These ultra-chewy mochi pancakes are a mochi lover’s dream: soft, stretchy, and laced with vanilla. They're a very easy, naturally gluten-free pancake, with a magical texture! You only need sweet rice flour for the batter and a few other classic pancake ingredients. The mochi pancakes are lightly sweetened, so you can top them with delicious extras, and the bouncy, chewy mochi texture is one you'll crave.
¼cup(2ounces)unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan, as needed
INSTRUCTIONS
In the measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, egg yolks, and vanilla until well combined.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mochiko, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the buttermilk-egg yolk mixture and melted butter until almost combined, but with some dry streaks and plenty of clumps remaining.
Give the egg whites a quick whisk with a fork then gently fold them into the batter until just combined with no streaks of egg white remaining. There will still be clumps in the batter, but you shouldn't see any dry streaks. Take care not to overmix the batter - overworking can make the texture dense and rubbery instead of soft and chewy.
Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle on low or medium-low heat (adjust the heat for the size of your burner: I use my large burner on low and my small burner on medium-low). Brush with a very thin layer of melted butter.
Scoop ¼ cup of batter onto preheated pan (tip: use a trigger ice cream scoop!) and cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom is golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. I recommend having multiple pans going to make pancake flipping go quicker! Repeat with remaining batter. To keep pancakes warm while you repeat with remaining batter, put cooked pancakes on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet in the oven on the lowest heat.
Video
Notes
Buttermilk: You can swap out the buttermilk for 1.75 cups (420g) whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar. The results are still very delicious, but have a bit less complexity in flavor.Dairy-Free: To make these dairy-free, replace the buttermilk with ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (210g) non-dairy milk mixed with 1 teaspoon vinegar and swap the butter in for plant butter. Waffles: Have leftover batter or craving mochi waffles? Just toss it in a waffle iron! They're equally delicious, with a crispier shell surrounding the ultra-chewy center.