Chewy Hawaiian Butter Mochi (2024)

Mini Hawaiian Butter Mochi recipe lightly sweetened with condensed milk with hints of vanilla & coconut. Chewy on the inside with crispy and crunchy edges on the outside! Plus, they're mochi muffins that can make them even better because there's more crispy edges!

My favorite part of this Hawaiian butter mochi treat is the crispy edges and the satisfying chewiness in the center. Whenever I make this, everyone always seems to fight for the corner pieces so why not bake this in a muffin tin so that everyone gets corner pieces?

If you have never had butter mochi, I highly urge you to give it a try, do keep in mind that they are lightly sweetened so they are not as indulgent as a fudgy brownie but they are wonderful with a cup of tea/coffee or as an afternoon snack.

And the best part is that this recipe is for mochi muffins which are perfectly chewy with more crispy edges all around!

If you look at my list of desserts, you'll notice that I also love using condensed milk to sweeten them. It gives any desserts a more buttery-rich flavor and it gives it an amazing scent that wafts throughout the house. If you have extra condensed milk, try using it on our easy moist banana bread that uses yellow roasted bananas!

What is Hawaiian Butter Mochi?

Why You’ll Love This Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe

• Easy to Make: This Hawaiian butter mochi recipe requires simple ingredients. It is as easy as mixing together the wet and dry ingredients separately, combining them, and then baking the batter. No complicated steps or techniques involved!
• Cozy and Tasty: The recipe uses a variety of flavors like vanilla extract, coconut cream, and condensed milk which give the butter mochi its warm and cozy taste.
• Classic Chewy Texture With More Crispy Edges: The recipe yields a mochi that's chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, providing a satisfying contrast in texture with each bite and since it's made in a muffin tin, there's more crispy edges than ever.
• Perfect for All Occasions: This recipe is a surefire crowd-pleaser. Whether you're hosting a party or bringing a dish to a potluck, these butter mochi cakes are perfect for all occasions.They reheat very well too, so you can also make them ahead of time.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Mochi Muffins

Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this Hawaiian butter mochi recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.

• Coconut Cream: I like to use coconut cream over coconut milk because I find that it has a stronger coconut flavor and it contains a bit more fat as well which gives the cakes a crisper texture. If you cannot find coconut cream, try to find coconut milk with a higher fat content - I find those are generally thicker and have a stronger coconut flavor.
• Sweet Rice Flour (glutinous rice flour): I like to use KodaFarms Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour for this recipe and I find that it produces the best results from all the glutinous rice flours I have used, but depending on where you are, it may be more difficult to find. (Note : Although it is labeled as ' Sweet Rice Flour' this is still glutinous rice flour.) If you cannot find this particular brand in the store, please see below in the next section for my recommendation for what to substitute it with along with the changes you may need to make. Make sure you are using glutinous rice flour and not just rice flour.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: To sweeten this mochi cake, I like to use sweetened condensed milk. I find it gives the butter mochi a bit more of a creamy flavor and it's just the right amount of sweetness without being overly sweet.
• Eggs: I use large eggs for all my cooking and baking. I like to use room-temperature eggs for this recipe because I find it makes the edges crispier since the batter is at room temperature before it goes into the oven.
• Vanilla: I like to use real vanilla extract but artificial vanilla extract works just well for this recipe.
• Unsalted Butter: The melted unsalted butter in this recipe acts as the primary fat, lending a rich, buttery flavor to the mochi. It also helps make the edges of the cake crispy. I don't recommend substituting it.

What Can I Substitute for Mochiko?

I still highly recommend using Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour to make the crispiest and chewiest butter mochi but I understand that it can be hard to find depending on where you live.

I myself sometimes have a hard time finding it as well since they are always sold out where I live, so I have tested this recipe with the other brands and types of glutinous rice flours, mainly the more common ones that come in a plastic bag packaging that comes from Thailand and I'm glad to say that the recipe can be substituted with it with minor tweaks to the recipe.

• Make sure you are purchasing glutinous rice flour and not rice flour. Usually, the glutinous rice flour ones are packaged with green writing and the rice flour is packaged with red writing.
• Make sure to check how much flour comes in each bag. Most of the bagged glutinous rice flour from Thailand comes in 1 lb bags (16 oz) but some brands come with 50 gm less flour so you may need to adjust the amount of milk you add to the recipe to make sure the batter is not runny. Instead of adding 1 cup of milk, add the milk ¼ cup at a time until you get a pancake batter consistency. Coat the back of a wooden spoon with the batter, and run your finger through the batter. If it leaves a clear line like the photo below, then you're good. If the line doesn't form, the batter may be too runny and you have put too much milk.
  
• Butter mochi cake is very forgiving. My assumption is because of the texture of this cake - it's chewy and holds moisture well from the rice flour's starchiness, so it's kinda hard to mess up that texture with minor substitutions. As long as your end product has the consistency of a pancake batter - you're good!
• Keep in mind that the bagged glutinous rice flour is not a perfect substitution but it's pretty darn close and honestly just as tasty. The biggest difference I noticed is that butter mochi made with the bagged glutinous rice flour is a little less chewy.

How to Make Hawaiian Butter Mochi

1. Combine the Wet Ingredients Except for the Milk - Melt the butter and coconut cream in the microwave for a few seconds (Approximately 45 seconds but do this 10-15 seconds at a time, butter goes NUTS in the microwave - I did this for 60 seconds straight and half the butter ended up outside of the bowl. Cleaning up butter is not fun.) Add the melted butter and cream into a large bowl and condensed milk, vanilla, and mix well. Add in the eggs 1 at a time and mix well.
2. Add in the Dry Ingredients & Mix Well - In a large mixing bowl, add in the flour, sugar, and baking powder and mix well. At first, you will see lumps but if you keep mixing, it will become a smooth batter - No need for electric mixers, I found using the whisk was enough.
3. Add in the Milk - I added the milk last because depending on what type of flour or coconut cream/milk you use, you want to control how much milk to add to get the right consistency. You can slowly add, but you can't take it out. If you are following the recipe without substitutions then 1 cup of milk is good, but if you substitute the coconut cream for coconut milk then add in ¼ cup of milk at a time until you reach a nice pancake batter consistency. Run your fingers through the batter and if it holds its shape and it's not too runny and not too thick then you're good! I actually found that if you let your batter rest for 15-20 minutes, it gave the cakes an even better texture!
4. Butter the Muffin Tin & Bake - If you're as obsessed as me, then you want maximum crispiness. Muffin tin all the way for this. Butter your muffin tinsliberally and pour approximately ¼ cup of batter in each muffin cup and bake them for 45 minutes to anhour at 350F (177C) until golden brown on the middle rack in the oven.Once you are finished baking it, if you can wait that long (I couldn't!), let them cool on a wire rack before diving in so that it has a chance to form its crunchy exterior.

Serving Suggestions

• For a delicious morning treat, pair your Hawaiian butter mochi with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The sweet and chewy mochi cake with a hint of coconut flavor is a perfect match for the robust taste of coffee.
• Hawaiian butter mochi makes a great picnic snack. Just wrap individual pieces in parchment paper and enjoy this sweet treat under the sun.
• For a late-night indulgence, enjoy your Hawaiian butter mochi with a glass of cold milk. The creamy milk balances out the sweetness of the mochi cake, making it a perfect end to your day.
• Want to impress your guests at a dinner party? Serve the Hawaiian butter mochi as a dessert, garnished with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar. It is a sweet ending that's sure to impress.
• Hawaiian butter mochi can also be a great afternoon snack. Enjoy it with a cup of green tea for a relaxing break from your busy day. The subtle bitterness of the tea pairs well with the sweet and sticky mochi.

How to Store Butter Mochi

More Desserts You May Like

• Black Sesame Creme Brulee
• Roasted Banana Banana Bread
• Black Sesame Chocolate Ruffled Milk Pie
• Chewy Five Spice Ginger Molasses Cookies
• Black Sesame Cheese Cake
• Candy Cane Chocolate Crepe Cake

Recipe Card

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