Chocolate mochi muffins are the perfect way to satisfy your chocolate craving! You get chocolatey sweetness with a fluffy, yet satisfyingly chewy QQ texture, and a crispy outer crust. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee or tea.
I'll guide you through this recipe that's surprisingly easy to make, yet impressive to all those you'll share it with.
jump to:
✨ why you'll love this recipe
If you like the crunchy edges of butter mochi and have an affinity for chocolate, this recipe is for you! These mochi cupcakes are the perfect level of both chewiness and chocolatey flavor.
did you know? - Q is a Taiwanese saying for a 'bouncy, chewy, and satisfying toothsome texture,' like in mochi or 麻糬 môa-chî in Taiwanese, and a good boba drink.
This recipe calls for a bit of coffee in the batter to enhance the flavor of the cocoa powder.
Baking mochi muffins in a cupcake pan gives you more of that magical crispy crust all around the edges with chewy sweet goodness inside, and I've also tested this recipe with an air fryer so you can save on baking time if you have one.
Once you’ve made your muffins, sit down with a cup of ginger lemon honey tea. Or, if you're like me and enjoy eating something savory with something sweet, try one of these 5-minute silken tofu recipes to complete your snack!
💭 what is mochi?
Mochi (pronounced [mōCHē]) is the general Japanese term for sweet rice cakes/desserts made with short-grain glutinous rice, also known as sweet rice or sticky rice. It's generally known for its texture - a light and chewy mouthfeel.
Did you know? - Mochi is the more known use of sweet rice, and it's commonly used for sweeter dishes. Many Asian and Pacific Islander cultures use it in both savory and sweet applications for that magnificent chewy texture.
I fell in love with butter mochi, which is a local food in Hawai'i that combines the QQ texture of mochi with the essence of coconut and butter. I combined that concept with some of my own tricks and created these delightfully chewy and crispy chocolate mochi cupcakes!
📋 key ingredients
This recipe is a tasty variation of the original mochi muffin recipe! All you'll need are the original ingredients, plus cocoa powder and coffee.
- glutinous rice flour - also known as sweet rice flour. 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.
- cocoa powder - Valrhona brand is what I would recommend, but it's optional. I think the brand and quality of cocoa matter here, but any will do if you're in a pinch.
- coffee - you don't need any specific kind of coffee, but make sure it has cooled to room temperature.
- coconut milk - use full fat, unsweetened for this recipe. Different brands of coconut milk can taste different. I prefer Native Forest (affiliate link) 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. Note: 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
There aren't many ingredients I would substitute here since I want to stay true to the butter mochi I've tasted in Hawai'i, which means butter and coconut milk are essential ingredients.
You also can't get mochi without sweet rice flour either, so that's a must-have.
- different sweetener - you may use coconut palm sugar instead of light brown sugar if that's what you have, but make sure you use at least one of them. Both of these add a depth of flavor that you can't get with just cane sugar alone.
- kosher salt - If you don't have Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt (which has almost half of the sodium level of regular salt), use half of the amount listed in the recipe.
🔪 instructions
I’m going to go through each step in detail below, including step-by-step photos of how to mix the batter. In a hurry? You can jump straight to the printable recipe.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Alternatively, you can preheat an air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 3 minutes.
Note: Remove eggs from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature if you haven’t already.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the mochiko sweet rice flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk the dry ingredients until they're thoroughly combined.
In a large mixing bowl, add the light brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Add the melted (but not hot) unsalted butter to the large bowl.
Pour in the coconut milk.
Mix with a whisk until well combined. Small lumps of the coconut milk fat will remain and that’s okay.
Next, add the cocoa.
Add the room temperature (or cold) coffee.
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.
Lightly grease the inside of your muffin pan with a cooking oil spray. Divide the mochi muffin batter evenly among 12 regular muffin tins.
pro tip: If you use a mini muffin/cupcake pan, your mochi muffins will be done even faster! They are the ultimate bite-sized snack.
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 cocoa powder and cold/room temperature coffee 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.
hint: 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.
📖 variations
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: The measurements are for 12 regular mochi muffins.
- original butter mochi muffin flavor – see the full recipe with step-by-step photos.
- black sesame flavor - Add 1 cup of black sesame powder (ground black sesame seeds) or sesame paste to this original mochi muffin recipe to get that nutty aroma and taste. See the full black sesame mochi muffin recipe with step-by-step photos.
- matcha - Add 4 tablespoons of matcha powder to the original recipe for added sweet nuttiness. See the full matcha mochi muffin recipe here.
- mini mochi muffins - Use a mini cupcake tin to make tiny chewy mochi muffins that are great for lunchboxes and grab-and-go snacks.
🍲 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 + Large Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Silicone Spatula
- Offset Spatula (optional)
- Non-Stick Muffin Tins
- Mini Non-Stick Cupcake/Muffin Tins (optional)
- Oxo Good Grips Medium Cookie Scooper (optional)
- Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer (optional) - I use my favorite air fryer to cut down on baking time, especially when it's hot out.
- Oil Sprayer
- Silicone Muffin Cups - these are perfect for making cupcakes and/or muffins in the air fryer.
❄️ 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 the reheat instructions below.
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 (175°C) 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.
💭 top expert tip
Using the right type of flour is crucial for mochi muffins! I recommend Koda Farms' Mochiko for this recipe, but any brand will work too. I've previously used ones found at 99 Ranch Market labeled as "glutinous rice flour."
Regardless of the branding, make sure the package says "glutinous rice flour," "sweet rice flour," "sticky rice flour," and not just "rice flour." Regular rice flour will not give you that QQ or chewy texture that makes these muffins so amazing!
💭 faq
They sure are! Glutinous rice flour is naturally gluten-free! “Glutinous” is used in the name 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, also referred to as a QQ texture.
The bitterness of coffee and the sweetness of chocolate come together to complement and uplift the best flavors of each other. Coffee is actually used by professional bakers to enhance the cocoa flavor. They're such a classic and delicious duo!
🧁 more mochi muffin flavors
Looking for other popular mochi muffin flavors? Try these and a delicious Taiwanese taro boba:
👨🍳 COOKING WITH KIDS
What can kid chefs help with?
- mixing the ingredients
- pouring in the coffee
- scooping the batter into the muffin tins
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy cooking! ~ Cin
Want to get recipe updates, pro cooking tips, and nutrition info on East Asian ingredients straight to your inbox? Sign up here for a free PDF with cozy soup recipes.
Please give this recipe a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it. I would love to hear from you! If you have any questions at all, let me know in the comments below.
chocolate mochi muffins
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
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, Valrhona brand recommended but optional, about ½ ounce (14 grams)
- 2 tablespoons coffee, room temperature or cold, optional
- 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, coffee (if using), and coconut milk. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined. Next, add the cocoa 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, 2 tablespoons coffee, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 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 – see the full recipe with step-by-step photos
- black sesame – see the full black sesame mochi muffin recipe with step-by-step photos
- 1 cup black sesame powder (ground black sesame seeds), about 122 grams
- matcha – see the matcha mochi muffin recipe with step-by-step photos
- 4 tablespoons matcha powder, about 15 grams
🌡️ 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 higher smoking point (like canola oil 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: