Butter mochi is a classic Hawaiian treat made with coconut milk and mochiko (glutinous rice flour). All you have to do is mix and bake!
Butter mochi was a great discovery for me when I “discovered” Hawaii via my now-husband. Butter mochi is another classic local style treat that is a hybrid of cultures. Now, don’t quote me on this, but I believe it’s a mix of Filipino bibingka and Japanese mochi.
I learned today that bibingka is made out of cassava, which I have never used or eaten before. But, the similarity is the coconut. While Japanese recipes don’t tend to use coconut, this butter mochi has an entire can of coconut milk
This recipe is ridiculously easy. You barely even have to measure anything, because you just dump a can of this, a can of that, and a box of mochiko
This recipe makes a 9×13 inch pan full of butter mochi, so you’ll want to bring this to a potluck or at least have someone to share it with. I had my husband take most of it to work and it was a hit!
Mmm, I just love the bouncy texture of mochi. I mean, it looks kind of like a piece of cake, but you bite in to it and… yum.
Some people like to add shredded coconut on the top of their butter mochi, but I like mine plain. Actually, wait… I’ve never had it with shredded coconut. Maybe I’ll try it next time! I bet it would be good…
Even if you aren’t a baker, you can definitely make this, so please give it a try!
Hawaiian Butter Mochi
Butter Mochi- a classic Hawaiian treat made with coconut milk and mochiko (glutinous rice flour). All you have to do is mix and bake!
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 16 oz mochiko flour 1 box
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 can evaporated milk 12 oz
- 1 can coconut milk 14 oz
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 9x13 inch pan.
Mix the melted butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla. Pour in the mochiko and add the baking powder. Stir until mostly combined. Stir in the evaporated milk, stir in the coconut milk. When batter is totally smooth, pour into pan and bake for one hour.
Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove from pan and cut into pieces on a cutting board.
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I was so excited last night when I saw these on your Instagram so I’m super glad the recipe is up! I always assumed mochi desserts were hard to make so I can’t wait to try these!
No ways, this is the easiest ever! You don’t even have to worry about over mixing because there’s no gluten like in cakes 🙂
This looks amazing. Can’t wait to make this today. I have all the ingredients. Thank you.
Awesome! Please let me know how it goes!
Oh my goodness, I just made this last night for my daughter’s end-of-year school party (luau theme), and it was AMAZING. I’m glad so many kids didn’t even want to try it, because that means that I got to bring home lots of leftovers. 😉 It really does remind me of my favorite Filipino glutenous rice cake, but it’s so much easier to make!
Nikki, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!
Thx u for the recipe , just baked it
You’re welcome, hope you liked it! 🙂
Lived in Hawaii for a time and loved eating butter mochi there (prepared by locals), but never tried making it myself. After moving back to the main land I tried a couple of other recipes I found online, but this one seems the most authentic to what I had in HI. Simple and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Andrea! So glad you liked it!
Thats the hook ups. Thats some ono stuff.
Once you start eating it you can’t stop!
This may be a dumb question but when you say coconut milk can it be like the silk in the refrigerator section, or do you mean like the stuff in the cans? Thanks
Hey there! Yup, go with the canned!
Oops and that yup wasn’t a reply to saying it’s a dumb question. Definitely a valid question haha! Good luck and I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Is it easy to find mochiko flour? Can you use just rice flour?
Hi Laurie, you can find mochiko at most Asian stores! It’s called glutinous sweet rice flour and is not the same as regular rice flour. I don’t think you would get good results if you substituted it.
You can usually find it in Safeway, as well. I buy it there regularly.
Awesome, thanks!
Oh my! Im so glad this question was asked. I was about to use regular glytenous rice flour. Thanks! You saved the day💖
Thanks so much for sharing – trying it tonight 🙂 What size pan should I use? Thanks again!!
Hi Cassie! Use a 9×13 inch pan, let me know how you like it!
Made these a week ago and they are delicious! I was wondering how long can i usually keep them for? They turned a little on the grainy side after a week and I’m wondering why that is…
Thanks Christy! If you aren’t going to eat them within 3-4 days, I would throw them in the freezer!
Do they have to be refrigerated after they are done ?
I never do, but we always finish ours off within a day or two. Maybe if you’re going to keep them for longer, it would be a good idea.
Hi! I was wondering what brand of coconut milk, vanilla, and evaporated milk you used?
Hello Ky, I use whatever brand I have on hand. I usually use Thai kitchen organic coconut milk because I get a big box of it at Costco. Evaporated milk brand is whatever the local store has, and I use either Rodelle’s or Costco vanilla. Hope that helps!
Good recipe. But I’d like to point out that the nutrition info is very off. (A stick of butter alone is 800 calories.) By my calculations, an entire pan of this recipe is 5550 calories, making one serving (1/10th as you suggest) equal to 555 cal. Just FYI.
Hi James, WOW! Thanks for the catch! I clearly did not input my info correctly. I ran it through the calorie calculator again and came out with 560 and have updated the recipe!
I was worried. Tanks
So i have to make this for my foreign language fair on Friday, and I was wondering how long it took your mochiko to arrive? Its not available in any stores near me so i have to get it off of amazon.
Hey Andy, I actually get mine at the local Asian store, and put the link up there for those who couldn’t find it at theirs. I’m not sure how long it would take… Sorry about that! That being said, if you can find one that’s amazon prime, it should come in two days, and you could always pay a little more for it to come quicker. Good luck!
What if you are a diabetic what sugar can you substitute?
Hi Michelle, unfortunately, I don’t have any knowledge about sugar substitutions, so I am not sure what you could use. Sorry about that 🙁
https://sweetleaf.com/stevia_products/sugarleaf/ Worked well in Christmas baking for my diabetic friends/family, and tastes was very good compared to other sweetener substitutes.
Thanks for the info!
Could I substitute the can of evaporated milk for coconut milk?
So do you mean using two cans of evaporated milk instead of one can evap and one can coconut? I personally have not tried it, but I’m assuming it would not turn out as good. Sorry!
Hello – do you have to grease and flour the pan before pouring in the batter?
I don’t, but I use a dark nonstick pan (see video). I don’t think you would need to grease the pan regardless, but if you’ve had issues with food sticking in your particular pan, it wouldn’t hurt to grease it!
Great recipe!
I’ve been looking for a good one for a while.
Thanks Lulu, glad you liked it!
I live in SuCal and find the mochiko at Von’s and also Stater Bros
Awesome! I wish I could find it more easily out here. Californians are lucky!
I have made similar recipes in the past. I use regular glutinous rice flour instead of Mochiko brand rice flour. At th the Asian market, the generic glutinous rice flour (aka sweet rice flour) is usually under a buck for a 16 oz bag.
I have mine baking in the oven now.now. Should be delish, thanks Alisa
Thanks Jon! Yes, I think I know the one! Its Thai and it’s in a clear bag with green print right?
It looks so good in the photo that I would like to try the recipe right away. However, please confirm weight of butter. Also can I use half the sugar? Will it affect the texture of the mochi? Or just the sweetness if it?
Thanks Angie! One stick of butter is 4oz or 113 g! I can’t guarantee the results with any big changes, and I think cutting the sugar to half is a pretty big change… it may affect the texture. Sorry!
Yes you can cut the sugar and it doesn’t change the texture
Thanks Betsy, can you share how much you cut it by?
I made a half batch of these last night with a bit of ube pieces and it turned out not very chewy… maybe needs more rice flour?
Hi Julia, these are tried and tested to be very chewy! Did you by chance use regular rice flour instead of sweet glutinous rice flour? Regular rice flour wouldn’t result in the same chewiness, and would probably have a disappointing texture. I always use the blue star box from koda farms. There may also need to be a change in baking time with half a batch!
If I make half the batch how long will baking time be? How can I tell if it is cooked? Thanks!
Hi Tere, it would depend on the size of pan you use, but it should spring back when you touch it, and you can try poking it with a toothpick and see if it comes out clean. Good luck!
Is it 560 calories per serving?
Hi Ava, yup, this is definitely an indulgent treat. That being said, if you only ate a couple of pieces, it would be lower. I have just found that in general, people who eat one have to eat at least 3-4 more pieces, haha!
I can’t find a 14 ounce can of coconut milk… will 13.5 ounces be okay? Also, how do you store these? Looking forward to trying this!
Hi Anna, 13.5 ounces will be just fine! I store mine covered with plastic wrap and just leave it out if I’ll be eating it within a day or two. You may want to refrigerate if it’s going to be any longer!
This was my first try at a Mochi cake and I took it out of the oven too soon. The toothpick was clean, but the inside is gooey rather than bouncy. Any chance you know of genius ways to salvage it?
Hey Bekki, was it like that throughout the whole thing, or just the middle of it? How were the edges? I can’t say exactly without seeing it, but I would potentially just cut out the portions that were fine, and stick the middle part back in the oven. I don’t know if it would work, but… if you’re going to toss it anyways, you might as well try to rebake and see, haha! Good luck! Sorry it didn’t work out :(.
How did you get the mochi to come out in that light color on top? Mine was slightly darker. Also, how were you able to result in clean cut pieces? How long should it cool before cutting? Otherwise super delicious!
The color may depend on the oven, and which rack you place it on. You should let it cool for at least an hour before cutting, and then you should be able to get pretty clean cuts. I’m glad you liked it!
Just made this recipe this afternoon and my friend and I loved it! I was short one egg, and it still turned out great! Thanks so much for posting!
So glad you liked it! 😀
I tried this recipe over the weekend. I made two pans for a potluck party. IT WAS A HIT!! I should have made three!!!
That’s awesome! Thank you!
Planning to try this on an upcoming weekend. Do you think this would work in mini muffins tins if we adjusted the bake time?
I’m sure it would! Let me know how it goes!
How did it come out in the mini muffin tins? What time/temp. did you adjust to?
Delicious! How do you store them?
Depending on how long you are going to keep them, I would just wrap it/cover it with plastic wrap, and leave it out (for a shorter time) or put it in the fridge!
I’ve made this many times and it’s just like the butter mochi in Chinatown in Honolulu, yum! I was wondering if you could add cocoa powder (and how much) to make chocolate mochi?
Thanks! I haven’t tried adding cocoa powder, so I’m not really sure how much you would need. If you try it, let me know, because that sounds really yummy too!
This recipe was yummy and easy to make, I followed the directions but somehow got two huge bubbles formed but flattened when taken out of the oven. Would you know why?
I made this for my luau and it was delicious!! It was a very unexpected taste but I like the difference in sweetness and texture. A friend of mine who has eaten this in Hawaii said it tastes just as good!!
Thanks McKenna, I’m glad you liked it!
not sure if this was asked before… so many comments to go through! is your “stick of butter” a half cup or full cup? i heard it’s different in different parts of the country. thanks!
One stick means half a cup 🙂 !
thank u!! can’t wait to try this recipe!
Binibingka is actually rice cake. Some people interchange cassava cake with bibingkang cassava. They have similar ways of preparation traditionally with the coals on top. I find the texture of cassava cake and butter Mochi are very similar. Great recipe, will love to try it out!
Oooh, thank you for the info! That’s good to know 🙂
Made your recipe tonight in Arnold Ca
for church sharing at Chapel in the Pines.
Hope they enjoy it as much as I do. Lived
in Palolo Valley in Honolulu & my Mom
made this dish frequently . Nice seeing it
on the net. Mahalo Nui Loa
Awesome, thanks for comment! 🙂
My friend made this for my family and we love it found your recipe and it taste just like her’s Thanks
That’s great! Glad you liked it 🙂
I had a craving for “mochiko” tonight (as we called it growing up because of the white box with the blue star) and I asked my mom for her recipe. It is very similar to this except she just uses 2 cups of whole milk and 2/3 cup sugar. Made it…loved it. I’ll have to try this version, but I wonder will it seem too sweet with 2 cups sugar? Is it a strong coconut taste? I also greased the pan and let it cool for about 2-3 hours to get really clean cuts.
I don’t think it has a super strong coconut taste, and it’s sweet but not cloyingly so 🙂
Will the flavor change if I use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Definitely, it will be saltier! Maybe even too salty to be edible, although I haven’t tried it.
I know it has been awhile since this was posted but I’ve made it now with salted butter and unsalted on two different occasions and REALLY preferred it with salted butter. The taste was richer and it kept it from seeming more of a one-note sweetness…
SUPER excited to try this. After checking everywhere convenient to me for mochiko and finding they either didn’t carry it or it was very expensive, I found out that I can get a box of it for $3 online from Walmart, shipped for free to my local store! I didn’t even have to buy anything else to have it shipped. So I’m not sure if anyone will even see this comment, but if anyone happens to, know that’s an option, especially if you live in a more remote/rural area and don’t have access to Asian or specialty food stores 🙂 I will update when I try the recipe – I’m sure it’s amazing.
Awesome, thanks for the tip!
This came out delicious, but it was really greasy… I made a couple of substitutions and additions, but I still don’t understand why it came out so greasy. I substituted the evaporated milk with regular whole milk (I just don’t like the taste of canned milk)…and I also added one cup of shredded coconut. I was surprised that it was so oiled. Any ideas on why??
Hey there! I’m not sure why it came out really greasy for you. It does come out a little greasy, but it’s nothing crazy or off putting. Sorry I can’t help 🙁
I only had 1 cup of white sugar. Substituted the other cup with 3/4 c of honey. Smells delish. Can’t wait to taste it!
Oooh interesting, I’d love to hear how that turned out!
Can I add sweeten coconut flakes to this recipe? If so, how much? Will it affect cook time?
Sure! I don’t think it should affect cook time much!
I used a jar of macapuno. I poured it in a colander and rinsed off the syrup. I decreased the sugar to 1and 1/2 cups instead of 2. It turned out delicious! Sometimes I mix in some grated ube, and have also baked it with fresh blueberries. My family loves it. This recipe is wonderful and you can get quite creative.
Thanks for the recipe!
If you cook more than one tray, does the amount of time change and the degrees?
I got this baking in the oven right now! Thank you soooooooo much. Oh how I miss Hawaii.
I made this yesterday. I hate coconut but I really enjoyed the butter mochi. My coworkers weren’t fans when I brought it but they don’t like ethnic food. I fell asleep and cooked it for an hour and a half instead of 1 hour but it was still fine. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
Wonderful recipe. A happy reminder of many visits to the big island. Thank you or posting.
Hi, I made these but didn’t try them yet. They look so tasty! I am wondering why mine has tall puffy edges with a sunken and cracked brown top? I followed all directions but I used generic sweet rice flour. My oven has been known to need longer when baking things but any longer I’d worry it would burn. Thoughts?
Made these twice in the last week for Valentine’s/galentine’s and both were a great hit! Shared the recipe with 3 co-workers already and it’s still before lunch here where I am.
Made this yesterday. I was super lazy and just threw everything all at once in a bowl and mixed. It came out great. I also made it an upside down “cake” with lychee and jackfruit, and subbed out the vanilla for lychee syrup (from the canned lychee I used). It came out perfectly! Thanks for all your fantastic recipes!
This was so easy to make and turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing!
I LOVED IT!!!!!