How to Make Mochi Without a Microwave

Mochi is a mouth watering Japanese rice cake that is commonly eaten during the New Year. But let’s be honest – it’s great anytime. In this article you will learn how to make mochi without a microwave.

This recipe is super easy to follow, as it utilizes the stove top method and a steamer. There are only a handful of ingredients you need to craft this delicious treat.

What Kinds of Mochi Can You Make?

There are generally two kinds of mochi you can make at home – traditional mochi and mochi ice cream.

In this guide we will be focusing on mochi ice cream, because traditional mochi is much more simple – as it only contains sweet rice flour.

Traditional mochi can either be made plain, or with a red bean paste. Mochi ice cream has the same sticky outer layer, but it’s filled with frozen ice cream instead.

How to Make Mochi Without a Microwave

ice cream mochi

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sweet rice flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • Ice cream flavor of your choice

1. Freeze the Ice Cream

After you’ve selected a flavor, the very first step is to prepare the ice cream filling. You can do this by using a muffin try and paper muffin cups.

Scoop the ice cream into the paper cups, before placing the try into the freezer. This will make sure the ice cream is hard enough, which will be necessary later on.

2. Prep the Mixture

Next, fill up a large pan with one inch of water on the stove top. While this is heating up, you can combine the sweet rice flour and water.

Stir the mixture, or use your hands to form a doughy ball. Lightly knead this mixture (not too hard) to make sure the sweet rice flour and water are combined.

3. Place in Steamer

Once the mixture is ready, you can then place it in a bowl and drop it in the steamer. Allow it to steam for around 20 minutes, so the flour has enough time to cook.

Then place a clean towel over the steamer, with the lid on top. This helps prevent condensation water from dripping down into the bowl and disrupting the mixture.

4. Add Sugar

After enough time has passed, remove the sticky rice ball from the steamer. Then, place it in another pan on the stove top set to a medium temperature.

Add in the sugar (about 1/4 cup at a time) and stir consistently. You want to mix and melt the sugar into the sticky rice ball at the same time.

5. Form the Mochi

The next step is to sprinkle some corn starch on a baking pan, before spreading out the dough. Continue to stretch the dough across the pan, using your hands.

Finally, use a circle cookie cutter to form the outer shell of the mochi ice cream. When this shape is ready, you can wrap it around the frozen ice cream. Then it’s ready to eat!

Just make sure to place the mochi ice cream back in the freezer to prevent it from melting, if you don’t plan on eating it right away.

Wrapping Up

You now know the exact steps on how to make mochi ice cream without a microwave. The process is easy, as long as you have the proper ingredients and use a steamer.

More Mochi Articles