Baked Matcha or Chocolate Mini Mochi Cupcake Recipe

Just need a few bites to finish each one, these mini mochi cupcakes are a treat when you are craving dessert that is chewy but not too sweet. Bite into the crunchy brown crusts to experience the soft, gooey, and chewy inside. You will definitely be craving more of these goodies after devouring just one. The matcha or chocolate mini mochi cupcake recipe below is adapted from the regular sized recipe. If you are feeling for some stuffed mochi cupcakes, check out this recipe. 

What is Glutinous Sweet Rice Flour?

These treats are made with the star ingredient: glutinous sweet rice flour. Glutinous is among the many names of sticky rice, such as waxy, sweet, pearl, and more. Look for this flour labeled as Mochiko too. Although it has a mild and almost milky flavor, it does not actually taste sweet. It’s called sweet rice flour as it’s often used to make sweet dishes. The name glutinous, however, might be misleading, because glutinous rice flour does not contain gluten. Glutinous gets its name from being glue-like and sticky when cooked.

Why is it so sticky? The answer is due to the rice’s two starch components, amylose and amylopectin. The starch in short-grain glutinous rice is almost all amylopectin. So when steaming hot water interacts with amylopectin-heavy sticky rice, the starch molecules separate, turning the rice soft, moist, and sticky with a chewy texture. Sticky rice is a staple of South-East Asian and Chinese regional cuisines, and to a lesser extent in that of Japan and Korea too. Its distinctive aroma and flavor lend itself to sweet snacks and desserts, so be sure to stick around for this matcha or chocolate mini mochi cupcake recipe. 

Baked Matcha or Chocolate Mini Mochi Cupcakes

• Prep Time:20 mins
• Cook Time:25 mins
• Total Time:45 mins
• Servings:22
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup glutinous sweet rice flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons matcha powder OR 2 teaspoons cacao powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 olive oil

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 400°F. Gather dry ingredients (glutinous flour, brown sugar, baking powder, matcha powder or cacao powder) in a bowl before measuring out the wet ingredients (egg, milk, olive oil) in another bigger bowl. Begin stirring in the latter bowl, and slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture of wet ingredients.

  

• Step 2

  Mix batter until a smooth, ribbon-like consistency (without any clumps) is obtained.

  

• Step 3

  Thoroughly coat mini non-stick cupcake pan with baking spray. Then fill each cup about 3/4 full with batter.
  #SpoonTip: Use a tablespoon, or a little less, of batter to fill each cup. After finished filling the cups, give the baking pan a gentle side-to-side shake to even out the top of the batter.

  

• Step 4

  Bake them for 25 minutes in the oven until they are lightly golden brown around the edges. Let these mini mochi cupcakes sit for 5 minutes before serving.

  

Crunchy yet chewy, these matcha or chocolate mini mochi cupcakes are sensational. They are also not too sweet, so you will probably eat more than just one to satisfy your sweet cravings. Make sure to bake some extra ones too as they are totally a perfect dessert for sharing!