Mochi Ice Cream – sweet and creamy ice cream wrapped in smooth and pillowy mochi dough! It will float into your mouth and disappear! This easy Japanese dessert recipe makes a batch of the most delicious and dainty ice cream mochi balls with different flavors. Try strawberry, green tea matcha, or chocolate!
Mochi ice cream has become a new trend, thanks to its unique chewy, sticky, and soft texture. Like Japanese Daifuku, the squishy mochi rice cake on the outside is made with special glutinous rice flour (available on Amazon). On the inside, there is cold and delightful ice cream with different flavors.
Of course you can buy these frozen treats at many grocery stores like Trader Joe’s, but they are really easy to make at home with just a few ingredients (at the fraction of the price!). Once you learn how to make mochi ice cream you’ll be hooked!
What You’ll Need for this Recipe
The Best Flour to Make Mochi
The key to the best mochi is using Shiratamako or Mochiko (sweet rice flour). Note that they are different from the regular glutinous rice flour. You can find them in most Japanese grocery stores, or order them online from Amazon.
Cornstarch
This ingredient doesn’t go into the mochi, but you’ll need a generous amount to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
Your Favorite Ice Cream
The most fun part of this recipe is that you get to “design” your mochi ice cream with various flavored and colored ice cream. I find it much easier to scoop out the ice cream after letting it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Otherwise, your ice cream will be rock hard, making it impossible to scoop.
You’ll also need a cookie scoop for creating smooth half-rounded ice cream balls with equal sizes. A cookie-cutter (3.5-inch) is also helpful to cut mochi wrappers to the same size.
How to Make Mochi Ice Cream at Home
1. Prepare the Ice Cream: Scoop out ice cream into cupcake liners in a muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until they are completely frozen.
2. Make Mochi Dough: Whisk together mochiko and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Add water and mix well, making sure there are no lumps.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap loosely. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take it out and mix it with a wet spatula. Cover and microwave for 30 more seconds until the dough has changed from white to slightly translucent.
4. Make Mochi Wrappers: Transfer the mochi dough onto the parchment paper dusted with cornstarch. Sprinkle more cornstarch onto the dough.
5. Roll out your dough into a thin piece (about 1/8-inch thickness).
6. Cut the dough into circles. (Don’t waste the leftover dough. Knead the leftover pieces into a ball, repeat the process, and make a few extra wrappers.)
7. Brush off the excess cornstarch. On the counter or plate, place a plastic wrap, then mochi wrapper on top, add another layer of plastic wrap and repeat for all mochi wrappers. Let them chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
8. Assemble Mochi Ice Cream: Place a mochi wrapper (together with the plastic wrap underneath) on the counter. Add one frozen ice cream ball in the center of the mochi wrapper.
9. Pinch the four corners of the mochi wrapper, and then pinch the remaining corners together (you can watch our video tutorial in the recipe card on how to do this).
10. Tap the bottom of mochi with cornstarch. Wrap it with the plastic wrap and place each assembled mochi ball into the muffin tin. Store them in the freezer.
Pro Tips
- Make sure to use Mochiko flour or Shiratamako for this recipe. The regular glutinous rice flour won’t work properly for this recipe.
- Mix the flour, sugar and water thoroughly and make sure everything is completely dissolved before cooking them in the microwave.
- 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.
- When you are wrapping your ice cream with the mochi wrapper, it’s best to take the ice cream balls out one at a time so that they won’t melt.
- The trickiest part of this recipe is to wrap the ice cream in the mochi wrapper. After a few tries, you’ll get a hang of it. Just remember to work fast when dealing with ice cream.
Mochi Ice Cream Flavors
I used 3 flavors: strawberry, green tea matcha, and chocolate ice cream in this recipe. Some other great options include vanilla, mango, red bean, banana, and coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mochi Ice Cream?
It’s a delicate frozen treat made with Japanese mochi rice cake and an ice cream filling. The outside is soft and chewy and inside is cold, sweet, and refreshing. Some popular brands include Bubbies and My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream.
How to Store Mochi Ice Cream?
Place the individually wrapped ice cream mochi balls in an airtight container in the freezer and they can last up to 2 weeks, but they taste the best on the day they’re made.
What Does Mochi Ice Cream Taste Like?
The mochi layer has a unique texture that’s sticky, chewy, and sweet. When combined with the cold, creamy and refreshing ice cream filling, it’s heavenly delicious!
Is Mochi Ice Cream Bad for You?
Like most desserts, mochi ice cream is not exactly a healthy food, as it’s high in sugar and calories. But it can be part of a healthy and well-balanced diet if you use some healthier ice cream or consume it in moderation.
Where to Buy Mochi Ice Cream?
You can order mochi ice cream in most Japanese restaurants or buy at local grocery stores such as Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Whole Foods . It’s usually stored in the freezer section.
If You Like this Recipe Try these Out:
If you’ve tried this Mochi Ice Cream then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know. I love hearing from you!
Mochi Ice Cream Recipe (+VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Mochiko (or Shiratamako Sweet rice flour)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup cornstarch for dusting
- 1 cup ice cream of your choice (the 3 flavors I used in this recipe are strawberry, matcha green tea, and chocolate)
Instructions
Prepare the Ice Cream
- Let the ice cream sit at the room temperature for about 5-10 minutes until it’s not too hard for you to scoop.
- Scoop out ice cream into cupcake liners in a muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until they are completely frozen. It usually takes more than 2 hours. (If you don’t have cupcake liners, use plastic wrap.)
Make Mochi Dough
- When your ice cream is frozen solid, it’s time to make mochi dough. Whisk together mochiko and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Add water and mix well until there are no lumps.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap loosely. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take it out and mix with a wet spatula. Cover and microwave for 30 more seconds until the dough has changed from white to slightly translucent.
Make Mochi Wrappers
- Transfer the mochi dough onto the parchment paper dusted with cornstarch. Sprinkle more cornstarch onto the dough.
- Roll out your dough into a thin piece (about 1/8-inch thickness).
- Cut the dough into circles. (Don’t waste the leftover dough. Squeeze the leftover pieces together and knead them into a ball, repeat the process and make a few extra wrappers.)
- Brush off the excess cornstarch. On the counter or a plate, place a plastic wrap and then mochi wrapper on top, add another layer of plastic wrap, and repeat for all mochi wrappers. Finish up with a plastic wrap to cover all mochi wrappers. Let them chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
Assemble Mochi Ice Cream
- Place one mochi wrapper (together with the plastic wrap underneath) on the counter, and add one ice cream ball to 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. Wrap it with the plastic wrap and place each assembled mochi balls into the muffin tin. (It’s best to take one ice cream ball out at a time so that it won’t melt).
- Store them in the freezer until you are ready to serve. Before eating, you need to let the mochi ice cream sit at room temperature for approximately 5 minutes.
Notes
- Place the individually wrapped mochi ice cream into an air-tight container and store in the freezer. They can last up to 2 weeks.
- As the dough is very sticky, you’ll need to use a generously amount of cornstarch to prevent it from sticking. Make sure to coat it evenly in a thin layer of cornstarch so it’s not overwhelmed by the white cornstarch powder.
- Work fast when you are dealing with ice cream so that it won’t melt.
Video
Nutrition
what happens if you don’t let it freeze all the way through?
Hi Avery, if you don’t let it freeze all the way through, the ice cream can melt quickly while you wrap it with the mochi dough wrap, making a big mess. Hope this helps.
Do you use hot water or room temperature water to make the mochi wrapper? This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Elizabeth, use room temperature water for this recipe. Don’t use hot water. Hope it helps. Izzy