Auntie Ellen’s Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe

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Hawaiian butter mochi is an easy dessert made with coconut and butter in a rice flour base. This butter mochi recipe makes a great gluten free dessert for any tropical themed party.

If you haven’t tried mochi, this super easy butter mochi recipe is worth trying. Soft and creamy, this butter mochi just melts in your mouth. If you love this matcha recipe, wait until you try my matcha mochi recipe.

“Bata Mochi” also known as Butter Mochi, is a naturally gluten free Hawaiian local treat.

A lot of people have never heard of butter mochi. Think of it like a baked custard made with sweet rice flour. Butter mochi is a soft cake made with coconut (or regular) milk, sweet rice flour, sugar, and eggs. You may be surprised how easy this butter mochi recipe is to make. Mochi is naturally gluten free, and our kids love it as a snack or dessert.

As I worked with Skool restaurant for a blog interview, their co-owner/pastry chef, Hiroko Nagano, and I became friends. Her baking style has a Japanese influence from her family.  Many of her recipes are gluten free. (You can read all about Skool and their gluten handling procedures.)

When Chef Nagano shared her amazing gluten free Black Sesame Banana Bread recipe with me, she also shared her Auntie Ellen’s family mochi recipe. I knew this was special, and I asked if I could also write-up this recipe for the blog.

Auntie Ellen was so sweet, and she loved the idea that more people can try her mochi recipe. Her Aunt’s butter mochi recipe is so easy to make.

Our family often bought mochi at our local Japanese market, Mitsuwa. Now that we know how easy it was to make, we will always make our own. You will find this mochi recipe is just as good, if not better than store-bought mochi.

If you are new to gluten free, check out my post on gluten free living 101. There are tons of tips and strategies to learn how to live gluten free.

We all hope you enjoy this butter mochi recipe as much as we did. My kids devoured this mochi very quickly.

Here is a photo of the Hawaiian butter mochi batter so you can see the consistency. It is creamy and smooth.

Does butter mochi need to be refrigerated?

Some people say it should be refrigerated and some people say it shouldn’t be. Refrigerating the gluten free butter mochi is fine, but it will dry out some. It’s better if you reheat it before serving or eating. I like to microwave it for a few seconds just to warm it up.

You can also store the butter mochi on the counter too. It will last for a few days. You will know if it’s bad because it will seem dry, hard, and potentially have mold on it.

Can I freeze mochi?

Yes, you can freeze Hawaiian butter mochi. It’s best if you wrap the gluten free butter mochi in individual-sized pieces with plastic wrap. Then place it in a freezer bag or other airtight container. It will last around 1 month in the freezer. Toss it in the microwave for a few seconds when you are ready to serve.

Can I make mochi in a cup cake pan?

Yes, absolutely you can make butter mochi in a cupcake pan. This is ideal if you are serving to a crowd and want individual portions too. Just follow the instructions as directed. They don’t take as long to cook when they are in cupcake tins, more like 45 minutes instead of an hour.

Does shredded coconut taste good in butter mochi?

Yes, if you love coconut, you should try adding in some shredded coconut. Put up to 1 cup of shredded coconut into the batter. You can go a little bit less if you want a subtle coconut texture. Another option is to toast some coconut and put it on top. Either way, it’s really

If you love this Hawaiian Mochi Recipe, you should try these other amazing gluten free desserts:

• Gluten Free Matcha Green Tea Madeleines
• Grandma’s Homemade Cheese Blintz
• Irresistible Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cake
• Quick And Easy Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

Things you need to make this recipe:

1. The key to making mochi is to use the right flour. I tried this with regular white rice flour and it was a huge flop. You want to use this Sweet Rice Flour.
2. An 8×8 pan to bake this mochi in.

How to Make Hawaiian Butter Mochi:

(*This post was updated from a December 2016 post.)

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