Soft and chewy Hawaiian Butter Mochi is an iconic Hawaiian treat made with sweet rice flour, which also happens to be gluten free. It will transport you to the island of Hawaii in just one bite!
Is it weird to describe a dessert as satisfyingly squishy? Biting into this butter mochi is like hugging one of my daughter’s squishmallows! It’s rich, chewy, coconut-y, comforting and just delightful overall. Give it a try, I promise you it will be a big hit with your family!
My first exposure to Hawaiian butter mochi was actually well before I ever travelled to Hawaii via these coconut mochi muffins that my husband’s aunt used to make, I just didn’t know it then! But after traveling to Maui, I have to say I’m totally hooked, I need to have them in every flavor: chocolate brownie mochi (or Brochi), mini Matcha green tea mochi and guava mochi. I also turned cornbread into mochi and banana bread into mochi too!
Table of Contents
Helpful tools
The best thing about this recipe is that you don’t need any special tools at all to make it! All you need are a really large mixing bowl and your whisk to mix the batter, along with a 9″x13″ baking pan to bake it in. But a stand mixer would be very useful due to the large volume of the batter.
Ingredients and substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Mochiko – is one of the main ingredients. It is a sweet rice flour, also known as glutinous rice flour. This type of rice has a shorter grain and is very sticky when cooked. You need to purchase the correct type of rice flour for this recipe to work. I typically use Koda Farms Mochiko, as pictured. You should be able to find this at most Asian grocery stores. My local Stater Bros carries it in the Asian or International aisle. I expect the recipe to work fine with other brand of sweet rice flour as well. But I must stress that you need to buy Mochiko or sweet rice flour, not regular rice flour. Regular rice is not as sticky as sweet rice and the texture will not be the same. And absolutely DO NOT substitute regular flour here.
- Coconut cream or milk – I used unsweetened canned coconut cream and sometimes just unsweetened canned coconut milk. The coconut cream has slightly higher fat content. Before I could only find coconut cream at Sprouts but I notice recently they have been easier to find. Any brand will work, you will find a variety at Asian grocery stores and pretty much any supermarket nowadays. But I will note that you need to use the canned coconut milk and not the refrigerated carton coconut milk, those are lighter and more watery. For the best traditional butter mochi, definitely stick to coconut cream or milk. But half and half (or unsweetened coffee cream) is a good substitute due to the similar fat content.
- Evaporated milk – adds another layer of creamy rich taste to this butter mochi. You can make your own evaporated milk by simmering whole milk until the volume is reduced by half or use a mixture of whole milk + half and half (3:1) or whole milk + cream (7:1).
- Unsalted butter – no additional salt is called for in this recipe so I don’t recommend substituting salted butter.
- Sugar – granulated sugar works fine for this recipe but if you want to add a little bit more flavor depth, you can use brown sugar.
- Eggs – we are using lots of eggs in this recipe to bind the ingredients and to add richness also.
- Pure vanilla extract – for the best flavor, avoid imitation vanilla flavoring. While the dominant flavor is coconut here, I think adding a little bit of vanilla adds depth and complexity.
- Baking powder – baking soda is not a substitution for baking powder. Baking soda needs an acidic environment to work and this recipe does not provide that. You must use baking powder.
- Coconut – may or may not be a traditional ingredient in Hawaiian butter mochi, but I like the addition for extra coconut flavor and another layer of texture. If you prefer a completely smooth batter, you can omit these. You can also us different mix-in like crushed macadamia nuts for example.
How to make Hawaiian butter mochi
The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Mix together the melted butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then add the rest of the wet ingredients: coconut milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla.
Tip: If you’re using a stand mixer, you can add all the wet ingredients altogether at the same time. But when you’re incorporating the ingredients by hand, it’s easier to do it one at a time.
Now add the dry ingredients: mochiko and baking powder. Stir until completely smooth and fold in the coconut.
Transfer to a buttered baking pan and bake until golden brown and cooked through.
More baker’s tips
- This recipe is gluten free since there is no wheat flour in it. Even though the rice flour is called “glutinous rice flour”, there is no gluten in it.
- You can bake this recipe in two 8”x8” baking pans. I have not done this myself but some readers have. The baking time will need to be shortened, I suggest checking around 25 – 30 minutes for doneness and continue baking as needed.
- The baking time can vary from 50 minutes up to 75 minutes depending on your oven temperature. If the top starts to get too brown but the inside is not done, tent it with a large piece of foil to keep the top from burning.
- This recipe will make at least 24 servings and possibly more if you cut them smaller. For a smaller batch, try these mini coconut mochi muffins, they are also a little bit lighter as well.
Storage
Butter mochi tastes best when fresh, especially because this type of treat can lose its bounciness when it is days old. But reheating it can make it tender and moist again.
It will keep at room temperature for a couple of days. Because it is a very moist treat, if kept out too long it can go bad, especially in very warm weather. In this case, it is best to refrigerate leftovers, it will last up to 2 weeks.
Freezing instructions
You can definitely freeze these to store them even longer. I recommend wrap individual portion well in plastic and/or foil, then place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before serving.
Reheating instructions
Refrigerated and frozen butter mochi will lose their bounciness once thawed. I highly recommend warming them up in the microwave for about 20 seconds to soften them. To microwave, make sure your mochi wrapped in plastic or a damp paper towel to keep it from drying out.
FAQs
Can I use shiratamako instead of mochiko?
Shiratamako is another type of sweet rice flour, but it comes in larger lumps and not as a fine powder like Mochiko. If you have shiratamako handy, I expect you can use it in place of Mochiko, after you break up the lumps.
However, it’s actually a lot more expensive due to the difference in processing method, so you better save it for making other types of more refined Japanese mochi confections. Nami from Just One Cookbook has a detailed post about Shiratamako and how it differs from Mochiko if you’re interested.
What is Hawaiian Butter Mochi?
Hawaiian Butter Mochi is a local Hawaiian treat made with sweet rice flour, also called glutinous rice flour, along with butter, eggs, coconut milk, evaporated milk, and a few other typical ingredients such as sugar, baking powder and vanilla extract. Coconut flakes or other fillings can be added to create different variations.
The butter mochi is baked like you would a sheet cake in a 9”x13” baking pan, and then divided into smaller portions for serving. You can consider it a type of cake, but locals don’t call it a Mochi cake, simply butter mochi or Hawaiian butter mochi will do.
Is this the same as Japanese Mochi?
NO. Japanese mochi is typically made with steamed sweet rice, pounded until smooth and stretchy, then it is formed into balls or smaller portions. Japanese mochi can be plain, or filled with sweet red bean paste, or infused with other flavors. But this type of mochi is not baked and is completely different from Hawaiian butter mochi.
Did you know there is also a version of Japanese Butter Mochi?
Fun fact: there is also a version of Japanese Butter Mochi, only made in the Akita prefecture in northern Japan. This version of Akita butter mochi is also made with pounded steamed sweet rice and then melted butter, sugar and egg yolks are kneaded into the already smooth and stretchy mochi.
Again, this type of mochi is not baked, and resembles the traditional Japanese mochi more than the Hawaiian mochi due to the way it is made. I learned about Japanese butter mochi via TabiEats, one of my favorite Youtubers for all things Japanese food and travel.
Island inspired recipes you’ll love
- Banana Bread French Toast
- Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Buns)
- Surfer Granola with macadamia nuts, coconut & banana
- Tropical Cinnamon Buns
- Macadamia Coconut Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Hungry for more?
Hawaiian Butter Mochi
Ingredients
- 4 oz unsalted butter, melted & cooled slightly
- 2 cup granulated sugar, 400 g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 can evaporated milk, 12 oz
- 1 can unsweetened coconut cream, or coconut milk, 13.5 oz
- 1 box of Mochiko, 16 oz
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 80 g
- Extra butter for pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brush some melted butter all over a 9”x13” baking pan and set aside.
- Add melted butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl (or the stand mixer bowl) and mix well to combine.
- Add vanilla, eggs, evaporated milk, coconut cream and beat until smooth.
- Stir in mochiko and baking powder and mix until completely smooth.
- Fold in the shredded coconut.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes (or longer if necessary) until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs attached.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.
- Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes over the top if desired.
Video
Notes
- This recipe is gluten free.
- There is no substitution for mochiko (sweet rice flour)
- Be sure to use canned coconut cream or canned coconut milk and not the carton variety.
- The baking time can vary from 50 minutes up to 75 minutes depending on your oven temperature. If the top starts to get too brown but the inside is not done, tent it with a large piece of foil to keep the top from burning.
- You can bake this recipe in two 8”x8” baking pans. The baking time will need to be shortened, check around 25 – 30 minutes for doneness and continue baking as needed.
- This recipe will make at least 24 servings and possibly more if you cut them smaller.
- Refer to the post for more troubleshooting and substitution tips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’d like to bake this in mini muffin tins. Is there any reason not to?
Thanks!
This is a really large batch recipe, it will take many many mini muffin tins to bake the entire batter. But there is no reason you can’t. If you want a smaller batch, try this coconut mochi recipe.
I made it last week. It was delicious I will definitely make it again.
Love this recipe! I’ve made this a couple of times. I’ve used 8×8 pans and a 9×12 pan, both metal. Trang – I notice that a glass pan is featured in your photos. Is there a difference between glass vs. metal. If there is, is a glass pan recommended?
Side tip: **You must use graduated sugar.** One time I used organic cane sugar, all the sugar settled towards the bottom of the pan. The recipe was still delicious tho!
Hi MJ, thank you for trying the recipe! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy it. Glass pan doesn’t conduct heat as much as metal so the side pieces wouldn’t be overcooked since this bakes for an hour. But for the most part you should be able to use either one. Thanks for the sugar tip!
Is there a reason why my cake came out really soggy and gooey in the middle? It also stuck to the baking sheet 😭 what did I do wrong? Thanks so much xx
I’m so sorry that happened! Did you overmeasure some wet ingredients? Did you bake it long enough? Did you butter your baking pan? It’s probably stuck to the pan because it so gooey.
Do you have a recipe for or a way to incorporate peanut butter into the recipe? We had peanut butter mochi with chocolate chips on top before that was also really good but I am not able to find a recipe for it.
Thanks!!
Hi Danielle, you could try adding peanut butter powder to the batter to get that peanut butter flavor into the mochi. That’s probably the easiest way that will work as is, though too much peanut butter powder may make it a bit dry. If using peanut butter from the jar, try replacing the 4 oz of butter with 1 cup of PB, this is because nut butter is about 50% fat and butter is 80% fat, so using more PB should compensate for that, plus some extra for more flavor. I’m not sure if 1 cup of PB will be enough to give you a strong PB flavor since this is such a big batch. I would also sub out the coconut flake for crushed peanuts, usually, adding actual peanuts will enhance the flavor of PB. You may need to experiment with it a little bit. Let me know what you try and how it turns out!
Made this today, it’s so delicious! I’m from the U.K. so I’d never heard of this mochi recipe it’s really unique. Such a tasty twist on a Japanese favourite
Thanks Joely! So glad to hear you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi, I had some issues with my butter mochi – the texture inside is not as smooth as yours. I made a pumpkin mochi, and the top didn’t brown much at all, the whole texture is so bubbly and inside looks very grainy. This was also the case with normal butter mochi. Pls help!
Hi Veronica, I’m sorry you’re having issue with the texture. How did you mix the mochi? By hand? Machine? I typically just mix this by hand very well and make sure the mochi flour incorporate completely and smooth. How does the batter look after you mix it? Smooth? has some graininess? How did you incorporate the sugar? Was it beaten well with the wet ingredients? Do you have a picture of your mochi you can email to me? As for the browning, it could be oven temperature, variation in oven temperature can happen with different oven and perhaps you just need to bake it longer.
So easy to make, I had all the ingredients in my pantry. I used glutinous rice flour instead of the Mochiko brand
Happy to hear, thanks for taking the time to leave a review Teresa!
These look soo cool, I really wanna try making them! I love all the information you provided on them too. My husband’s family is from Hawaii so I love being able to surprise him with treats like this. What are they supposed to taste like? And what is the texture / consistency? I just want to know what to expect / aim for. Maybe there’s something you could compare it to because it honestly looks like a coconut flavor to gooey butter cake, which I would not be mad at…
They’re super soft and a bit chewy. You could say it’s like a gooey butter cake but I don’t think it’s as rich as that. I hope you try it 🙂
Greetings Trang!
Your very first commenter for this post is back ;D.
No sure how you couldve made the original recipe any better since I thought it was fool proof and perfect for beginner bakers.
If memory serves me right, it looks like the new addition is baking powder? How does this modified recipe compare to the original recipe; does it have a fluffier texture now?
Hi Elle! Thank you for coming back 🙂 I didn’t make any change to the recipe, I just wanted to make a video for it and new photos! I didn’t love the old photos. And it gave me a chance to test the baking time again since some readers had issue with the baking time. It was so chewy and delicious, I was so glad I made it again haha
I guess I don’t make this enough to memorize the ingredients! Gotta change that 😬.
This dessert is dangerously delicious. Everyone
who has tried this agrees how addicting it is. It’s not overly sweet, it’s chewy, it’s rich, it’s nothing short of amazing, yet relatively simple to make.
Move over Lay’s potatoes chips because betcha can’t eat just one…piece of butter mochi. Wear them stretchy pants!
Hey no worries, I don’t even memorize the ingredients! That’s what the recipe blog is for right? 🙂 Thank you so much for all the kind words, I so appreciate it!
These look fantastic and so many great reviews. I can’t wait to make them.