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Matcha Mochi Cupcakes

June 16, 2013 by Jennifer Che 60 Comments

_DSC2336
There’s a reason why I don’t bake these on a regular basis at my home.I can’t stop eating them.I’ve always been a big fan of anything made with glutinous rice. You name it: sticky rice (nuo mi fan), Chinese rice dumplings (zhong zi), Japanese mochi, and Chinese rice balls with red bean soup (tang yuan) – the list goes on and on. There’s something about that chewy texture and the sweet flavor of pure rice that I just love.

So I avoid making these desserts normally.

But I had an excuse this time.
_DSC2412
I had been invited by TAP, the Taiwanese American Professionals chapter in Boston, to teach a Taiwanese cooking class. It was an agressive schedule. We were going to pull off four dishes in three hours.

Considering that several of the dishes required 1-2 hours to cook, I needed to find a recipe whose total prep time I could shorten.

So after much experimentation in the kitchen one evening (in a dress, no less!), I worked out a way to shorten my original matcha mochi cake recipe by making little, much more manageable cupcakes.
_DSC2342
They turned out beautifully during our cooking class and only took half the time to bake compared to the original mochi cake.

I think I’m sold on this new recipe.
Matcha Mochi CakeThere are a lot of ways to approach making matcha mochi cupcakes. First of all, the batter is a cinch to make because everything’s liquid. There’s no butter to cream or solids to melt. You just mix everything together in a mixing bowl and pour. You can seriously prep this in 5 minutes if you have all your ingredients on hand.
_DSC2329
If you’re short on time and want something that’s really easy, you can make these muffins in paper muffin liners. The pros of this method is that there’s no real cleanup, and the muffins transport nicely. The negative is that mochi is very sticky and will stick to the paper.

You may struggle slightly to get the mochi apart from the paper.
_DSC2411
If you have a bit more time and are willing to put in the effort, you can bake them directly in muffin pans. Make sure to oil them well (we actually brushed the insides of each “well” with oil). If you have access to a convection oven, use it! You’ll get nicer, more even browning and beautiful crispy edges.
_DSC2429
Like this.

This cupcake is gorgeously browned and crunchy on the outside but moist and chewy on the inside.

It’s so good.

In my mind, this is most certainly the preferable way of making these delicious little muffins. We made tons of these at the cooking class, and everyone was gobbling them up. It’s serious addictive.
_DSC2340
Of course, the paper liner way is also perfectly acceptable. You’ll still make moist, chewy mochi muffins that are still irresistible.

You really can’t go wrong either way.

Matcha Mochi Muffins
makes 2 dozen regular muffins or 4 dozen mini muffins

1 lb glutinous rice flour
2 T matcha powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups milk
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten

Combine all ingredients and mix until well combined. If using metal muffin pans (either mini or regular), brush the inside of each muffin “well” generously with vegetable oil. Bake at 350 ° F (convection, if possible) for around 15-20 minutes (mini-muffin pans) or 30-35 minutes (normal muffin pans). Please note that ovens may vary and you should start checking before the actual listed time is up. Test by inserting a toothpick or sharp metal object (e.g., a knife) into a muffin. If it comes out cleanly, it is done.

The muffins are easier to remove if you let them cool first. However, if you’ve oiled the pan well enough, they should just slide out.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
_DSC2421
Scene from the Tiny Urban Kitchen TAP Boston Cooking Class

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Filed Under: Asian, Dessert, Japanese Tagged With: baking

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Comments

  1. Liren Baker says

    June 16, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    Jen, my daughter would gaga over these. She’s like me, and you (!), with an undying love for all things mochi and glutinous. We’ll have to try this together over the summer!

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    • Akemi says

      August 10, 2016 at 4:57 pm

      I am not a baker/cook by any means, but I just made these in mini cupcake silicone forms and they turned out great! The recipe actually yielded 6 dozen mini mochi for me! I sprinkled black sesame seeds on top and I absolutely love it! Thanks so much for the recipe Jennifer Che! – So simple even I can make them! =:)

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  2. Kitchen Vignettes says

    June 17, 2013 at 11:27 am

    SO excited about making these!

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  3. flyawayvogel says

    June 17, 2013 at 4:34 pm

    Yumm love matcha! I’ve been trying to find a good brand though, what do you use?

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    • Jennifer Che says

      June 17, 2013 at 5:12 pm

      I usually use either Mochiko or the green bag from Thailand. Both work fine for me.

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  4. rb says

    June 18, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    any idea whether these freeze well? as much as I’d love to eat an entire batch at once, it probably isn’t a great idea.

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    • T. Tamura says

      March 11, 2017 at 10:25 am

      I have made these cupcakes about a 1/2 dozen times and I always freeze a portion of them This is to keep myself from eating them all in one session!! All I do is heat them in the microwave for bit and they bounce back just fine. Make sure to double wrap them so they don’t dry out in the freezer.

      Also, thank you Jennifer for this tasty recipe! I grew up on my grandma’s mochi but this is a fun (and EASY!) alternative to my obsession!!

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  5. Jennifer Che says

    June 25, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Not sure! I’ve never tried.

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  6. Jennifer Che says

    June 25, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    I’ve used both Mochiko and the green bags from Thailand, and they are both fine.

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  7. Jennifer Che says

    June 25, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Jennifer Che says

    June 25, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Enjoy! They are so good. 🙂

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  9. al says

    March 12, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    it came out hard and not chewy 🙁 any suggestions?

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  10. MyGirlLi says

    March 15, 2014 at 2:47 pm

    Yes, they freeze well. Just refresh in the microwave for about 10 seconds, or better yet, pop in a toaster oven to toast them up a bit.

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  11. MyGirlLi says

    March 15, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    Try again! I’ve made them many times, and they always turn out well, whether or not I cook them for a few minutes longer to brown the tops a bit.

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  12. MyGirlLi says

    March 15, 2014 at 2:52 pm

    I’ve made several variations of these, including sprinkling the tops with black sesame seeds and raw shredded coconut or putting one chocolate chip in the middle prior to baking. They turn out great (especially attractive with the black sesame seeds). I’ve also made a savory version, diminishing the sugar, and topping with fresh chives and sesame seeds. What a great recipe!

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  13. Jennifer Che says

    March 15, 2014 at 3:31 pm

    Maybe bake for a shorter amount of time? Or make bigger muffins? It sounds you are either cooking them for too long or making them too small. Good luck! Make sure you are using the right type of rice flour!
    Jen

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  14. new.at.this. says

    September 15, 2014 at 8:07 pm

    I was wondering how many cupcakes this recipe will make. I’ve never made anything with rice flour and I’m a little nervous. I was thinking of using half of all the ingredients first, but how to do you half 3 eggs???

    help?

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  15. Jennifer Che says

    September 16, 2014 at 9:17 am

    Hmmmm, are you using mini muffin tins or big ones? Unfortunately I’m not sure exactly how many you can make. Maybe 12 with the full recipe? As for halving three eggs, you can beat it all together first and then pour out half the volume? Best of luck. Sorry I can’t be of more help!

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  16. Lapis W says

    November 7, 2014 at 3:24 am

    Thanks Jen, it was a really good recipe and worked even for amateurs like me :)!

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  17. HyunJin says

    November 15, 2014 at 8:07 pm

    Who much is a pound of rice flour in cups? I don’t have a food scale.

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  18. Hazel says

    February 5, 2015 at 5:42 am

    May I know if it’s Tablespoon or teaspoon for the matcha powder?

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    • Jennifer Che says

      February 5, 2015 at 3:23 pm

      Tablespoons

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    • Lisa says

      January 27, 2019 at 3:24 am

      An uppercase T is an abbreviation for Tablespoon, a lowercase t is teaspoon.

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  19. Angela says

    April 14, 2015 at 5:14 pm

    Such a simple and delicious recipe! I couldn’t really taste the matcha with 2 tbs though, so I doubled it 🙂

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  20. Rachel says

    April 24, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    How long can I store these? And do you store them at room temperature?

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    • Jennifer Che says

      April 26, 2015 at 4:09 pm

      I usually store them at room temperature. I don’t think I’ve ever stored them for longer than a week, so I’m not exactly sure how long they keep after that!

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  21. Mary says

    April 28, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    Hi Jen, this recipe looks amazing and I cannot wait to try it! I have a few questions about it though:
    1. Do you use mochiko or shiratamako? I’ve read that shiratamako yields a better consistency for mochi.
    2. How many cupcakes (mini or regular) does this recipe yield?

    Thanks so much!

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    • Jennifer Che says

      April 28, 2015 at 6:08 pm

      Hi Mary,
      I’ve never heard of shiratamako. I used mochiko. I’m sorry, but I don’t know exactly how many cupcakes it makes. Maybe around 20-24 normal sized? Sorry, I’m not sure.

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    • Yuri Clingerman says

      April 25, 2020 at 4:50 pm

      Shiratamako is used to make various Japanese sweets (e.g. dango, manju), very similar to mochiko. Mochiko has a finer consistency.

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  22. Joel says

    August 26, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    Thank you very much! We loved it.

    One box of Mochico is exactly 1 lb so it made it easier. We followed the exact recipe but used non-fat milk instead (medical reasons). We also used kitchen grade matcha.

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  23. Kim says

    September 27, 2015 at 6:20 am

    Hi jen! Ive tried to make these cupcakes twice now, using minimuffin tins, and both times they’ve ended up inflating so that they’re actually hollow in the middle T.T would you know why this is happening and what I could do to stop this from happening? Thanks!

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  24. Kim says

    September 28, 2015 at 5:31 am

    Hi jen! Ive tried to make these cupcakes twice now, in the minimuffin tins, and both times theyve ended up inflating in the oven, and deflating quickly after they’re out, so that they’re hollow in the middle and wrinkly on top. Would you know why this is happening, and how to stop this from happening? Thanks!

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    • Jennifer Che says

      October 3, 2015 at 4:33 pm

      It happens to me too and I don’t have a good answer for how to prevent it. Maybe try larger cupcake tins? Usually, I just eat them that way. 🙂
      Jen

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      • Kim says

        October 8, 2015 at 11:58 pm

        Ahh okay, I’ll give that a go. 😀

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  25. shasha says

    October 1, 2015 at 12:09 am

    we have a local bakery that makes these with red beans, nutella, salted carmel,
    taro, and other fillings. just some ideas for you bakers.

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  26. Liana says

    June 2, 2016 at 10:34 pm

    I made them for a bridal shower and put different fillings in them – dark chocolate chips / white chocolate chips / red bean paste. I liked them best with the red bean paste 🙂 I used a silicone mini muffin pan and they came out SUPER easily (they literally popped out of the pan on their own when I oiled it, and they were still fairly easy to remove when I forgot to oil the pan). Thank you! Such an easy and fun recipe.

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  27. Jeannie says

    June 21, 2016 at 5:30 pm

    What kind of glutinous rice flour are you using? Or rather, what does it look like? I’ve seen the Mochiko brand stuff at the stores, and that looks like regular flour, but there’s also shiratamako, which is granular.

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    • Jennifer Che says

      June 21, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      Use Mochiko. I’ve never tried the other one, but Mochiko is not granular.
      Jen

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  28. Dorothea says

    July 16, 2016 at 7:55 am

    I decided to try your recipe this weekend and followed the instructions exactly as listed. I used glutinous flour as indicated, measured all quantities with precision… unfortunately the result was quite different from yours. I ended up with a hard, bread-like dough… there was no way I could squeeze it into cupcake forms. Any idea what could have gone wrong? I live in Europe and bought the rice flour and the matcha from a local Chinese supermarket. 🙂

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    • Jennifer Che says

      July 17, 2016 at 10:20 pm

      Hi Dorothea,
      Sorry to hear the cupcakes didn’t turn out. I’m not sure why you’re not getting the same batter consistency. Maybe try a different brand of glutinous rice flour? I know Mochiko works quite well. Best of luck!
      Jen

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  29. Karen Ortega says

    April 18, 2018 at 11:41 am

    Hi Jen! These look amazing! I love anything mochi (I mean, look at my email address!). I recently bought an enormous bag of Matcha Powder from Costco and am looking for ways to use it.Your recipe fits the bill perfectly. Do you think I can substitute canned coconut milk or refrigerator carton coconut milk for the cow’s milk?

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    • Jennifer Che says

      May 4, 2018 at 3:34 am

      Hi Karen,
      I don’t see why not. The texture might come out slightly differently, but I think it will still be tasty. I know people who have used coconut milk to make baked mochi before.
      Jen

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  30. Skye Soon says

    November 25, 2019 at 10:51 am

    Hi! I found your recipe from the Subtle Asian Cooking group and I LOVE IT! My family is enjoying the muffins, and I will recommend this recipe to all my matcha loving friends too. Thank you 🙂

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  31. Vanessa says

    May 19, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    Hi, i tried your recipe, and followed the quantities stated. however my muffins weren’t like yours. it was like flavoured niangao with a crust? (the crust didnt look as nice as yours though) may i know if its supposed to turn out like that? also, it took way longer to bake (50mins) even though it was in a mini muffin pan. the bottom of the muffins just wouldn’t bake through. Did you use mochiko flour? I used a thai brand of glutinous rice flour. Could that be the reason why?

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  32. jin says

    May 31, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    I tried making these by halving the recipe, and the cupcakes came out super oily on the bottom and kind of tough. The insides were chewy, and the taste was decent, but I couldn’t get over that super greasy texture on the bottom. Any tips?

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  33. Victoria Michele Prather says

    June 30, 2020 at 10:48 pm

    I want to. Are these but I’m dairy free. Can I make it with non dairy milk? Which milk is best?

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  34. Daryl says

    October 29, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    Thank you for this. I’m going to try it out.

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JenChe

Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am a Boston to Hong Kong transplant, born and raised in Ohio with parents from Taiwan. Feel free to head on over to the About page if you want to learn more about me, or just explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!
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