Strawberry Mochi Donuts

Mochi Donuts

I love donuts in all shapes and sizes, and one which is definitely a favourite in my home are these Japanese Mochi Donuts. We love the crispy and chewy texture, as well as the cute and playful shape of these donuts.

If you are someone who has grown up in an Asian household, chances are that you grew up with Mochi or mochi-like desserts. Mochi is made using glutinous rice flour which gives the dessert its characteristic chewy texture. Whilst most mochi desserts are steamed, I have to admit to having a soft spot for deep-fried treats 🙂

Mochi Donut Recipe

I first made Mochi Donuts after seeing Molly Yeh make them on her show, Girl Meets Farm, some years ago. It’s one of my favourite cooking shows and I have learnt so much about American cooking through Molly Yeh, especially Asian American cooking. Back when I first saw this particular episode, I didn’t actually know about Mochi Donuts (they seem to be an American invention which borrowed from a popular Japanese donut shape), but I instantly knew that I had to try them!

The recipe below is adapted from Molly Yeh’s recipe, including her technique from the show. In addition to making the mochi dough (which is like making any cake batter), she also makes a starter, similar to a Tangzhong when making Japanese Milk Bread. The starter adds extra moisture to the dough, which makes the donuts extra soft and fluffy.

For the Strawberry Glaze, I used freeze-dried strawberries to give the glaze a deliciously intense strawberry flavour, and although the freeze-dried strawberries do not produce a vivid pink colour, I do love the earthy, dusty pink hue. Plus, it’s all natural 🙂

What Flour to Use to For Mochi

Mochi is made with glutinous rice flour, which is also called sweet rice flour in the US.

I highly recommend that you buy the variety sold at most Asian grocers, as they are very finely milled compared to the versions sold in western supermarkets. Glutinous rice flour is typically sold alongside other types of flour and starches used in Asian cooking, so make sure you read the packaging carefully.

One trick I have learnt is that glutinous rice flour is often sold with green packaging (glutinous = green), whereas rice flour is often sold with red packaging (rice = red). But that might not always be the case, so please always check first.

Japanese grocers also sell glutinous rice flour called mochiko, and which is made from short grain rice. It costs double or triple the price of other types of glutinous rice flour (which are made from long grain rice), and having made mochi many times using both types of glutinous rice flour, I have not noticed any discernible difference.

How to Make Mochi Donuts

Step 1

Make the starter by mixing together the glutinous rice flour and milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the paste until you have a thick and sticky mixture which is no longer runny and liquid, and it should also look translucent. Set the starter aside to cool while you get on with the rest of the recipe.

Step 2

Measure the dry ingredients for the mochi dough into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. For this recipe, I recommend using an electric stand mixer as you will need to beat the dough on high speed, which would otherwise require a bit of upper-body workout if you prefer to do this by hand.

Whisk the liquid ingredients together in a large jug.

Using the flat paddle attachment, beat the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is combined. Then add the starter, and beat on medium speed until the starter is well incorporated, and the dough is thick and smooth. This step should take 1-2 minutes.

Step 3

Remove the dough to a large sheet of baking paper. Knead the dough lightly until you have smooth, soft dough. At this stage, the dough should have the consistency of soft Play-Doh.

Roll out the dough until it is about 1.5 cm/0.5 inch thick. Use a small 3 cm/1.25 inch cookie cutter to cut out circles from the dough. Dip the cookie cutter into some glutinous rice flour to prevent the dough from sticking.

Re-roll the dough as necessary until you have no dough left. Hopefully you will have cut out 72 circles, which is enough to make 12 flower-shaped donuts.

Step 4

Cut out 12 squares of baking paper, measuring about 12 x 12 cm/4 x 4 inches. I use pre-cut pieces of baking paper for sandwiches.

Arrange 6 circles into a flower shape on each piece of baking paper. Dab a bit of water on the side of each circle so that they will stick together.

At this stage, the donuts look flat. However, during cooking, the “petals” will puff up into little balls.

Step 5

Heat some oil in a large sauce pan to a depth of about 3 cm/1.5 inches, and until the oil reaches 170°C/340°F.

Work in batches and cook 2-3 donuts at a time. 

Slide the donuts (still on the baking paper) into the oil. As the donuts start to cook, the baking paper will start to detach from the dough. Remove the paper with some tongs to a plate.

Cook the donuts until both sides are golden brown in colour, turning them frequently. They should take about 4-5 minutes to cook through. Remove the cooked donuts to a wire rack to drain and cool.

Repeat with the remaining donuts.

Step 6

Measure the freeze-dried strawberries and half of the icing sugar (powdered sugar) into a small blender or food processor. I use a Nutribullet. Blend until the strawberries are a fine powder.

Place the strawberry powder into a mixing bowl which is a little bit larger than the donuts. Add the remaining icing sugar (powdered sugar). Whisk the mixture until everything is evenly combined. Gradually add some milk until you have a thick glaze to form a thick coating on the donuts.

Dip the top of the cooled donuts into the glaze, and leave to set on a wire rack. If you wish, decorate with freeze-dried raspberries or sprinkles before the glaze sets.

Tips For Making Mochi Donuts

• Room temperature ingredients. Make sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature, so they do not solidify the melted butter. If your eggs are cold from the fridge, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for about 5-10 minutes. You can microwave milk until it is room temperature.
• Roll the dough on baking paper. I almost always roll dough on baking paper or on a silicone mat, so that I don’t need to dust the work surface with flour. Adding extra flour to the dough can make it dry.
• Cook in batches. As always when deep-frying food, cook in small batches so that you do not over-crowd the pan, which will cause a drop in temperature in the oil, and which can make the donuts taste greasy.
• Use a wide saucepan. I frequently deep-fry food in a wide, shallow saucepan, with only about 3 cm/1.5 inch depth of oil. This is usually enough oil to deep-fry the food, and the wide area means I can cook more food in one go.