When I went back to Taiwan this April May, a friend insisted I try “crispy butter rice cake”, comparing it to a crispy canelé. I picked up a box of three from a bakery, and one bite completely won me over, a crisp, buttery shell giving way to a soft, mochi-like chew inside. Each piece is small, but somehow impossible to stop at just one.

Back in the UK, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I looked into where it actually came from. It turns out this isn’t a new invention. It first went viral in Shanghai, where bakeries began making small rice cakes mainly from glutinous rice flour and a generous amount of butter, prized for that crisp-outside, chewy-inside texture, and the trend quickly spread online across Shanghai and the rest of China. From there it made its way to Korea, where it’s now known as butter tteok. It also had its own moment in Taiwan a year or so earlier, sometimes nicknamed the “Taiwanese canelé”.

I checked a handful of recipes before landing on this version, drawing on 我是拌飯人 (@bibimhuman) and Sunday Baking (@sundaybaking), then adjusting the ratios to suit my own taste. I prefer mine leaning more towards a chewy, mochi-like texture, so that’s the balance this recipe is built around.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Crisp outside, chewy inside: a golden, buttery shell gives way to a soft, mochi-like centre.
Genuinely easy: whisk, rest, bake, that’s really the whole process.
Freezer-friendly: make a batch and freeze the extras for whenever the craving hits.

Tips for Making This Recipe

Chill the Tin Before Baking: greasing the muffin tin with butter and chilling it keeps the butter firm so it doesn’t melt away before baking, which helps the edges turn crisp and golden.
Add the Butter Gradually: whisk the melted butter into the egg mixture slowly, and make sure it’s warm rather than hot, otherwise it can start cooking the egg.
Don’t Overmix the Batter: fold the dry ingredients in just until combined. Overmixing can affect the chewy texture you’re after.
Rest the Batter: resting it for 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge, gives a better texture. Just give it a good stir before filling the tin, since the rice flour settles quickly.
Don’t Waste the Leftover Batter: if you have batter left over, bake a second batch once the tin is free, re-greasing and chilling it first, or keep the batter in the fridge overnight and bake it the next day instead.
Unmould Immediately: take the mochi out of the tin as soon as it’s out of the oven. For extra-crisp bottoms, flip them over and bake for a further 5 to 8 minutes.

How to Store Leftover Butter Mochi

Butter Mochi freezes well for up to 6 weeks, just wrap each piece individually. To reheat from frozen, air fry at 170°C for 8 to 10 minutes, and it comes out just as crisp as fresh.

Final Thoughts

This has to be one of the simplest bakes for how impressive the result is! Give it a try, and don’t be surprised if the whole batch disappears the moment it’s out of the oven, that’s just how good it is.

Crispy and Chewy Butter Mochi

Wanting

A wonderfully chewy, mochi-like rice cake with a golden, buttery top and crisp edges. Simple to make and impossible to stop eating.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian

Equipment

1 6-hole non-stick muffin tin/tray, or similar Makes 9 pieces

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS

155 g glutinous rice flour
35 g tapioca flour
65 g sugar
2 g salt

WET INGREDIENTS

1 egg egg, room temperature
200 ml milk Soy milk works as a 1:1 substitute for milk.
60 g unsalted butter, melted
20 g hone
A few drops of vanilla extract

FOR THE TIN

30 g softened unsalted butter, for greasing

Instructions

Prepare the tin: Grease the muffin cups generously with the softened butter. Refrigerate while you prepare the batter.

Chilling the tin keeps the butter firm so it doesn't melt away before baking, which helps create crisp, golden edges.

Melt the butter: Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat, then leave it to cool slightlybefore using. It should be warm rather than hot to the touch.
Make the wet mixture: In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add the milk, honey and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Add the melted butter gradually, whisking constantly as you pour, this stopsthe heat from the butter cooking the egg.
Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar and salt.
Combine: Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Fold gently until just combined, don't overmix. For a smoothertop, strain the batter through a sieve (optional).
Rest the batter: Rest the batter for about 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
Preheat and fill: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Stir the batter once from the bottom before pouring, the rice flour tends to settle, so this makes sure everything is evenly distributed. This batter makes about 9 muffins, so if using a 6-hole tin, you'll need to bake in two batches. Pour into the muffin cups, filling about 90% full.

If you have leftover batter, bake it in a second batch once the first is done (re-grease and chill the tin first), or refrigerate it overnight and bake the next day. Either way, stir well before pouring each portion, as the rice flour settles quickly. Fill the cups about 90% full to leave room for the batter to rise without overflowing.

Bake: Reduce the oven to 170°C and bakefor 20-25 minutes, until golden on top.
Check and adjust: If the top is only lightly browned, bake for a few more minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Every oven runs slightly differently, so keep an eye on it and adjust the time as needed.
Unmould and finish: Unmould immediately after removing from the oven. If you'd like the bottom extra golden and crisp, flip the cakes over and bake for a further 5 to 8 minutes, until golden.
Cool: Cool completely before serving.

Notes

Keyword Baking, Dessert