Looking for a fun and refreshing summertime treat recipe? This chilled Japanese dessert is exactly what you need. Warabi Mochi is a soft, chewy, and jelly-like confection that you can make with just a few ingredients. It’s made with warabiko, different from the mochi made with glutinous flour, but gets its name from the similarity in texture. Warabimochi is often dipped in kinako soybean powder, with an amazing nutty flavor!
On a summer day in Japan, you can often hear a truck driving by blasting music, it’s likely not selling ice cream, but Warabi Mochi. Originating in the Kansai region of Japan, this fun little treat isn’t made from glutinous rice flour like the name might suggest, but rather, bracken starch (warabiko). More on that below.
The mochi itself has little flavor, but a jelly-like texture that dissolves easily in your mouth. It’s topped with a soybean powder that gives it a pleasant nuttiness. Like most Japanese sweets, it’s not overly sweet and brings in a nice, subtle savoriness too. It’s also a great option for various diets as it’s gluten-free and dairy-free.
What is Warabi Mochi?
Warabi Mochi (わらび餅) is a jelly-like Japanese dessert made from bracken starch and kinako powder, which is soybean powder. It’s adopted the mochi name due to its squishy texture, but it’s not made from a glutinous rice flour like traditional mochi. Instead, this delicious treat is not quite as chewy and dissolves much quicker. It’s best enjoyed chilled and is super refreshing in the summer.
Ingredients & Substitutes
- Warabi Powder / Bracken Starch: While it may seem like the key component in Warabi Mochi, warabi powder isn’t always the only starch used to make this dish because it can be quite expensive. If you’re struggling to find it, you can substitute it with sweet potato starch or tapioca starch, although the texture will be slightly different.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar will work best in this recipe because it will dissolve quickly. If you really want to try making your mochi with less sugar, you could opt for Stevia or monk fruit sugar, though it will alter the taste.
- Water: Room temperature water works best.
- Kinako Powder: Soybean powder is what is going to give your Warabi Mochi it’s most notable flavor. You can find it at an Asian grocery store, or maybe even in the International Foods section of your local store. You can also order it online.
How to Make Warabimochi?
- Add warabi powder, sugar, and water to a medium saucepan. Mix until combined.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, and cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and translucent, stirring constantly using a wooden spoon. Remove the mixture from the heat.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet sprinkled with kinako soybean powder, and flatten it out using a spatula.
- Sprinkle more kinako on top, and place it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes or until it’s cooled.
- Remove it from the refrigerator, and cut it into small cubes. Sprinkle with more kinako and serve.
Tips for the Best Warabi Mochi Recipe
Stir constantly: Make sure your ingredients are blended fully before you add your saucepan to the heat, then stir constantly. This will help your mochi dough to thicken and not burn.
Serve it cold: Refrigeration is key to getting the right consistency for your Warabi Mochi. As tempting as it may be to eat it immediately out of the pan, make sure to let it chill first.
What is Warabi Powder (Bracken Starch)?
If Bracken seems unfamiliar, you may actually know the fern by another name – ‘fiddleheads’. The starch comes from grinding up the roots of the ‘Warabi’ – or ‘Bracken’ plant, whose stems are sold as the controversial vegetable. Because each root produces so little powder, pure Bracken Starch is actually quite expensive. Warabi Mochiko was created as an economical alternative. It combines a few other starches (normally sweet potato) with much smaller quantities of Warabi powder.
Where to Buy Warabi Mochiko or Bracken Starch?
You’ll likely have to pick up the starch for this recipe at your local Asian grocery store or online.
Is Warabi Mochi Healthy?
While the Warabi plant itself does actually contain the carcinogen ptaquiloside, it’s in the plant’s fiddleheads, which is why those cannot be eaten raw. Thankfully, it’s not a risk that comes along with eating Warabi Mochi. The Bracken plant contains vitamins A and C, as well as iron and fiber, but there probably isn’t a substantial enough amount to consider this treat ‘healthy’. However, it’s really just starch and sugar, so it’s definitely not the worst thing you could reach for.
How Long Does Warabi Mochi Last?
Homemade warabimochi can last 1 to 2 days at room temperature, and it’ll stay perfectly clear. If you store it in the fridge for a few hours, the mochi will get hard and turns to white color. So it’s best to store it at room temperature and chill it for 20 minutes before serving.
If You Like This Recipe Try These Out
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Warabi Mochi turns out in the comments below!
Warabi Mochi Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warabi powder (also called warabi mochiko or bracken starch)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cup water
- Kinako powder (also called soybean flour)
Instructions
- Add warabi powder, sugar, and water to a medium saucepan. Mix until combined.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, and stir constantly using a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick and translucent. Make sure to cook until the mixture is completely clear.
- Remove the mixture from the heat.
- Prepare a baking sheet and sprinkle a generous amount of kinako.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet, and flatten it out using a spatula.
- Sprinkle more kinako on top, and place it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s cooled.
- Remove it from the refrigerator, and cut it into small cubes.
- Sprinkle with more kinako and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- Store your warabi mochi at room temperature but chill it for 20 minutes before serving. It can last 1-2 days at room temperature.
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