This black sesame mochi muffin recipe, inspired by the butter mochi in Hawai’i, is the perfect symphony of texture and flavor. They’re crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. The bold flavors of black sesame are wonderfully contrasted with the coconut milk and light brown sugar to create a not-too-sweet dessert that’ll keep you coming back for more.
These will be the first to run out when served at get-togethers and dinner parties – which has happened to me on several occasions! I'll guide you through every step of an almost failproof recipe so that you'll have deliciously nutty black sesame muffins in 45 minutes (or just 25 minutes using an air fryer).
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✨ why you'll love this recipe
The nutty aroma of black sesame seeds will remind you of your first bite of black sesame-filled tang yuan (sweet rice balls).
I have tested this recipe multiple times and served it to large groups of foodies that raved about it. Trust me, I can't make enough of these black sesame muffins to satisfy a crowd. They're everyone's favorite!
I also love that this recipe is so versatile - only a couple of ingredient changes here or there will transform their flavor profile completely. Plus, you have the option to bake these in a cupcake pan, mini cupcake pans, or even in the air fryer.
Enjoy these little snacks as a midday pick-me-up paired with some ginger lemon honey tea. Or treat it as a dessert after snacking on one of these flavorful silken tofu side dishes.
🖤 why black sesame seeds?
These mochi muffins are a twist on our butter mochi muffins recipe, so they maintain the slightly caramelized outer crust with a fluffy and chewy (QQ) interior. Except this time, you’ll taste the nutty flavor of black sesame with your first bite!
Though black sesame seeds are small, they are mighty! Black sesame is a flavor enhancer that you don’t want to underestimate.
did you know? - black sesame seeds are a different variety of sesame than white or tan ones. They can be sold hulled or unhulled, while the white (non-tan) sesame seeds have their hulls removed.
This recipe calls for black sesame powder 黑芝麻粉 so the interior is more fluffy and chewy than the gooeyness you’d expect from mochi or 麻糬 môa-chî in Taiwanese. If you prefer a moister mochi texture on the inside, use black sesame paste instead.
📋 key ingredients
If you've made my other mochi muffin recipes, you'll have most of these ingredients already! You'll notice that the only ingredient alteration is the powerhouse ingredient: black sesame.
- sweet rice flour - also known as glutinous rice flour even though it's all rice without gluten. I use the Mochiko brand when available, but have also used other sweet rice flours found at Taiwanese and East Asian grocery stores, like 99 Ranch Market, Mitsuwa, or even online at Weee! (affiliate link). ✴️ Make sure you're getting "glutinous rice flour," or "sweet rice flour," and not just "rice flour" since they're very different.
- black sesame powder - this recipe uses black sesame powder (ground toasted black sesame seeds) 黑芝麻粉 so the interior is more fluffy and chewy than the gooeyness like fresh mochi. Can be substituted with black sesame paste or black sesame seeds (see instructions under substitutions).
- coconut milk - use full fat, unsweetened for this recipe. Different brands of coconut milk can taste different. I prefer Native Forest when I can find it.
- kosher salt - I use the Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt (affiliate link) in most recipes since it has lower sodium levels, making it easier to layer the seasoning without accidentally oversalting a dish. It can be found in some grocery stores. ✴️ If using table salt or sea salt, use half of the amount listed in the recipe.
- eggs - you'll want to take your eggs out of your refrigerator at least 10 minutes before starting this recipe so that they can come to room temperature.
- sugar - I use cane sugar in this recipe, though regular granulated sugar can work too. Cane sugar gives these muffins a more mellow sweetness.
See the recipe card for quantities.
📖 substitutions
- black sesame paste - If you have black sesame paste, you can substitute it for the black sesame powder 1:1 (same quantity). This will make the center of the muffins extra gooey and more like a moist mochi texture.
- black sesame seeds - If you only have black sesame seeds on hand, you can make your own powder or paste by toasting them in a small pan over low heat and then grinding in a small food processor or spice grinder (with or without an added neutral oil). It's especially important to toast black sesame seeds before using them.
- different sweetener - Coconut palm sugar works in place of light brown sugar if you'd rather swap out the light brown sugar. Both of these sweeteners add a depth of flavor that enhance and complement the cane sugar.
- kosher salt - If you don't have Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt, use half of the amount listed in the recipe. I use the Diamon Crystal because it has almost half of the sodium levels of regular salt.
- gluten-free - No substitutions are needed since this recipe is already gluten-free. Glutinous rice flour doesn’t actually have gluten in it.
🔪 instructions
I’m going to go through each step in detail below, including step-by-step photos. In a hurry? You can jump straight to the printable recipe.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Remember to take the eggs out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature if you haven’t done so already.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the mochiko sweet rice flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk the dry ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the light brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Add melted, but not hot, unsalted butter to the wet ingredient mixture.
Add coconut milk.
Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined.
Next, add the black sesame powder.
Whisk again until the color is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. It’s normal to have small lumps of coconut milk fat remaining, so don’t worry about them.
Add the dry ingredients from Step 2 to the wet ingredients from Step 3.
Whisk the mixture until they are just combined.
Then, lightly grease the inside of your muffin pan with a cooking oil spray. Divide the mochi muffin batter evenly among 12 regular muffin tins. I use 1½ scoops with the Oxo Medium Cookie Scoop (affiliate link) for each tin.
Bake the muffins for 40-50 minutes in a regular muffin pan, or just 15 minutes in a mini muffin pan, until the edges turn light golden brown. Remember to rotate the pan halfway through baking for a more even color.
Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan or cups for 5 minutes before serving. It helps to use a small offset spatula to remove each muffin.
air fryer instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C) for 3 minutes. Remember to take the eggs out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature before using.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mochiko sweet rice flour, baking powder, and salt until they are thoroughly combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the light brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, and coconut milk. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined. Next, add the black sesame powder and whisk again until the color is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. It’s normal to have small lumps of coconut milk fat remaining, so don’t worry about them.
- Add the dry ingredients from Step 2 to the wet ingredients from Step 3. Whisk the mixture until they are just combined.
- Spray the inside of 12 silicone muffin cups meant for the air fryer and scoop the batter into the lightly greased cups until just over halfway full. *Some silicone muffin cups for air fryers are larger than regular muffin tins. If using larger ones, this recipe may only yield 8 muffins/cupcakes.
- Air fry the muffins for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the air fryer and let cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before serving. It helps to use a small offset spatula to remove each muffin.
pro tip: If you're storing muffins for later, transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. See reheat instructions in the recipe card.
📖 variations
You can easily create different flavored mochi muffins or cupcakes simply by adding one of the ingredients below to the wet ingredients (Step 3) of this recipe.
Note: measurements are for 12 regular mochi muffins.
- original butter mochi flavor – for a base recipe that you add any flavor to, you'll want to read the ultimate mochi muffin post for all the details.
- matcha – see the full matcha muffins recipe with step-by-step photos, but all you'll need to do is to add 4 tablespoons of sifted matcha powder, about 15 grams, to the wet ingredients.
- chocolate – add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of room temperature coffee, but see the full chocolate mochi muffins recipe with step-by-step photos for more!
- mini mochi muffins – easily transform these muffins into bite-sized treats by baking them in a mini muffin pan. They're super fun to eat this way.
🍲 equipment
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we do make a small profit from your purchases (your price is not affected by this commission). We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you click on an affiliate link, you consent to a cookie being placed on your browser for purposes of tracking commissions.
- Medium and Large Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- Non-Stick Muffin Tins
- Mini Non-Stick Muffin Pan
- Oxo Good Grips Medium Cookie Scooper
- Offset Spatula
- Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer - I use my favorite air fryer to cut down on baking time, especially when it's hot out.
❄️ storage
Store mochi muffins in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. See reheat instructions below.
💭 top expert tip
Since the crust on these muffins will soften over time due to moisture, you can reheat them by baking them for 3 minutes at 350°F in an oven or for 1-2 minutes at 350°F (175°C) in an air fryer. This will revive the magical crust. If frozen, add 3-5 minutes of reheating time.
💭 faq
Yes, they're naturally gluten-free because glutinous rice flour doesn’t have gluten in it. “Glutinous” is used in the name probably because of the gooeyness of the flour once mixed with a liquid. Foods made with it have a chewy and bouncy texture that people love.
Because black sesame has such an earthy and nutty flavor profile, it pairs really well with warming flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg and subtly sweet and creamy ingredients like coconut milk. It also complements chocolate and vanilla flavors really well too!
Yes, you can freeze your mochi muffins and enjoy them later! Allow the muffins to fully cool before storing them in airtight containers. Then, you can freeze them for up to one month. Frozen mochi muffins can be reheated straight from the freezer in an air fryer or toaster oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
🧁 more mochi muffin flavors
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these plus my favorite boba drink:
👨🍳 COOKING WITH KIDS
What can kid chefs help with?
- mixing the dry and wet ingredients
- measuring out the coconut milk (and other ingredients)
- scooping the batter into the muffin tins
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy cooking! ~ Cin
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black sesame mochi muffin
ingredients
- 2 cups mochiko glutenous rice flour, about 11 ounces (320 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half the amount if using sea salt or table salt)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, about 2 ½ ounces (70 grams)
- ½ cup sugar, about 3 ⅜ ounce (96 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (105 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, (4 grams)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, about 2 ounce (56.5 grams)
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk, full fat, Native Forest brand recommended
- 1 cup black sesame powder 黑芝麻粉, also called ground black sesame seeds, about 4 ¼ ounces (120 grams)
- cooking oil spray, neutral flavor and higher smoke point (canola, avocado, peanut)
*The Instacart button above is an affiliate link, which means we do make a small profit from your purchases (your price is not affected by this commission).
instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). If using an air fryer, preheat it at 350°F (175°C) for 3 minutes. Remember to take the eggs out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature if you haven’t done so already.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mochiko sweet rice flour, baking powder, and salt until they are thoroughly combined.2 cups mochiko glutenous rice flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the light brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, and coconut milk. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined. Next, add the black sesame powder and whisk again until the color is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. It’s normal to have small lumps of coconut milk fat remaining, so don’t worry about them.½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk, 1 cup black sesame powder 黑芝麻粉
- Add the dry ingredients from Step 2 to the wet ingredients from Step 3. Whisk the mixture until they are just combined.
- Lightly grease the inside of your muffin pan with a cooking oil spray. Divide the mochi muffin batter evenly among 12 regular muffin tins. I use 1½ scoops with the Oxo Medium Cookie Scoop for each tin. If using an air fryer: spray the inside of 12 silicone muffin cups and scoop the batter into the lightly greased cups until just over halfway full.*cooking oil spray
- Bake the muffins for 40-50 minutes in a regular muffin pan, or 15 minutes in a mini muffin pan, until the edges turn light golden brown. Remember to rotate the pan halfway through baking for a more even color. To check if they are done, insert a cake tester or toothpick into the muffins, and it should come out clean. If using a preheated air fryer: air fry the muffins for 13 minutes (or 15 minutes without preheating).
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan or cups for 5 minutes before serving. It helps to use a small offset spatula to remove each muffin. If storing for later, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (see reheat instructions in the notes).
equipment and highlighted ingredients
notes
- original butter mochi muffin flavor – Just leave out the black sesame powder. See the full recipe with step-by-step photos
- matcha mochi muffins –instead of black sesame powder, use 4 tablespoons of sifted matcha powder, about 15 grams.
- chocolate mochi muffins –instead of black sesame powder, use 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons coffee, room temperature, optional.
- mini mochi muffins – use a mini cupcake pan for cute one-bite snacks! It'll also only take 15 minutes to bake.
🌡️ food safety
- Do not taste uncooked batter that contains raw egg
- Don't leave these muffins/cupcakes out at room temperature for extended periods
- Refrigerate extra mochi muffins in a covered container to avoid mold. If unable to consume within 2 days, store in the freezer instead for up to 1 month and reheat before serving.
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoke point like canola or avocado oil to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
share your thoughts below. let's chat at the kitchen table: