This recipe is modified from a very delicious butter mochi made by a friend of mine who is kama’aina Hawai’i. That is to say, though she isn’t of Hawaiian extraction herself her family has lived there for generations. And she knows how to bake some delicious stuff, local style. Somehow, I spent several years living there and never made this myself. But when I asked for her recipe, she generously shared it, and I’ve given it a try with some changes so kids I work with might be able to enjoy it too.
If you’ve spent much time in Hawai’i, you surely know mochi – not the kind you see at Whole Foods in the freezer cases, but the real thing, super gooey, super sticky, and super sweet, a cross between custard and chewy fudge in consistency.
It’s a recipe that isn’t exactly healthy. It calls for a lot of sugar, butter, and refined glutinous sweet rice flour. But, it offers a wonderful treat for kids who can’t eat dairy foods or grains like corn or wheat. So, mochi! Give this a try for an after school sweet if you’d like a gluten, dairy and soy free option that has a lesser evil sugar in it (coconut or palm sugar), which lightens the sweet a little but still makes it yummy.
A note about sweet rice flour or Mochiko. Don’t use brown rice flour or plain white rice flour as a substitute; the recipe won’t work. Sweet rice or Mochiko flour is glutinous, that is, it mimics the stretchy consistency of gluten, but has no wheat or gluten in it. Other rice flours don’t do this and won’t create the right consistency for this recipe.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 12-15 3-4" pieces | 15 minutes |
| Passive Time |
| 40 minutes |
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| Gooey, sticky goodness, for when a treat is in order that has bonus ingredients like coconut milk, eggs, and grass fed butter. Coconut sugar creates a darker finish product and a more caramel-y taste than cane sugar.
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- 1 and 3/4 cups sweet rice flour Bob's Red Mill or Mochiko brand
- 1 and 1/2 cups coconut or palm sugar
- 1 cup plain almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup organic grass fed butter KerryGold brand
- 3 medium eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut flavor extract
- 1/4 teaspoon organic liquid stevia
- 6 ounces whole canned coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- Set oven to 350. Generously grease a pyrex baking dish (8x8" or 7x10") with coconut oil.
- Blend the sweet rice flour, coconut or palm sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- In a smaller bowl, blend the almond milk, coconut milk, flavor extracts, stevia, and melted butter. Add the eggs and beat til all are evenly mixed.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry in and mix on medium speed til evenly blended.
- Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the grated coconut generously on top, and press it gently down into the mixture.
- Bake for 40 minutes. The mochi will puff up nicely and brown slightly on top. It's done when a toothpick comes out clean. Cut into squares when cooled and enjoy.