Matcha mochi muffins

This post was last updated in June 2020.

Mochi muffins have become so popular in San Francisco and the Bay Area that I challenge you to find a café or tea house where they’re not on the menu. Whether you can get them or not before they sell out, that’s a totally different story.

Everything tastes better with matcha

When they first became readily available a few years ago, I could not manage to get my Tea Squirrel paws on any mochi muffins for a long time and I had no idea what they would taste like. Out of exasperation, I decided to look up a recipe on the internet that would yield something similar to the descriptions I had read in the press. I finally settled on one and added a few twists, including matcha green tea, because - let’s be honest - this is a tea blog after all AND everything looks and tastes better with matcha. Suddenly I realized what the hype was (and still is) all about. They are soft and chewy on the inside, an unusual but surprisingly pleasant texture, like biting into a cloud, and crispy on the outside. And later on, I finally managed to taste the real deal and obviously I was not disappointed.

What is mochi?

You are likely very familiar with muffins, but what is mochi? Mochi is a sweet, chewy Japanese rice dough used in a lot of traditional Japanese confections. Daifuku mochi (red bean paste wrapped in mochi), mochi ice cream, or simply mochi coated with kinako (roasted soybean powder), to name just a few. Mochi muffins and mochi-based Japanese confections couldn’t be any more different really, but have one thing in common: mochiko, also known as glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour. I found it in Japantown in San Francisco but it’s relatively easy to find in any Asian grocery store or online. Mochi muffins are not directly related to Japanese confections, though. They might be more similar to Hawaiian butter mochi, a Hawaiian dessert with butter and coconut. Nonetheless, most mochi muffins available in the San Francisco Bay Area are inspired by an Indonesian dessert and are infused with pandan, a plant from Southeast Asia whose leaves are used as a flavoring thanks to their sweet and floral aroma. Fascinating, right? Basically a trip around the globe thanks to a small but mighty sweet creation.

Recipe yields 12 regular muffins (2 1/2 inches or ≅6 cm in diameter) + 6 large muffins (3 1/2 inch or ≅9 cm in diameter)

Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup - 113 gr) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) full-fat coconut milk (from a can)
1 can (1 1/4 cup - 300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs (room temperature)
2 tbsp matcha green tea powder
1 lb (454 gr) mochiko (glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk (room temperature)
A pinch of salt
2 tbsp black sesame seeds

Method:

Melt the butter and combine with coconut milk and condensed milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add one egg at a time while whisking on medium speed. Add baking powder, mochiko flour and matcha and continue to mix. Add milk and mix until the batter is smooth (like pancake batter, not too runny or thick). Let the batter rest for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Butter and flour the muffin tin very well (or individual oven-safe ramekins) and fill with batter. Do not use muffin paper cups because they will prevent the outer crispy crust to develop and will stick to the muffins. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden. Enjoy warm or let cool before serving!

Adapted from this recipe here.

Craving even more matcha goodness? Check out my recipe for Matcha Black Sesame Granola!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any brand or business mentioned in this blog post. I was not asked nor paid to mention any brand, business or service. This is my honest opinion.