The Lazy Cook’s Homemade Mochi: A Soft and Chewy Confection

Are you on the mochi train?

If not, you should be! This soft and chewy Japanese confection is addictively fun to eat, with a unique texture that delights with every bite.

And you can make it at home with my lazy cook’s version. Made in the microwave. Don’t judge me.

I’m too impatient to wait for dessert! A delicious sweet treat is just minutes away!

But before diving into the recipe, learn a little more about it:

What Exactly Is it?

Pronounced “MOH-chee,” mochi is a super soft, sweet rice dough confection popular in Japanese cuisine.

It is made out of glutinous sweet rice flour mixed together with sugar, water, and other optional flavorings.

Similar to wheat gluten, the proteins in glutinous sweet rice flour develop elasticity when heated and manipulated. The initially sticky mixture dries and hardens just slightly as it cools, creating a soft, stretchy dough.

The mochi can then be eaten on its own, or used as a wrap for other ingredients like ice cream or sweet pastes.

What Does It Taste Like?

Mochi is all about the texture! Tender, chewy, elastic – it will remind you of a very soft, almost melt-in-your-mouth gummy candy.

It doesn’t really have its own defined taste, unless the dough is flavored.

And believe me, there are tons of flavors to try!

Walk into any Asian grocery store, and you’ll see shelves of a variety of flavors.

On its own, it can range in flavor from taro, sesame seed, vanilla, and green tea to red bean or assorted fruits.

Stuffed mochi desserts are also available, virtually in the same range of flavors with sweet, chewy fillings.

I’ve even seen mochi wrapped around bits of cookie dough. Crazy delicious idea.

But the real star of the show is the mochi ball ice cream. I’m sure you’ve seen these!

Small balls of ice cream or sherbet are wrapped inside a small piece of the dough. It’s a frozen delight that has been popularized by many large grocery store chains, with some featuring a mochi ball ice cream bar where you can choose your own flavors.

Strawberry, red velvet cake, coconut chocolate, orange cream – I’ve tried them all, and I love every single one.

And we’ll provide you with our own homemade mochi ball ice cream recipe, coming soon on Foodal!

Can I Make It At Home?

Absolutely! It’s easy!

There are a few different styles of making mochi (no worries, we’ll do the easy one!).

One traditional method, considered a ceremony in Japan, is called mochitsuki. While a popular ritual to celebrate the New Year, it can be prepared this way year round.

With this style, the dough is made by repeatedly pounding steamed sticky rice, called mochigome, with other ingredients. The continual pounding helps develop a perfectly smooth, soft, elastic, and chewy texture.

But with my lazy cook’s version, this vegan and gluten-free treat is actually very simple to make!

Rather than steaming and pounding rice, you can use a glutinous sweet rice flour (available at most Asian grocery markets) to quicken the process.

After mixing all of the ingredients together, you simply microwave the wet mixture for a few minutes until it thickens, roll it out, cut it, and eat it!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Whisk Together Dry Ingredients

Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and matcha powder in a large microwave-safe bowl.

The matcha powder provides a subtle taste, and light green color. It is totally optional – you can prepare this dough without any flavorings.

Step 2 – Add the Water

Slowly pour the water into the dry ingredient mixture, whisking constantly until it is completely incorporated. The mixture will look like a slightly thick, runny batter.

Step 3 – Cover and Microwave

Careful with this step! The dough will be very hot once it’s heated.

Tightly cover the bowl with a layer of plastic wrap. This will help to steam the dough as it is cooking, keeping it moist and preventing it from drying out.

Microwave on high for 3 – 3 1/2 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave. Remove the bowl very carefully from the microwave every 30 seconds to thoroughly stir the mixture, putting the plastic wrap back on the bowl every time. Again, the dough will be hot!

The batter will thicken significantly, turning into a thick, sticky dough once it has been heated.

Stirring so often will help to re-distribute the dough, and will help to develop the gluten structure to get the best elasticity and chew.

Step 4 – Press Out

You want to work quickly while the dough is still warm and still very pliable to roll – once it begins cooling down, it will be more difficult to shape.

Spread half of the cornstarch on a clean work surface. Using a spatula, remove the dough from the bowl and place on the prepared work surface.

Cover your hands in cornstarch and lightly stretch out the dough to the desired thickness (I’ve done about 1/4 inch thick here), applying more cornstarch if it gets too sticky.

Step 5 – Cut

How do you want to shape your dough? This is the step where you decide what to do!

With a knife or cookie cutter dusted with cornstarch, cut into your desired shapes, applying more cornstarch to the exposed sides.

For a garnish on ice cream, cut them in very small cubes. For a standalone dessert, use a small cookie cutter.

Just be sure to keep your cutting utensil dusted with cornstarch to prevent sticking!

Step 6 – Remove Excess Cornstarch

Place all the mochi in a sifter. Shake the sifter generously to remove any excess cornstarch.

Step 7 – Serve

You can serve the mochi immediately. It will cool and set quickly!

It is best eaten the day of making. For short-term storage purposes, place them in an airtight container in a single layer, and store at room temperature for one day.