After Years of Tinkering, I Finally Created My Perfect Butter Mochi Recipe (2024)

• Recipes

updated Apr 12, 2021

This coconutty, gluten-free treat is one both kids and adults will love.

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Butter mochi is a staple at almost any party in Hawai‘i, and it’s easy to see why. The coconut custard glutinous rice cake is perfectly chewy, slightly sticky, and just dense enough, with a hint of vanilla and salt. Even better, butter mochi evolves over the course of 24 hours, so it’s like having two treats in one. The first day, it’s got agorgeous, golden-brown, crispy-crunchy crust; come day two, the crust transforms into a soft, almost-melty topping.

Growing up Japanese American, or hapa, in Hawai‘i, I’ve had my fair share of butter mochi. Many families pride themselves on having “the best” butter mochi recipe, and while recipes vary slightly from family to family, the base ingredients are pretty standard: a box of mochiko (glutinous or sweet rice flour), butter, coconut milk, some kind of other milk (evaporated, whole, skim, etc.), eggs, baking soda, and sugar.

Here, I’m sharing my favorite version, which I’ve adapted from my mom’s recipe. I’ll teach you the best way to stir it, bake it, serve it, and store it, and, most importantly, how to create that delicious crust.

The Origins of My Butter Mochi Recipe

Butter mochi’s exact origins can’t be easily traced to a specific group or person, but I’d attribute the delicious end result to the beautifully layered influences of the various ethnic groups that came to the islands during Hawai‘i’s plantation era. Its flavor profile is reminiscent of Filipino bibingka — a coconutty rice cake baked in a pan lined with banana leaves — and its super-chewy texture is similar to a custardy version of Japanese chi chi dango, or coconut flavored bite-sized mochi.

Like most classic local Hawaiian dishes, I learned how to make butter mochi from my mom. It’s a recipe that’s great to make with kids because the steps and ingredients are simple. Although mochi’s been trending in the mainstream food world for a few years now, I believe it’s important to learn about recipes like this from a person who was born and raised in the place or culture where the dish originated.

I’m pretty sure my mom’s go-to recipe came from a cookbook produced by my preschool’s hongwanji (Japanese Buddhist temple) for one of their yearly fundraisers. Over the years I’ve made it my own, adding a bit more salt, playing with different types of milk, and adding a dried, finely shredded coconut layer topped with a touch of flaky salt for what I like to call a “magical crust.”

3 Tips for the Best-Ever Butter Mochi

I’ve made my fair share of butter mochi over the years. Here are the three key steps to nailing it on your first bake.

How to Serve Butter Mochi

I prefer to let the butter mochi cool to room temperature before slicing. You can serve it warm, but it will be much harder to slice. When I’m ready to cut it, I use a plastic knife to minimize sticking, and cut four columns and five rows to make 20 pieces. If the knife starts to stick, rub it with a little unsalted butter or neutral oil.

Butter mochi isn’t served with any topping or sauces, so once it’s cooled you’re ready to dig in. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Tester’s Note

I was so excited to make this recipe because I absolutely adore butter mochi. This version is really creamy and has a great coconut flavor from the coconut milk, and it couldn’t be any easier to throw together. It’s a great gluten-free treat that children and adults love, and my favorite piece is from a corner with all the browned edges. If you can’t find mochiko flour, it is also sometimes labeled sweet or glutinous rice flour. — Christine Gallary, food editor-at-large

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