These matcha mochi muffins are every bit of the mellow sweetness and earthy matcha flavor that you’d hope for. The touch of bitterness in the matcha is balanced by the coconut milk to create the perfect amount of matcha flavor. Enjoy this fluffy and chewy snack that’ll satisfy your need for something sweet, but not too sweet (iykyk)!
"I've tasted so many different matcha desserts and these are the best! The matcha really shines through yet you don't taste the bitterness of matcha – just creamy, aromatic, and the perfect amount of sweetness." – said the last person that tried these! You'll get compliments like this when you make these delicious and surprisingly easy-to-make matcha muffins.
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✨ why you'll love this recipe
This recipe makes bright and vibrant matcha mochi muffins! Matcha truly shines in this recipe, complemented by coconut milk and a balance of sweetness.
This recipe was inspired by my love of all things Q and the delicious butter mochi I’ve tried in Hawai'i, so if you like chewy foods with crispy crusts, this is the muffin recipe for you!
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.
Sometimes matcha can come across too bitter in baked goods, but I made sure to test this recipe about five times to make sure I got it right. I, and my many taste testers, can assure you that this is the perfect amount of matcha!
I've made them in both the oven and the air fryer, so the choice is up to you! Baking these mochi muffins in a cupcake pan gives you more of the magical crispy edges with the chewy sweetness inside.
If you're like me and enjoy eating something savory with something sweet, try one of these 5-minute silken tofu recipes. You could also sit down with a book, a muffin (or two!), and some ginger lemon honey tea to settle in after a long day.
🍵 what is matcha?
Matcha is a powdered version of green tea. Instead of the green tea leaves being harvested and steeped, they're ground into a fine powder to enjoy a bolder flavor profile.
Although green tea (that's generally steeped from bags or loose-leaf) and matcha (powder) are both green tea, they have very different tastes. While green tea is more light and delicate, matcha is rich and more intense. They are both enjoyed as a relaxing sipping experience.
Matcha is most often enjoyed as a beverage. The powder is whisked into water until it dissolves. It's part of a traditional tea ceremony experience in Japan.
In Western cultures, however, matcha is sometimes paired with milk. There are a multitude of matcha latte recipes out there.
Another way to enjoy matcha is in baked goods, like in matcha butter mochi in cupcake or muffin form - it's the star of the show.
📋 key ingredients
I couldn't leave the original mochi muffin recipe alone when I knew it was so versatile – I had to build upon it! This ingredient list is the same as the original with the simple addition of matcha to get that sweet nutty and earthy flavor.
- 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.
- matcha - there are two major schools of matcha: culinary grade and ceremonial grade. You can use either here, but I recommend using culinary grade. Ceremonial is used primarily for drinking.
- 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 don't skimp on that.
- different sweetener - you may use coconut palm sugar instead of light brown sugar if that's your preference. Both of these sweeteners 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 glutenous rice flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk the dry ingredients until well combined.
In a large mixing bowl, add light brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Add the unsalted butter to the large bowl.
Pour in the coconut milk.
Mix with a whisk until well combined. It’s normal to have small lumps of coconut milk fat remaining, so don’t worry about them.
Next, add the matcha.
Whisk again until the color is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
pro tip: sift the matcha into your wet batter to more easily reduce clumping. It's okay if you can't get all the clumps out. You'll only be able to see the small remaining clumps in the muffins if you look really hard, but it won't affect the texture or flavor much.
Add the dry ingredients from Step 2 to the wet ingredients from Step 3.
Whisk the mixture until they are just combined.
Evenly divide the batter between 12 regular muffin tins or mini muffin tins. I use the Oxo Medium Cookie Scoop (affiliate link) for faster scooping.
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 sifted matcha 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.
📖 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 paste to the original mochi muffin recipe. You'll get a nutty aroma and taste that you won't want to miss. See the full black sesame mochi muffin recipe with step-by-step photos.
- chocolate - For chocolate mochi muffins, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of room-temperature coffee (optional). See the full chocolate mochi muffin recipe for detailed instructions.
- mini mochi muffins - Use a mini cupcake tin (affiliate link) 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
- Rubber Spatula
- Offset Spatula (optional)
- Non-Stick Muffin Tins
- Mini Non-Stick Cupcake Pan
- Oxo Good Grips Medium Cookie Scooper
- Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer - I use my favorite air fryer to cut down on baking time, especially when I don't want to heat up the kitchen with an oven.
❄️ 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 in an oven or for 1-2 minutes at 350°F 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." Make sure the package says "glutinous rice flour," "sweet rice flour," "sticky rice flour," and not just "rice flour."
💭 faq
They sure are! Glutinous rice flour doesn’t have gluten in it, so it’s naturally gluten-free! “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, also referred to as a QQ texture.
Other than giving your baked goods that vibrant green color? Matcha adds an earthy green tea flavor that is so delicious alongside the sweetness of most desserts! It creates an earthy and umami flavor that's hard to get from any other ingredient. The subtle bitterness that matcha lovers enjoy pairs effortlessly with creamy ingredients like coconut milk as well.
🧁 more mochi muffin flavors
Looking to make different flavors of mochi muffins? Try these along with my favorite bubble tea drink:
👨🍳 COOKING WITH KIDS
What can kid chefs help with?
- whisking together the ingredients
- measuring out the matcha
- scooping batter into the cupcake tin
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy cooking! ~ Cin
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matcha 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
- 4 tablespoons matcha, about ½ ounce (15 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 matcha 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, 4 tablespoons matcha
- 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 12 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
- chocolate – see the full chocolate mochi muffins recipe with step-by-step photos
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons coffee, room temperature, optional
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. reheat: Since the crust on these muffins will soften over time due to moisture, you can reheat them by baking 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.
🌡️ 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 smoking point (like canola oil or avocado oil) to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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