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    Home » Recipes » Course » Sweets

    Matcha Mochi

    By: Thomas Published: 15 Feb, 22 Updated: 16 Feb, 22 12 Comments

    RecipePrintComments

    Our most favorite mochi recipe ever! Matcha white chocolate meets mochi for the ultimate treat! It's super chewy, a bit stretchy, and has a rich and melty matcha chocolate filling!

    Matcha mochi on a plate.
    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
    • 📘 What is Mochi
    • 🥣 How to Make Vegan Matcha Mochi
    • 💬 FAQ
    • 🍵 More Matcha Dessert Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    ⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe

    The matcha filling has the texture of a white chocolate ganache, slightly firm yet tender and creamy, while the mochi is perfectly chewy! I am not taking it lightly when saying this is the best matcha mochi recipe you will ever try!

    The filling is so fresh, rich, and has a deep matcha flavor with notes of white chocolate and vanilla! SO GOOD!

    Not a fan of matcha? Check out this Chocolate Mochi recipe!

    📘 What is Mochi

    Mochi is a Japanese sweet that consists of a chewy rice cake filled with a sweet filling. It is often filled with red bean paste, black sesame, fruits, or ganaches.

    If you have tried store-bought mochi sold in boxes before, you will be shocked by how fresh and delicious homemade mochi tastes!

    Ingredients like cacao butter, glutinous rice flour, matcha, and vanilla extract.

    🥣 How to Make Vegan Matcha Mochi

    Filling

    I am sharing two ways to make the matcha ganache. Since vegan white chocolate is not available everywhere, I am sharing another way to prepare the filling using just cacao butter and powdered sugar.

    Using White Chocolate

    Place chopped vegan white chocolate and cashew cream in a heatproof bowl. Heat in the microwave, stirring every 25-30 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Stir in the matcha powder, and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Check the recipe notes for the full instructions.

    Using Cacao Butter

    Melt cacao butter in a small saucepan. Next, whisk the cacao butter with powdered sugar, matcha powder, and cashew cream. Refrigerate until set.
    This method is actually adapted from my Matcha Nama Chocolate recipe.

    Quick tip: Use a high quality matcha if you want the best flavor. I highly recommend using Ceremonial Grade matcha, which is not bitter and will yield a brighter green color, as opposed to culinary grade.

    Powdered sugar, melted cacao butter, and matcha in a bowl.
    Whisking cacao butter, powdered sugar, and matcha.

    Mochi Dough

    While the matcha filling is chilling, let's prepare the dough!

    1. Combine sweet rice flour, unsweetened almond milk, sugar, and matcha in a small bowl until smooth.
    2. Steam in a bamboo basket for about 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through streaming.
    3. Let cool for a few minutes or until just warm and "knead" using a spoon. The dough will be very sticky, that is normal.
    4. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate the dough for 30-40 minutes. This step helps the dough slightly firm up and get less sticky.

    For a microwave option, check out the recipe notes.

    Matcha mochi dough in a bamboo steamer.
    Mochi dough made with glutinous rice flour.

    Shaping the Mochi

    Finally, it's time to assemble our mochi!

    On a surface dusted with cornstarch, place a ball of the mochi dough (I go with about 2 tablespoon of dough, just eyeball it), and flatten it into a round.

    Next, place 1 and ½ teaspoon of the matcha ganache filling on top and wrap the dough around it. Pinch to seal and repeat with the remaining dough and filling!

    Do not use too much cornstarch, otherwise you might have trouble sealing your mochi.

    Mochi with matcha filling on top.
    Wrapping matcha mochi.

    Once your mochi are shaped, you can dust them with matcha powder. This is totally optional, but it's a nice finishing touch!

    Bite of matcha mochi.

    💬 FAQ

    • Can I make these mochi sugar-free? While I haven't tried, I think this recipe will work with most powdered sweeteners.
    • Can I substitute the cacao butter? Yes! Check out the recipe notes to learn how to make the filling using white chocolate. If not vegan, any white chocolate will work.
    • Can I substitute the glutinous rice flour? That is not possible, no other flour will give you the same chewy and stretchy texture.
    • How long do these mochi keep? It will keep for up to 3 days, but is best served the same day.
    • How to store mochi? To prevent mochi from drying too much, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    Note: I am giving ingredient amounts in metrics for the filling as it can be hard to measure cacao butter.

    Matcha mochi close-up with a bite.

    I have made this recipe multiple times and everyone loved it! The matcha white chocolate filling slowly melts in your mouth, leaving a delicate green tea flavor! If you like matcha, you are going to LOVE this mochi recipe!

    🍵 More Matcha Dessert Recipes

    • Matcha White Chocolate Flan
    • Instant Pot Matcha Oatmeal
    • Matcha Lime Popcorn

    Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

    Close up of matcha mochi on a plate.

    📖 Recipe

    Vegan Matcha Mochi

    Vegan Matcha Mochi

    Author: Thomas
    These mochi are filled with the creamiest matcha white chocolate ganache! Chewy, packed with matcha flavor, and so addicting! Vegan + Gluten-free!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 45 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Resting time 2 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 5 mins
    Course Candy, Dessert, Sweets
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 6 mochi
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     
     

    Cashew Cream

    • ½ cup raw cashews soaked overnight
    • ½ cup water

    Matcha Filling

    • 50 g cacao butter
    • 45 g powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon matcha powder use ceremonial grade for the best flavor
    • 2 tablespoon cashew cream
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Mochi Dough

    • ½ cup sweet rice flour
    • 2 tablespoon white sugar
    • 6 tablespoon almond milk or other plant-based milk
    • 1 and ½ teaspoon oil
    • ¼ teaspoon matcha powder

    Instructions
     

    Cashew Cream

    • Drain the cashews and add them with the water to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 30-50 seconds, or until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside (do not refrigerate it).

    Matcha Filling

    • Melt the cacao butter in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat as soon as it is melted. The cacao butter should not be hot. If it's too hot, let it cool for a few minutes, or until room temperature.
    • Transfer the melted cacao butter to a small bowl. Add the powdered sugar, matcha, cashew cream, and vanilla. Whisk until fully combined, and keep whisking for 2-3 minutes, or until it has slightly thickened (like a condensed milk consistency).
    • Transfer to the refrigerator and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until set.

    Mochi Dough

    • In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet rice flour, white sugar, almond milk, oil, and matcha powder.
    • Bring a pot of water to a boil and place a bamboo steamer basket on top. Transfer the mixture to a container that will fit inside your bamboo steamer.
    • Close with the lid and steam for 20 minutes. Halfway through steaming, stir using a spoon (you will see some liquid and pieces of dough, that is normal, just give it a good stir).
    • After 20 minutes, let the dough cool for 15-20 minutes, or until just warm. Transfer to a bowl and stir well using a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth.
    • Wrap the sticky dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
    • To shape: Scoop out 1.5 teaspoon balls of the matcha filling and carefully roll into balls, set aside. Dust a working surface with cornstarch. Take a small amount of mochi dough (about 2 tablespoons) and flatten it into a round on the dusted surface.
    • Place a ball of the filling on the center of the dough and wrap the dough around the filling. Pinch the edges to seal. Transfer to a plate with the sealed face facing down. Repeat with the remaining filling and dough.
    • Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for a couple of hours. Mochi is best served the same day but will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    • For the filling: if you have access to vegan white chocolate: Finely chop 100g of white chocolate and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Add 3 tablespoon of cashew cream. Heat in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the matcha powder and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firmer.
    • To make the dough in a microwave: Whisk together the sweet rice flour, white sugar, almond milk, oil, and matcha powder in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the microwave for 1 minute on high heat. Stir the mixture using a rubber spatula and microwave again for 1 minute, or until it forms a soft and sticky dough.
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Tag @fullofplants on Instagram and hashtag it #fullofplants
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Wennie

      March 06, 2022 at 10:34 pm

      I would like to make a non vegan recipe. Is it ok to omit cashew nut cream? Or otherwise, what can I substitute that with?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        March 07, 2022 at 6:40 am

        Yes, but in this case I recommend checking the recipe notes to make the filling using white chocolate. Simply substitute the cashew cream for regular dairy cream.

        Reply
    2. Regina

      April 17, 2022 at 10:47 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Thomas,
      Made just the dough earlier today to be filled with anko and was wondering what was done incorrectly as dough did not come out chewy. It came out very soft and just breaks apart very easily. Never made mochi before so the best comparison I have is mochi from Trader Joe's grocery store. I used unrefined sugar as don't use white refined ones. Would you happen to have an idea what went wrong? 🙂 Thank you

      Reply
      • Thomas

        April 18, 2022 at 4:32 am

        Hi Regina,
        I would assume you didn't steam the mixture long enough. After steaming, it should be very thick and sticky.
        Also, did you use the right kind of rice flour? It should be sweet rice flour also known as glutinous rice flour.

        Reply
        • Regina

          April 18, 2022 at 12:40 pm

          Hi Thomas,
          Yes, I used mochiko flour. It did not turn out to very thick and sticky. Could i steam the same dough more the next day or better to start a new batch? (It tastes pretty good and quite raw..:))

          Reply
          • Thomas

            April 19, 2022 at 4:17 am

            Hi Regina,
            I would recommend starting over. Good luck on your next batch 🙂

            Reply
            • Regina

              April 25, 2022 at 10:20 pm

              Hi Thomas,
              I was also wondering: could I substitute plant based milk for water? I did not have all ingredients based on your recipe so made mochi using a different recipe using 1 cup Mochiko,
              3/4 cup water,
              2 cups sugar and arrowroot powder for dusting. Tye dough came out really good just very sweet. So looking forward to making your recipe.
              Thank you

            • Thomas

              April 26, 2022 at 7:36 am

              Hi Regina,
              Some recipes call for a lot of sugar in the dough, it helps keeping the mochi tender for a longer period of time, but it's usually way too sweet. I recommend lowering the sugar content next time, your mochi will still keep well for 2-3 days.

    3. Regina

      April 20, 2022 at 9:15 pm

      Thank you. Will be doing it in the next couple days. Very excited! 🙂

      Reply
    4. Regina

      April 29, 2022 at 9:38 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Thomas,
      Made your mochi dough without matcha powder and filled with sweet bean paste. Came out really nice. Thank you for the recipe... 🙂

      Reply
      • Thomas

        May 04, 2022 at 8:03 am

        Awesome! You are welcome 😉
        Thanks for your feedback!

        Reply
        • Regina

          May 05, 2022 at 9:37 pm

          5 stars
          🙂

          Reply

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