Mochi Donuts (VIDEO)

Mochi donuts, well known as Pon-de-ring In Japan, are delicious mochi-like ring shape donuts with a signature bouncy and chewy texture and colorful chocolate ganache glazings on top. Apart from their fun shape and versatility in flavoring them (that will mainly come from the glaze), why I love them is the texture; crisp outside with a bouncy, chewy, soft mochi-like inside. I’ll show you how to make Japanese mochi donuts from scratch with everyday ingredients and a rather simple technique.

Many of you who have been following me for a while know how much I LOVE Japanese cuisine! I had the pleasure to visit Japan in 2019, I was traveling and eating for 3 weeks which turned out to be one of the most memorable vacations ever! Since then I re-created many of my favorite Japanese desserts on the blog. I will have a summary of them at the end of this blog post, make sure you check them out!

Jump to:

• What is the different between mochi donuts and regular donuts
• What are mochi donuts made of
• What do mochi donuts taste like
• 3 reasons why this is the best recipe
• Ingredient notes
• 4 Expert tips
• Equipment notes
• Recipe FAQs
• More donut recipes
• More Japanese recipes
• EASY Mochi Donuts (VIDEO)

What is the different between mochi donuts and regular donuts

There are various kinds of doughnuts from baked cakey donuts, ring donuts, fried brioche donuts, square-shaped French beignet, German Berliner, literally every single country has its own version.

Regular fried donut is typically made using high protein content bread flour and yeast as leaving agent. Similarly to bread, usually it takes a while to make them as first the raw dough needs to rise. It has an amazing pillow texture, just like brioche, and can be filled and glazed in endless variations.

Mochi donut (the name that is used in the United States) also called Pon de Ring (in Japan) was invented by Mister Donut in Japan. It is characterized by its signature bubble ring shape and is made of a connected circle of 8 dough balls.

They have been increasingly popular outside of Japan and were introduced in the United States just a few years ago by Liliha Bakery in Hawaii. Fast forward today mochi donut is more popular than ever sold in various doughnut shops and recreated by many home bakers. They are similar to regular donuts in terms of the frying method, however, they are made using different ingredients and techniques. Please note that mochi donuts can be baked in the oven, instead of frying, however, that would result in a slightly different, less crunchy, more cakey texture.

What are mochi donuts made of

While testing the recipe I came across some widely different ingredient suggestions from tofu to sweet rice flour or mochiko flour, and the truth is, while everyone claims to have the best copycat original version recipe, no one knows it for sure since it is obviously a secret.

In general, there are two main different types of schools making mochi donuts. Some make it using glutinous rice flour and tofu besides egg, all-purpose flour, etc. Others make it using tapioca starch and other cake-like ingredients such as milk, egg, etc. In terms of the raising agent, some make it using baking powder while others are using yeast, just like when making traditional donuts. 

Among all the tests I´ve done, I decided to share with you a mochi donuts recipe that is made with tapioca starch, baking powder, sugar, egg, and water. I prefer tapioca flour for two reasons: 1. Texture-wise the tapioca starch will give a fluffy, lighter texture while the donuts remain chewy. 2. Taste-wise tapioca flour has a much milder, natural taste vs. glutinous rice flour that can be a bit unpleasant if you are not used to it

As for the icing, the options are endless. I recommend using ganache that has a much more complex taste and texture than simply sugar glaze. I made 3 glazing options in this recipe: dark chocolate ganache, matcha ganache, strawberry ganache. They are super easy to make using only a handful of ingredients and have the perfect texture and consistency to glaze the mochi donuts.

This mochi donut is probably my most tested recipe on the blog as I wanted to create a recipe for you that is chewy, bouncy, without too many funny, difficult-to-find ingredients.

What do mochi donuts taste like

Similar to any other donuts, the actual taste of mochi donuts is very natural and really depends on the glaze and topping you are using that´s why it is so important to use high-quality glaze that is full of flavors like the ganache I am recommending. The strawberry glaze is flavored with fresh strawberry puree, the matcha glaze is flavored with matcha powder, while the taste of the chocolate glaze will be driven by the quality of the chocolate you are using. They are super delicious, you will love them!

3 reasons why this is the best recipe

1. It is extremely easy & quick – Both the mixing process as well as the baking process are very simple even if you are a beginner in the kitchen. Once you mix the ingredients - that should not take more than 3 minutes - you can proceed with baking. The trickiest part is glazing the donuts but if you follow a few simple rules, and pay attention to the temperatures, you will be able to make beautifully glazed donuts every time going forward
2. Crazy delicious – I guess no need to explain that they are super yummy... The chewy texture with the 3 different kinds of chocolate ganache will impress everyone!
3. Fun to make and eat - I mean all donuts are fun but these colorful Japanese mochi donuts with their funky shape is really the next level

Ingredient notes

For the donuts

1. Sugar: I am using simple white granulated sugar. If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my article.
2. Egg: Room temperature as always
3. Tapioca starch: Tapioca starch and tapioca flour are the same thing and can be used interchangeably. As explained above tapioca starch is responsible for the light yet chewy texture of the donuts. Where to buy it? You can try your local store Asian section or order online
4. Flour: All-purpose flour will work just fine. You can read more about flours in my flour baking guide.
5. Salt: Essential ingredient in all dessert recipes, its main function is to balance the sweetness of the desserts
6. Baking powder: Baking powder is responsible for the donuts to rise a tiny bit. We will use a relatively small amount as big rise would risk the donuts not keeping their lovely shape
7. Water: Exact quantity will depend on the flour you use as different flours absorb liquid differently. Please follow the instructions later in the recipe

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

For the chocolate glaze

1. White chocolate: The mochi donuts will be glazed with a white chocolate-based strawberry ganache and white chocolate based matcha ganache. Since white chocolate has a close to neutral flavor and color, it can be made into all sorts of ganache: raspberry, mango, coffee ganache, etc. The ganache will be as delicious as the quality of the chocolate you are using so always try to use the highest quality you can access. I am using Callebaut WhiteChocolate (callets)
2. Cream: Also known as whipping cream or heavy cream, has a fat content between 36% and 40%, the one I am using has 36% fat content. Avoid substitutes like vegetable-based “whipping cream”
3. Dark chocolate: Use semi-sweet chocolate, the best quality you can access that does not size during melting and leave a beautiful shine. The one I am using is Callebaut Dark Chocolate (callets). In general, avoid cheap "baking chocolates" whenever you bake
4. Strawberry: I am using frozen strawberry and hand blend it into puree. Feel free to use fresh strawberries and apply the same technique. Strawberry will give a beautiful natural color and flavor to the glaze, how amazing is that?!
5. Butter: Soft, room temperature good quality butter is what makes the glaze shiny. Use 82% fat content European-style butter
6. Matcha: Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves. Read more about matcha and how to chose the best matcha powder in my matcha tiramisu recipe
7. Food coloring: You might or might not need to add a very small amount of food coloring into your matcha and strawberry ganache depending on what type of matcha and white chocolate you are using

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

For the decoration

1. White chocolate: I am using the same white chocolate as for the glaze: Callebaut WhiteChocolate (callets)
2. Freeze dried strawberry: It is more stable to use freeze dried strawberry, than fresh ones, however feel free to use whatever you can access. Avoid using frozen strawberry for decoration
3. Gold dust: It is not a must but looks super pretty on dark chocolate

4 Expert tips

1. Step-by-step process of making the donuts

This Mochi Donuts recipe contains 3 simple ingredients; sugar, egg, flour and the volume will be supported by baking powder. Besides, you will have to use tapioca starch to achieve the signature mochi texture

• Ingredients must be all measured with a Digital scale
• All ingredients must be at room temperature, otherwise, they won´t properly emulsify
• I am using my Stand mixer with the paddle attachment to make the dough, alternatively, it can be made by hand
• Mix the dry ingredients; flour, salt, baking powder, tapioca flour for a minute or two until combined
• Mix room temperature egg in
• Start adding water to the mixture slowly while the mixer is on. Mixing the water in will need somewhat your judgment. First, the mixture might separate but keep your mixer on, and the dough will come together.
• How to check the consistency of the dough? Take a small amount of dough and start to form a ball with your hands. Stop adding water as soon as the dough is not crumbly and you are able to form a ball, you don´t want to make the dough wetter. If the dough is too wet, the small balls won´t be able to keep their shape during
• As soon as you are happy with the consistency of the dough, remove it from the mixing bowl and knead it with the palm of your hand for a minute. The dough should get shiny, somewhat elastic, not crumbly at this point
• Cute 10 pieces of 10cm*10cm / 4inches*4inches square shape baking papers. Each donut will be fried on a separate baking sheet
• Using a Digital scale form the dough into little balls about 7g each. The recipe makes 80 balls=10 donuts. I suggest working with very slightly wet hands so it won´t stick to your hands
• Place 8 balls in a ring shape in a way that they are touching each other. If they separate during baking, it means you have to place the balls closer to each other
• Continue with the rest of the dough until you have 10 donuts

I suggest preparing all the 10 donut rings first, and only after start frying them as you will need to pay close attention to the temperature of the oil.

2. How to deep fry the donuts

Frying these mochi donuts could not be easier, the one thing you have to pay attention to is the temperature (as usual in baking)!

The perfect oil temperature for frying mochi donuts is 170-180C / 338-356F. Anything hotter can burn the donuts and might leave the middle row. While anything lower would result in too oily texture and taste (as the donuts need to stay longer in the oil to get baked). I strongly recommend measuring the temperature of the oil with a thermometer, eg. Infrared thermometer gun.

The process is the following

1. In a large enough saucepan heat vegetable oil
2. Once oil reaches 170-180C / 338-356F, place 2-3 donuts into the oil with the parchment paper on them
3. Flip the donuts after about 30 seconds and remove the parchment paper
4. Fry the donuts for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown
5. Check the temperature of the oil every now and then and adjust the heat if necessary
6. Remove the donuts once they are golden brown onto a plate with paper towel on it
7. Repeat with all donuts

Cool the donuts completely before glazing.

3. How to make a chocolate ganache for glazing the donuts

There are several donut glaze recipes out there, my preference is chocolate ganache for 3 reasons:

1. I find the texture easy to control therefore easy to glaze the donuts without making a mess. Please read the next section regarding tips on how to glaze donuts

2. It is super versatile, with different kinds of fruit puree or other ingredients you can make several different kinds of ganache eg. strawberry ganache, coffee ganache, matcha ganache, etc.

3. No need to add tons of powdered sugar, in fact, no sugar is added to this glaze, the sweetness will come from the chocolate, while the creaminess is from the heavy cream, butter as well as chocolate of course

How to make matcha ganache glaze

• Place finely chopped high-quality white chocolate into a bowl, or use Callebaut WhiteChocolate (callets)
• Semi-melt chocolate in the microwave
• Heat cream & matcha powder until just simmering. If it’s boiling, the cream is too hot and could burn the chocolate. If it is not warm enough, it won´t melt the chocolate properly
• Pour warm cream mixture over chocolate
• Let the two sit for a minute then stir and/or hand blend together
• Adjust color with a very small amount of food coloring, if needed
• Add in room temp butter, stir again and/or hand blend

How to make strawberry ganache glaze

• Place finely chopped high-quality white chocolate into a bowl, or use Callebaut WhiteChocolate (callets)
• Hand blend strawberry into a puree. Frozen or fresh both work
• Mix strawberry puree and cream
• Semi-melt chocolate in the microwave
• Heat cream & strawberry puree mixture until just simmering
• Pour warm cream mixture over chocolate
• Let the two sit for a minute then stir and/or hand blend together
• Adjust color with a very small amount of food coloring, if needed
• Add in room temp butter, stir again and/or hand blend

How to make chocolate ganache glaze

• Place finely chopped high-quality dark, semi-sweet chocolate into a bowl, or use Callebaut Dark Chocolate (callets)
• Semi-melt chocolate in the microwave
• Heat cream until just simmering
• Pour warm cream mixture over chocolate
• Let the two sit for a minute then stir and/or hand blend together
• Add in room temp butter, stir again and/or hand blend

Important note 1: The texture of the ganache at this point will be runny, you have to wait with glazing the donuts until it slightly cools to about 27C / 81F. In a 20C / 68F kitchen that might take about 5-10 minutes. However, don´t let it fully set either as once it sets, it will become too thick to glaze the donuts. Remember, the temperature is very important when it comes to baking even for something as simple as glazing donuts.

Important note 2: You won´t need all the glaze that is mentioned in the recipe. Since we dip the donuts into the glaze, we need to make a bit more glaze than what is actually needed. Any leftover glaze can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a week or two and you can use it on pancakes, cupcakes, etc.

4. How to neatly glaze donuts

Glazing Donuts does not have to be a mess if you follow some basic principles that are mainly related to the "right temperature".

Glazing these mochi donuts is no different from glazing any other Loaf cake or Bundt cake... it is all about finding the right (temperature) moment to dip the donuts into the glaze. Make sure that your donuts are at room temperature so the glaze can quickly be set on them instead of running on the side. The glaze must be not too thin and not too thick, about 27C / 81F is the ideal temperature.

I recommend measuring the glaze temperature properly and trying to glaze one donut first and see how it feels.

Process of glazing the donuts

• Place the glaze into a big enough container so you can comfortably dip the donuts into it however it should not be too big as the glaze should have some "depth" when you will dip the donut into it
• Hold the donut with your fingers and dip it into the glaze. Move the donut a bit for a few seconds, then carefully remove it from the glaze. While still holding the donut with your fingers (glazing facing down), carefully remove any excess glaze from it with the help of your fingers on your other hand. You can also shake it a bit left and right, up and down
• If you want stronger color and thicker glaze, feel free to double dip
• If the temperature was correct, the glaze should stay on the donut without running on the side however it will take some time until it feels "dry" as you touch it
• Place the donuts on parchment paper and let the glaze fully set at room temp, or in case your kitchen is too warm, place it into the fridge

Possible glazing mistakes:

Glaze runs on the side of the donut – either the donut was too warm or the glaze was too hot therefore too runny to set on the donuts. Wait until the glaze further cools.

Glaze is too thick and set it a “wrinkled” way – either the donut was too cold or more likely that the glaze was too cold (thick) therefore it sets too quickly. Warm the glaze up with a hairdryer (do not put the ganache on the stove or into the microwave).

5. How to decorate the donuts

Decoration can really take your Mochi donuts to the next level and the sky is the limit! In general, when decorating any cake or donut, it is worth using ingredients and flavors you anyway included in your dessert, eg. I am using freeze-dried strawberries.

Melt some white chocolate, pour it into a small piping bag, made a very very tiny hole on the piping bag, and applied some stripes on the donuts first. Then, decorate with freezed dried strawberries, gold dust, sprinkles, or whatever you fancy using on your donuts!

Use your creativity and feel free to decorate your donuts according to your liking!

Equipment notes

I recommend measuring the dough balls with the help of a Digital scale so your donuts will turn out neat.

For measuring the temperature of the glaze and the temperature of the oil, you should definitely use a thermometer. I purchased an Infrared thermometer gun last year and absolutely love it, it is the most accurate and convenient way to check the temperate whether I am making sugar syrup for the macaron, glaze for this donut recipe, or tempering chocolate! You can also measure the temp with other kinds of cheaper thermometers, choose according to your preference.

I also recommend investing in some Piping bags, so you can make the white chocolate stripes decoration easily.

Last, but not least, you can totally make this dough with your hands but it is MUCH easier to use a Stand mixer. I have a KitchenAid Classic that I love.

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