If you’re looking for a new flavor when it comes to appeasing your seemingly insatiable sweet tooth, then you should try mochi! Some of you may be asking what exactly mochi is; mochi is a Japanese rice cake made out of a short-grain japonica glutinous rice called mochigome mixed with other components like water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded until it becomes a paste and then it’s molded into whatever shape the chef desires it to be and is then either baked or boiled. In Japanese culture, mochi is normally made during a ceremony known as mochitsuki.
A strong love for mochi led to the creation of several different kinds of desserts flavored like the delicious rice cake. So whether you love mochi or if your interest has been piqued enough that you want to try it, then check out our list of twelve fun and interesting mochi desserts!
Mochi Ice Cream
Love ice cream? Love mochi? Then this one’s for you! Mochi ice cream is what happens when a mochi ball is filled with various flavors of ice cream to create a one-of-a-kind dessert treat. Invented by Frances Hashimoto, a Japanese-American businesswoman, and activist, mochi ice cream is traditionally made with ice cream flavors like vanilla, strawberry, and green tea, although many have experimented and expanded on the flavors of mochi ice cream available. Even if you have never tried mochi before, but you love ice cream, you should definitely give the mochi ice cream a try.
Mochi Donuts
Another great way to get that delectable mochi flavor is through mochi donuts. It’s simple to do this at home, especially if you are already familiar with making your own donuts. Using mochi dough instead of your usual donut dough, you make them almost exactly as you would make regular donuts, then you can frost them and decorate them however you like! Mochi donuts are a fun, creative way to get that great mochi flavor in a familiar dessert treat.
Mochi Covered Strawberries
If you’re looking for a slightly healthier way to try mochi, then mochi-covered strawberries may be just the thing you’re looking for! Known as Strawberry Daifuku in Japan, mochi-covered strawberries are a popular treat in the summertime. While the traditional Japanese recipe calls for red bean paste, if you’re not up for going authentic on this one, then chocolate is a great substitute.
Jello Mochi
A unique spin on mochi, Jello mochi is quick and easy to make! Made with mochiko, Jello of any flavor, sugar, flavor extract in any flavor of your choosing, and cornstarch for dusting, these wiggly bite-size, fruity, mochi-infused delights are a fun and unique way to try something new.
Hawaiian Butter Mochi
Classic Butter Mochi is a Hawaiian dessert staple that is made with coconut milk and mochiko that is easy to make and bake! This cultural hybrid has a slightly tropical flavor due to the coconut milk, and it’s easy because pretty much all you do is pour in the ingredients by the can or the box, mix, and bake. It comes out looking like cake, but the texture is a bit more bouncy, almost like a gummy bear. For even more coconut flavor, add shredded coconut on top.
Matcha Green Tea Mochi Cookies
Crispy, chewy Matcha Green Tea Mochi Cookies are matcha green tea cookies with pieces of mochi sprinkled all throughout them. The baked mochi gives these otherwise crunchy cookies an extra soft, chewy texture when you bite into them. For fun, we recommend trying this recipe with colored mochi; you can either make the mochi yourself or buy it pre-packaged.
Custard Green Tea Mochi Bun
This sweet bread offers three different textures throughout your entire experience; the softness of the green tea milk bread, the creamy burnt-butter custard, and the chewy mochi in the middle. This is ideal if you want something sweet, but not too sweet, and relatively simple to make.
Chocolate Butter Mochi
An expansion of the traditional Butter Mochi recipe from Hawaii, Chocolate Butter Mochi is another easy, tasty way to experience the delightful mochi flavor alongside worldwide favorite, chocolate. Just like its cousin Butter Mochi, it has a bouncy consistency almost like gummy bears, but with a rich, chocolatey, and mochi flavor that will surely win over your tastebuds.
Custard Mochi
This mochi recipe is fun and unique in and of itself because it separates itself into three different layers; mochi, custard, and a crust. So if you’re a fan of custard and a crisp, delicious crust, then you’re going to want to try your hand at making this texture-rich little bit of decadence a try! Bake in a glass pan for best results, and enjoy a crispy, creamy, chewy slice of heaven.
Matcha Mochi Popsicles
Looking for a way to infuse mochi into a cool, summery treat besides ice cream? Then Matcha Mochi Popsicles may be just what you’re looking for! These delicious dessert treats are made with matcha cream or matcha frozen yogurt and bits of mochi all thrown together in a popsicle mold, and there you have it! Simple, but tasty, and perfect for a hot summer afternoon.
Black Sesame Pumpkin Mochi Cake
If you’re on the hunt for a different dessert to make for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday season get-together, then perhaps you should look into Black Sesame Pumpkin Mochi Cake. This gooey, chewy dessert is chock full of black sesame seeds and between them, the pumpkin, and the mochi, you get an irresistible slightly sweet, and nutty flavor combination. The top layer forms a slight crust while the mochi middle remains soft and chewy, and is another variation of Butter Mochi from Hawaii.
Matcha and Chia Mochi Cake
This mochi cake is easy to make and is just as delicious with a combination of vanilla, matcha, and chia seeds creating a delicious, yet slightly complex sweet flavor with nutty hints all throughout. This cake is best served with whipped cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
So whether you’re a mochi fan or if you’ve never heard of it until now, then we hope that this list of twelve fun and interesting mochi desserts will help you to further develop your cultural tastes!