baking/small batch/sweets

Small Batch Coconut Mochi Cake Muffins

Posted February 3, 2019 by Stephanie

It’s another Small Batch Sunday coming at you with these coconut mochi cake muffins! This guy makes just 6 lil coconut mochi muffins, perfect for the week or maybe even just a day or two?

Have you guys had mochi muffins? Or mochi cake? Sometimes it’s called butter mochi but since I didn’t use butter in these, I’m sticking with just mochi muffins. Mochi cake, if you haven’t had it, is a sweet and squishy cake made with mochiko flour instead of regular, making them gluten-free and squishy in texture. They’re usually baked in a pan and sliced into squares that are chewy and just the right amount of sweet.

These little mochi muffins in particular are squidgy and delightfully chewy on the inside while being crisp and addictively crunchy on the edges. Anyone who is in the know knows that the crust is the best part of any mochi cake so I went ahead and muffin-ized these to get maximum crunchy edges. I’m not the first person to do this, and I most definitely won’t be the last. Perhaps the most famous though, is SF’s Third Culture Bakery’s mochi muffins.

These guys are not brown-buttered and sesame seeded like their SF cousins. Instead, they’re just a simple mix of coconut oil, sugar, egg, milk, and mochiko flour. They happen to be one of Mike’s favorite desserts and the 6 count is just perfect for the two of us. If you don’t get around to eating them all right away and they get a little soft, try toasting them up for a few minutes – they get all warm and crisp again.

Small Batch Coconut Mochi Cake Muffins | www.iamafoodblog.com

Small Batch Coconut Mochi Cake Muffins | www.iamafoodblog.com

Small Batch Coconut Mochi Cake Muffins | www.iamafoodblog.com

Small Batch Coconut Mochi Cake Muffins | www.iamafoodblog.com

Small Batch Coconut Mochi Cake Muffins Recipe
makes 6 muffins


  • 2 1/4 teaspoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cups milk or coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 3/4 cup (120 grams) mochiko flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Coat muffin tins with coconut oil and set aside.

Mix together the coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy.

Whisk in the eggs and coconut extract and then the milk.

Add the mochiko flour and salt and whisk until smooth.

Pour into the tings. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges and top turn golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before enjoying.

31 Comments

  1. Tamar Lavy says:

    So yum looking! How far in advance can they be made while still retaining their texture?

    1. Stephanie says:

      they’re best right away/the day of but if you make them beforehand you can always give them a crisp up in the oven/toaster oven :) they stay soft for a long time, if that’s what you’re worried about!

  2. Christine says:

    Does it taste the same with milk or coconut milk? Or will it be more coconut taste with coconut milk?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi christine,
      it’s definitely more coconutty with coconut milk!

  3. Ann says:

    I like your muffin tins! Where did you get them from?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi ann!
      i got mine from japan! i think they sell them at japanese dollar stores here, like daiso :) hope that helps!

  4. Judy says:

    Can you make with nondairy milk?

    1. Stephanie says:

      yes, absolutely!

  5. diane says:

    I made these delicious mochi in my mini muffin pan. They are truly amazing.. Thank you!

    1. Stephanie says:

      so happy you liked them diane!

  6. d says:

    what type of coconut milk, the canned or carton?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi,
      canned coconut milk :)

  7. Emmie says:

    Can I use olive oil if I do not have coconut oil?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi emmie,
      yes, but depending on how your olive oil tastes, you might get that flavor through the cake. if you have neutral oil at home (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, sunflower, etc) that would be good to try too :)

  8. Daisy says:

    The picture looks like the mini muffin but there’s another pic with larger ramekins. Is the 40 minutes for mini muffins or larger muffin size?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi daisy,
      it’s for a regular muffin size, not the mini, not the large. hope that helps!

  9. Anna says:

    Hi,
    Is the measurement for the coconut oil supposed to be teaspoons or should it be tablespoons?
    Thank you!

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi anna,
      it’s teaspoons!

      1. Nicole says:

        There’s really only 1/4 of a teaspoon of coconut oil or is this supposed to be 4 teaspoons? Thank you!

        1. Stephanie says:

          hi nicole,
          it’s 2 1/4 teaspoons. sometimes the recipe gets formatted wrong! sorry about that!!

  10. Rachel Low says:

    Hi
    Where can I get coconut extract?
    Is this necessary in the muffin?
    Can I leave it out if I can’t find it?
    Thanks
    Rachel

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi rachel, if you don’t have it, you can leave it out, it just won’t be coconutty :)

  11. Rachel Low says:

    Hi
    Where can I get coconut extract?
    Thanks
    Rachel

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi rachel,
      they have it in the baking aisle or you can get it on amazon :)

  12. Joyce says:

    I just made these but the muffin sides and bottom did not brown like yours. What did I do wrong?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi joyce,
      it could be the temp of the oven or maybe they didn’t stay in for long enough? what kind of pan did you use?

  13. Stephanie says:

    Hi! Could I substitute coconut extract with vanilla extract?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi,
      absolutely!

  14. Winnie says:

    Can you do this with egg replacer/flax egg to make it vegan?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi winnie,
      i haven’t tried it with an egg replacer so i can’t say with confidence!

  15. C says:

    5 stars
    I ended up using butter instead of coconut oil, and it turned out great. This is on my new rotation of baked goods. Thanks!

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