for up to three days left at room temperature. A week in the fridge, or if frozen up to a month. If you freeze the butter mochi to consume simply take them out and put them in the microwave for a minute to defrost.

What makes mochi stretchy? ›

Mochi stretches because the properties of the starch content (amylopectin) change, causing it to become soft and stretchy as it absorbs water. This transformation requires not only starch but also moderate levels of moisture and heat.

What makes glutinous rice chewy? ›

This is because of high levels of amylopectin starch that give the grain its trademark chew and bounce. Whether you call it sticky rice, glutinous rice, or even sweet rice—it's a staple of many facets of Asian cooking.

How do you make mochi chewy again? ›

There are a few ways to soften hard, leftover mochi. You can try boiling it to help turn the mochi soft again. If that's not an option, you can also create fried mochi, a crunchy, equally delicious option. Of course, microwaving this treat can work too.

Why is mochi popular in Hawaii? ›

Mochi was brought to Hawaii by Japanese plantation workers in the mid-1800's. To ring in the New Year, family and friends come together for the mochitsuki ceremony, pounding mochi to bring peace, prosperity, good health, and happiness.

Why is mochi healthy? ›

Mochi is one of the few carbohydrate sources that is packed with protein, and is free from cholesterol.

What is authentic mochi made of? ›

Mochi is made of mochigome, a Japanese variety of sweet glutinous rice, that is soaked overnight, steamed, pounded into dough and molded into various shapes. Some sweet mochi confections contain fillings such as bean paste, ice cream or fresh fruit.

What is the best rice flour for mochi? ›

To make chewy mochi treats, recipes often call for mochiko, Japanese-style dry-milled glutinous rice flour.

How long should mochi sit before eating? ›

Grab your favorite flavor out of the freezer, wait 1-2 minutes so your My/Mochi can reach its Joyfully Chill potential. Once your My/Mochi is the 'right' level of softness for you, time to snack!

Why is my mochi grainy? ›

Some mochi makers don't strain the fragments of the sesame seeds, giving the eater a grainy texture experience. Due to its growing popularity, but remaining relative obscurity, black sesame can be hard to find outside of Chinese or Japanese ethnic enclaves in major cities.

What makes mochi chewy? ›

Amylopectin is is much more hygroscopic than amylose, which for people who didn't major in chemistry means that Amylopectin absorbs more water. Mochi in its simplest form is just a chewy elastic dough made from fully hydrated Amylopectin.

Why are mochi donuts chewy? ›

The Takeout noted that "mochi doughnuts have a crispy exterior, due to being fried or baked, and a chewy interior thanks to the use of" mochiko sweet rice flour and that "some recipes are gluten free, since they use rice or tapioca flour rather than the conventional wheat variety".

Can you overcook mochi? ›

It is best to check every 1-2 minutes as it is very easy to overcook the mochi especially in a high power (i.e., 1200 watt) microwave oven. Cut around the edges. Let it cool down in the microwave for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Why is mochi so gummy? ›

If you're wondering why it's so sticky the answer is the same as why most common glues are sticky: the molecules in the mochi are forming weak hydrogen bonds with everything they touch, even your skin!

What gives mochi its texture? ›

Mochi is a chewy, glutinous Japanese rice cake. It's made by using wooden mallets to pound the mochi. until it becomes sticky and chewy. Then Mitsu comes in and works the mochi by hand.

Is mochi rubbery? ›

Made from pounded and molded rice dough, these sweet little rice cake confections come in a variety of colors and flavors (like matcha, chocolate, and strawberry) and have a slightly sticky, delightfully chewy quality about them—like stretchy little clouds.

Is mochi supposed to be gooey? ›

On its own, mochi tastes like rice but has a sticky, stretchy, soft, and chewy texture.

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