Mochi Cookies

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With a buttery cookie surrounding a soft and chewy mochi center, my mochi cookies are the ultimate cookie mashup! My recipe is perfect for anyone with a bit of an adventurous sweet tooth, and of course – for mochi lovers everywhere! Whether you want to surprise your family or bring something fun to your neighborhood potluck, these delicious sweet treats are easy to make and are always a hit.

If you love classic mochi or mochi ice cream as much as I do, you’re going to fall in love with my chewy mochi stuffed cookies! 

Mochi is a Japanese treat made from glutinous rice flour, sugar, and cornstarch, giving it a wonderfully soft and stretchy texture with a bit of chew. It has a subtle sweetness, similar to sweet rice, but comes in every flavor you can imagine.

In this recipe, I combine mochi with a butter cookie base to create a unique, irresistibly delicious cookie with a crispy outside and chewy, sweet center. Trust me, once you try my Japanese mochi cookies, it’s nearly impossible to stop at just one!

And if you’re looking for more sweet mochi inspired treats, be sure to check out my vegan mochi donuts and my mango mochi ice cream, which are two other desserts that highlight the wonderful texture and flavor of mochi!

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🥘 Ingredients

My cookie recipe only requires a handful of ingredients that you can find at almost any grocery store. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact amounts and nutritional information.

Unsalted Butter: Added for texture and flavor, I use butter as my fat to keep the cookies soft, chewy, and moist. 

Brown Sugar: Used to sweeten the cookies! White sugar or coconut sugar are other options. I haven’t tried maple syrup or honey in this recipe, but I’d imagine that would work too.

Egg: The egg binds the cookie dough and provides structure. Without an egg or an egg substitute, the dough will fall apart. 

Vanilla Extract: Don’t underestimate the power of vanilla! I add just a little to enhance the cookies with an aromatic vanilla flavor. (Learn More: How To Make Vanilla Extract).

All Purpose Flour: Simple all-purpose flour is used to create the base of my cookie dough. 

Baking Powder: This powerful leavening agent causes my cookies to rise in the oven and gives them their light texture. 

Glutinous Rice Flour: Not to be confused with regular rice flour, sweet glutinous rice flour, also called mochiko flour, is a sweet rice flour made from short-grain rice that has a high starch content. It’s essential for mochi and I typically find it at my local market or Asian grocery store. 

Powdered Sugar: I use this type of sugar specifically to add sweetness to my glutinous rice flour cookies without making the mochi grainy.

Milk: I use milk to absorb the rice flour and powdered sugar when making the mochi filling. 

🔪 How To Make Mochi Cookies

Learning how to make my mochi cookie recipe is really easy. Even if you’re new to baking, you can easily whip up these delicious treats in just a few simple steps.

Watch my video below to see the step-by-step process and start making these irresistible cookies yourself!

Preheat Oven: Before I begin the recipe, I preheat my oven to 340 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius). Then I line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Cream Butter & Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, I cream the softened butter and sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. You can also use an electric hand mixer for this step.

Add Egg: Once creamed, I add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, and beat until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add Dry Ingredients & Chill: After the wet ingredients are mixed, I fold in the flour and baking powder with a rubber spatula. Then I put the dough in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Make Filling: First, I whisk all the filling ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Then I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave the filling mixture for 2 minutes.

Let Cool: When done, I remove the plastic wrap and mix the filling well. Now, I let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.

Divide Filling: Once the filling has cooled, I divide the mochi dough into 12 equal-sized portions and roll them into balls. It’s important to make your glutinous rice cookies the same size for even baking.

Cut Cookie Dough: After the cookie dough has chilled, I roll it into a log and cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces.

Wrap Mochi Filling: To start, I take one piece of my cookie dough and flatten it into a disc shape. I use my thumb to make an indentation in the center of the disc. Next, I place a mochi ball in the middle and carefully wrap the cookie dough around it, leaving no holes for the filling to leak out. Then I place the cookie on the prepared baking sheet and repeat the process with the rest of the dough and filling.

Bake: After forming my cookies, I transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the mochi cookie dough balls for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Cool: When done, I carefully remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on a cooling rack to firm up and set.

📖 Variations

While this recipe is perfect as is, I sometimes like to mix things up a bit and personalize for friends and family.

Matcha Mochi Cookies: I add a teaspoon of matcha powder to the mochi filling before microwaving it for the ultimate Japanese cookies recipe. The earthy green tea flavor pairs perfectly with the buttery cookie shell, creating matcha cookies with a twist.

Pandan Mochi Cookies: Pandan gives the filling a slightly sweet, fragrant, and almost nutty taste, with hints of floral undertones and a beautiful green color. I mix ¼ teaspoon of pandan extract into the filling before microwaving.

Ube Mochi Cookies: If you love the color purple and a subtly sweet, nutty, and earthy flavor, then you have to try ube! I simply add ¼ teaspoon of ube extract and a few drops of purple food coloring to the filling mixture before microwaving it. 

Mochi Chocolate Chip Cookies: For an indulgent take on classic chocolate chip cookies, I add mini chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough before baking. You can even use white chocolate chips if you prefer!

Chocolate Mochi Cookies: You can easily make these butter mochi cookies chocolatey by adding 1-2 teaspoons of cocoa powder to the filling mixture before putting it in the microwave.

Lemon Mochi Cookies: If you’re a fan of citrus, turn this into a lemon mochi cookie recipe. I add some lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the mochi filling. Fresh lime juice is another option.

Vegan Mochi Cookies: To make the cookies vegan, I replace the butter with vegan butter, use plant-based milk, and use an egg substitute like a flax egg for binding.

Gluten-Free Option: I make these cookies gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour in the cookie dough with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Just be sure to use glutinous rice flour (mochiko) for the mochi filling, as despite its name, it’s naturally gluten free.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

These cookies are incredibly versatile and pair well with a variety of desserts and drinks. Here are some of my favorite serving ideas to take your mochi experience to the next level:

With Warm Drinks: These cookies are a perfect match for cozy beverages like green tea, matcha lattes, or my oat milk hot chocolate or lavender latte. They are also delicious with my yummy mocha latte or Biscoff latte.

With Spreads: Add a little indulgence to your cookies by spreading them with some peanut butter, fruit preserves, or my pumpkin seed butter, white chocolate hazelnut spread, or vegan nutella. A thin layer of salted caramel, vegan honey, or even a dollop of whipped cream can elevate the cookies too.

With Ice Cream: For a decadent dessert, serve them with ice cream. My matcha ice cream, lychee ice cream, chocolate banana ice cream, and mango nice cream all pair beautifully with the chewy center of mochiko flour cookies. You can even take 2 cookies and make a mochi cookie ice cream sandwich. 

🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

Room Temperature: Once cooled, I store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They are best enjoyed fresh within the first day. Avoid refrigerating the cookies, as the mochi filling tends to become firm and lose its chewiness when chilled.

Freezer: You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. I place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to enjoy, I let the cookies thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or microwave them for a few seconds to restore their soft, chewy texture.

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