Butter Mochi

By Genevieve Ko

Published June 29, 2021

  • Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 3
Total Time
2 hours, plus cooling
Rating
4(2,698)
Comments
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Tender and chewy, this big-batch dessert — as comforting as cake and as fun as bar cookies — is always a hit at parties. Mochiko, sweet rice flour, not only gives it its distinctive marshmallow-like softness, but it also lends a natural sweetness. This version of butter mochi uses only coconut milk for its richness and subtle nutty taste, but you can substitute equivalent amounts of whole milk, evaporated milk or a combination of those liquids. Butter mochi develops a crackly top that stays crunchy the day it’s baked, making it a delicious dessert to eat without adornment. But, if you’d like more crunch, you can sprinkle dried shredded coconut evenly over the top before baking, or, for a tangy, colorful top, you can coat it with the passion fruit glaze below. (Watch the video of Genevieve Ko making butter mochi here.)

Featured in: The Best Party Dessert Comes From Hawaii

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Ingredients

Yield:1 (9-by-13-inch) cake

FOR THE MOCHI

  • 6 tablespoons/84 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan

  • 3 cups/453 grams mochiko (sweet rice flour), like Blue Star brand

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 cups/416 grams granulated sugar

  • 2 (13.5-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (scant 3 ½ cups)

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE PASSION FRUIT GLAZE (OPTIONAL)

  • 1 ½ packed cups/219 grams confectioners’ sugar

  • 2 to 4 tablespoons passion fruit pulp or purée (see Tip)

  • Pink or red food coloring (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the mochi: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk the mochiko, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Prepare the batter in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or whisk: Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and thick. Continue whisking while pouring in the coconut milk, then the butter and vanilla. Continue whisking while gradually adding the mochiko mixture. Whisk until the batter is completely smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, then tap it against the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.

  3. Step 3

    Bake until golden brown and crackly, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 ½ hours. When you press the center, it should bounce back but not indent at all. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment paper to slide the cooled mochi out of the pan.

  4. Step 4

    The mochi is delicious plain, but you can add a glaze if you’d like: Mix the confectioners’ sugar with 2 tablespoons passion fruit pulp until smooth. It should be thick but drippy. If needed, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons pulp. If you’d like to create an ombré or sunset effect, scrape some into another bowl or multiple bowls and tint with food coloring. Spread the glaze evenly over the mochi, in stripes if you’d like, and let stand until set.

  5. Step 5

    Cut the mochi into squares or bars. Serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Tip

  • You can buy pure passion fruit purée from specialty markets and some grocery stores in the frozen fruit section. If you can’t find the fruit or purée, you can substitute passion fruit juice or nectar, but it will be much sweeter. To prepare passion fruit pulp from fresh fruit, halve 2 fruits and scrape the pulp into a small microwave-safe bowl or saucepan. Warm by microwaving for 15 seconds or heating on low until loose and runny. Press through a sieve to extract the pulp from the seeds.

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4 out of 5
2,698 user ratings
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Comments

jill

Halved recipe, but with only 3/4 c sugar, added a tsp of coconut extract and un-toasted unsweetened shredded coconut on top and it is AMAZING!! Took 1 hr in an 8x8” metal pan. Covered it loosely with foil halfway thru to keep from getting too brown.

Zalo

You can find seedless passion fruit pieces in the frozen section of Whole Foods Market.

Jacob

Made the recipe exactly as written and it is SO incredible. A couple of nuances that really worked for me: - Melt your butter first so it has time to cool - Use room temperature eggs (I took mine out of the fridge and soaked them in warm water for a few minutes) - Sift the dry ingredients - When adding the dry ingredients to the wet, really do this gradually to avoid lumps - Once poured into the pan, slam the pan on the counter several times to remove as much air as possible from the batter

Kate

I made this with the following adds/sub - almond flavoring for vanilla - blended frozen bing cherries with a smidge of water for the papaya - added maybe 1/3 cup of coconut bc I will always add coconut Took it to an event and people loved it. The GF folks were esp excited. When I make it again I’m going to cut recipe by 1/3 to 1/2 bc I think I might like the bars to be thinner. They were so thick that it almost felt like too much chew. I wanted more crisp in the mix.

Chris T

This is the kochi recipe my Filipino family has used for generations. I last made it with rhubarb and mango squares laid on top before baking. The tart fruit played very nicely against the rich buttery cake, much like passion fruit glaze does. Also have made an amped up version using ube flavoring and ube jam, with the tart fruit on top and sprinkling of coconut for an amazing tropical dessert!

Matt W

Love that this recipe is written to use the entire box of a specialty ingredient. I don’t keep mochiko in my pantry and at this point don’t have a reason to, so if I’m procuring it to make a single recipe, it’s great that I can use everything I buy instead of letting the leftover sit in the cupboard, forgotten and unused!

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