Mochi Ice Cream

A sweet, chewy Japanese treat filled with your favorite ice cream—easy to make and even easier to love.

Mochi Ice Cream is a delightful combination of smooth, creamy ice cream wrapped in a soft and chewy rice dough. This popular Japanese dessert is surprisingly simple to make at home using just a handful of ingredients. Whether you stick to classics like vanilla and strawberry or experiment with matcha or mango, homemade mochi brings a fun and flavorful twist to your freezer.

Perfect for summer treats, dinner party desserts, or satisfying sweet cravings, these little ice cream bites are as fun to eat as they are to make.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Chewy + creamy texture combo: Soft mochi dough paired with cold, creamy ice cream is irresistible.
• Customizable flavors: Use your favorite ice cream or even fillings like Nutella or red bean paste.
• Freezer-friendly: Make a batch ahead of time and enjoy anytime.
• Kid-friendly fun: Rolling, wrapping, and sealing the mochi is a hands-on activity that kids love.
• No special equipment needed: Just a microwave, rolling pin, and cookie cutter.

Ingredients

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour such as mochiko or shiratamako)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 cup water
• Food coloring (optional)
• Cornstarch or potato starch (for dusting)
• Ice cream of choice

Instructions

1. Prep Ice Cream: Scoop ice cream into small balls, flattening the bottom slightly, and place on a parchment-lined tray. Freeze for 1 hour until firm.
2. Make Mochi Dough: In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, sugar, powdered sugar, and water until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap.
3. Microwave: Heat dough for 1 minute. Stir with a wet spatula. Cover and microwave for 1 more minute. Stir again, then microwave for another 30 seconds (or until dough looks slightly shiny).
4. Roll Out Dough: Place parchment on the counter, dust with cornstarch, and turn out hot dough. Dust top with cornstarch and roll into a ¼″ thick rectangle. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Cut & Fill: Cut 3-inch circles from the chilled dough. Remove one ice cream ball at a time from the freezer. Brush off excess starch from a dough circle, place ice cream in the center, wrap the dough around, and pinch to seal.
6. Wrap & Freeze: Place mochi seam-side down on plastic wrap. Twist and seal tightly. Freeze for at least 1 hour before eating.

Tips / Storage / FAQs

Tips:

• Use plenty of starch to prevent sticking when rolling and cutting.
• Work quickly when filling to avoid melting ice cream.
• Mochi dough is very hot after microwaving—handle with care.

Storage:

• Store individually wrapped mochi in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
• Let sit at room temperature for 2–3 minutes before serving to soften the mochi.

FAQs:

• Can I use regular rice flour? No, only glutinous (sweet) rice flour will work for the stretchy dough texture.
• How do I keep the dough from sticking? Use cornstarch or potato starch generously during rolling and cutting.
• Can I make this without a microwave? Yes, steam the mochi mixture for 12–15 minutes instead.
• What else can I fill mochi with? Try peanut butter, Nutella, chopped fruit, or traditional red bean paste.

Final Thoughts

Mochi Ice Cream is the ultimate fusion of fun, flavor, and texture. With endless flavor combos and a satisfying chewy exterior, these DIY treats are a standout way to enjoy ice cream. Whether for a party, a sweet gift, or just a personal indulgence, homemade mochi ice cream is a freezer favorite you’ll return to again and again.

The Goods

Mochi Ice Cream

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Learn how to make Mochi Ice Cream at home with this easy recipe. Soft, chewy mochi wraps your favorite ice cream for the perfect Japanese dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Recipes

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour sweet rice flour such as mochiko or shiratamako
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 cup water
• Food coloring optional
• Cornstarch or potato starch for dusting
• Ice cream of choice

Instructions

Prep Ice Cream:

• Scoop ice cream into small balls, flattening the bottom slightly, and place on a parchment-lined tray. Freeze for 1 hour until firm.

Make Mochi Dough:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, sugar, powdered sugar, and water until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap.

Microwave:

• Heat dough for 1 minute. Stir with a wet spatula. Cover and microwave for 1 more minute. Stir again, then microwave for another 30 seconds (or until dough looks slightly shiny).

Roll Out Dough:

• Place parchment on the counter, dust with cornstarch, and turn out hot dough. Dust top with cornstarch and roll into a ¼″ thick rectangle. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut & Fill:

• Cut 3-inch circles from the chilled dough. Remove one ice cream ball at a time from the freezer. Brush off excess starch from a dough circle, place ice cream in the center, wrap the dough around, and pinch to seal.

Wrap & Freeze:

• Place mochi seam-side down on plastic wrap. Twist and seal tightly. Freeze for at least 1 hour before eating.

Notes

Use plenty of starch to prevent sticking when rolling and cutting.

Work quickly when filling to avoid melting ice cream.

Mochi dough is very hot after microwaving—handle with care.