Name: Matcha Mochi / Green Tea Mochi Recipe (+VIDEO)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons Mochiko ((or Shiratamako Sweet rice flour), 50g); 2 tablespoons sugar (25g); 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder; 6 tablespoons water ((90ml)); 1/4 cup cornstarch for dusting; 1/2 cup red bean paste ((see Notes for homemade recipe))

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Homemade Green Tea Mochi is soft, chewy, and sweet with delicious matcha flavor and beautiful green color. This classic Japanese treat is really easy to make at home and better than that of your favorite restaurant! Plus you can customize the filling with red bean paste, strawberry, or ice cream.

It takes less than 15 minutes to make these vegan matcha-flavored mochi balls, and you can serve them at the end of a meal as a dessert or snack with a cup of hot green tea.

Like Japanese Daifuku, these mochi balls have sticky and chewy mochi layer on the outside. It’s a Japanese rice cake made with special glutinous rice flour. On the inside, mochi (抹茶大福) has different types of fillings such as sweet bean paste, strawberries, or ice cream. In this recipe, I made the mochi with green tea (matcha) flavor, and use anko red bean paste as the filling. But you can easily customize with your favorite fillings.

This matcha flavored mochi recipe uses a shortcut to make the mochi dough by using mochiko sweet rice flour instead of traditional glutinous rice. It’s very easy to prepare and takes just a few minutes. They’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious, so absolutely worth the effort to learn!

Table of Contents Show

What Does Green Tea Mochi Taste Like?

The mochi layer is sticky and chewy with a great earthy flavor. An anko red bean paste filling is sweet and creamy.

Green Tea Matcha Mochi ingredients on the counter.

What’s in Green Tea Mochi

Mochiko or Shiratamako (sweet glutinous rice flour)
Granulated sugar
Green tea matcha powder
Water
Cornstarch
Your favorite fillings (such as Anko red bean paste)

Pro Tip: The key to the best mochi is using Mochiko or Shiratamako (sweet rice flour). Note that they are different than the regular glutinous rice flour. You can find them in most Japanese grocery stores, or order them online from Amazon.

How to Make Green Tea Matcha Mochi (Step-by-step Photos)

We use the microwave method to make the green tea mochi dough, it’s the easiest way and takes just a few minutes!

Step 1: Make the Mochi Dough

Whisk together mochiko, sugar, and green tea powder. Then add water and mix well. It’s important to whisk until everything is dissolved completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or kitchen towel loosely. Microwave at full power for 2 minutes. Take it out and mix with a wet spatula. Cover and microwave for 30 more seconds until the dough becomes slightly translucent.

Step 2: Shape the Mochi Cake

Then transfer the mochi dough onto the cornstarch-dusted parchment paper. Sprinkle more cornstarch onto the dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and flatten each one into a circular shape. You can easily stretch the dough using your hands (watch the video to see how to do this).

Step 3: Add the Filling

Scoop out red bean paste and place it in the center of each mochi wrapper. Pinch the four corners of the mochi wrapper, and then pinch the remaining corners together. Tap the bottom of mochi with cornstarch. Brush the assembled green tea mochi with a brush gently to remove excess cornstarch (See the step-by-step photos below).

Photo collage showing how to make green tea mochi.

Pro Tip: The dough is very sticky, so you’ll need to use cornstarch frequently during the wrapping process. The trickiest part of this recipe is to wrap the red bean paste in the mochi wrapper. It may take a few tries to get it into a great round shape, but after a few, you’ll get a hang of it.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Green Tea Mochi

The color of your green tea mochi depends on the amount of matcha powder you use. I used 1/2 teaspoon in this recipe. You can adjust the amount to make it lighter or darker.
Make sure to use Mochiko or Shiratamako for this recipe. The regular glutinous rice flour won’t work properly for this recipe.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and make sure everything is completely dissolved before cooking them in the microwave.
Microwave in short intervals to avoid overcooking the dough. The dough will start to look opaque when it’s ready.
As the dough is very sticky, you’ll need to use cornstarch to prevent it from sticking. It’s important to coat it evenly in a thin layer of cornstarch so it’s not overwhelmed by the white cornstarch powder.
Make sure the filling is firm enough before adding it to the mochi wrapper. The filling can be soft when it’s still warm. So plan ahead and let it cool down before you make the dough, otherwise, it won’t hold the shape properly.

How to Store Green Tea Mochi

While they are best when freshly made, you can also store them for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend wrapping in parchment and plastic wrap to minimize the risk of surface hardening.

How to Serve Matcha Mochi

You can serve matcha mochi on its own as a snack. Alternatively, pair it with a cup of hot tea for a simple dessert after a meal.

Homemade Anko Red Bean Paste

Homemade red bean paste tastes the best and it only uses 3 ingredients: azuki red beans, sugar, and water.

Just add red beans and water to a pot, boil for 5 minutes, and drain the water. Add the bean back to the pot and add more water. Bring to boil again, cover with a lid, and simmer for 1 hour. Drain the water.

Add sugar to red beans and stir until the mixture thickens. Let it chill before using it in the matcha mochi.

Tips for Using a Microwave

Every microwave is different, so it’s best to heat in intervals. Cover the shiratamako and water with paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds at a time until hot, stirring each time to distribute the heat evenly. Once the mochi turns opaque, it’s cooked through.

How to Store Matcha Mochi and How Long Do They Last?

Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and they can last for 2 days. These green tea mochi taste the best on the day they’re made.

Homemade Mochi vs Storebought Mochi

Let’s face it: storebought can be hard to find stateside! Making your own at home is fulfilling and quite easy really. Plus, the taste is just as good as storebought in my opinion.

Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream

You can use ice cream instead of red bean paste for delicious matcha mochi ice cream. You can scoop out the ice cream ahead of time and set them aside in the freezer when you prepare the dough. Make sure to move quickly so the ice cream won’t melt during wrapping.

Green Tea Mochi with Strawberry Filling

Another popular option is to stuff the red bean paste with a fresh strawberry, and then cover it with the green tea mochi wrapper for a fruity matcha mochi.

Green tea mochi stuffed with anko red bean paste and strawberries.

Is Green Tea Mochi Healthy?

Green tea mochi has some health benefits including minerals like iron, magnesium and calcium and vitamins C, A and E. However, they are also high in refined sugar and contain no dietary fiber, so overall they are not particularly good for you.

You May Also Like

Matcha Mochi / Green Tea Mochi Recipe (+VIDEO)

Homemade Green Tea Mochi is soft, chewy, and sweet with delicious matcha flavor and beautiful green color. This classic Japanese treat is really easy to make at home and better than that of your favorite restaurant! Plus you can customize the filling with red bean paste, strawberry, or ice cream.

4 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: Matcha Mochi Balls

Author: Izzy

Calories: 146kcal

Ingredients

▢ 6 tablespoons Mochiko (or Shiratamako Sweet rice flour), 50g
▢ 2 tablespoons sugar 25g
▢ 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder
▢ 6 tablespoons water (90ml)
▢ 1/4 cup cornstarch for dusting
▢ 1/2 cup red bean paste (see Notes for homemade recipe)

Instructions

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together mochiko, sugar, and green tea powder.
Add water and mix until everything is dissolved completely.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or kitchen towel loosely. Microwave at full power for 2 minutes. Take it out and mix with a wet spatula.
Cover and microwave for 30 more seconds until the dough becomes slightly translucent.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on the working surface, and dust it generously with cornstarch.
Transfer the matcha-flavored mochi dough onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle more cornstarch onto the dough.
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper.
Flatten the dough into a circular shape (about 3.5 inch) using your hands (about 1/8-inch thickness).
Scoop out red bean paste and place it in the center of the mochi wrapper.
Pinch the four corners of the mochi wrapper, and then pinch the remaining corners together.
Tap the bottom of mochi with cornstarch. Brush the assembled green tea mochi with a brush gently to remove excess cornstarch.

Notes

To make homemade red bean paste, you’ll need:
- 1/3 cup red beans
- 1/3 cup sugar
- water

Add rinsed red beans and water to a sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring the water to boil and then discard the water, leaving the red beans in the pan. Add more water and bring to boil again, and cover with lid. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for 1 hour until you can easily mash the beans with your fingers. Drain the azuki beans and put them back into the pot. Turn the heat to medium-low, and add sugar. Stirring constantly until it reaches your desired consistency.

Video

Nutrition