Try this Hawaiian butter mochi recipe for a chewy, buttery, fudgey dessert with crisp, crunchy edges. A Hawaiian favorite, this butter mochi is highly addictive!
The first time I had Hawaiian butter mochi was on a trip to Maui and I happened across these in an outdoor market. Initially I thought they were blondies and was curious why there were so popular but then I saw the words "butter mochi" written on top and I knew I would love them as I'm a huge fan of mochi.
What is Hawaiian Butter Mochi?
Hawaiian butter mochi is a popular sweet treat made with mochiko flour, sugar, eggs, and coconut milk. If you've never had it before, it's chewy, fudgy, sweet, coconut-y, and surrounded by the crunchiest crust you can imagine. The best way I can describe it is like an extra fudgy brownie with crunchy edges and a chewy center. 
What is mochiko?
Mochiko is sweet rice flour ground into a fine powder. The texture is very similar to flour but when it's baked or cooked, the texture becomes chewy and stretchy. It's widely used in Hawaiian, Korean, Japanese, and south east Asian recipes.
Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe Tips:
The trick to getting these butter mochi chewy is to let them cool completely. I waited a good 3 hours until they were cool enough to achieve the right texture. It'll be worth the wait. If you eat them before they're cool, the texture won't be firm enough and you'll miss out on all that chewy, fudgy texture. Just let them cool on a wire rack and you'll notice them firming up.
How to Make Hawaiian Butter Mochi
I used a mini loaf pan and muffin pan because I wanted more of those crunchy edges. I'm definitely a lover of those crispy, crunchy corner/edge pieces when it comes to any baked good so what better way to capitalize on that than a using these rectangular mini loaf pans. You get 4 edges in one piece - winning!
These butter mochi don't rise that much so feel free to fill them up. You'll see a bit of rise from the baking powder and egg but not enough to overflow the pan.
Look at those edges! I wish you could hear how crunchy and crispy the top edges are. It's literally like biting into a crunchy cookie. The edges are nice and hard, but the center will still be too soft to fully enjoy these, so remove them from the pan and let them cool.
This Hawaiian butter mochi recipe is perfect for get togethers or parties. They're perfect at room temperature and everyone loves it when I bring them to get togethers. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Microwave them for about 10 seconds to soften up or reheat them in a toaster oven. Let them cool before enjoying.
I hope you enjoy this Hawaiian butter mochi recipe! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Recipe
Chewy Hawaiian Butter Mochi
Equipment
☑ Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups Mochiko sweet rice flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 13.5 oz lite coconut milk
- 1 ½ cup water
- 7 Tablespoons butter - melted
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk out any lumps. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a well greased nonstick muffin pan or mini loaf pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes until the edges and surface turn a golden brown. If baking in a 9 x 9 baking dish, bake for 1 hour.
- Remove them from the pan and set them on a wire rack to cool before serving. Be sure to let them cool completely to firm up and get a chewy mochi texture.
✎ Recipe Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Miranda
This recipe is so good. My Mum loves it, so she requested it as a sweet treat for her birthday party over the weekend. As always, they came out perfectly! If you haven't tried them yet, I highly recommend this recipe!
Katrina
I really wish I could share some photos of the butter mochi my friend and I made. They were such a success! We've made this three times already!
Jeanie
Loved this recipe! It was delicious but we couldn't finish it all in one sitting. What is the best way to store?
Jamie
Thanks Jeanie! Thanks for sharing and happy you loved it! 🙂 You can store the butter mochi in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Afterwards, I would refrigerate or freeze it. To reheat, you can microwave it but if you want that crispy crust back, reheat it in the toaster oven until it's soft throughout and the surface and edges crisp up.
Glo
This is one of my favorite recipes! Thanks!
I make mine in mini muffin tins so I get the chewy crispy parts too.
I started taking out about 1/2 cup of sugar and I buy a pack of redbean paste and add it into the mochi. I've done real fruit like mango or blueberries in the middle too. Also added shredded coconut on top.
Jamie
Thanks Glo! That's a great idea adding red bean paste to the mochi!
Barbara
These are fantastic. I added pandan flavoring and they were yummy. How long will these keep and how should they be kept, if not all eaten right away?
Allyson
I made this recipe and it was delicious! Loved the crispiness of the edges (my favorite). But it lost that crispiness after storing it in an airtight container. How do you maintain the crispness?
Jamie
Thanks Allyson! I'm so glad you loved the recipe. To maintain the crispiness of the edges, I reheat it in a toaster oven and turn on the convection setting if it's available. You'll have that crispy texture back in 3 to 5 minutes depending on your oven. I hope that helps!