Japenese Mochi Donuts (Video)

Learn how to make the best Mochi donuts with this easy mochi donut recipe. These Japanese donuts are tender and sweet and have an incredible mochi-like texture.  The perfect dessert for any occasion!

If you love donuts, then you have to try this popular Pon de Ring Donut from Japan! You are going to love it!

Mochi donuts

These donuts are very different from regular donuts, yet they are very delicious. Have you ever seen them before? They look like a teething ring for babies and have a unique chewy texture. Be careful! They are so addictive! Every time I make them, they disappear after a few minutes.

What is a mochi donut

Mochi donuts originated from Japan. To be precise, they are a Japanese-American hybrid. The most famous Japanese donuts are pon de ring (tapioca donuts), from the donut chain  Mister Donut. The word “Pon de” came from the name of the popular Brazilian cheese ball, Pao de Queijo that consists of tapioca flour.

America loves donuts and bakeries have been experimenting with new flavors and ingredients . Mochi donuts came to life and became very popular in the US as well due to their unique bouncy texture.

These Japanese donuts are made with silken tofu and glutinous rice flour that gives them a chewy texture many Japanese mochi desserts have.

The good news is that it is easy to make them at home without mochi donut mold or any special equipment. Make them and enjoy with your morning coffee!

Mochi Donut vs. Pon de Ring

Some people think that mochi donuts are similar to pon de ring. If you one of them, you are wrong. They have different textures and ingredients. Mochi donuts are made with glutinous rice flour (known as sweet rice flour). They are dense and chewy. On the other hand, po de ring is soft, airy and has a chewy texture too. But it is made with tapioca flour.

What are mochi donuts made of

Mochi Donuts contain silken tofu, glutinous rice flour, cake flour, yogurt, granulated sugar and baking powder. No eggs!

• Silken tofu: Tofu? Yes, baking goods (made with rice flour) become hard when they are cool. Adding tofu and cake flour makes the texture of these mochi donuts much softer. Silken tofu is a Japanese-style tofu that is much softer than regular tofu. This type of tofu is usually packaged in aseptic boxes with water and doesn’t require refrigeration. You can find it in the Asian section of your local supermarket.
• Yogurt: It makes donuts tender.
• Glutinous rice flour: Sweet rice flour or glutinous flour is made of glutinous sushi rice. It is usually available in many supermarkets and at amazon. In case you can’t get it, here is the sweet rice flour substitute for mochi donuts: 1 ½ cup of coconut flour+ 2 tablespoons of water because coconut flour is less sticky than sweet rice flour.
• Granulated sugar: I found that ⅓ cup makes these donuts perfectly sweet. Feel free to add more or leave it out.
• Baking powder
• Cake flour: If you don’t have it on hand, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour (remove 1 tablespoon) and add 1 tablespoon of corn starch.

How to make mochi donuts

1. Drain the silken tofu. Wrap tofu with paper towels and allow them to adsorb the moisture from tofu. Alternatively you can use a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towels.
2. In a large bowl combine yogurt, sugar, glutinous rice flour and baking powder. Mix just until combined. The dough will be sticky at this point.
3. Add the cake flour and mix with a spatula. When the dough forms, start kneading with your hands until you get a smooth dough.
4. Transfer the dough on the lightly floured working surface and divide into 10 equal pieces, using a dough scraper. Roll out a log out of each piece and again cut into 8 equal pieces. Form the balls. You should get 80 tiny balls in total.
5. Cut out 10 (5x5 inch or 10x10 cm) pieces of parchment paper. Form donuts in pon de ring shape, a connected circle of 8 dough balls. You will end up with ten donuts.
6. In a medium pan/ pot heat the oil to 320 F (160 C). Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature.  Place donuts with parchment paper in hot oil, fry mochi donuts in batches of 3 for 4 minutes, 2 minutes per side. Make sure not to overcrowd them. When you flip donuts, remove the parchment paper and discard. Transfer on the wire rack lined with paper towels to absorb the oil. Repeat with the remaining donuts.

Glaze for mochi donuts

Mochi donuts are always glazed. Do you like matcha glaze? Chocolate glaze? I love both! For matcha mochi donut glaze, you can use white chocolate or white chocolate chips, matcha powder and heavy cream. For a chocolate glaze, use dark chocolate and heavy cream. The glaze recipe is customizable, feel free to experiment with food colors and flavouring essences.

Oil temperature for frying donuts

You need to heat the oil to 160 C (320 F) for frying mochi donuts. I highly recommend to use an instant-read thermometer to make sure to get the right temperature. If you do a deep frying often, invest in a good thermometer to achieve the best results.

How to store mochi donuts

It is better to eat them on the same day. But you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Mochi Donuts Video

Here is the video for Mochi Donuts to help you understand better how to make them. If you like it, please subscribe to my YouTube channel (thank you for subscribing). And don’t forget to click the BELL icon to be the first to know when I post a new video.

Tips for perfect mochi donuts

• Use a combination of glutinous flour and cake flour.
• To prevent dough to sticking to your hands, apply some oil.
• Make sure to heat the oil to 320 f (160C). If the temperature gets too hot, the donuts will burn outside and the center will be raw.

Love the Japanese cuisine? Try these!

Shrimp tempura roll

Japanese salad dressing

Dorayaki recipe- traditional Japanese pancakes

Japanese cheesecake recipe

If you make these mochi donuts be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating! I will be happy to hear from you!

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