Ube mochi is arguably one of the finest meetings in Asian baking: on one side, Japanese mochi and its delicately soft glutinous rice dough; on the other, Filipino ube, that purple tuber with its mild flavour of vanilla and hazelnut. Together they make a tender, naturally coloured, irresistibly indulgent bite that has become a star of fusion pastry windows in Tokyo, Manila and Paris. The good news? Making ube mochi at home is far simpler than it looks. All you need is glutinous rice flour, a little sugar and, above all, a good ube powder. At Ubedia, we work with the Kinampay variety from the Visayas, in the Philippines, known for its deep aroma and its intense purple colour: exactly what an ube mochi worthy of the name calls for. In this recipe we guide you step by step, from the creamy ube filling to folding the dough, with every tip you need for a supple texture that does not stick to your fingers. Get your bowl out: purple is coming to your kitchen.
The ingredient in this recipe: Natural Ube Powder 200 g — 16.90 € (≈50 drinks), 100% Kinampay purple yam, no additives and no added sugar, packed in Aix-en-Provence and shipped within 72 h.
What is ube mochi?
Mochi is a Japanese confection made from glutinous rice (mochigome) or glutinous rice flour, cooked and then worked until it becomes an elastic, soft dough. Traditionally filled with red bean paste (anko), it now comes in a thousand flavours. Ube mochi is its Filipino fusion version: the dough is coloured and flavoured with ube powder, and the filling picks up the flavours of ube halaya, the purple yam jam that is emblematic of the Philippines. If this tuber is new to you, our guide What is ube? will tell you everything about its origin and its unique taste.
Ingredients for 8 ube mochi
Preparation: 30 minutes — Cooking: 12 minutes — Resting: 1 hour — Servings: 8 mochi
For the mochi dough
- 150 g of glutinous rice flour (shiratamako or mochiko)
- 50 g of caster sugar
- 200 ml of water
- 2 teaspoons of Ubedia Natural ube powder
- Corn or potato starch for the worktop
For the creamy ube filling
- 150 g of sweetened condensed milk (or reduced coconut milk for a plant-based version)
- 2 tablespoons of ube powder
- 20 g of butter (or coconut oil)
- 1 pinch of salt
The ube mochi recipe step by step
- Make the filling: in a pan over low heat, mix the condensed milk, the ube powder, the butter and the salt. Stir constantly for 8 to 10 minutes until you have a thick paste that comes away from the sides. Let it cool, then chill for 1 hour in the fridge.
- Shape 8 balls of filling of equal size and keep them in the fridge.
- Make the dough: in a microwave-safe bowl, whisk the glutinous rice flour, the sugar, the ube powder and the water until you have a smooth purple mixture.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and microwave for 1 minute at full power. Stir with a damp spatula, then repeat twice in 1-minute bursts, until the dough turns translucent and elastic. Steamed, allow 12 minutes.
- Tip the hot dough onto a worktop generously dusted with starch. Let it cool for a few minutes: it should stay supple but no longer burn your fingers.
- Divide the dough into 8 portions. Flatten each portion into a disc, place a ball of filling in the centre, then close the dough by pinching the edges upwards.
- Gently roll each ube mochi between your floured palms to give it a nice round shape, with the seam underneath.
- Eat them at room temperature, or after 30 minutes in the fridge for a firmer filling.
Our tips for a soft mochi that does not stick
The secret of a good mochi comes down to three details. First, the starch: do not be sparing, it is what stops the dough sticking to the worktop and to your fingers. Then the temperature: dough that is too hot tears, cold dough no longer seals; work it while it is lukewarm. Finally, the amount of ube powder: 2 teaspoons are enough to colour the dough, while the filling can take more for a stronger taste. To fine-tune the quantities for your own recipes, see our guide to ube powder dosage.
Indulgent ube mochi variations
Ube and coconut mochi
Replace the filling with a coconut ganache and use our Coconut ube powder in the dough: the tropical pairing works beautifully, and recalls traditional Filipino desserts.
Ube mochi ice cream
Wrap a well-frozen scoop of ice cream in the mochi dough and return it to the freezer straight away. Our ube ice cream recipe lends itself perfectly to this: it is the famous mochi ice cream, purple version.
Ube and vanilla mochi
Our Vanilla ube powder rounds out the taste of the filling and goes down very well with children. A safe bet for a first tasting.
How do you store your ube mochi?
Mochi are best on the day they are made: glutinous rice dough naturally hardens over time. You can, however, keep them for 24 to 48 hours in an airtight box at room temperature, away from the air. Avoid the fridge for non-frozen mochi, as it sets the dough. As for your pouch of powder, you will find all our advice on our page about storing ube powder.
Which ube powder should you choose for your mochi?
The quality of the powder makes all the difference: it is what brings the natural purple colour and the characteristic scent of ube mochi, with no colouring and no artificial flavouring. Ubedia powder comes from the Kinampay variety grown in the Visayas, considered in the Philippines to be the most aromatic of the purple yams. It dissolves easily in the dough as well as in the filling, and comes in a natural version or in five flavours (cherry, mango, coconut, vanilla, hazelnut) to vary the pleasure from one mochi to the next.
Ready to give it a go? Order your Natural ube powder 100 g or discover our full range in the Ubedia shop: your first ube mochi are only one batch away.
Going further
Find all our ube recipes. Carry on with ube halaya or the ube latte. To cook without counting the spoonfuls, the 200 g ube powder is ideal.
