Mochi Donuts (aka Pon de Ring donuts). Delicious sweet donuts with a chewy bouncy texture that are unlike your traditional donuts. This mochi donut recipe is easy to make at home with simple ingredients and can be made dairy-free.
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What is a Mochi Donut?
Mochi donuts are chewy donuts with a mochi-like texture and are not like your regular donuts making them so much fun to eat! The earliest form of mochi donuts came from Hawaii fusing the concept of American donuts with Japanese mochi. This dessert is made of little balls of dough which consist of sweet rice flour, sugar, milk and egg. The doughnuts are deep fried in oil and coated with an assortment of glazes such as strawberry glaze or matcha glaze. The best way to eat them is to tear the donut into smaller balls so you can enjoy that chewy soft texture in each bite!
This trend food is popular in Japan, South Korea and now in the United States and Canada! Some bakeries will sell them in all sorts of flavors from chocolate, coffee, black sesame, white chocolate, to a matcha version! I love these donuts so much because of their chewy texture. They are such a unique and fun treat to enjoy!
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Glutinous rice flour aka Mochiko Flour: the key ingredient to this recipe, and it's made of grounded short-grain rice or sticky rice. It gives these Japanese mochi donuts that chewy texture. Please make sure to buy "Glutinous" rice flour. Normal rice flour will not give you chewy donuts.
- Milk of choice: feel free to use any milk you enjoy. You can make these dairy-free by using oat milk.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
- White granulated sugar
- Large Egg
- Baking powder
- Corn starch to dust work surface
- Icing sugar or confectioners' sugar
- Optional: Strawberry powder or butterfly pea powder for color: Online retailers or select grocery stores will carry these items in powder form. You can also use matcha powder if you'd like or leave the icing plain. This is only for coloring purposes!
- Sprinkles
A donut pan is not required for this recipe. You just need to use your hands!
How to make Mochi Donuts
Create Starter Dough
In a small bowl, mix your starter dough ingredients.
Microwave Starter Dough
Cover bowl with cling film. Microwave for 2 minutes. Remove cling film carefully as the bowl is hot. Allow this to cool.
Create Batter
In a large bowl, combine your batter ingredients together.
Add Starter Dough and Knead
Then add your starter dough to your batter with your hands.
Dust your working surface area with cornstarch and knead for at least 5 minutes until it's less tacky.
Roll & Divide Dough
Roll your sticky dough into a round shape. Cut the ball into two equal half portions.
Create Two Logs
Then roll your two balls into two equal logs.
Cut into 1.5 inch wide pieces
Cut the logs into equal smaller pieces about 1.5 x 1.5 inches wide or until you have 25 pieces.
Roll into Balls
Roll the squares into little balls like donut holes.
Connect the Balls to Make a Donut
Assemble the donut form by sticking the balls together (5 per donut) on a square piece of parchment paper.
Heat Oil
In a skillet, add enough oil (about 2 inches of oil) to cover the donut. Bring to medium heat checking the temperature of the oil. It should be 330 F on a digital instant read thermometer.
Deep Fry Donut
Once oil is hot, place donut on a square piece of parchment paper and slide the donut with the paper into the oil. This helps the donut maintain it's shape. It's fine to do this to parchment paper as long as your oil maintains a temperature of 330 F. Parchment paper can withstand heat up to 420 - 450 F depending on the brand.
Fry Until Golden Brown
Fry on each side for 1.5 minutes until golden brown. Discarding the parchment paper before you flip. Remove from hot oil and place on paper towel or a cooling rack to drain excess oil. Let them cool to room temperature.
Create Glaze
In a small bowl, mix your glaze ingredients. Dip your donut in halfway. Add as many sprinkles as your desire. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Microwave starter dough for 2 minutes max. Make sure to cover your bowl with cling film to prevent it from splattering everywhere.
- Combine your dry ingredients and wet ingredients in a separate bowl for the batter. This distributes the ingredients better and can make a major difference!
- I would recommend using a smooth surface when rolling out the dough and use enough cornstarch to flour your surface.
- If you don't want to waste too much neutral oil, use a smaller pot and only fry one donut at a time.
- Place donuts in a small, squared parchment paper. This keeps the cute shape of the donut intact, so the doughnut holes don't tear away from each other.
- Place parchment paper with donut on top of a flat utensil like a metal spatula, so you can easily slide it safely into your hot oil.
- Keep oil on medium temperature at 330 F to prevent your donuts from burning or becoming too brown
- Allow the oil to drip off and let your donuts cool for at least 5 minutes before dipping into your glaze
Storage
These will last 1-3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
FAQ
Can I use the air fryer?
I would strongly recommend to deep fry them. I've tried baking them in the oven and making them in the air fryer, but they just don't work as well if you want the best mochi donuts. In the oven, they get too crispy on the outside; even though they are chewy on the inside. Therefore, it's best to deep fry them.
Other Mochi Recipes You May Like!
📖 Recipe
Easy Mochi Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable oil or any neutral oil for deep frying
- ¼ cup cornstarch to dust work surface
Starter dough
- ¼ cup glutinous rice flour must be glutinous kind
- 3 tablespoon milk or any dairy-free milk of choice
Batter
- 1 ¾ cup glutinous rice flour (not normal rice flour, must be glutinous)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk or any dairy-free milk of choice
Simple Plain Glaze
- 6 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tbsp milk or any dairy-free milk of choice
Strawberry Glaze (optional)
- 6 tablespoon icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or any dairy-free milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon strawberry powder
Blue Glaze (optional)
- 6 tablespoon icing sugar
- 1 tbsp milk or any dairy-free milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon butterfly pea powder
Purple Glaze (optional)
- 6 tablespoon icing sugar
- 1 tbsp milk or any dairy-free milk of choice
- ½ tsp strawberry powder
- ½ tsp butterfly pea powder
Optional
- sprinkles as much as desired
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together Starter Dough ingredients as listed above. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave for 2 minutes. Remove plastic wrap carefully as the bowl is hot. Allow this to cool down.
- In a separate large bowl, combine Batter ingredients together as listed above.
- Add Starter dough to Batter with your hands. Try your best to incorporate it through the dough.
- Dust your working surface area with cornstarch and knead for at least 5 minutes until it's less sticky and easier to work with.
- Roll your dough into a ball. Cut the ball into two equal half portions. Then roll your two balls into two equal logs. Cut the logs into equal smaller pieces about 1.5 x 1.5 inches wide or until you have 25 equal pieces. Roll the squares into little balls. Stick 5 dough balls together to form a donut and place on a square parchment paper.
- In a pan or pot, add enough oil (about 2 inches of oil). Bring to medium heat, checking the temperature of the oil. It should be 330 F on your thermometer.
- Once oil is hot, place donut on a square piece of parchment paper and slide the donut with the paper into the oil. The paper helps the donut maintain it's shape. (Note: It's fine to do this to parchment paper as long as your oil maintains a temperature of 330 F. Parchment paper can withstand heat up to 420 - 450 F depending on the brand)
- Fry on each side for 1.5 minutes until golden brown. Remove the parchment paper before you flip. Once cooked, remove donuts from hot oil and place on paper towel or a cooling rack to drain excess oil. Let them cool to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, mix your glaze ingredients as listed above depending on which color you like. I also share a plain glaze option as well. Dip your donut in halfway. Add as many sprinkles as your desire. Enjoy!
Sherri
These are such beautiful donuts! My girls would really enjoy making and eating these. I love that you included the instructional photos for the steps too which is super helpful.
christieathome
Thanks so much Sherri! I'm so glad I could share the detailed photos and I hope you and the girls get to make them 🙂
Theresa
If I dont have a microwave, what can I do to get the same reault for the starter dough? I'm thinking I could steam it but I don't know for how long...
christieathome
You'll have to steam it long enough so that it becomes one colour and the texture becomes a tacky dough. I would estimate anywhere between 5-10 minutes, checking every now and then with a chopstick.
Rosemary
I love that you added pictures of how these are made within the recipe! When I first looked I thought they would be piped out! Now I'm debating making doughnuts as a snack today hehee
christieathome
Thanks so much Rosemary! I hope you get a chance to make some donuts today!
Linda
These were delicious! So chewy and I loved how simple the frosting was. Can't wait to make it again.
Em
Hi, can I use whole milk instead of oat?
christieathome
Yes whole milk works well too! I hope you enjoy my recipe.
Jessica
Can I bake these instead and for how long?
christieathome
Unfortunately I would not suggest baking them as they come out rock hard due to the glutinous rice flour. I've tried it myself. But if you really want to test it out, you can attempt to bake it for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F and keep checking them until you achieve a golden brown colour on the outside and a soft chewy texture on the inside.
Christie
Shannel
I was wondering if you can you any other oil other then avocado oil??
christieathome
Yes any neutral oil.