Coconut Butter Mochi Cake Recipe – Gluten Free (2024)

Savor a taste of the Hawaiian islands with this scrumptious coconut butter mochi cake which just happens to be gluten free. With extra coconut milk and sesame seeds, it’s a fantastic treat for any luau or tropical themed party!

Coconut Butter Mochi Cake Recipe – Gluten Free (1)

This post may contain affiliate links.

Mochi is a Japanese cake made with sweet glutinous rice flour. Plain mochi is delicious and one of my most anticipated treats when going to Little Tokyo in downtown LA.

This buttery coconut rice cake takes plain mochi to a new level of moistness and flavor. A favorite in Hawaii and soon to be a favorite in your house.

I know what you’re thinking though; you see the words “Gluten Free” in a recipe and you may say, “That’s not for me, I can eat gluten, therefore, I should make a regular cake and not a gluten free cake”. I hear you. Although I only came across butter mochi cake when looking for a dessert to make for a friend with celiac disease, it quickly became one of my family and friends’ favorite treats.

And it’s also is a best seller at the church’s bake sale! It really stands out in an endless sea of breads, cookies, and brownies. I have included a free download of catchy tags for bake sales at the bottom of this post.

I’ve tweaked the original recipe to make it extra “coconuty” (like my daughter would say) and added the sesame seeds, which blend perfectly with the Asian theme. A friend, whose wife is Hawaiian, admitted in confidence my butter mochi was better than his wife’s. (Well I hope she’s not reading this right now. No, really, yours is good too and was my first inspiration!).

Definitely, an easy cake to make and the perfect dessert for a tropical party.

Scroll down for a visual of the ingredients and of the finished product. Check out the full recipe at the bottom of this post. Jump to Recipe

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you use glutinous sweet rice flour and not just regular rice flour. They’re made of different types of rice and will yield very different results.

There are several brands of sweet rice flour but, although I used Bob’s Red Mill in the photo, I recommend using Mochiko flour. The box comes in a convenient 1lb weight and it makes a fabulous mochi texture.:

You probably won’t need to go to a Japanese market or Asian grocery stores to find these ingredients. Coconut milk and roasted sesame seeds are pretty common, and my Walmart, Krogers, and Whole Foods often carry the Mochiko flour too.

Most of the ingredients are separated into wet and dry then mixed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, rum, coconut milk, and regular milk.

In a separate bowl, stir together the rice flour, sugar, and baking powder.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. The melted butter and shredded coconut flakes go last.

Mix well and pour in a buttered pan.

After the mixture is poured into the baking pan, the sesame seeds get sprinkled on the top like this:

Which turns into a delicious crispy crust:

YUM!

Mochi is best served at room temperature and will keep for several days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Butter Mochi Cake recipe with coconut

Coconut Butter Mochi Cake Recipe – Gluten Free (8)

5 from 1 vote

Print

Hawaiian Coconut Butter Mochi Cake

This easy Hawaiian local-style treat is made with coconut, butter, and sweet rice flour. A great dessert for any tropical party!

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican, hawaiian, Japanese

Keywordbutter mochi, cake, coconut, gluten free, mochi

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 12

Author Press Print Party

Ingredients

  • 1lbsweet rice flourMochiko glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour
  • 2 1/2cupswhite Sugar
  • 1tspbaking powder
  • 1/2cupbuttermelted
  • 1Tbsrum
  • 1can coconut milk + enough milk to make 3 cups3 cups includes coconut milk and milk
  • 5eggs
  • 1tspvanilla extract
  • 1cupsweetened flaked coconut
  • Sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Grease a 9"x13" baking dish.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, rum, coconut milk, and milk.

  3. In a separate larger bowl, stir together the rice flour, sugar, and baking powder.

  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to blend well.

  5. Mix in melted butter and shredded coconut flakes. Pour into the prepared pan.

  6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds on top.

  7. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Cool completed then cut into squares to serve.

Share your favorite recipes, pin it this Hawaiian butter mochi recipe:

Get Your Freebie:

If you’ve already subscribed, you can get the password from the bottom of any email I send and go directly to the Free Downloads Library.

Picked for you:

Coconut Butter Mochi Cake Recipe – Gluten Free

How to Make Striking Tabletop Coral Reef Decorations

Pineapple Piñata Tutorial, the Good, the Bad and the Funny!

How to Make Pineapple Macarons

How to Make a Pineapple Cake that Looks Like a Pineapple

Sweet “Party Like a Pineapple!” Birthday Luau – Loads of Fun Ideas

Check out our tropical party printables

+

Quick View

Flamingo Party Printables

Flamingo Party Favor Tags Printable

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$4.50

+

Quick View

Flamingo Party Printables

Flamingo Party Place Cards Printable

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$4.50

+

Quick View

Flamingo Party Printables

Flamingo Party Invitations Printable

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$7.00

+

Quick View

Photo Booth Props

Hawaiian Photo Booth Props

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$6.50

+

Quick View

Birthday Party Packages

Luau Party Printable Set, Hawaiian

$20.00

+

Quick View

Luau Party Printables

Luau Party Favor Box printable

$4.50

+

Quick View

Pineapple Party Printables

Pineapple Invitation Printable, Luau

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$7.00

+

Quick View

Pineapple Party Printables

Pineapple Party Favor Box printable, Luau

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$4.50

Coconut Butter Mochi Cake Recipe – Gluten Free (2024)

FAQs

Does gluten free rice flour work for mochi? ›

What You'll Need For This Butter Mochi Recipe: Mochiko Flour (Glutinous Rice Flour) – contrary to the name, glutinous rice flour has no gluten and is gluten free. Mochiko flour can be commonly found at your local Asian Market.

Should mochi cake be refrigerated? ›

Fresh mochi and homemade mochi can get hard/go bad quickly. It's best to consume it within 1-2 days if you leave it at room temperature. Otherwise, you can extend its life by storing mochi in the fridge.

Can I make mochi with regular flour? ›

Can you make mochi with regular flour, or without using rice or rice flour? Short answer: No. Long answer: Still no, but there are scientific reasons why. Today, I'll break down what mochi actually is, and why it can't be made without actual rice flour.

What does baking powder do in mochi? ›

Here are the ingredients you are going to need to make the butter mochi: Glutinous rice flour. Granulated sugar – caster sugar works too. Baking powder – just to give the butter mochi a little lift as it bakes.

What is a substitute for glutinous rice flour in mochi? ›

Other rice flours, like plain rice flour and chapssal flour, can provide a similar chewy consistency as glutinous rice flour. So, they work well as substitutes.

What is a substitute for rice flour in mochi? ›

Tapioca Flour (Starch)

Tapioca flour is particularly good in baking, especially for those seeking a chewy texture in breads, rolls, and in gluten-free recipes. It's also used in making mochi for its elasticity. When substituting for rice flour, use it in a 1:1 ratio.

What do you eat with mochi cake? ›

Because it's not dry like traditional cake, mochi cake doesn't even need icing; you can eat it on its own, or top it with toasted coconut, sesame seeds, powdered sugar, or lemon curd.

Is mochi good for you? ›

Is Mochi Healthy? Mochi is a versatile and healthy snack, and was popular amongst rice farmers and Samurai for increasing stamina and for its convenient format. Mochi is one of the few carbohydrate sources that is packed with protein, and is free from cholesterol.

Can butter mochi be left out overnight? ›

Butter mochi can last for up to three days left at room temperature. A week in the fridge, or if frozen up to a month.

What is the best flour for mochi? ›

What Is Mochi Made Of? You can buy sweetened red bean paste (also called adzuki bean paste or anko) at the store or you can make it at home with our easy recipe. Make sure to get glutinous rice flour (mochigome) instead of regular rice flour. This ingredient is essential for mochi's signature chewy texture.

Can you use Bob's Red Mill white rice flour for mochi? ›

Our Sweet White Rice Flour is 100% stone ground from high-starch, short-grain glutinous rice. It has a fine texture and neutral flavor, making it ideal for gluten free baked goods and to thicken sauces. It's also used to create rice noodles and mochi.

What is mochi flour called? ›

Mochiko is a white flour made of glutinous/sweet rice to make chewy, sticky mochi desserts. It's also a gluten-free thickener. Mochiko (もち粉), mochiko sweet rice flour, or mochi flour, is a glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour) made of glutinous short-grain Japanese rice.

How do you know when mochi is done baking? ›

After an hour, remove your pan from the oven. Very, very carefully, remove the aluminum foil, and check the consistency of the mochi with your fingers. Steam should escape from the mochi as you remove the foil, so be careful not to burn yourself! The mochi should be sticky but firm.

Why is my mochi bitter? ›

Many recipes forget to mention to toast the glutinous rice flour, which makes the mochi bitter. Toasting the glutinous rice flour not only makes it easier to work with the mochi, preventing it from sticking to everything, but it also adds a subtle sweet and nutty flavor.

What is the yellow powder on mochi? ›

Kinako powder is a roasted soybean flour widely used in Japanese cuisine. It is used in various Japanese dishes, both sweet and savory. The nutty yellow powder is sprinkled over traditional Japanese sweets, such as Daif*cku, Warabi Mochi, Dango, and Ohagi.

Is gluten free rice flour the same as glutinous rice flour? ›

White rice flour, brown rice flour, and glutinous rice flour are all gluten-free! The main differences between rice flour and glutinous rice flour are the type of rice used and the texture when cooked.

Is gluten free rice flour glutinous rice flour? ›

Glutinous rice, also known as sticky rice or sweet rice, is gluten-free despite its name. In fact, all varieties of rice are gluten-free. The term “glutinous,” in this case, means “sticky.” The proportion of starches in rice varies by rice type.

Is gluten free rice flour the same as rice flour? ›

Does Rice Flour Have Gluten? Rice flour made from 100% white or brown rice doesn't have gluten. You may find a “gluten-free” label on these products, and it means that they are entirely safe to consume.

What is a gluten free alternative to glutinous rice flour? ›

In conclusion, there are several gluten-free options that can be used as substitutes for sweet rice flour, depending on the recipe and desired flavor and texture. Tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, and cornstarch are all good options.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Last Updated:

Views: 6114

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Birthday: 1999-09-15

Address: 8416 Beatty Center, Derekfort, VA 72092-0500

Phone: +6838967160603

Job: Mining Executive

Hobby: Woodworking, Knitting, Fishing, Coffee roasting, Kayaking, Horseback riding, Kite flying

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.