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White plate under yellow cupcake wrappers holding cornstarch-dusted purple mochi balls.

Taro Mochi

This taro mochi is a tasty mix of chewy mochi and creamy taro filling!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Asian, Japanese
Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, glutinous rice flour, mochi, nut-free, taro, vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Assembly Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 24 pieces
Calories 217 kcal

Ingredients

Mochi

  • 2 ½ cups mochiko 250g
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 96g
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups water 444g
  • Purple food coloring

Taro Filling

  • 3/4 cup cubed taro
  • 1 teaspoon coconut milk
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Assembly

  • ½ cup cornstarch 55g

Instructions

Taro Filling

  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then add the taro and cook until very tender, about 40-60 minutes. You want it to be really soft so that you can mash it easily later on.

  2. Drain the taro, and mash the taro with a potato masher or a fork until your desired consistency is reached. Add the coconut milk, sugar and salt, and stir until combined. Cool.

Mochi

  1. Mix the dry ingredients until combined, then add the water and food coloring, if using. Mix until there are no more dry patches and the mixture comes together into a dough.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a greased heatproof container, and place in a steamer and steam for 25 minutes, or until a chopstick inserted into the center comes out clean. If it’s liquidy in the middle, keep cooking. If the edges are set but the middle is still not done, mix it around to make sure the mochi cooks evenly.
  3. Remove the mochi from the steamer and let cool until just slightly warm.

Assembly

  1. Pour the cornstarch out onto a plate, and have cupcake liners lined up and ready to be used. Keep your mochi and taro filling nearby.
  2. Pull on a pair of clear food-safe gloves, and divide the mochi into 24 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a ball in the palm of your hands, then spoon 1 teaspoon of taro filling into the center. Gather the edges of the mochi towards the center, like a little siu luhng baau, and seal.
  3. Roll the mochi gently in your palms to even it out, then roll the mochi all over with cornstarch until lightly but completely covered. Gently toss the mochi between your palms to knock off any excess cornstarch. Place in a cupcake liner.
  4. Repeat with remaining mochi and taro filling.
  5. If you’re planning to eat the mochi within 12-16 hours and you can store it in a cool area (but not cold – not the refrigerator), you can leave it out at room temperature. If you don’t eat it within that window, the taro will go bad, so freeze them for up to a month and defrost when you’re ready to eat.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

This recipe is a pain in the butt to store. If you’re not eating it the day that you make it, make sure you freeze it to preserve the mochi and the taro. Otherwise, the taro will spoil if you leave it at room temperature, or the mochi will get hard if you leave it in the fridge. You can also make a smaller batch if you can’t eat or give it away fast enough.