Matcha Mochi Muffins are so delicious and easy you won't believe it. They are chewy, not too sweet and gluten free with the perfect touch of matcha powder.
If you've never had a mochi muffin it's definitely different from regular muffins. You might be thinking a blueberry muffin but with a chewy texture? Yikes! No please trust me and try this atleast once! Maybe twice because I believe you have to try it more than once before deciding you don't like it. Think about boba pearls, they are chewy. I've once heard a of a saying "QQ", not sure if it's a taiwanese saying or Chinese but it means chewy which is also known as a perfect amount of chewy.
Don't sleep on mochi muffins, I love traditional mochi and mochi anything and these mochi muffins are amazing. They have the perfect chew and crispy edges that are so addicting you feel like you just have to have another one! These Matcha Mochi Muffins are made with mochiko sweet rice flour and coconut milk for the perfect contrast of the matcha that gives it the rich buttery flavor you taste. If you've never had Hawaiian butter mochi make sure to add it to your baking list because it's all related to the mochi family.
Why you'll love these matcha mochi muffins:
- Perfect snack and treat with an afternoon tea
- One bowl and so easy to mix together
- Gluten free and dairy free if you have someone sensitive to gluten and dairy
- This matcha mochi muffin recipe is great to make with kids!
Matcha Mochi Muffins Ingredients:
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, you can also brown the butter for a nuttier flavor as I did. I have a tutorial teaching how to make brown butter.
- Sweet Rice Flour: It's also known as glutinous rice flour. I love using Mochiko Brand from koda farms. Sweet rice flour is not to be confused with rice flour as rice flour will not give you the same results.
- Brown Sugar: I enjoy using dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses taste but feel free to use light brown sugar or just regular granulated sugar if that's what you have on hand. It can also be substituted with coconut sugar but it will alter the taste.
- Baking Powder: Don't skip out on baking powder here or you'll end up with matcha mochi butter. The baking powder helps life the mochi muffins to create that adorable bump.
- Salt: Use sea salt
- Coconut Milk: Fall fat canned coconut milk. There are so many different brands of coconut milk, I use the Chaokoh brand, it's the brand my Mom loves and I use till this day. You can get it at your local asian grocery store. I also really love trader joes coconut milk, as it has a solid thick chunk of coconut fat perfect for my coconut cake.
- Eggs: Large room temperature eggs
- Vanilla: You'll always see vanilla extract in all my recipes, Ideally, I never measure vanilla extract unless it's a vanilla cake.
- Matcha: Use culinary grade matcha powder. I've been using Aiya Matcha as it works great and is affordable. Read more below about matcha.
- Toppings: White Sesame Seeds, shredded coconut, Black sesame seeds
See Recipe card for full measurements and substitutions.
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a type of powdered green tea made from finely ground young tea leaves. It's known for its vibrant green color and distinct flavor, which is a blend of sweet and umami with a grassy note. Because you're consuming the whole leaf, and not just steeped tea leaves its much stronger than green tea.
There are different grades of matcha powder.
Ceremonial matcha is the highest quality. It's a bright green color but it's not meant to be used for baking. Ceremonial grade matcha definitely cost more and is best enjoyed drinking on its own.
Culinary grade is designed to use for cooking and baking. It's stronger in flavor and less refined than ceremonial matcha which makes it best for using in cooking or baking.
Lower grade matcha powders tends to be dull in color with a more bitter taste. The powder may not be a fine powder and may feel more grainy and not as smooth when mixed. The green tea leaves used for lower graded matcha powders are harvested much later or the processing was not done correctly which gives a poor-quality green tea flavor. You can easily find culinary-grade Matchas at the grocery stores in the coffee and tea aisle.
Glutinous Rice Flour vs Rice Flour
Glutinous Rice Flour is the same as sweet rice flour: It's milled sticky rice which creates that sticky chewy mochi texture. There are different brands out there, but I tend to lean towards the koda brand.
Rice Flour- The flour is made from long or short grain white rice which is normally used in gluten free baking and making tempura.
How to make matcha mochi muffins:
Mochi Muffins step-by-step photos
Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a cupcake pan generously with butter or cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, melted butter, coconut milk, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
Combine all the dry ingredients sweet rice flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt and sift over the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
The batter will be thicker than regular muffin batter.
Scoop the matcha batter into each muffin tin filling until almost full to the top.
Top the matcha mochi muffins with topping of choice if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The tops should be lightly golden brown and domed.
Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Matcha mochi muffins are best consumed the day of as its crunchy exterior goes so well with the chewiness of the mochi muffins.
Storage:
Store baked muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
If consuming the next day reheat in air fryer at 350F for 3 to 5 minutes to crisp the outsides again.
Variations:
- Add a filling of red bean paste in the middle of the mochi muffins before baking
- Add 2 tablespoon of black sesame powder to the batter more if desired.
- Brown butter for a nutty flavor
- Add some white chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips to the batter
Matcha mochi muffins tips
Grease the muffin tins well or you'll have a hard time taking them out. Don't use paper muffin cups.
Overmixing I would imagine not being much of problem because there's no gluten, but mixed until just combined just to be safe.
Looking for some Asian Inspired Desserts?
Yes, adjust the time accordingly.
The Best Matcha Mochi Muffins
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoon Brown Butter (optional) If using just melted butter and not brown use 4 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoon Matcha Powder
- 2 cups Sweet Rice Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 13 ounce can of Coconut Milk
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a cupcake pan generously with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, melted butter, coconut milk, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
- Combine all the dry ingredients sweet rice flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt and sift over the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- The batter will be thicker than regular muffin batter.
- Scoop the matcha batter into each muffin tin filling until almost full to the top.
- Top the matcha mochi muffins with topping of choice if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The tops should be lightly golden brown and domed.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Matcha mochi muffins are best consumed the day of as its crunchy exterior goes so well with the chewiness of the mochi muffins.
