Many of you have shared that you relish the soft and chewy texture of Japanese mochi. They come in a round cake shape that’s small and soft, and each bite can feel like an indulgently sweet affair. Today, I’m sharing my recipe for how to make Green Tea Mochi (抹茶大福). In Japan, we have different styles of mochi and this particular kind is called daifuku mochi (大福餅). I’ll show you two ways to make this delicious matcha daifuku—either white mochi with green tea filling or green mochi with white bean filling. I suggest you try them both!
How To Make Mochi Dough from Scratch
We have 2 ways to make mochi dough for daifuku at home: In this recipe, we’ll use the second method using shiratamako. It’s easier and quicker, and the result is wonderful. Shiratamako is the most commonly used ingredient to make daifuku at home in Japan. Look for shiratamako at your local Japanese grocery store. While shiratamako and mochiko are both glutinous rice flours, they are different in taste and texture. Mochiko is cheaper and more widely accessible, but I always prefer shiratamako when it comes to making Japanese sweets like matcha daifuku. The flour is so much more flexible to work with, and you’ll get a really smooth and bouncy texture.
Make Green Tea Mochi 2 Ways!
Since the ingredients for the two types of these Green Tea Mochi are exactly the same, let’s make both!
1. White Mochi with Green Tea Filling
For this version, we use unflavored, white mochi dough made with shiratamako. You can also steam glutinous rice (sweet rice) and pound it to make mochi (see my post How to Make Mochi with Stand Mixer). For the green filling with a matcha flavor, we mix matcha green tea powder into the homemade white bean paste (shiroan).
2. Green Mochi with White Bean Filling
In this variation, we add matcha to the mochi dough to make it green. For the white filling, we use unflavored white bean paste (shiroan) to contrast with the green outer layer. Now that you see both kinds of green tea mochi, you may wonder which one you’ll like better. My family prefers the white mochi with green tea filling because the matcha flavor is more prominent.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Green Tea Mochi (Matcha Daifuku)
matcha – Japanese green tea powder shiratamako – glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour sugar water potato starch or cornstarch – for dusting
How To Make Green Tea Mochi
3 Tips for Making Mochi Dough in the Microwave
1. Mix the shiratamako and water thoroughly
Whisk together shiratamako and water well until the mixture is homogeneous.
2. Cover the bowl with a paper towel
I’ve learned that a piece of paper towel works much better than plastic wrap. It’s less hazardous, too. You’re less likely burn your hand with hot steam when you uncover it.
3. Microwave in short intervals
Each microwave has different wattage, so follow my recipe only if yours is the same wattage. If you are not sure, cook in short 30-second intervals. Then, check the progress; the mochi is cooked through if it looks opaque.
5 Useful Tips for Wrapping Mochi
1. Chill the filling until firm
When the filling is still warm and soft, it can be bothersome to wrap the mochi layer around. So make sure to chill the filling before you wrap so it’s not sticky or pliable.
2. Make the mochi dough into a round shape
Ideally, a balanced mochi dough wrapper will have a slightly thicker center and a thinner outer layer. Still, homemade mochi tends to have a thick bottom layer because the mochi dough collects at the bottom when we wrap it around the filling. Forming the mochi dough into a round shape allows you to reshape the wrapper and even out the thickness.
3. Coat the mochi dough with potato starch or cornstarch
Mochi dough is sticky. You’ll need to coat it, your hands, and the work surface with potato or corn starch so it doesn’t stick. Make sure all areas of the dough are covered evenly in a thin layer of starch so you don’t get a mouthful of white powder when you bite into the mochi.
4. Pull the mochi dough and pinch tightly
When the mochi dough is coated with starch, it can be hard to seal the seam. You can either dust off the starch with a pastry brush or pull the dough to expose a new sticky surface for sealing. When the sticky surface appears, make sure to pinch tightly with fingers coated with starch. Otherwise, your fingers will be a sticky mess!
5. Rotate the mochi to shape and close it
Once you close the seam, you can flip the mochi and put the seam side down on your palm. Rotate the mochi on your palm a few times to reshape, then apply the starch on the bottom to finish.
Homemade Mochi vs. Store-bought Mochi
Making mochi at home may seem intimidating, but I can assure you that it is entirely manageable. No doubt it is an unavoidably sticky undertaking, but the process will bring you so much joy and fulfillment. Whenever I make mochi at home, I enlist my daughter to help. While her mochi may not turn out perfectly, it’s such a precious bonding time for us! For me, it’s also about continuing the heritage of making Japanese sweets. The homemade treat surpasses the store-bought version in flavor, texture, and freshness, especially if you use premium ingredients. Once you taste homemade, you can never go back to the mass-produced commercial kind. If you love matcha-flavored sweets, please give this Green Tea Mochi a try!
Other Recipes for Japanese Desserts
Matcha Vegan Panna Cotta Strawberry Daifuku Dorayaki Mitarashi Dango Green Tea Ice Cream Mochi Ice Cream
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