A pumpkin based dessert for those that don’t like pumpkin! Pumpkin butter mochi is a seasonal twist on classic Hawaiian butter mochi.
Pumpkin is an essential ingredient from Halloween through Thanksgiving. This a unique pumpkin dessert to share with loved ones this holiday season! Since this mochi cake is so easy to make, you’ll want to make it repeatedly all season along.
Pumpkin butter mochi is a gluten-free alternative to traditional pumpkin pie or pumpkin cake. This recipe highlight’s the versatility of pumpkin!
Classic Hawaiian butter mochi is made with coconut milk and evaporated milk. This version swaps in canned pumpkin puree in place of evaporated milk. The resulting mochi cake is super moist and quite orange!
It’s a bit difficult to categorize butter mochi. Is it a cake, a brownie, or pudding? Well, it’s a mixture of everything! The use of glutinous sweet rice flour creates a soft, chewy, and bouncy cake like texture.
Ingredients
You will need: a box of Mochiko, baking powder, sugar, spices, salted butter, canned pumpkin puree, canned coconut milk, and vanilla.
Mochiko is the Koda Farms brand of sweet rice flour. Other brands label the same product as glutinous sweet rice flour. If you opt for a different brand, be sure to use sweet rice flour, not regular rice flour. Sweet rice flour is made from glutinous rice or sticky rice. Its high starch content gives mochi butter cake that iconic chewy texture.
Use your favorite store-bought pumpkin pie spice mix or make your own blend. I don’t like the flavor of ground ginger that is a traditional components of pumpkin spice mix. Instead, I prefer to make a blend of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.
I highly recommend using salted butter for this recipe. It results in an overall tastier mochi cake.
Use full-fat canned unsweetened coconut milk. Check the label to ensure coconut is the first ingredient. Do not use light coconut milk. These lighter coconut milks will not produce the same flavorful results.
Instructions
You simply need a large bowl and a good sturdy whisk to mix together this spiced pumpkin butter mochi cake.
Serving Suggestions
Cool pumpkin butter mochi for at least an hour before slicing. The cake will be soft while warm, making it difficult to slice clean cuts. The mochi cake can be left in the pan to cool, or unmolded and cooled on a wire rack.
This is best enjoy the same day it is baked! On the first day, the crunchy sugar topping is a nice contrast against the soft and chewy cake portion. Butter mochi is best served at room temperature.
Related Recipes
- Ginataang bilo bilo is a sweet coconut based dessert soup with tapioca, chewy rice balls, and sweet potato.
- Biko is a popular Filipino dessert made with glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar. It is naturally vegan and gluten-free!
Pumpkin Butter Mochi
Ingredients
- 16 oz box mochiko , (454 g), glutinous sweet rice flour*
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar, (300 g)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix*
- ¼ teaspooon kosher salt
- 13.5 oz can coconut milk, , unsweetened, full-fat
- 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup salted butter, (170 g) melted, slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping:
- 3 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper (or generously butter). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sweet rice flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt.
- Add in coconut milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl to ensure through mixing. Batter should be smooth without any dry streaks of flour.
- Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Spread into an even layer. Forcefully bang bottom of pan against hard surface to remove any air bubbles.
- TOPPING: Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Generously sprinkle mixture over mochi batter.
- Bake for about 45-55 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out clean. Mochi may rise and puff during baking. It will settle as it cools. Cool for an hour before slicing into desired portions. Best enjoyed the same day it is baked!
Notes
- I recommend using Koda Farms Mochiko. Otherwise, look for glutinous sweet rice flour or sweet rice flour. DO NOT USE plain rice flour.
- Use store-bought pumpkin spice mix or make your own version. Or, simply use ground cinnamon. I prefer a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Use full-fat canned unsweetened coconut milk. Do not use light coconut milk. It will not produce the same creamy results.
- Make to to sure pure pumpkin, not “pumpkin pie mix.”
- I prefer to make this recipe using salted butter. It makes the overall dessert much tastier.
- Keep in an covered container at room temperature for up to three days.
- Freeze leftovers for up to three months. Reheat using a waffle iron to make mochi waffles. Place frozen square in preheated waffle iron. Cook for about 5 minutes, until it stops steaming. Waffle exterior will crisp up as they cool, yet remain chewy on the inside.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Excellent recipe. Seems too soft at first and while a bit warm, but when it’s really cooled, the texture is perfect.