Homemade Mochi
Soft, chewy Japanese rice cake made from sweet glutinous rice flour with a delicate, pillowy texture. Simple to make at home and far superior to store-bought versions.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 108
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients
- 1 cup mochiko (sweet glutinous rice flour)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup potato starch or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, letting the edges hang over the sides — this will make it easy to remove the finished mochi. Set aside.
- 2
Pour 0.5 cup of potato starch or cornstarch into a small bowl. You'll use this to dust your work surface and hands so the sticky mochi doesn't cling to everything.
- 3
In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together 1 cup of mochiko, 0.75 cup of granulated sugar, 0.75 cup of water, 0.5 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 0.25 teaspoon of fine sea salt until completely smooth — there should be no lumps. The mixture will look like thick pancake batter.
- 4
Microwave the mixture on high power for 2 minutes. Stir it thoroughly with a rubber spatula — you'll notice it's starting to thicken and become translucent. Microwave for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth, stretchy, and mostly clear with just a slight opaque quality. It should pull away slightly from the sides of the bowl when you stir.
- 5
Carefully pour the hot mochi mixture into the parchment-lined baking dish. Smooth the top with a damp spatula or the back of a spoon — the moisture will prevent sticking. Let it cool at room temperature for at least 15 minutes until it's completely set and firm to the touch.
- 6
Dust your work surface generously with the remaining potato starch. Carefully lift the mochi out of the baking dish using the parchment paper overhang and transfer it to the dusted surface.
- 7
Using a lightly dusted knife or bench scraper, cut the mochi into 12 equal pieces — work in a grid pattern, cutting into quarters first, then cutting each quarter into three pieces. Dust all exposed sides with more starch to prevent sticking.
- 8
Serve the mochi at room temperature. Store in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers — mochi is best eaten within 1-2 days, though it will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. If mochi hardens, microwave individual pieces for 10-15 seconds to soften.
Tools you’ll need
- 8-inch square baking dish
- parchment paper
- microwave-safe bowl
- whisk
- rubber spatula
- bench scraper or sharp knife
- instant-read thermometer (optional, for verifying doneness)
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