Mochi Cookies

Mochi is a soft and chewy treat made from rice flour. It has many uses, as you can form it into mochi doughnuts, flavored rice cakes, chewy and cold mochi ice cream, or savory dumpling-esque toppers for soup. But mochi can also be a fun and unexpected addition to baked goods, providing a cravingly chewy texture you wouldn’t otherwise be able to create—and mochi cookies are the perfect treat to try.

We fill a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe with quick and easy homemade mochi to produce a cookie with crisp edges and an especially chewy center. These mochi chocolate chip cookies produce the ultimate play on texture.

What are mochi cookies?

Mochi cookies are cookies filled with a soft mochi center made of rice flour, sugar and water. The mixture is heated on the stovetop until it thickens, and then it is kneaded until it’s coated in cornstarch and ready to be rolled into small balls.

Realistically, you can wrap any kind of drop cookie dough around mochi, but our version pairs a chocolate chip cookie dough with the chewy glutinous center to elevate a classic, beloved dessert into something that’s novel yet still familiar.

Ingredients for Mochi Cookies

Mochi:

• Glutinous rice flour: Glutinous rice flour, or mochiko flour, is a starchy flour used to make mochi. It can be found at most grocery stores.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar is used in both the mochi filling and the cookie dough for a touch of sweetness.
• Water: The rice flour and sugar are whisked with water to make the mochi filling.
• Cornstarch: Mochi is sticky, so you’ll need to dust it with cornstarch or potato starch to prevent it from sticking to your countertop.

Chocolate chip cookie dough:

• Butter: Unsalted butter serves as the base for these cookies for great flavor and texture. Soften your butter before you start baking.
• Brown sugar: Incorporate depth of flavor and enhance the cookie’s chewy texture with brown sugar. Dark brown sugar provides a bolder molasses taste while light brown sugar is less potent.
• Granulated sugar: This type of sugar helps aerate the butter in the cookie dough for proper texture.
• Egg: Just one egg is needed to bind the cookie dough ingredients and help the cookies rise. Let the egg come to room temperature ahead of time for easier incorporation.
• Vanilla extract: Enhance the flavor of the chocolate chip cookies with vanilla extract.
• All-purpose flour: Flour provides structure for the dough.
• Baking powder and baking soda: These two leavening agents are added to the cookie dough to help the cookies rise and spread properly while baking.
• Salt: Incorporate a small amount of salt to balance flavor.
• Chocolate chips: Once the dough is ready, add semisweet chocolate chips.

Directions

Step 1: Make the mochi

Whisk together the rice flour, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low. Stir the mixture constantly with a spatula until it thickens. It will begin to pull away from the sides after about five minutes. Let it cool slightly.

Editor’s Tip: Alternatively, whisk the mixture in a heat-safe bowl, cover and microwave for three to four minutes to thicken.

Step 2: Knead the mochi

Sprinkle a cutting board with cornstarch and transfer the mochi mixture out of the saucepan. Knead the dough to coat it in cornstarch, and let it sit to fully cool.

Step 3: Cream the butter and sugars

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with parchment. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.

Step 4: Finish the cookie dough

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture to form the cookie dough. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 5: Form the dough

Divide the cookie dough into 12 portions. Portion out 12 pieces of mochi, about 1 teaspoon each. Press an indentation into the middle of each ball of chocolate chip cookie dough and place a piece of mochi inside, working the cookie dough around the mochi to enclose it completely.

Place the balls of cookie dough on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and flatten each one slightly.

Step 6: Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before removing to wire racks. Serve the cookies warm or at room temperature.

Mochi Cookie Variations

• Use different chocolate: Instead of semisweet chocolate chips, try dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips. You can also use chopped chocolate if preferred.
• Flavor the mochi: To change the flavor of the mochi, use coconut milk instead of water. You can also incorporate extracts such as vanilla and almond or even fruit extracts like orange or strawberry.
• Add other mix-ins: Stir crushed nuts or sprinkles into the chocolate chip cookie dough before forming and baking the cookies.

How to Store Mochi Cookies

To maintain the best soft texture and flavor, store mochi chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container.

How long will mochi cookies last?

Keep mochi cookies stored at room temperature for up to two days.

Can you freeze mochi cookies?

These cookies are best enjoyed fresh. However, you can still freeze the cookies if you know you won’t be able to eat them all right away. Keep them wrapped in a layer of storage wrap and place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Store the cookies in the freezer for up to two months and let them thaw completely at room temperature before serving.

Mochi Cookie Tips

Can you use store-bought mochi for the center?

For this mochi cookie recipe, it’s best to make your own quick and easy mochi. Some store-bought mochi options may not match the right texture needed for these cookies.

Why did my mochi get hard after baking the cookies?

Mochi needs moisture to stay soft. If too much moisture is lost while making the mochi, the texture can be affected. Overbaking the cookies will also cause the mochi to harden.

How do you keep the mochi from leaking out of the cookie while baking?

The key to creating a mochi center is all in how well the cookie is formed. Be sure to create an indentation the same size as the mochi pieces. Then, fully wrap the mochi with the dough, with none of the mochi peeking out.