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.
cooking oil sprayneutral flavor and higher smoke point (canola, avocado, peanut)
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.
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).
notes
Although the ingredients for mochi muffins are similar to Hawaiian butter mochi, the texture of the center is different. Like butter mochi, these muffins have a magical golden, crispy, and chewy (QQ) crust.*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.variations:
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.
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.
tried this recipe?Tag me @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.