This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.
Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET IN THIS DESSERT: A totally new take on the old-fashioned brownie! The old standby (which I, of course, also love — try my Best-Ever Brownie recipe for a more traditional brownie) gets a modern makeover in the form of these dense and incredibly chewy mochi brownies.
This recipe gives you all the chocolately goodness of a brownie with the intriguing, addictive texture of mochi. If you have made my Hawaiian Butter Mochi, then you’ll know almost exactly what texture I’m talking about here. This recipe calls for you to bake the mochi, just like you do with the butter mochi.
Since we use sweet glutinous rice flour instead of regular flour, mochi brownies are also a gluten-free treat! This is a super important ingredient, and you’ll find a lot of uses for it, including Hawaiian Butter Mochi, Matcha Butter Mochi, Japanese Mochi Ice Cream, and Mochi Donuts!
What Is Mochi And What Flour Do You Need To Make Mochi?
Mochi is a popular treat in Japan and Hawaii that’s made with short-grain glutinous rice that’s traditionally pounded with a wooden mallet to make a paste. However, thanks to Mochiko, also known as sweet rice flour or glutinous rice flour, you can skip the wooden mallet part and go straight to the recipe.
Mochiko, the brand of sweet rice flour I use for my mochi recipes, is a crucial ingredient. You can find it in Asian markets or by clicking the link to order it online. You can’t substitute sweet rice flour with regular flour or regular rice flour.
If you’re looking for more mochi, try my Mochi Ice Cream, Mochi Donuts, and Hawaiian Butter Mochi!
What Chocolate To Use For Mochi Brownies
I suggest using a good quality bittersweet chocolate for this recipe — the high cocoa content will stand up to the other ingredients and ensure you get a wonderfully chocolately brownie. I also highly recommend using chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips. Chocolate chips keep their shape and won’t melt properly, which means your brownies won’t be chocolately throughout. If you want to learn more, check out my Complete Guide To Chocolate.
Tools You Need To Make Mochi Brownies
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9×13-inch (23x33cm) pan
- Parchment paper
- Small Saucepan
- Mixing Bowls
Making Mochi Brownies
If you’ve never baked with sweet rice flour before, just trust the process. You may think the batter is too thin, but it will all turn out perfectly. It is important not to overmix your batter, however. An overmixed batter will take away the chewiness of the brownie.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Mochi Brownies
- Bittersweet chocolate works best in this recipe as it has a higher cocoa content, giving you a good chocolate flavor.
- Heating the cocoa powder with chocolate and milk is a technique borrowed from making a chocolate cake—the flavor of the cocoa blooms in warm liquid.
- Make sure to use sweet glutinous rice flour and not regular rice flour for this recipe. Sweet glutinous rice flour gives these brownies distinctive mochi chewiness. You can find this type of flour in Asian markets.
- To make a chocolate mochi birthday cake, top this mochi brownie with my Best-Ever Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Homemade Sprinkles before cutting.
- You can add 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the milk when heating it to enhance the chocolate flavor.
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Learn new skills and level up your baking in the Bold Baking Academy — now open for subscription, featuring the Bold Baking Concierge for direct access to Gemma & her team for all your baking help.
Make More Brownies!
If you like my Mochi Brownies, you’re going to love these:
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Plus, SUBSCRIBE NOW to the Bold Baking Academy for exclusive in-depth baking courses, The Baking Concierge™, and the Bold Baking Academy Community!
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Mochi Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (16floz/480ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (6oz/170g) bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
- ½ cup (4oz/115g) butter
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 can (13.5floz/398ml) full fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 box (about 3 cups/16oz/450g) sweet glutinous rice flour
- 2 cups (16oz/450g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 9x13-inch (23x33cm) pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the milk, chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder and warm over low heat until the chocolate melts, roughly 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- To the cooled chocolate mixture, add the eggs, coconut milk, and vanilla, and whisk until combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sweet glutinous rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and then stir into the chocolate mixture until evenly combined.
- Spread into your prepared pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes, until firm to the touch.
- Let cool completely before cutting into either bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Great recipe.
I tried it both ways. I used regular rice flour first, and they are delicious. I added a little instant coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor.
The mochi version with glutinous rice flour is pretty addictive. I made it twice already.☺️
hi, thanks for the recipe! i’ve tried it and it’s really good. however i’m not a fan of coconut in general so if anyone wanna try this recipe and is not a big fan of coconut i’d advice to subtitute it with whole milk instead, as it leaves a quite strong taste in the brownie.
i’d definitely try to make another one without the coconut milk and see if i like it. regardless, thank you so much for the recipe again! it’s so chewy and chocolaty!
Can you substitute the whole milk with almond or oat milk? We have dairy and gluten restrictions.
Hi Gemma
I tasted guava mochi at a local Poki Hawaiian fast food here and it tasted delicious . Do you have a recipe of guava mochi ? Or how can I add a guava flavor to your butter mochi . Pls advice !
What can I sub for the coconut milk?
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
The sweet rice flour box I have is 500g. Should I just put all of it in (and adjust something else?) or best to measure out the 450g?
Hi Gemma, do you use natural cocoa powder in this recipe or Dutch-Process?
Do they freeze?
I’m wanting to make a very small batch. I do have small pans, but I’m curious how you think this would turn out if I baked the batter in mini muffin tins?