Mochi Ice Cream

Published: 08/10/2019
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Mochi ice cream is gaining popularity worldwide. For those of you who don’t know what it is, think ice cream balls wrapped in a thin mochi dough. It is fairly easy to make your own at home.

strawberry, black sesame, and green tea mochi ice cream on a parchment paper
Mochi Ice Cream

What is Mochi?

Mochi is the name for Japanese rice cakes. Cute hey! They are made by pounding steamed mochigome which is short-grain Japonica glutinous rice. Pounding the steamed rice makes it very doughy or paste-like. Finally, the dough is shaped into rounds or rectangles. Used for making Ozoni for new years feast, and also sweets such as sweet red bean soup.

Mochi in a rectangle tray with potato starch underneath
Mochi

Yukimi Daifuku is a commercial Mochi ice cream

The famous Japanese mochi ice cream that you can purchase in Japan is Lotte brand “Yukimi Daifuku”. So popular in japan and still the best selling ice cream. Sweet red bean paste is the usual filling for Daifuku. However, ice cream is what they fill Yukimi Daifuku with.

6 ice cream balls, and Shiratamako, sugar and water in a large mixing bowl
Mochi ice cream making process 1-4

How to make a thin layer of mochi?

The thin layer of mochi is called “gyuhi” in Japanese. Fortunately, we don’t need to pound steamed rice. There is an easy way to make it. Place flour called “Shiratamako” in a microwave-safe bowl with sugar and water. Wrap and microwave for a couple of minutes.

mixing flours and and microwaved
Making process 5-8

Which flour is the best to make mochi?

The options are Shiratamako, Glutinous Rice Flour and Mochiko. These flours are all slightly different although they are made out of same Sticky rice or sweet rice which is called “mochigome (mo-chi-go-may)”. The main difference between Shiratamako, Glutinous rice flour and Mochiko is the process of making them.

mochi been cooked in microwave and transferred onto a tray with potato starch
Making process 9-12

Shiratamako

My first choice is Shiratamako (白玉粉) . Shiratamako mochi has a very smooth texture and stretches well when it wraps around the ice cream. The particles are finer and smaller than the cheaper options such as glutinous rice flour or Mochiko. Shiratamako is available from Japanese or Asian grocery stores or online.

rolling out the mochi dough thinly
Making process 13-16

Glutinous rice flour & Mochiko

Glutinous Rice Flour and Mochiko (Sweet Rice Flour) are alternatives to make mochi. They are a cheaper option. Glutinous rice flour is about A$2 and readily available from major supermarkets in Australia. I have not seen it here in Brisbane but there is a similar product called “Mochiko” which literally means mochi flour. It is similar to glutinous rice flour.

cutting out round mochi with 11cm round cutter
Making process 17-20

Mochi Ice cream Flavour Choices

I used strawberry, green tea, and black sesame ice cream for the photos and they are the usual ice cream flavors I have in my freezer. If you cannot find these particular flavours in your hometown, you can use your favourite ice cream flavour such as chocolate ice cream. I sometimes have difficulties sourcing these Japanese flavours in Brisbane, Australia.

removing excess potato starch using wooden brush and placing ice cream ball onto the mochi sheet
Making process 21-24

2 Tips to make mochi ice cream successfully 

The recipe is not super difficult to make if you be careful with some steps. 

Tip 1: The work surface is well dusted with potato starch called “Katakuriko” to roll out Mochi rice dough with a rolling pin. It requires a generous amount of Katakuriko Potato Starch, so the mochi does not stick to your fingers which in turn makes it less difficult to handle.

Tip 2: Ice cream should be scooped out into the shape and well frozen before it is wrapped up with the thin mochi.

wrapping ice cream ball with mochi dough

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Three flavour (strawberry, green tea, and black sesame ice crem on a plate

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strawberry mochi ice cream in a hand

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three different flavoured mochi ice cream on a table

Japanese mochi ice cream 餅アイス

4.63 from 40 votes
Japanese mochi ice cream recipe

Video

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 90 g Shiratamako
  • 180 ml water
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 80 g Katakuriko(potato starch) or corn starch
  • 300 g Ice cream of your choice
Metric – US Customary

Instructions

  • Scoop ice cream about 30g each with an ice cream/cookie dough scooper into an aluminium foil-layered small muffin tin and keep them in the freezer until its ready to wrap with mochi

Making mochi sheets

  • Place Shiratamako, sugar, and water into a microwave safe bowl and stir them thoroughly. 
  • Loosely wrap the bowl with cling wrap and  microwave the mixture on 600w for 2 minutes.
  • Take out the bowl and stir the mixture with a spatula and place the cling wrap again and microwave on the same setting for 1 and half minutes. 
  • Transfer the cooked mochi to a prepared work surface generously dusted with Katakuriko (potato starch). 
  • Dust more Katakuriko (potato starch) over the mochi in order to prevent the mochi sticking to your fingers and the rolling pin. Press the mochi down to spread the mochi and roll thinly with a rolling pin. 
  • Cut out the mochi into round shapes using a round cookie cutter about 9cm(3.54inch) in diameter. It should make about 10 round mochi sheets.
  • Place some cling wrap on a kitchen bench or a work surface and place a round mochi sheet then lay another layer of cling wrap on top and another mochi sheet. Repeat the process for all mochi sheets. 
  • Refrigerate the mochi sheets to allow it to cool down completely for at least 30 minutes. 

Wrapping ice cream with mochi sheets

  • Take the mochi sheets out of the fridge. Place one mochi sheet with a cling wrap underneath on a kitchen bench or a work surface. 
  • Dust the excess katakuriko (potato starch) off the mochi sheet with a pastry brush. 
  • Place one ice cream scoop on top of the mochi sheet. Lift up the mochi sheet to bring to the top and pinch them all together to seal the mochi sheet. 
  • Wrap whole mochi ice cream with the cling wrap and twist them at the top and put it back in the freezer. Repeat the same process for the remaining.
  •  Let the ice cream freeze again for a few hours. 
  • Leave the Japanese mochi ice cream for a few minutes at room temperature before eating in order to let the mochi sheets soften. 

Notes

Shiratamako is the best suit to make Mochi Ice Cream but if you are unable to access this ingredients, it can be replaced with Mochiko or glutinous flour.
Any flavour of ice cream can be used. 
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Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal · Carbohydrates: 23g · Protein: 1g · Fat: 1g · Sodium: 7mg · Sugar: 7g
Author: Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles
Course: Dessert, Ice cream, Snack
Cuisine: Japanese
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Shihoko Ura of Chopstick Chronicles
About The Author

Shihoko Ura

Shihoko Ura is a Japanese home cook and cookbook author with a passion for food and photography. She shares her authentic and beloved recipes with step-by-step guides and helpful tips so you too can make delicious Japanese food at home. Her recipes have featured in The Japan Times, Buzzfeed, and Country Living.

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Questions and Reviews

  2. Hi! Can I keep the Mochi dough overnight in the ref? And use the next day? My son is making the recipe in school butt he doesn’t have enough time. Thinking he can do. Cutting and filling in school and making the dough night before at home. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Kat, yes he can. Or even cutting and place parchment paper between cut mochi sheets and keep them in freezer. Everything will be nice and cold. Mochi will not become firm because of the sugar content in the mochi.

      Reply

  6. Perfect for Dessert. Thank you so much for the great ideas on how to prepare something new with ice cream, incredibly amazing! looking forward to more recipes.

    Reply

  7. I have been looking for recipes for WEEKS and they all seemed so difficult but I think I’m going to give these a try! 😍

    Reply

    1. Hi Alana, hope this works for you. It is quite easy to make 😀 It is quite sticky so use generous amount of potato starch 😀

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Your instructions were so clear I thought I would give it a go!
    WOW, my kids were so excited.
    Mine didn’t look as professional as yours but they still tasted great 😀

    Reply

    1. Thank you for trying Claire. Looking does not matter as long ass it taste great 😀

      Reply

  12. Hi there, thanks for your recipe on mochi. I live in NZ and tried mochi in Hawaii just recently the Bubbies brand and also we get Lotte here in some places. I have been trying to make these at home but when I pop it in the freezer, the next day the mochi dough is really hard, do you have any advice as to why? We can’t get Shiratamako flour here so used glutinous rice flour, would this be the reason? Why do Lotte and Bubbies include egg white in their recipes do you know? Thanks so much! Kylie

    Reply

    1. Hi Kylie, The reason mochi does not get hard is because mochi contains sugar. Shiratamako and glutinous rice flour are basically same thing so it is not the reason. Do you add sugar in the rice flour? I don’t know about adding egg white, it may be make the mochi airy?

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    Hi, can you replace the potato starch with corn starch if you can’t find it? Thank you for the recipe it was very useful!!!

    Reply

    2. Hi I made this today but the mochi dough is really thick. I used a glass bowl to cut the round shape because I do not have cookie cutter. And when I put it in the freezer it hardens. I put in alot of corn starch to thicken the glutinious rice mixture however it just keeps sticking to my hands and rolling pin. I managed to form a dough but the dough is not as thin as yours in the video.

      Reply

      1. Hi Kristine, did you add sugar? If you add sugar, it should not become hard in freezer and I don’t add cornstarch to the dough. It is just cover the surface of the mochi to prevent the mochi stick to your hand.

      2. I did add in sugar, i add more corn starch as the dough was really sticky. Does that mean I can’t add too much corn starch?

      3. Hi Kristine, You don’t add cornstarch to the dough. It just cover the surface, so the dough will not stick to your hand.

  14. Shihoko san,

    Thank you so much for always sharing such wonderful recipes.
    I’m wanting to make a black sesame flavoured mochi.
    Do you know how that would be possible?
    Your help is appreciated.

    Reply

    1. Hi Joanne san 😀 Can you access to Black sesame seed paste? You can add about 1/2 – 1 tbsp of the paste when you make mochi.

      Reply

  15. Shihoko san,
    Thank you as alway for sharing such wonderful recipes.
    This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.
    I want to flavour the mochi with Black Sesame. Is that possible?

    Reply

  16. 5 stars
    Looks awesome!!! I have some premade marumochi on hand, do you think that I can repurpose them for Yukimi mochi?

    Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

    1. Hi Julie, yes of course. Step 1-3 of making mochi sheet, do it over low-med heat.

      Reply

  20. 5 stars
    Thanks for the great recipe Shihoko !
    It was very descriptive, informative and your photography is very professional.
    I look forward to more ..

    Reply