A soft and pillowy layer of chewy strawberry mochi filled with creamy strawberry ice cream. Made with only two ingredients using a microwave
What is Mochi?
Mochi, aka daifuku, is a very popular treat originating from Japan but it also has versions from other countries like China, Korea, and other parts of East and South East Asia. It is made from glutinous rice and is traditionally pounded as a paste with water. Mochi can be enjoyed with a variety of fillings and flavorings such as roasted soybean powder, and red bean paste.
This mochi recipe is quite different to the traditional Japanese method of mochi making. This is because the mochi is cooked in a microwave, rather than the traditional pounding method and has much fewer ingredients. Unlike the traditional kind of mochi this recipe also uses ice cream as a filling.
Mochi ice cream does originate in Japan however, mochi ice cream is a result of the crossover of both American and Japanese food culture. Mochi ice cream is very popular in the US and several other countries and is loved as a delicious snack.
Ingredients
This recipe is super quick and easy and only requires two ingredients.
Strawberry Ice Cream
It is important to choose Strawberry Ice Cream rather than sorbet as the cream contents and thickeners of the ice cream are the key to a soft and pillowy mochi.
Glutinous Rice Flour
Glutinous rice flour, also known as sweet rice flour is the core ingredient of mochi. You will be able to find a few different types of glutinous rice flour, however, the most common types are:
- Mochiko: A Japanese short-grain glutinous rice flour
- Thai Elephant Brand: Long-grain glutinous rice flour
Mochiko can be harder to find in some countries but the Thai Elephant brand works perfectly fine in this recipe and will still result in a soft mochi, there is no significant difference between the two.
It is important to remember that your mochi may turn out either drier or stickier depending on the type of glutinous rice flour you use as different types have different water-absorbing abilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this last?
Mochi skin will begin to harden when stored in the freezer so it is best to eat it within 3 days however they will still be edible for up to 2 weeks after being made.
How should I eat Mochi Ice Cream?
After storing your mochi ice cream in the freezer you will need to defrost it for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before they are ready to eat again. The mochi will be rock hard when it is straight out of the freezer but will soften back up to its chewy and pillowy texture after defrosting.
Why is my Mochi dough so wet?
The mochi dough can be too wet for a number of reasons:
- The mochi is still too warm: the more the mochi cools down the firmer it will become
- Too much ice cream has been added
- The mochi wasn’t microwaved for long enough
Why can’t I wrap the Ice Cream in the Mochi?
Wrapping the sticky mochi around the ice cream while its melting can be quite difficult. Here are some helpful tips to make the assembly process easier:
- Pre-scooping and freezing your ice cream
- Wearing gloves or oiling your hands before handling the mochi balls as it is very sticky.
- Flatten your mochi into a disk that is big enough to completely wrap the ice cream
- Ensuring the parts of the mochi you want to stick together don’t have ice cream on them as this will prevent it from sealing shut.
Can I make this with other flavors of Ice Cream?
This recipe is super versatile! You can substitute the strawberry ice cream to any flavor of ice cream you like.
My favorite variations of this recipe are cookies and cream, chocolate, vanilla mango, and even mint chocolate!
Let’s Get Cooking
If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below. I’d love to know how it went! Also, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts.
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Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream
A Soft, chewy and pillowy layer of strawberry mochi filled with creamy strawberry ice cream. Made with only two ingredients using a microwave
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 Mochi Ice Creams 1x
- Category: Mochi
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 Scoops strawberry ice cream
Strawberry Mochi
- 150g Strawberry ice cream (5.3 oz)
- 100g Glutinous rice flour (3/4 cup)
- Cornstarch, for dusting (approx 1/2 cup)
Instructions
Filling
- Line a cupcake tin with 4 parchment paper liners and scoop a small ice cream scoop into each liner
- Place the scoops of ice cream into the freezer until you are ready to assemble
Strawberry Mochi
- Pour the ice cream in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals until just melted
- Add the glutinous rice flour and whisk until smooth
- Cover mochi mixture with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes and stir with a spatula
- Recover with plastic wrap and microwave for another 2 minutes, or until the mochi dough ingredients are no longer milky
- Allow the mochi to cool to room temperature
- Prepare a bowl of corn starch to dust your mochi with when assembling
- Wearing disposable gloves or with well-oiled hands knead the mochi until smooth
- Dust your working surface with cornstarch and divide the mochi into 4 portions
- Flatten one portion between your palms or with an oiled rolling pin into a circle of dough and place a ball of pre-scooped strawberry ice cream ball in the center
- Pull the sides of the mochi over the ice cream to enclose it
- Lightly dust the mochi ball with cornstarch and dust off any excess with a pastry brush
- Repeat with the remaining mochi and ice cream
- Place them in an airtight container in the freezer for 15 minutes or so to set before enjoying!
- If you’re eating them later make sure you allow the frozen mochi ice cream to defrost for 10 minutes before eating
I made it right how and I tried it with mango ice cream and its so much better then store bough ice cream ????????????????
The recipe is so easy to do and when I made it my Mochi came out perfect ????
What other method other than microwave.. can I steam the mochi?
Thank you for your hard work and giving us these recipes ????its appreciated and I’m wishing you all the success
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I can’t wait to make these!!!!! I just got the mochi flour, and strawberry ice cream and matcha ice cream will get here tomorrow!! I’m going to customize them and make them huge! lol!!! I can’t wait to post pics! Thank you so very much Catherine!!! I love ALL your recipes! The treats from your store look completely beautiful and I can’t wait to visit!!!!! Thank you!!! 🥰