These mochi donuts are the ultimate cultural fusion dish. Chewy mochi center, crunchy, golden brown exterior, all rolled in sweet sugar. The perfect finger food dessert for any occasion.
In typical Hawai’i fashion we have a cultural blend that creates the most delicious treat around. A little bit of Japanese mixed with a little bit of Portuguese and a whole lot of good.
Fry up these little bite sized pieces of goodness and you’ll be sure to attract a crowd. I mean it’s deep fried, so it has to be good right?
Mochi donuts take a blend of Japanese mochi and Portuguese malasadas, or better yet call it a mochisada.
Japanese mochi is a sweetened rice cake popular for many special occasions in both Japan and Hawai’i.
Malasadas are a Portuguese deep fried donut rolled in granulated sugar and also a popular treat in Hawai’i.
Mix those two together and you’ve got yourself one amazing dessert.
Ingredients for mochi donuts
- 2 cups mochiko flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tablespoon butter, unsalted, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Let’s talk mochiko flour. Mochicko is a sweet rice flour that can be found in the Asian aisle at most grocery stores. This gives the mochi donut it’s characteristic chewiness. I would not recommend replacing this with traditional flour.
Next the sugar. Traditional malasadas are rolled in granulated sugar. This recipe calls for the same. You could roll the donuts in powdered sugar or even make a yummy glaze if you wish.
One of the keys to this recipe is baking powder. This is not your typical yeast risen donut dough. It uses the power of leavening with baking powder, which cuts back on the prep time. That’s a win in my books.
And of course you can’t forget to add just a touch of vanilla extract. Try out my homemade vanilla extract recipe here.
What type of oil do I use?
I’d suggest using a neutral flavor oil like vegetable, canola, avocado, etc. The oil is heated to 350F when frying, so you can use most types of oil safely here.
Are mochi donuts gluten free?
Yes! Mochiko is naturally gluten free unlike many other flours. You’ll sometimes see it described as glutinous rice flour, but don’t let that fool you. Glutinous is used to describe the sticky, chewy consistency when cooked.
How to store mochi donuts?
These are best eaten fresh. If you manage to have some leftovers, place in an airtight container and store at room temperature.
How long do mochi donuts last?
If stored in an airtight container the mochi donuts will keep for 2-3 days.
How to reheat mochi donuts?
As previously mentioned, these are best eaten fresh. If you did not toss the donuts in granulated sugar you can re-fry the donuts to bring back the crispiness. Another option would be to microwave, but this will not yield the original crispiness.
Can you refrigerate/freeze mochi donuts?
I would not recommend refrigerating or freezing already cooked mochi donuts. You can, however, refrigerate or freeze the dough once mixed for future use.
More Recipes for the mochi lovers
How to make mochi donuts?
For the dry ingredients: To a large bowl add mochiko flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
For the wet ingredients: Heat milk in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. To another bowl add heated milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
For the dough: Add wet ingredients to the dry and begin mixing. Once the wet ingredients have just begun incorporating with the dry add the egg. Mix until well combined.
Heat a pot with the cooking oil of your choice to 350F.
Using a small cookie scoop, carefully scoop and drop the dough into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Add about 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a small bowl.
Once the donuts have finished frying, remove from oil, and place in the bowl of sugar and toss to coat.
Remove from sugar and place on a cooling rack to cool slightly and ENJOY!
Mochi Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups mochiko flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 tablespoon butter unsalted, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Instructions
- For the dry ingredients: To a large bowl add mochiko flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
- For the wet ingredients: Heat milk in microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. To another bowl add heated milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
- For the dough: Add wet ingredients to the dry and begin mixing. Once the wet ingredients have just begun incorporating with the dry add the egg. Mix until well combined.
- Heat a pot with the cooking oil of your choice to 350F.
- Using a small cookie scoop, carefully scoop and drop the dough into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Add about 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a small bowl.
- Once the donuts have finished frying, remove from oil, and place in the bowl of sugar and toss to coat.
- Remove from sugar and place on a cooling rack to cool slightly and ENJOY!
Nutrition
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Made these delicious mochisada this evening it’s soooooo onolicious!😋😋😋
Yay. So awesome. Mahalo for sharing!
This is easy to make, and taste so good. Instead of dipping the donuts in sugar, we spread Nutella over it. Yum. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Yum. Sounds great.
Loved these donuts!
Yay. Glad you enjoyed them. Have a great day.
Aloha Relle. Made these this morning and I am so happy! Mahalo for sharing this and all of your stories and recipes. Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau’oli Makahiki Hou to you and your family!
Mahalo for stopping by and sharing. I truly appreciate your kind words. Mele Kalikimaka!
I made it with my daughter and rolled it in li hing powder and sugar. Took me home to Hawaii even though I live in the mainland. Trying your malasada recipe next!
Ooh love the li hing mui option. Sounds yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Do you think this recipe can be baked?
I’ve never tried it. The dough is really wet and sticky. Not sure it would work. I wonder if placing it in a donut tray to bake would work?
Made this recipe for Mother’s Day & it was a hit! Super easy and had all the ingredients. Mahalo!
Aloha Mariah. Yay. So great to hear. Mahalo for sharing.
Can you refrigerate or freeze this if the dough is not all used in one day?
Aloha Dana. You can store the dough in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. I have not tried freezing the dough before.
Aloha,
Can I sub the milk for soy?
Aloha. Sorry I haven’t tried that before. IF you try it let me know.
This are very similar to the filipino classic Donuts, that is very popular here in the Philippines.
Nice. What do you call those donuts?
Made this today! Soo good. I was afraid it would be gummy because of the glutinous flour, sort of like tapioca, but it wasn’t at all.
Crispy on the outside, fluffy and slightly chewy, so delicious. Will make again 😁 my husband loved them too.
Aloha Sun. Thanks for sharing. Glad you liked it. Have a great day.
Hi Relle, this looks ono. I love mochi. I’ll have to try it and let you know how it turned out.
I was wondering if you have tried adding banana to this or if you have a similar recipe for banana?
Aloha Haley. Mahalo. I have not tried adding bananas to this recipe. Sorry.
Delicious. I was afraid it would be sticky and gummy sort of like tapioca flour but it’s crispy, fluffy and a little chewy. Very yummy, will make it again
I have never heard of, or worked with, mochi before your post. I’m so curious about it and these yummy donuts look like a great way to try some!
This looks so yummy!
Aloha! Beautiful donuts! I hope I can make them 🙂 just wondering if vegan butter and milk can be used? ( not vegan, just lactose intolerant! )
Aloha Rai. I have never tried it before. I would think it would be ok. If you try it please let me know. Have a great day.
Rai, I have made these several times with various vegan fat options. I’ve used vegan butter. I’ve made them without butter and used full fat canned coconut milk instead of dairy milk. My favorite way is with flax milk now and fat from coconut milk or a little coconut oil (solid at room temp). I’ve made with a little avocado oil instead as well. I believe a little mashed banana would work in place of the oil for a healthier version. We’ve made them eggless as well by using a ground flax egg. Adding orange zest is delicious as well. The results of each variation was different, but mostly quite successful. Flax milk for the win though!
Aloha Akesia. Mahalo for sharing.
These are the bomb! I made a half recipe batch and got 15 mochisadas. My family has requested more for tomorrow. We are a gluten-free household due to my allergies and these mochi donuts hit the spot. The inside has an almost butter mochi flavor. I might use coconut milk and both coconut and vanilla extracts next time for that butter mochi flavor. These come together super quickly and are absolutely delicious!
Aloha Akesia. Yay, so happy to hear. Thanks for sharing!
I subbed oat milk and plant based butter since my son has a dairy protein allergy, otherwise I used what was listed. They turned out almost chalky on the inside, like the dough was before cooking them. Is that because of the pat milk? I have not tried the “real” recipe yet, I was hoping this would work out 😔 it’s definitely not a real mochi donut like in HI.
*oat, not pat. And my recipe didn’t turn out, I’m not criticizing yours 😋
No worries. Appreciate the insight.
Aloha Chrissy. Unfortunately I have not tested this recipe with alternate ingredients. I wonder if almond milk would work? If you try it please do let me know. Thanks. Have a great day.
Flax milk works great in these. We use the Good Karma unsweetened (not the one with pea protein) and it works fine. My daughter just asked if I could make more today. Yum!
Mahalo for sharing Akesia
Hello, and Mahalo for sharing this recipe! My family and I just returned from a vacation to the Big Island and, as there are no places to get Malasadas in St. Louis, we were thrilled to try this recipe and with the results! Question…we tried different mochi Malasadas while we were there…green tea, ube, mango, etc. How are those flavors incorporated into a recipe like this?
Aloha Jessica. This recipe makes the base. You can add in flavors by using extracts or other add ins. Extracts are the easiest to add in because you don’t usually need to adjust the base recipe. If you are using juices or something that adds more liquid you may need to adjust according. Hope you enjoy!
aloha! made these today, as i was homesick and wanted malasadas. didnt have vanilla so i subbed 1tsp finely chopped lemon zest. whooohoo, broke da mout! as my ohana would say! mahalo for breaking these homesick blues!
Aloha De. So happy to hear. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day.
Delicious! I’ve made these quite a few times and my gluten allergic friends love them too! I never have leftovers because they’re usually gone the same day I make them. Thank you for sharing!
Aloha Trish. Mahalo for sharing. So great to hear. Thanks for stopping by.
These Mochi Donuts were so good! Will definitely be making them again!
Thank you. They’re one of my favorites too.
I’m not able to make nice round donuts, the batter is so soft. How do you make round donuts? Do you add more flour?
Aloha Lorene. If the batter is too runny you’ve added too much water. You can try to adjust it a little by adding more flour. Quick tip, add the liquid in batches. Once you get the consistency you need stop as to prevent adding too much and getting runny batter.
Love these mochi donuts 💙 i made them with coconut milk, coconut oil and vanille sugar and the mochi are delicious 💙
These are one of my favorites. Happy you love them too. Mahalo.