Soft Milk Mochi Recipe | Easy Chewy Homemade Japanese Mochi Dessert
Soft milk mochi is a simple stovetop Japanese-inspired dessert made with glutinous rice flour, milk, and sugar for a chewy, silky bite. It sets in the fridge and can be coated with kinako, coconut, or starch for easy serving.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour (mochiko; not regular rice flour)
- 1/3–1/2 cup granulated sugar, to taste
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk, warmed (or 2% for lighter)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cornstarch or potato starch, for dusting
- Optional: 1–2 teaspoons matcha powder
- Optional: 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Optional: pinch of salt
- Optional coatings: kinako mixed with sugar, shredded coconut, powdered sugar, or cocoa-cornstarch mix
Instructions
Instructions
- Line a 6–7 inch square pan with parchment and lightly dust it with cornstarch; set out a whisk and sturdy spatula.
- Off heat, whisk mochiko and sugar in a saucepan until no lumps remain.
- Slowly pour in the warm milk while whisking, then add vanilla and butter and whisk until smooth and fluid.
- Place over medium-low heat and stir continuously, scraping bottom and sides, until thickened, translucent, glossy, and stretchy with no chalky streaks, about 3–5 minutes more as needed.
- Scrape the hot mochi into the prepared pan, dust the top lightly with cornstarch, and press into an even 3/4-inch layer.
- Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate 1–2 hours until set.
- Dust a board and knife with cornstarch, release the mochi from the pan, and cut into 1 to 1.5 inch squares or rectangles.
- Coat each piece in cornstarch, kinako-sugar, or coconut to prevent sticking and serve.
Notes
Adjust sugar to taste; add matcha or cocoa by sifting into the flour to avoid lumps. Keep heat medium-low and stir constantly to prevent clumps and toughness. For dairy-free, use full-fat coconut or oat milk and swap butter for neutral oil or vegan butter. Store covered at room temperature up to 6 hours, refrigerated 2–3 days with parchment between layers, or freeze pieces and thaw 20–30 minutes before serving.