Butter Mochi is a sweet Hawaiin treat that has recently grown in popularity around the globe. You may have heard of this delicious dessert but aren’t quite sure what it is. Before I was lucky enough to try it for myself, I had overheard some friends raving about it and had to look it up.
If no bakeries near you sell Butter Mochi, you can follow along with this recipe and make your own at home! Suppose you aren’t planning a trip to Hawaii but are dying to get your hands on some. In that case, you can probably find Butter Mochi at a local Asain market or bakery.
This is a pretty traditional recipe and will yield a conventional, standard Hawaiin Butter Mochi. Don’t be intimidated by its name; this recipe is extremely simple to make. It took me less time than it does to make cookies or cupcakes! Let’s get started and see what we’re working with!
How To Make Hawaiian Butter Mochi
You might think that Butter Mochi is difficult to make, but you thought wrong. It’s actually simpler than many Western baked goods. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to make a classic Hawaiin Butter Mochi.
What You’ll Need
- Mochiko Flour: Mochiko flour is our main ingredient. It’s a Japanese rice flour made out of short-grain rice. Since it is made from rice, it has a high starch content and zero gluten. The most popular brand is Koda Farms, but there are a ton of options. Mochiko is frequently used in Asain desserts. Mochi and Chi Chi Dango, are just a few examples.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent, meaning it helps the Butter Mochi expand. Without it, your finished product will be flat and dense, which we don’t want. Butter Mochi is already pretty dense.
- Salt: Salt is added to virtually all baked goods because it adds a hint of flavor. It’s pretty much undetectable, but you’ll be sorry if you leave it out.
- Granulated Sugar: This recipe calls for white, granulated sugar because the fine granules easily incorporate fully into the rest of the ingredients. You can definitely try another, healthier sweetener, like agave or monk fruit if you choose!
- Eggs: As you probably already know, baked goods use eggs to provide structure and body. Though some recipes allow for the substitution of applesauce or flaxseeds, I haven’t tried that in Butter Mochi and can’t say how it would turn out. I recommend sticking to what we know works.
- Vanilla Extract: You’ll want to add vanilla extract to provide a rich, caramelly flavor to the Butter Mochi. Yes, sugar is sweet, but not necessarily flavorful enough to carry an entire recipe.
- Butter: Simply put, butter makes baked goods rich and tasty. It might not be healthy, but it’s darn good!
- Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Full fat coconut milk will yield savory, nutty Butter Mochi. The easiest thing to do is to buy it in a can and dump it straight in!
Surprisingly, all you need to make this recipe is a large mixing bowl, measuring cups, a whisk, and a 9×13 inch baking pan! We recommend combining the dry ingredients first to make sure everything is well dispersed. After that, mix everything together into one bowl, and that’s it!
You don’t have to let anything sit overnight, knead dough, or simmer anything on a stovetop. This recipe basically has three steps: stir, pour, and bake.
Tips & Tricks
- Sprinkle some shaved coconut on top of your Butter Mochi before putting it in the oven. This adds a touch of texture and enhances the coconut flavor.
- Play around with the amount of sugar you add. Butter Mochi doesn’t have to be excessively sweet to be enjoyable. Sometimes, less is more!
- You can pour the batter directly into a muffin pan for bite-sized portions. This is especially helpful if you are baking these for company – they look a bit more uniform.
- Make sure the Butter Mochi is cooled before you slice into it. Once cooled, the texture becomes the perfect chewy consistency that we aim for.
FAQs
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What is Butter Mochi Made of?
Hawaiian Butter Mochi mainly consists of mochiko flour, coconut milk, and sugar. A few other ingredients are included, like salt, baking powder, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
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What does Hawaiin Mochi Taste like?
Hawaiian Butter Mochi tastes somewhere in between cake and Japanese Mochi. It has a lovely chewy texture that comes from the sweet rice flour and it gets a nutty flavor from the coconut, too.
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Is Butter Mochi Hawaiin or Japanese?
Not to be confused with Japanese Mochi, Butter Mochi comes from Hawaii. Its origin is not entirely certain, but it’s thought to be inspired by Japanese Mochi and Bibingka, a Filipino rice cake.
Other Dessert Recipes
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy this Butter Mochi as much as I do. It only takes 10 minutes to prepare, and it’s incredibly delicious. Not everyone is located in areas where there is access to food from many different cultures. The beauty of the modern age is that you can find the recipe in seconds and try things out yourself!