Butter Mochi Cupcakes

Make perfect butter mochi cupcakes with a chewy center and golden top every time—no guesswork, just foolproof results. Discover the secret for that iconic texture and bake your batch today!

Butter mochi cupcakes disappeared from my kitchen before they even cooled — every single time I tested this recipe. That’s not an accident; it’s a texture thing. You’ll get the exact batter ratio, the right pan prep, and the one trick that keeps them chewy in the center without gummy spots.

These chewy butter mochi cupcakes use glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, whole milk, butter, and eggs, baked in a standard cupcake tin at 180C until the tops are deeply golden and the inside has that signature dense, springy pull — nothing like a regular cake.

I first had a version of these at a potluck years ago. Someone brought a tray wrapped in foil and wouldn’t tell anyone what was in them until the pan was empty. I went home and tested six batches before I got the coconut-to-milk ratio right.

How Do You Make Butter Mochi Cupcakes at Home?

Butter mochi cupcakes are individual Hawaiian-style treats made from glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, butter, and eggs, baked until golden with a dense, springy chew that sets them apart from regular cupcakes.

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/365F and butter and dust a 12-cup cupcake tin with rice flour until lightly coated.
2. Melt the butter into the coconut milk in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1 minute, until combined and warm.
3. Whisk the whole milk and eggs into the coconut-butter mixture until smooth and glossy.
4. Combine the glutinous rice flour, sugar, and baking powder in a separate bowl, then fold into the wet mix until lump-free.
5. Pour the batter evenly across all 12 cups, top with desiccated coconut, and bake for 45 minutes until deeply golden.
6. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing — the chew sets as they cool.

• Rice flour vs. all-purpose flour dusting: Rice flour releases cleaner; all-purpose can create a gummy layer.
• Coconut milk vs. dairy milk only: Coconut milk adds richness and flavor; dairy-only gives a blander result.
• Glutinous rice flour vs. regular rice flour: Glutinous flour creates the signature chew; regular rice flour won’t.
• Muffin tin vs. mini loaf pan: Muffin tin gives better crust-to-interior ratio; loaf pan makes centers harder to fully set.

Use glutinous rice flour, don’t skip the coconut milk, and let them cool before you pop them out — that’s the whole recipe in a sentence.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These butter mochi cupcakes deliver something no standard cupcake can: that bouncy, dense, chewy bite that’s completely its own thing.

• The texture is one-of-a-kind. Glutinous rice flour creates a springy, mochi-like crumb that’s completely unlike wheat-based bakes — denser, chewier, and more satisfying in each bite.
• It’s easier than it looks. There’s no creaming, no folding, no special technique — just melt, whisk, and pour. The batter comes together in about 10 minutes.
• One bowl, no mixer needed. The whole thing happens in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. Fewer dishes, less fuss, same result.
• They stay chewy for days. Unlike regular cupcakes that go stale fast, the rice flour base keeps these soft and chewy even on day two.
• Personal testing note: I ran batches at 170C, 180C, and 190C. At 180C, the tops develop a golden crackle that you just don’t get at lower temps — don’t go cooler thinking it’ll help.

If you love desserts with this kind of sticky, chewy character, check out our fudgy ube brownies made with purple yam — same satisfying density, totally different flavor.

Ingredients

This butter mochi cupcake recipe uses a short, pantry-friendly list. The coconut butter mochi cupcakes get their flavor from the combination of coconut milk and butter — don’t substitute one out.

Amount	Ingredient
55 g (1/4 cup)	Unsalted butter (unsalted lets you control sweetness; salted can tip the balance)
170 g (3/4 cup)	Coconut milk (full-fat from a can, not the carton — the fat is essential here)
240 g (1 cup)	Whole milk
2	Eggs (room temperature whisks in more smoothly)
225 g (1 3/4 cup)	Glutinous rice flour (also labeled “sweet rice flour” or “mochiko” — not regular rice flour)
200 g (1 cup)	Granulated sugar
1 tsp	Baking powder
For the tin	Butter + rice flour or semolina flour (semolina gives a slightly more textured crust)
To top	Desiccated coconut

Per Serving (1 cupcake, approx.): 230 cal · 4g protein · 38g carbs · 8g fat

These are a treat, not a snack — one is genuinely satisfying because of the density. Pair with tea or black coffee to balance the sweetness.

Love coconut-forward desserts? Our light and fragrant pandan cake with coconut cream uses a similar flavor profile in a completely different texture.

What Equipment Do You Need?

• Essential — 12-cup cupcake/muffin tin: Standard size; don’t use mini muffin tins or the bake time changes completely.
• Essential — Large microwave-safe mixing bowl: Big enough to hold all the batter comfortably for whisking.
• Essential — Medium mixing bowl: For combining the dry ingredients before adding to the wet.
• Essential — Whisk: A balloon whisk gets the batter smoother than a spoon.
• Essential — Measuring cups and kitchen scale: Weight measurements are more reliable here than volume alone.
• Essential — Pastry brush: For buttering the tin evenly, especially around the edges.
• Optional — Ladle or 1/3 cup measure: Makes dividing the batter evenly much faster.
• Optional — Cooling rack: Helps air circulate under the tin so bottoms don’t steam-sweat.

How Do You Make Butter Mochi Cupcakes Step by Step?

Making butter mochi cupcakes is a simple melt-and-mix process — here’s exactly how it comes together from oven-on to golden-topped.

1. Preheat and prep the tin. Set your oven to 180C/365F. Brush each cup of a 12-hole cupcake tin generously with softened butter, then dust with rice flour or semolina, tapping out the excess. The tin should look lightly frosted. (If you skip this step or use cooking spray alone, the cupcakes will stick — the flour barrier is what lets them release clean.)
2. Melt butter into coconut milk. Combine the coconut milk and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Stir until the butter is fully melted and the mixture looks smooth and slightly glossy. It should smell incredible at this point.
3. Add the milk and eggs. Pour in the whole milk and crack in both eggs. Whisk everything together until fully combined — no streaks of egg white should remain. The mixture will be pale, thin, and silky.
4. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder until evenly distributed. (Don’t skip this step — clumps of baking powder in the final batter can create uneven rise.)
5. Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl all at once and whisk until completely smooth. The batter will be thin and pourable, like a crepe batter. A few passes with the whisk should get it lump-free.
6. Fill the tin and top with coconut. Divide the batter evenly across all 12 cups — each one should be about 3/4 full. Scatter desiccated coconut over each one. (A generous pinch per cup toasts beautifully and adds just enough texture contrast.)
7. Bake for 45 minutes. Place the tin on the center rack and bake for 45 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the coconut is toasted. The cupcakes will puff during baking and settle slightly as they cool — that’s normal. (If your oven runs hot, check at 40 minutes. The tops should feel set, not soft, when you press lightly.)
8. Cool before removing. Let the cupcakes sit in the tin for 10 minutes after baking. They firm up as they cool and release much more cleanly once they’ve had that rest. Run a thin spatula around the edge of each one before lifting.

Pro Tips for Perfect Chewy Butter Mochi Cupcakes

Getting chewy butter mochi cupcakes right comes down to a few details that most recipes gloss over.

Glutinous rice flour is non-negotiable. The chew in these comes entirely from the starch structure of glutinous (sweet) rice flour. As King Arthur Baking explains in their guide to mochiko flour, glutinous rice flour is high in amylopectin starch, which creates a stretchy, sticky gel when baked with liquid — that’s exactly the texture you’re after. Regular rice flour, tapioca flour, or all-purpose will not give the same result.

Full-fat canned coconut milk only. The fat in full-fat coconut milk is what gives these cupcakes their richness and slight density. Carton coconut milk (the drinking kind) is mostly water and will make the batter too thin and the final cupcake less flavorful. I tested a batch with light canned coconut milk and it worked but tasted noticeably flat.

Don’t underbake chasing a “gooey” center. The center of these should be set and springy, not wet. If you pull them at 35 minutes because they look done on top, the inside will be gummy in the wrong way — dense and starchy rather than chewy. The full 45 minutes is what allows the batter to fully set through.

Room temperature eggs make a difference. Cold eggs straight from the fridge can cause the melted butter to re-solidify slightly when added to the batter, creating small lumps. Leave your eggs out for 20 minutes before you start. The batter will whisk smoother and more evenly.

Troubleshooting: When Something Goes Wrong

Why are my butter mochi cupcakes gummy in the middle?

The batter wasn’t fully baked through. Bake for the full 45 minutes and check that your oven is calibrated — an oven running 10-15 degrees cool is the most common culprit. Use an oven thermometer if you’re not sure.

Why did my cupcakes stick to the tin?

The pan wasn’t prepped properly. You need both butter AND a flour dusting — butter alone isn’t enough with this batter. Dust with rice flour or semolina and tap out the excess before filling.

Why are my cupcakes pale on top instead of golden?

Your oven temperature is too low, or they came out too early. These need 180C and the full bake time to develop that golden, slightly crackled top. Don’t reduce the temperature hoping to prevent over-baking — the color is part of the texture.

Why does my batter have lumps?

The dry ingredients weren’t mixed into the wet gradually enough, or the butter re-solidified in cold milk. Make sure your butter-coconut mixture is warm before adding the milk and eggs, and whisk the dry into the wet in one steady pour. A few more passes with the whisk usually dissolves any remaining lumps.

Can I use a different flour if I can’t find glutinous rice flour?

Not for this recipe. The mochi texture is entirely dependent on the starch in glutinous rice flour — no other flour replicates it. Look for it labeled “sweet rice flour,” “mochiko,” or “glutinous rice flour” in Asian grocery stores or online.

Variations and Ways to Customize

These coconut butter mochi cupcakes are a great base for experimenting — here’s where you can take them.

• Pandan butter mochi. Add 1–2 teaspoons of pandan extract to the wet ingredients before mixing. The batter turns pale green and the flavor shifts to something floral and slightly vanilla-adjacent — incredible with the coconut topping. For more pandan inspiration, see our fragrant pandan layer cake with coconut frosting.
• Brown butter version. Swap the melted butter for browned butter. Let it cool slightly before adding to the coconut milk. The nutty, caramel notes from the brown butter deepen the whole flavor profile significantly.
• Ube swirl. Fold 2–3 tablespoons of ube halaya (purple yam jam) into half the batter before filling the cups, then swirl with a toothpick. You get a purple-and-ivory marbled look and a slightly earthy sweetness layered under the coconut.
• Dairy-free version. Replace the whole milk with oat milk or more coconut milk. The texture stays chewy — the glutinous rice flour does all the work — and the flavor is actually more coconut-forward. Make sure your butter substitute (coconut oil works well) is melted and cooled before using.

Can You Make Butter Mochi Cupcakes Ahead of Time?

Serving

These are best about 20–30 minutes out of the oven, once they’ve had time to set but are still slightly warm. The coconut topping is toasted, the edges are just crisp, and the center has that full springy chew. Serve them plain — they don’t need frosting, glaze, or anything else.

Storing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The texture stays chewy for the first two days and starts to firm up a little by day three — still good, just slightly denser. Don’t refrigerate them; the cold makes the starch retrogress and they’ll turn hard and dry.

Reheating

Wrap individual cupcakes loosely in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15–20 seconds. They’ll come back to almost-fresh chewiness. Avoid the oven for reheating — it dries the outside before the center warms through.

Frequently Asked Questions

One Last Thing

Butter mochi cupcakes are the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your rotation — chewy, golden, made with a handful of pantry ingredients, and genuinely unlike anything else you’ll bake this year.

Make them, then come back and tell me in the comments how yours turned out — or ask if you ran into anything along the way.

And if you’re in a baking mood, our celebration cupcakes recipe built for birthday crowds is the next one to have in your back pocket.

Baked with love by Rebeccah Ellene. This recipe went through eight test batches across two different ovens — the 45-minute bake time and full-fat coconut milk were the two details that changed everything.