About this recipe

Soft, chewy Japanese rice cake wrapped around a ball of creamy ice cream — mochi ice cream is a beloved treat that's surprisingly doable at home. This reliable recipe walks you through making the perfect glutinous rice dough and wrapping it around your favorite ice cream flavor. The result: pillowy, delicate mochi with a cold, creamy center that's every bit as good as the store-bought version.

Instructions

1. 1

   Line a 12-cup muffin tin with plastic wrap in each cup. Using a small ice cream scoop or a large spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of ice cream into each muffin cup. Flatten slightly so each ball is about 1.5 inches wide. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour, until rock solid. This step is critical — the ice cream must be very firm before wrapping.

2. 2

   In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour, granulated sugar, and water until completely smooth with no lumps. If making matcha mochi, sift in the matcha powder now and whisk until fully incorporated. Add vanilla extract if using.

3. 3

   Cover the mixing bowl loosely with plastic wrap and microwave on ^[high] for 2 minutes. Remove and stir well with a spatula — the mixture will be partially cooked and lumpy. Re-cover and microwave for another 1 minute. Stir again vigorously. The dough should now be thick, sticky, glossy, and slightly translucent. If it still looks wet or opaque in spots, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully cooked.

4. 4

   Generously dust a large sheet of parchment paper with potato starch. Carefully turn the hot mochi dough out onto the dusted surface — it will be very sticky and hot. Dust the top of the dough and your hands liberally with more potato starch. Using a rolling pin (dusted with potato starch), gently roll the dough to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. Work quickly but carefully. Let the dough cool for 5–8 minutes until it's comfortable to handle but still pliable.

5. 5

   Using a 3.5-inch round cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass), cut out 12 circles from the dough. Re-roll scraps as needed. Place the cut circles on a potato starch-dusted parchment paper-lined baking sheet and keep covered with plastic wrap so they don't dry out.

6. 6

   Work quickly and one at a time to keep the ice cream from melting. Remove one frozen ice cream ball from the muffin tin. Place it in the center of a mochi circle. Pull the edges of the dough up and around the ice cream ball, pinching and pleating the dough together at the top to fully seal it. Pinch firmly — the dough is sticky and will hold. Place the finished mochi ball seam-side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

7. 7

   Repeat with the remaining ice cream balls and mochi circles, working quickly. If the ice cream starts to soften at any point, return the tray to the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.

8. 8

   Once all mochi balls are assembled, place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up completely. Wrap each mochi ball individually in plastic wrap for storage. Serve straight from the freezer — let them sit at room temperature for 3–5 minutes before eating for the best soft, chewy texture.