This Butter Mochi Recipe is a little taste of home. It’s a favorite snack in Hawaii. It’s soft and full of yummy butter and coconut flavors.

Butter Mochi Recipe
For those of you who are looking for a quick and easy Butter Mochi Recipe, then you’ve come to the right place. This recipe was given to me from my sister and it’s one of the best recipes around. I grew up chowing down on Butter Mochi after soccer games, swim meets, and family parties.
This was the dessert to make when I grew up in Hawaii and it’s still a favorite today. I generally wait until I’m visiting family in Hawaii to make it, but sometimes I’ve got cravings and I made an entire 9×13 pan of this all for myself!

If you’ve never heard of Butter Mochi, maybe you’ve heard of just Mochi.
What is Mochi?
Mochi is a Japanese pounded rice dessert and you can find it in various flavors and sometimes stuffed with candy, fruit, or ice cream. Heck, Whole Foods has a mochi bar in most of their stores.
This Butter Mochi recipe is just mochi with A LOT of butter and sweetened with coconut cream.
It turns out looking like yellow cake, but has a sticky cut edge.

You can vary the amount of butter in it. I’ve found that some people liked a more cake-like consistency and other really love that butter flavor. You can add up to a two cups of butter if you prefer a more buttery and gooey texture, but I will warn you that it will be more greasy. Reduce the butter, like I did to 3/4 cups butter for a less greasy, more firm texture. You’ll find the right consistency for you and your family.

My first time making Butter Mochi was an adventure. I always asked someone else to make it. Doesn’t everything taste better when someone else makes it? My sister sent me the recipe and I followed it… The original recipe called for “a block of butter”.
How much is a block of butter??
If a recipe said to use a block, how much would you add??
A stick of butter?
A 1/2 pound?
A pound of butter?
To ME…. a block of butter is a pound. Four Sticks = 2 cups. And that is what I used. I learned my lesson and reduced the butter after that.

What is Glutinous Rice Flour?
To make Mochi, you need Glutinous Rice Flour. Check your International Markets for it. I used Mochiko Brand that I easily picked up in Hawaii. Or, Bob’s Red Mill has a sweet rice flour that you can use.
Rice flour is gluten free, so this is a gluten free dessert. Looking for some other recipes that use glutinous rice flour? Try these Italian Cookie Sandwiches, or Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes, or you can make this gluten free pizza crust.

Aloha from Hawaii! Go eat some ono grindz!


Here’s a few more Gluten Free Recipes
Gluten Free Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Butter Mochi

This Butter Mochi Recipe is a little taste of home. It is a favorite snack in the Hawaiian Islands and it's soft and full of yummy butter and coconut flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 sticks of butter (1/2 to 3/4 Cups)
- 3 C Sugar
- 1 (16oz) box Mochiko Flour (Glutinous Rice Flour)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 4 Eggs
- 12 oz. Coconut Milk
- 2 C 2% Milk
Instructions
- Soften the butter and mix with sugar. Slowly add in 1/4 of the Mochiko Flour, baking powder, vanilla, and 2 eggs. Add in another 1/4 of the flour, 2 eggs and coconut milk. Alternate in another 1/4 flour and half the milk until all flour and milk is added and mixed in until smooth.
- Pour into a 9×13 pan and cook at 350 deg F for an hour.
- Let cool completely. Cut with a plastic knife or wet your knife between cuts.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
21Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 102mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 0gSugar: 30gProtein: 3g
Neha Sharma says
July 16, 2012 at 1:14 ammmm! This looks delicious!! You have so many delicious recipes on your blog and I certainly am enjoying browsing it! I'm now following your blog 🙂
If you have a few minutes to spare, feel free to check out my blog and follow if it tickles your fancy! 🙂 I'm a lover of food photography and post mostly that on my blog!
Have a great day!
neha
neha made
Rachel Cotterill says
July 16, 2012 at 5:48 amI really want to try this now! 🙂
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
July 21, 2012 at 6:29 amIt's a unique dessert. I hope that you enjoy it.
With A Blast says
July 16, 2012 at 6:25 amThis looks super delicious – pinning now!
Linda
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
July 21, 2012 at 6:30 amThanks for the pin. Always appreciated. It was delicious!
allisamazing says
July 16, 2012 at 1:15 pmThis looks delicious!
Winnie says
July 16, 2012 at 7:15 pmAs I really love butter, this is a cake I just must try 🙂
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
July 21, 2012 at 6:35 amIt's not a cake in the traditional sense. It's a thick, sticky "bar". There is nothing light and fluffy about it. The glutinous rice give it a dense and almost rubbery texture. Think more of a rich fudgey brownie vs. a cake brownie.
sugarswings says
July 16, 2012 at 8:05 pmyou are from hawaii!? that's one of my fav vacays ever! have an awesome time. I have a bag of sweet rice flour because i said i'd do mochi (love them)–so thanks for sharing! nice!
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
July 21, 2012 at 6:36 amI love mochi as well. I've always been scared of making myself, but this turned out good 🙂
madge | the vegetarian casserole queen says
July 17, 2012 at 2:21 amSomewhat, sort of similar to Gooey Butter Cake – which is a specialty from my hometown, St. Louis! Have a wonderful vacation…
Baked In The South says
July 17, 2012 at 1:41 pmLove this! Thanks for sharing! We would love to have you link up with our party!
http://baked-inthesouth.blogspot.com/2012/07/made-it-by-monday-link-party.html
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
July 17, 2012 at 1:57 pmOkay, those look gooey delicious! I've never had butter mochi before. I'm intrigued! Have a great time at home!
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
July 21, 2012 at 6:39 amThanks Dorthy. I'm having a great time! It's a good local dessert that all the kids here love. If you have any Hawaiian friends in California, ask them about it.
Laura says
July 17, 2012 at 4:27 pmI am so excited! I love throwing luau themed meals and get-togethers but I always struggle on a good luau dessert. Looks like I've found one! Can't wait to try it.
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
July 21, 2012 at 6:43 amFruit desserts are always popular for luaus. This is more Japanese because of the rice flour. Coconut desserts are good as well.
Chaya says
July 17, 2012 at 8:06 pmThis cake is ready to be put on my plate. It almost looks real and it certainly looks delicious. Thanks for linking it up.
Crafty Mischief says
July 18, 2012 at 6:36 amThis looks amazing! Can't wait to try it!
Lisa @ Flour Me With Love says
July 19, 2012 at 1:27 pmThis looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
momphotographer says
July 19, 2012 at 1:54 pmI've never heard of such a thing but it sure does look delicious! 🙂
Janet says
July 20, 2012 at 1:25 amThat looks delicious! Have a great visit back home.
Diane Balch says
July 20, 2012 at 6:39 pmThese sound so delicious and I am on a wheat free diet. Can't wait to try them. I will pin this and please share your recipe on my foodie friday party today.
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
July 21, 2012 at 6:48 amAs far as a wheat free diet, this is great. As a low-calorie diet, this is NOT it. Think of super thick pound cake with no "fluff" to it. It is a thick bar type dessert. Try it and let me know what you think, but don't expect a cake texture.
Miz Helen says
July 20, 2012 at 9:13 pmHi Karyn,
What a lovely dessert, I wish this serving was mine right now, it looks delicious. Hope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Katie says
July 21, 2012 at 1:24 amI just bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour. Now I just need to pick up coconut milk 🙂 Can't wait to make it 🙂
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
July 21, 2012 at 6:49 amI used Silk brand coconut milk. I did not have a can of coconut milk that the recipe called for. I love to use the coconut milk in smoothie 🙂 It's so good.
Toodie says
July 26, 2012 at 2:33 amThis looks soooo good. It's going on my "must try" list. Thank you so much!
The Mandatory Mooch says
July 26, 2012 at 5:21 pmThis looks so buttery delicious!! I'd love to have you link this up to Tasty Thursdays on The Mandatory Mooch. It's a new linky party starting today. Hope to see you there. Thanks, Nichi
http://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2012/07/tasty-thursdays-1.html
Unknown says
August 6, 2012 at 7:52 ami made this but i used 6oz instead of the full 16oz box and it came out really watery. u shoudl fix your instructions because it says 1 (6oz)
Karyn says
August 6, 2012 at 2:17 pmOh no! I'm so sorry for the typo. Yes, it should be one pound, 16 oz, of the rice flour. I've corrected the error. Thank you for letting me know.
JJ says
December 11, 2015 at 7:05 pmI also tried this recipe for my daughter’s hawaiian themed birthday and it came out watery because the recipe still says 6 oz of mochiko. I will have to make another run to the store to get another box. Hopefully this time it’ll come out yummy in time for her party!
Gloria says
July 31, 2016 at 4:27 pmFYI it still shows 1 (6 oz) instead of 16 oz of mochiko. Luckily I had ignored the measurement and just used the whole box but you really should fix it so people don’t get stuck with watery butter mochi. Thanks!
Karyn Granrud says
August 1, 2016 at 1:07 pmThanks for letting me know. I just updated the post.
Pregnant and bored says
September 27, 2016 at 3:00 pmHow much time is needed to cool? Does it solidify more after time?
Karyn Granrud says
September 30, 2016 at 2:19 pmI think i left mine to cool overnight. It should cool completely on the counter in 4 hours or so. It will be firm enough to handle, but it won’t get hard unless its in the fridge. It’s best served soft.
Kim says
August 29, 2017 at 3:11 amThis looks great, but just EXACTLY how much butter should I use to make this? I want it to turn out to be the best it can be and with the option of two different amounts of butter, I’m a bit confused. Thank you.
Kim says
August 29, 2017 at 3:15 amOOPS! I initially missed the paragraph about the amount of butter to use and found the answer myself after reading through the post again. Sorry…
Karyn Granrud says
September 6, 2017 at 4:28 pmYes, you can use as much or as little as you like. I’d start at 3/4 cups and go up from there. The more butter you add, the more oily it will be, but the butter flavor is also that much more!
Michelle ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says
August 29, 2017 at 4:12 pmI’ve never heard of mochi before. This looks so yummy though. I can’t wait to try it! I’m always looking for more gluten-free desserts.
Karyn Granrud says
September 6, 2017 at 4:26 pmI’m not a GF baker, but this recipe always turns out great! I love it!!
malia alika says
October 20, 2017 at 10:16 pmThe ingredient list states 2 C 2% milk but the instructions read 1 C milk. I used 1 cup but just wanted to clarify. Mahalo for the recipe!
Karyn Granrud says
November 10, 2017 at 11:37 pmI hope it turned out ok for you. It should be 2 cups of milk TOTAL added in. In the instructions I listed it as 1 C milk meaning half the milk followed by some flour then the remaining milk and last of the flour. I’ve adjusted the instructions to clarify that. Please let me know if you have any issues with the recipe. It probably came out thicker than normal.
Cathy Taketa says
December 28, 2017 at 1:15 pmI was desperately searching for a mochi cake recipe because it is far to expensive to fly to Hawaii to bring home a premixed version, nearly as expensive as buying it on the internet and paying for shipping cost.
Yours is THE BEST.
I have struggled each new year making manju, the traditional Japanese treat for luck in the new year. This year we are having your mochi cake. I believe I will be luckier!!
Karyn Granrud says
January 5, 2018 at 1:32 pmI’m so glad you found the recipe! It’s a NYE tradition that I miss.
Sarah says
January 17, 2018 at 3:43 pmI really want to make this but I’m allergic to coconut. Is there a good substitute for coconut milk, like can you use almond milk?
Karyn Granrud says
January 21, 2018 at 1:22 pmI don’t think so. You want that coconut flavor in this dessert. Also, the almond milk won’t be nearly as thick as the coconut milk. It’s the full fat coconut milk in the can, not the “milk” you pour on cereal. I’d suggest a different recipe.
Jojo says
August 9, 2018 at 3:48 amTo Sarah regarding coconut allergy: Mochi is a very forgiving dessert. YES, by all means use almond milk or any other milk substitute as well as the ‘milk’ you pour on cereal. I live in Hawaii and make this all the time with many successful liquid variations. Also, the recipe provided on this website may be quite yummy, but is overkill on sugar. My recipe consists of the following amounts: 1 block (1/2 C) butter, 1 C sugar (not 3 cups), 3 eggs and 1 can of coconut milk or evaporated milk (in addition to all of the other ingredients listed).
Julie Brunton says
March 25, 2019 at 6:43 amI just came back from Hawaii where I tried michi for the first time and lived it. Now I have to make it here at home.
Karyn Granrud says
April 2, 2019 at 2:37 pmI’m headed back home in 10 days and I’m looking forward to eating all the mochi! There’s an awesome place in Hilo that has mochi stuffed with brownies! OMG!
Jane says
June 9, 2019 at 4:57 pmI’m waiting for mine too cool. Mistakenly put 1-1/2 CUPS butter instead of sticks! We’ll see what happens. I’m not opposed to eating it with a spoon, if I have to!
Karyn Granrud says
June 13, 2019 at 6:06 pmI’m sure it turned out great. It may be a bit more oily, from all the butter, but it’ll taste GREAT!
Kim says
February 4, 2020 at 6:26 pmHow would Ido this in an Instant Pot?
Karyn Granrud says
February 12, 2020 at 3:19 pmHonestly, I haven’t tried. You’d have to cut the recipe in half in order to get it into a smaller pan – or use two pans. It might cook similar to the cheesecake (https://pintsizedbaker.com/instant-pot-classic-cheesecake/)… but I don’t know for sure. If you try it out, please let me know what you did and time worked best. Thanks!
LaReina Oskolkoff says
March 13, 2020 at 1:05 amI was nervous when I was mixing it because it seemed really wet. I used a 13oz can of coconut milk and 2 cups of whole milk. I opened the oven after 60 minutes and the cake was super puffed up with like bubbles. I turned the oven off and opened the door and just let it sit for about 20 minutes before I pulled it from the oven and thankfully the cake had flattened back out. The cake turned out great and I’ll definitely make this recipe again. Thank you!!
Karyn Granrud says
March 29, 2020 at 3:55 pmYes, it will be liquidy before baking. I love it and I’m so happy that you made it.
Lisa says
April 7, 2020 at 6:01 amDo I need to put another on the inside of the pan so I doesn’t stick? Or does it not stick to the pan when it cooks?
Karyn Granrud says
April 13, 2020 at 2:42 pmI don’t understand. One pan is all you need. There’s so much butter in this recipe that I’ve never had it stick.
Fran says
June 13, 2020 at 9:19 pmDo you grease the pan?
Karyn Granrud says
June 14, 2020 at 11:16 pmnope. All that butter in the glass pan works wonders!
Emily says
July 25, 2020 at 6:30 pmHow many days is it good for?
Do I refrigerate it? Can I freeze it?
Karyn Granrud says
July 27, 2020 at 1:29 pmI have never froze it so I don’t know about that. In my family it lasts about 3 days. I cover and leave it on the counter. When it’s in the fridge it gets a lot more gummy.
Jenessa Perez says
August 21, 2020 at 4:26 pmExcited to see how mine comes out, just popped it in the oven. Thank you for having a recipe to satisfy my craving.