If you like ice cream, then you’ll love this fabulous Mochi Ice Cream Recipe! Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made from short-grained rice. The mochi dough has sugar that usually has a sweet bean middle. Today I’m sharing a version that has ice cream in the center of the mochi!
The beauty of making your mochi ice cream is that you can use whatever ice cream your family loves. For example, my husband can’t eat ice cream, so I place a dollop of his favorite non-dairy ice cream in a couple. He loves that he can enjoy an ice cream dessert as well.
I’m trying to share more Japanese recipes over here o the blog. Today, I’m sharing a pretty unique and delicious twist on an ice cream treat.
Mochi has been around forever.
Growing up in Southern California, no one knew what it was outside of the Japanese community. My husband and our friends would make fun of my love for mochi. Then, our friends saw a rock with the word “mochi” on it, and they sent me a photograph of it. After that, it became a running joke in our little circle of friends.
It took my husband a couple of years until he began to enjoy this unique Japanese dessert. Since Mochi Ice Cream is so popular, he loves mochi!
What is Mochi
Mochi is pronounced moh-chee.
Here is a definition of mochi according to Wikipedia,
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan, it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki. While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time.
You see, the traditional mochi is a rice cake with a sweet red bean (adzuki) center. Unfortunately, the soft gooey rice isn’t similar to any dessert, and my husband wasn’t initially a fan.
But, mochi ice cream is a bit different. The mochi layer is frozen and instead isn’t gooey. And, of course, my husband loves this frozen dessert!
Mochi Ice Cream Recipe
This recipe uses rice flour called Mochiko. So no need to cook short-grained rice and pound it the old-fashion way.
It’s so crazy that the techniques for making mochi are now so easy! It used to be that you had to steam the mochiko flour mixture. Now, you can make a batch of mochi by using a pan and cooking it quickly over the stovetop. Gotta love that people are so creative.
I love that with this new technique, I can whip up a batch if I have a craving for some mochi.
I must mention that making the mochi dough is simple. The most challenging portion of this recipe is forming the ice cream balls and the mochi. You see, the ice cream wants to melt in the palm of your warm hand. So don’t be afraid to frequently pop everything into the freezer and try not to touch the ice cream too much!
Ingredients for Mochi Ice Cream
- Sweet Rice Flour – I use the brand Koda Farms but most rice flours will work. Definitely do not use regular wheat or rice flour.
- Water
- Sugar
- Cornstarch ( or Potato Starch) – This ingredient is for dusting the counter when rolling out the dough.
- Food Coloring
- Ice Cream – Dairy or non-dairy ice cream can be used.
Why You’ll Like This Ice Cream Recipe
- It’s a gluten free dessert
- Make it a dairy free recipe
- Use your favorite flavor ice cream
- Not too difficult to make
- Keeps for a week in the freezer
- A unique dessert
How to Make Mochi Ice Cream
Step 1 – Make Ice Cream Balls
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small cookie dough scoop, pack ice cream in the mold and place it on the parchment paper. For this step, I used a 1.6 inch or 1.5 tablespoon cookie ball scoop. Place ice cream balls in the freezer to chill.
Step 1 – Weigh and Mix Ingredients
First, weigh the water in a bowl. Next, weigh and add the mochiko flour. And finally, weigh and add the granulated sugar to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients until smooth.
Step 2 – Cook Mochi
Place rice mixture in a frying pan. Next, heat the pan over a medium to low flame. Cook for two minutes, constantly stirring with a rubber spatula. Once the mochi is cooked, transfer the mochi to a plate and place it in the refrigerator to cool for five minutes. Before placing my plate in the fridge, I used trivets and potholders to put under my plate of hot mochi.
Step 3 – Roll Out Mochi
Thoroughly cover your clean countertop with cornstarch and roll out mochi. You’ll want the thickness of 1/4 inches or more thickness. You don’t want the dough too thin since it tends to break when covering the ice cream center. I used the palms of my hands to flatten the dough. You can use a 3″ (or larger) round biscuit cutter to cut out mochi forms. Make sure to dust the top with cornstarch too. Place a sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet and dust it with cornstarch. Next, place your round mochi dough shapes on this cookie sheet. Refrigerate your mochi.
Step 4 – Shape Mochi
Take out your mochi circles, and working one mochi at a time, place an ice cream ball in the center of one. Pull up the mochi around the ice cream inch edges together to form the bottom of the mochi ice cream. The ice cream will melt while you are creating the ball. You can place it back in the freezer to firm up the ice cream, mold it, and refine it later.
Freeze mochi until serving.
Mochi Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 50 grams sweet rice flour ( Mochiko) or ⅓ cup plus a 1 tsp
- 70 grams water 100 ml
- 50 grams granulated sugar or ¼ cup
- food coloring optional
- 4 scoops ice cream I use a small 1 ½ Tbsp cookie scooper
Instructions
Ice Cream Centers
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small cookie dough scoop, pack ice cream in the mold and place it on the parchment paper. For this step, I used a 1.6 inch or 1.5 tablespoon cookie ball scoop. Place ice cream balls in the freezer to chill for at least 2 hours.
Mochi Dough
- First, weigh the water in a bowl. Next, weigh and add the mochiko flour. And finally, weigh and add the granulated sugar to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients until smooth.
Cook Mochi Dough
- Place rice mixture in a frying pan. Heat pan over a medium to low flame. Cook for two minutes, constantly stirring with a rubber spatula. Once the mochi is cooked, transfer the mochi to a plate and place it in the refrigerator to cool for five minutes. Before placing my plate in the fridge, I used trivets and potholders to put under my plate of hot mochi.
Roll Out Mochi
- Place a sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet and dust it with quite a bit of cornstarch. Cover your clean countertop with LOTS of cornstarch and roll out mochi. You'll want the dough to be 1/4 inches or more in thickness. However, you don't want the dough too thin since it tends to break when covering the ice cream center. So, I'm a bit lazy, and I used the palms of my hands to flatten the dough. You can use a 3" (or larger) round biscuit cutter to cut out mochi forms. You can also roll out in circles without cutting them out.Make sure to dust the top with cornstarch too. Next, place your round mochi dough shapes on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate your mochi.
Shape the Mochi Ice Cream
- Take your mochi circles out of the fridge and working one mochi at a time. Place an ice cream ball in the center of one. Pull up the mochi around the ice cream and pinch the edges together to form the bottom of the mochi. The ice cream will melt while you are creating the ball. Then you can place it back in the freezer to firm up the ice cream, mold it and refine it later.
Freeze Mochi
- Immediately after making the mochi place it in the freezer. Remove before serving and cut in half or eat whole!
Storage
- Once the mochi is frozen, wrap each one in plastic wrap. Then place it in a freezer bag or container and place it in your freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Tips About Making Mochi Ice Cream
Make the Ice cream balls the day before making the mochi ice cream. You want the ice cream to be pretty frozen and cold since the heat of your hands will instantly begin to melt it.
I liked using the small cookie scoop, but you can make yours bigger if you want. It is just a preference.
Mochi Ice Cream Recipe Variations
- Ice Cream
Use any flavor of ice cream. I used chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. I also made a non-dairy batch for my husband. He was so delighted to have some mochi ice cream.
- Subsitute the Filling
Here are some variations that you can use instead of an ice cream center. For example, some people place a strawberry, Biscoff Cookie Butter, peanut butter, cookie dough, Nutella Chocolate, sweet red beans, mango, green tea, and sweeten lima beans.
As you probably can tell, I love creating new recipes. And it’s too funny that my husband mentioned that my baking and cooking skills are improving. You see, when I bake, he can’t resist trying my desserts, and so his waistline is ever-growing.
How to Store Mochi
You can store them in an airtight container for up to a week or two. I place them in plastic wrap and then cover them in tin foil. When you plan to take them out of the freezer, place them on the counter for a few minutes to thaw them for a tiny bit.
Enjoy this wonderful Japanese dessert.
A few tips!
- Make sure to use the sweet rice flour
- The mochi dough is sticky. So when forming the mochi ice cream balls make sure to use the cornstarch liberally. You can also use potato starch as well.
- If you want a twist on the recipe you can replace the ice cream with a peanut or cookie butter middle.
- Make them whatever color mochis you like. For some reason the Japanese American community traditionaly makes them pink and white.
- Use a small melon ball scooper. These mochis are smallish compared the traditional red bean mochis.
Here are some more Japanese dessert recipes you might enjoy:
Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I loved making this fun dessert.
Cheers,
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Renae
This is awesome! It’s my daughter’s favorite. I would love it if you would share this on The Fabulous Friday Link Party this Friday. https://www.peacockridgefarm.com/category/fabulous-friday-link-party/
Hugs to you.
Helene Matthews
Janine — Thank you for this wonderful recipe. My husband and I have never tried Mochi Ice Cream, but we are anxious to do so. It looks delicious. Thanks also for the cookie recipe book. Can’t wait to try the almond cookies. Great site and I love receiving your Newsletters, which are so informative!!
happyhappynester
Hello Helene Matthews! Thank you so much for the kind feedback 🙂 It made my day. I’m excited for you to try this recipe for it’s been a favorite from my childhood. There are tons of great recipes from the blog but the almond cookies are by far one of the best, good luck baking!