These Japanese mochi pancakes are soft and slightly more chewy than your traditional pancakes. They're easy to make in 30 minutes with minimal ingredients. A great breakfast or dessert for the family! [Dairy-free and gluten-free adaptable]
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Japanese Mochi Pancakes are slightly more chewy than your average pancake, like a mochi, and less fluffy. They're not super chewy but definitely noticeably more chewier.
If you're not familiar with mochi, it's a bouncy chewy glutinous rice flour dessert from Asia. Many Asian desserts incorporate the concept of mochi, like mochi ice cream, mochi donuts and more!
These pancakes are a great way to start or end the day as you can have them for breakfast or dessert. The whole family, especially the kids, will love them!
The best part about this easy mochi pancake recipe is it's made with simple pantry ingredients in little time! You can top the pancakes off with any toppings you enjoy like honey, maple syrup, fresh fruit and more (I share a suggestion list below).
The glutinous rice flour is responsible for this special texture and you can easily find this ingredient online or at many Asian grocery stores. Just make sure it's the glutinous kind and not just "rice flour".
I also share how to make these dairy-free and gluten-free with ingredient substitutes below in the recipe card.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Glutinous Rice Flour (aka "Sweet Rice Flour" or "Mochiko Flour"): the package should be labelled as "glutinous rice flour" or one of the aforementioned names, not just "rice flour" or it's not the correct ingredient. This is a gluten-free flour made from ground glutinous rice.
- All-Purpose Flour: a general use white wheat flour used for baking and desserts. Or substitute with a gluten-free baking flour, like from the brand Bob's Red Mill.
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- White granulated sugar: or substitute with honey or maple syrup but add this after you've mixed the dry ingredients first.
- Large Egg
- Milk: or substitute with plain oat milk, almond milk, macadamia milk, or soy milk if you're dairy-free. Light coconut (not whole fat) milk could work as well.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
- Vanilla Extract
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Topping Ideas
Below are suggested topping ideas for the mochi pancakes:
- fresh fruit like berries or bananas
- maple syrup
- honey
- condensed milk or condensed coconut milk for a dairy-free option
- whipped cream or coconut whipped cream
- nutella
- dulce de leche
- sprinkles
- chocolate chips or cacao nibs
Expert Tips
- Don't over mix batter. Once the dry and wet ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing or you'll have dense pancakes.
- Use a large non-stick pan for easy cooking and cleaning.
- Lightly grease the pan with oil and a paper towel for even golden brown pancakes. Don't just pour oil into the pan or the pancakes will come out more brown in some areas.
- Wait for bubbles form all over the pancake and the bottom is golden brown before flipping. If you flip too soon, it could break apart.
- Use a large spatula to help you flip.
- To know when the pancakes are done, the bottom should be golden brown or when you insert a toothpick into the center of the pancake it'll come out clean.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Japanese mochi pancakes:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
- Then add in egg, milk of choice, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Evenly grease a large non-stick pan with vegetable oil using a clean paper towel. Heat the pan on medium heat.
- Pour ⅓ cup or 80 ml of the pancake batter into the center of the pan and let it naturally spread into a 4 to 5 inch wide circle. Do not tilt the pan.
- Cook the pancake on the first side for 3-4 minutes or until bubbles form all over the pancake and the bottom is golden brown.
- Then use a large spatula to flip it over and cook the other side for 2 minutes until golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Repeat until you've finished the batter and adjusting the heat as needed. Serve hot with maple syrup, honey, fresh fruit or more!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 1 minute until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing mochi pancakes as they will turn hard even after reheating.
Pairing Suggestions
Japanese mochi pancakes serve well with:
- fresh fruit like berries, bananas, apples, pears, cherries and more
- oatmeal or cereal
- yogurt or muesli
- waffles, pancakes, french toast, crepes
- toast, bread, croissants, or pastries
- cooked proteins like breakfast sausage, bacon, ham, spam, or eggs.
FAQ
Mochi pancakes can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
You can also make the batter ahead and store it in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days in the fridge and pan fry them according to the recipe instructions on the day of serving.
Mochi pancakes can be made gluten-free and dairy-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with gluten-free baking flour and the milk with plain oat or nut milk.
It's a white and very fine powder made of ground glutinous rice that looks just like cornstarch or tapioca starch and less coarse, like all-purpose wheaet flour. It's sold at Asian markets and looks like the below in packaging.
Other recipes you may like
📖 Recipe
Easy Japanese Mochi Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil to grease the pan
Pancake Batter
- ½ cup glutinous rice flour must be glutinous kind (not just "rice flour")
- ½ cup all purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup milk or plain oat milk, almond milk, soy milk or macadamia nut milk for dairy-free
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
- Then add in egg, milk of choice, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Evenly grease a large non-stick pan with vegetable oil using a clean paper towel. Heat the pan on medium heat.
- Pour ⅓ cup or 80 ml of the pancake batter into the center of the pan and let it naturally spread into a 4 to 5 inch wide circle. Do not tilt the pan.
- Cook the pancake on the first side for 3-4 minutes or until bubbles form all over the pancake and the bottom is golden brown.
- Then use a large spatula to flip it over and cook the other side for 2 minutes until golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Repeat until you've finished the batter and adjusting the heat as needed.
- Serve hot with maple syrup, honey, fresh fruit or more (see above blog post for more topping ideas).
Clara
My whole family loves this recipe!!
I add a banana and use gluten free flour with the mochi flour. We love topping them with homemade whip cream. Perfection!
Christie Lai
Ahhh-mazing!!! So thrilled to read this, Clara! Happy that your whole family loves this recipe. Thank you for making it!
Victoria
Hi, thanks for sharing this recipe. I made these today and the batter was quite runny, resulting in thin pancakes that curled up on the edges when cooked. They still tasted great, but less visually appealing. Any tips?
Christie Lai
Hi there, thanks for making my recipe! The batter should be a bit runny and I would recommend cranking up the heat just a tad more and if you prefer the batter less runny, to add a couple tablespoons more of the all purpose flour and 1-2 tsp more sugar. Hope this helps!
Jamila
Lovely little pancakes, will try them again. I followed the recipe exactly, oh wait! No I used a tbsp of sugar as I had no maple syrup. Then I served with honey and sliced mango.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Jamila! Happy it worked out well with the substitute with honey and sliced mango! Yum!
Evc
I don’t have coconut oil what can I substitute it with and what are the measurements?
christieathome
Substitute with any neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil. Measurements are found at the base of the post, click here or "JUMP TO RECIPE" at the top of the post
Sarah
March 29, 2023.
Loved the pancakes. I ordered the rice flour from Amazon. Will definitely make them again.
christieathome
So happy you enjoyed them and thank you so much for making them! Glad Amazon was able to come through with the rice flour.
Joyce
Made these last week and my kids (and hubby) loved them! I am making it again this morning but I want to make a bigger batch. But I just realize there may be a glitch in the recipe. Is there a reason that the amount of milk/milk alternative is always 0.75 cup whether you are making 1X, 2X or 3X the recipe? I made 2X last time and used 0.75 cup of milk and it still worked fine. I want to make 3x the recipe today but it still calls for the same amount of milk (3/4 = 6/8 = 9/12).
christieathome
Thanks so much for making them Joyce! I'm so glad you enjoyed them. Sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with the multiplying factor. Unfortunately, it's due to the Recipe Card App Developer so I will bring this to their attention. But for 3 x .75 cup it will be 2.25 cups. For the other measurements, I find using Google to do the multiplication to be quite helpful.
Joyce
Thank you for replying! I was going to go with 2.25 cups but my first time making it and I used 3/4 cup for 2X the batter seemed to sort of worked, I was hesitant to use 2.25 cups for 3X. The kids have been begging me to make the mochi pancakes all weekend so I will be making it again and this time using the correct amount of milk. I am excited to see what the mochi pancakes really taste like and the texture!
Lan
Excellent recipe. I added 4 Tbsp of ube powder to make ube mochi pancakes and my daughter said those were the best in the world. Thanks for sharing this yummy and simple recipe!
christieathome
Thank you so much for these kind words and for making my recipe, Lan! I'm so glad you and your daughter enjoyed it 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Melissa
Any thoughts about the amount when adding another flavor, such as black sesame powder or matcha green tea powder?
christieathome
I haven’t personally tried myself but I would try adding 2 tsp (matcha as it’s more strong) or 3-4 tsp (black sesame powder). Let me know how it goes!
Ivonne Yuarta
Hi Christie, thank you for sharing your recipe. I love it!! Apparently I don't have baking powder at home, so I substitute it with lemon juice and baking soda. I love the chewiness and its so good!!!
christieathome
Thank you so much Ivonne for making my recipe! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it and loved reading what you substituted with! Happy Holidays!
Ruth
I just got back from Hawaii, where I had Mochi Pancakes for the first time, and was looking for a recipe to make it at home.
These were VERY good!
I did use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour instead of All-Purpose Flour.
christieathome
So happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe Ruth! Thanks for making my recipe and sharing your substitutes with me 🙂 Happy Holidays!
Jess
I just made these and my husband said these are 10/10 (actually 11/10!) so definitely a keeper recipe to use again! I never make pancakes from scratch or bake, so I appreciated how easy this recipe was to make. The pancakes were super fluffy and slightly chewy, and I loved that the maple syrup and coconut oil in the batter added all the flavor I needed so I skipped the normal butter and syrup topping. Thank you!!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe Jess! I am so glad you enjoyed them with your husband and what a kind review! I truly appreciate it. Happy Holidays!
Jennifer
Hi I was wondering if I could use milk with dairy instead of dairy free in the recipe?
christieathome
Hi Jennifer! Great question! Yes you can definitely use normal milk for this recipe.
Linda
This was so good, easy and I really liked the chewy texture. Will be making this again.
May
These were amazing and the texture was chewy and fluffy at the same time. Lovely and will be making again.
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
This sounds like such a fun spin on pancakes! Love that top down capture too!
Never Ending Journeys
What a terrific recipe... I love eating pancakes for any meal, haha. Thanks for sharing this delicious mochi pancake recipe!