Chewy and moist baked chocolate mochi donuts with a crisp buttery exterior. These naturally gluten-free butter mochi donuts are so easy to make and have chocolate glaze or matcha glaze options. Don't have a donut pan? Don't worry! You can bake these as muffins too!
While meal planning for our ladies' retreat in Nevada City this past spring, Emma asked me to make mochi cupcakes. Alanna requested they be in donut form and that chocolate and/or matcha be involved. Check, check, and check!
As much as we try to pretend this retreat was a relaxing weekend away from it all, it was 100% a working retreat, but in the best way possible. Together with Amanda, Alanna, Emma, and Erin, we spent three nights and days cooking and baking from sun up to sun down (and later even...), bouncing ideas and inspiration off one another. That's where I finally perfected these chocolate mochi donuts...three batches later.
Chocolate Mochi Donuts
I knew butter mochi bakes up beautifully into donuts, as my friend Dana tested, but I wanted to try flavoring the batter with dark melted chocolate. With inspiration from Lady & Pups' mochi donuts, I also had my heart set on deep frying the donuts.
The first batch - a deep-fried chocolate mochi donut - was a complete flop. They looked a pale brown-grey color and tasted just as bleh. To be clear: this most definitely was because I didn't have a stand mixer to properly knead the starter dough and not because of the recipe method. I will try Lady & Pups' fried mochi donuts with proper equipment.
For the second batch, I developed a baked chocolate mochi donut, baking them just as long as butter mochi. After all, I'd used a classic Hawaiian butter mochi recipe as the base recipe for this version. They were great for about 5 minutes then turned to tooth-breaking inedible ROCKS as they cooled.
Set on redeeming myself, I woke up early the next day to bake another batch of chocolate mochi donuts, tweaking the recipe, and baking for much less time. These are baked donut perfection.
Here are a few other recipes to come out of our ladies' retreats:
- Sugar Snap Pea Mojito Mocktail
- Chickpea Beet Ravioli
- Teff Flour Waffles from Heartbeet Kitchen
- Vegan Tahini Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce from The Bojon Gourmet
- Spring Vegan Miso Soup from The Bojon Gourmet
How to Make Mochi Donuts
Baked donuts are one of the easiest most foolproof ways to make mochi donuts. Start with a solid butter mochi recipe and divide it into generously buttered donut pans. Shallower and with more surface area than their muffin or cake counterparts, mochi donuts finish baking in much less time. The best part about mochi donuts is that they use sweet rice (sticky rice) flour so they're naturally gluten-free!
I'm a strong hater of baked donuts - I've said it before: donuts need to be fried or else they're just disappointing cake. I stand by that statement (fight me) with one exception: MOCHI DONUTS. Baked mochi cake donuts have the most incredible texture - crisp on the outside while also chewy and moist on the inside. It's textural paradise. I no longer regret my donut pan impulse buy.
Once you have a good butter mochi donut base recipe, you can experiment with flavor add-ins and unique glazes.
Chocolate Mochi Cake
For these mochi donuts, I've flavored the donut batter with chocolate. To make chocolate mochi cake donuts, mix in melted chocolate and baking cocoa to the batter. The combination of both allows for deep chocolate notes without compromising on the chewy mochi texture or moisture. These donuts have a gooey chewy chocolate center that's hard to resist.
Keep them softer by baking for just 30 minutes or bake just a little longer for 35 minutes to crisp up the outside a little bit more. Whatever you do, don't bake them for any longer than 35 minutes or your donuts will be rock hard on the outside once they cool!
And if you like the chocolate mochi flavor, try these mochi brownies from the expert of all things butter mochi, my friend Alana from Fix Feast Flair.
Chocolate Black Sesame Mochi Donuts Variation
Right before the ladies' retreat, I'd just finished baking this chocolate black sesame loaf cake from my friend Cynthia from Two Red Bowl's cookbook. Inspired by her flavor combo, I also baked up a version with ground-up black sesame seeds in the batter in place of the cocoa powder. With a combination of rich chocolate mochi and smoky notes of black sesame, this version is my favorite. Grind up black sesame seeds in a coffee grinder until they become powdery like flour.
Chocolate Matcha Mochi Donuts
While the chocolate mochi cake donut base is delicious on its own, the donut glaze takes it to a whole new level. The glaze is what makes these taste quintessentially like a donut against their crisp shell.
For these donuts, I've used two different glaze options so you can choose if you want chocolate matcha mochi donuts, double chocolate mochi donuts, or a combination of both. Donut glaze is incredibly easy to make by combining powdered sugar with milk, so feel free to get creative with your flavor mix-ins.
More Mochi Recipes
- Black Sesame Pumpkin Mochi Cake
- Sesame Peach Mochi Cookies
- Chocolate Mochi Mug Cake
- Ginger Tofu Pudding with Soy Milk Mochi
- Mochi Brownies from Fix Feast Flair
Chocolate Mochi Donuts with Chocolate or Matcha Glaze
Dense and chewy chocolate mochi donuts with a crisp buttery exterior. These butter mochi donuts are made with coconut milk and have triple the chocolate - melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and chocolate glaze or matcha glaze options. Sub in ground black sesame seeds for the cocoa powder for a chocolate black sesame mochi donut variation! Don't have a donut pan? Don't worry! You can bake these as muffins too!
Ingredients
Chocolate Mochi Donuts
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing pans
- 2 cups (320 grams) mochiko sweet rice flour (different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour")
- 1 cup (200 grams) organic dark brown sugar (see note)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (or sub in ¼ cup ground black sesame seeds for a chocolate black sesame version! See note.)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 13.5-13.66-ounce can full-fat coconut milk (see note)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60-70%), melted and cooled
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract (or replace ½ teaspoon with chocolate extract if you have it)
- Optional, for garnish: flaky salt, black sesame seeds, shaved chocolate
Chocolate Glaze, for 12 donuts
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60-74%), melted and cooled
- 2-2½ tablespoons milk or coconut milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Matcha Glaze, for 12 donuts
- 1½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon high-quality matcha powder (I use Encha Organic Latte Grade)
- 2½-3 tablespoons milk or coconut milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- Generously grease the sides and top of two non-stick donut pans with soft butter. (Alternatively, you can bake these as muffins - the batter for 1 muffin is the same amount as for 1 donut).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet rice flour, dark brown sugar, cocoa powder or black sesame powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and, if using, chocolate extract. Pour in the melted cooled chocolate and mix until smooth.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
- Divide the batter among the 12 donut cavities of the prepared donut pans, filling each one all the way to the top or even a little bit taller than the edge, swiping around the center each donut mold with your finger or a paper towel to leave it uncovered. Note: You may have about a tablespoon of leftover batter, or you can fill the donut cavities a little less and make 13 donuts instead of 12. You can also bake these as muffins! The batter for 1 muffin is the same amount as for 1 donut – if baking as muffins, bake for 55 minutes.
- Bake 32-35 minutes until the top is set and the donut gently springs back when poked with a finger. It might not spring back as much as a muffin, but trust me: do not bake any longer than 35 minutes. The donuts crisp up as they cool and if you continue baking them, they'll get ROCK HARD on the outside.
- Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Prepare the glaze just before you're ready to glaze the donuts because it will firm up as it sits.
- Chocolate glaze: Combine melted and cooled chocolate with 1 tablespoon milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Add remaining milk, a splash at a time, just until it's smooth enough to glaze. It should be thick enough that when you swirl it, the swirl stays for a few seconds then collapses back into itself. It will firm up as it sits, so if it's too thin, let it sit for a few minutes and give it another stir. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk or zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up.
- Matcha glaze: Combine powdered sugar, matcha powder, vanilla extract, and 1.5 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk, a splash at a time just until it's smooth enough to glaze. It should be thick enough that when you swirl it, the swirl stays for a few seconds then collapses back into itself. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Dunk your cooled donuts upside down in the glaze, lifting and pressing down/swirling the donut, until the top is covered. Immediately sprinkle with shaved chocolate, black sesame seeds, or flakey salt as desired. Transfer upright to a wire rack to set the glaze. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Organic dark brown sugar is richer and more caramel-y than conventional, but you an use conventional in a pinch! Your donuts will turn out with a bit less caramel/toffee notes.
- For coconut milk, I prefer 365 brand, Native Forest, or Thai Kitchens. I do not recommend using the coconut cream from Trader Joe's as they seem to have updated their supplier and the new consistency is a bit oily and grainy.
- For the chocolate black sesame version, sub in ¼ cup ground black sesame seeds instead of cocoa powder. Grind up the black sesame seeds in a coffee grinder, small blender jar, or small food processor until fine like a powder.
- The glaze ingredients above are for all 12 donuts, so if you're doing half chocolate and half matcha, divide these quantities in half.
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Nancy -
I've been the fortunate recipient of tasting much of what Sarah bakes and I've been quite impressed by her careful thinking about her recipes. This particular one was so surprising as I never expected a baked donut to have such fantastic texture and flavor. I am now a huge fan of her mochi donuts!
Jessica -
Do you have to shorten the baking time if you are using small donut pans?
Sarah Menanix -
Yes - you'll definitely need to shorten the baking time, though I'm not sure by how much. I'd start with 15 minutes and take them out when they spring back, but are not yet crisp. If you wait until they have a crispy shell in the pan, they'll harden too much as they cool.
Nicole -
Amazing recipe! I loved the mochi muffins, and I'm so glad you made a mochi donut recipe with tips on how to customize with different flavors! I tried it out and they were so good! I'm wondering if you have any recommendations on how long they keep for or how to best store them (i.e. room temp, covered or not covered). Thank you so much, and keep up with the awesome recipes - I'm a huge fan!
Vivian -
I LOVE ALL YOUR RECIPES!
Is there a matcha version of this recipe?! :) Matcha donut and Matcha glaze? DOUBLE MATCHA!?!?
Sarah Menanix -
Not yet, BUT for that *I* would make my mochi muffin recipe with 1 tablespoon of matcha added and bake it in a donut tray! Be sure to still fill them all the way to the brim:)
Reena -
Can I use this recipe to make waffles?
Sarah Menanix -
Yes! Just make sure to spray your waffle iron well with nonstick spray or brush it with ghee :)
Emi -
Hi Sarah!
I had a question for you. I have made a matcha version. One thing I'm running into when i try other flavors is that the donuts seem to collapse and aren't as full as the chocolate version? Im wondering since you put in the cocoa powder and melted chocolate i feel like it makes a difference with the batter. I love your chocolate one and am trying to get a fuller version of the matcha. I noticed that my cans of coconut are 13.5 which tend to make more than 13 donuts. Should i not add all the coconut milk so that it doesn't affect the batter?? Cause i followed your mochi cupcakes and put them into the donut pan and they collapsed versus when i made them in the muffin pans. Strange huh?
Help please. <3
Thank you!!
Sarah Menanix -
Hi! First, you're right, the coconut milk cans range from 13.5-13.66 ounces and I miss-typed that. I updated that on my mochi cupcakes and forgot to here - thank you!! So yes, use the whole can.
This is interesting - I would have suggested using the mochi muffin recipe but in a donut pan - that's strange that it collapsed. I can't recall if I've tried that yet or not...
Have you replaced the cocoa powder with more mochiko in this recipe? That's the first thing I'd try. If that doesn't work I would try increasing the mochiko or slightly reducing the coconut milk a bit more. The melted chocolate sort of solidifies as it cools so that might be adding to the puffy structure...
In related news: I just finished shooting a matcha mochi cake recipe that will be up this week! Though, I know it would also collapse in a donut pan bc it's a much more mochi-like texture.
Emi -
Thank you Sarah so much for your response!
Yes this is my next attempt to add more Mochiko. Your matcha mochi cake looks beautiful. I have used Ujido Matcha, but I think that I need to get more since it is seemingly duller in color. It still tastes good, but lacks the beautiful bright green tone in matcha. I'll try the Encha brand next. Love your creativity.
Thanks again Sarah!
Have a lovely day.
Emi -
Oh in the Ujido Brand's defense I have had it a long time. It's really a bright green tone when it was fresh. Matcha naturally oxidizes over time and loses it's vibrant color. The city of Uji near Kyoto is the most famous for their matcha. My mother is from Kyoto area. Thanks!
Liz -
Hi, did you ever successfully make any other flavor of mochi donuts besides the chocolate? If so, can you share the proportions that worked out?
Bles Oconer -
Can I use this for pancake?
Sarah Menanix -
I've never tried! But I have put it in the waffle iron and it works great! I imagine it would work great for pancakes too!
Teaxtran -
Hi! I have a can of savoy coconut cream and was wondering if that could be a substitute for the coconut milk?
Sarah Menanix -
Ooo- this is a great question! I haven't tried to make mochi with purely coconut cream, but I think it should work. It's just a bit thicker and more fatty (more cream!), but I think that's okay! If you find your batter to be too thick, you can always add a tablespoon of whole milk. Mochi is pretty forgiving in that way!
Robin -
Hi! To make a basic mochi butter donut (not chocolate), Should I use your muffin recipe and just put the batter into a donut pan? Thank you!!
Sarah Menanix -
While I haven't tried it, a friend of mine said she did with success. If wanted plain mochi donuts, I would try using the butter mochi cupcake recipe in a donut pan! Make sure to fill it all the way to the brim and reduce the baking time for the donuts. If you try it, please let me know how it works out for you!
Mike -
Hi!
I’ve tried your recipe several times and people have really enjoyed them! Now I personally am not a huge chocolate fan. I’ll eat it here and there but I generally don’t crave that flavor.
Would you be able to ask your friend to share what she did or what tweaks to recipe she did?
Also the majority of my muffins (no donut pan) always start out round but all flatten except for a few. Is this normal or is there a way to maintain the domed part?
Sarah Menanix -
If you leave out the cocoa powder and melted chocolate they will bake up great as plain mochi donuts!
christy -
Hi! If I don't have melted chocolate, can I omit that from the recipe? Our stay at home orders haven't loosened up as much, and don't want to risk going out just for chocolate. Hope to hear from you soon, I'm planning to make this in 2 days for national donut day, hehe. Stay safe!
Sarah Menanix -
Sorry for the late reply! Hmm - I think you'd need to adjust the moisture in the recipe if you leave out the melted chocolate. Perhaps replace it with a bit more coconut milk? I haven't tried it without, so I don't have better advice here!
luchie -
Hello there! is there a way to make this vegan? No eggs? What alternative do you suggest?
Sarah Menanix -
I've never tried a vegan version so I'm not sure. Possibly a flax egg might work, but I've just never tried it and this recipe does rely quite a bit on the egg. Sorry I'm not much more help! That being said, I do make boiled or steamed mochi that doesn't require eggs! Check out the mochi in this recipe for that version!
Betty -
Hi! Can I use another brand of glutinous rice flour or is it best using mochiko? I found another brand called Flying Horse
Sarah Menanix -
That will work! It's a bit more finely ground (which makes for a delicious and fluffy mochi!), but I would just be sure to measure by weight and not volume because in my experiences, it weighs differently per cup than mochiko.
Andrew -
Hi Sarah,
What is your recommendation to make a plain version of this Mochi Donut.
I read in the above comments that you suggested one person to use the Mochi Cupcake recipe in a donut pan instead, but you also suggested to another to just leave out the cocoa powder and melted chocolate form this recipe.
Is there one that you think works best to achieve a plain version of this donut?
Thank you so much <3
Sarah Menanix -
Hi! If you remove the cocoa powder and melted chocolate from the recipe, that's the base for what I use to make plain mochi cupcakes as well, so either option should work!
Lane -
Hi Sarah, I followed your exact recipe for the donuts and cupcakes and they taste amazing btw, thank you so much!!! But the texture isn’t holding up and they’re too chewy and flimsy. My donuts and cupcake batter are too runny and don’t have a cake batter-like consistency. Do you have any troubleshooting tips? Like not to whisk the batter for too long, use less/more Mochiko or coconut milk? I’d appreciate it so much!!
Sarah Menanix -
I suspect the thinner batter just has to do with the brand of coconut milk. Sometimes when I use different brands, my batter is thinner/thicker, but it still bakes up the same. What brand do you use?
As for the too chewy and flimsy, it sounds like they just weren't baked quite long enough for the texture you're looking for! (It's funny, because some people want them chewier and some people want them sturdier:) For a sturdier edge that can be picked up and isn't flimsy, I would increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes.
Lane -
I use the Arroy-D brand of coconut milk. I made it the first time and had no problems with it being flimsy but every time after that it became too soft for my liking, as if using a normal sized cupcake tin was too big for the mochi to hold up. So I will try your tips and see how that goes, thank you so much!!
Sarah Menanix -
Oooo - I misunderstood your question! For baking in a muffin tin, I bake for 55-60 minutes. Hope this helps!
Esther -
Hi! Is there anything I can use besides coconut milk?
Sarah Menanix -
Hmm - I've not tried them with anything other than coconut milk. I think you could sub a combination of whole milk (or almond milk) and evaporated milk though!
Esther -
I’ll try that; thank you!
Heather -
Hi, How will baking time change if I use silicone baking molds?
Sarah Menanix -
Hi! I've never baked using silicone baking molds, but from what I can tell online, they generally take a little bit longer. I think if you erred on the side of underbaking and pulled them out at the same time, that'd be a safe bet! Chewier is better than hard:)
Elle -
Hi Sarah!
I love love love your mochi muffin recipe. I've made it over and over again for months and I LOVE it so much!
I wanted to know if these will still be yummy without the glaze? I wanna try a chocolate version for mochi muffins.
Thank you!!
Sarah Menanix -
These bake up great in a muffin tin without the glaze!