Banana mochi bread is your favorite banana bread made with sweet rice flour. This makes it wonderfully chewy and gluten-free but still with that delicious banana flavor you love. And it’s just as easy to make!
(Here’s the recipe for banana bread with pecans if you’d like to bake a more traditional banana bread.)
I love making Hawaiian butter mochi (not to be confused with Japanese mochi, see more info in the FAQs).
They’re so easy to make and they always turn out perfectly chewy and delicious.
Right now I have recipes for ube butter mochi, chocolate butter mochi, pumpkin butter mochi and butter mochi muffins.
Banana bread mochi is the latest and greatest in my ever-growing butter mochi collection.
Imagine your favorite banana bread with the chewy texture butter mochi is known for. It’s so good!
Why’ll love mochi banana bread
If you’re a fan of banana bread and a fan of mochi, this banana mochi bread is just what you’re looking for!
- Gluten free. Since we use sweet rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour) which is naturally gluten-free, this recipe is gluten-free without sacrificing flavor or texture.
- Easy to make. And since it’s gluten-free, there’s no over-mixing the recipe. It’s so easy to make even novice bakers can make it perfectly every time.
- Makes a big batch. With the way I slice my banana butter mochi, I get 24 squares. You can slice them smaller to get more servings. Perfect for company, bake sales, lunch boxes, picnics and more.
- Big banana flavor. And like banana bread, this is a great way to use ripe bananas. The banana flavor is even more pronounced the next day!
How to make
Butter mochi is very hard to mess up.
Ingredients
You’ll need pantry staples like eggs, melted butter, baking powder and sugar. You can find the full ingredient list at the bottom of this article.
A few things to note:
- Sweet rice flour — also called glutinous rice flour or sticky rice flour. I prefer the Mochiko brand. You can find it in the international aisle of your supermarket, in Asian grocery stores and in Amazon. You can’t use all-purpose flour or plain rice flour in this recipe.
- Evaporated milk — use full-fat evaporated milk for the richest and creamiest texture.
- Mashed bananas — you’ll want to use very ripe bananas for the best flavor.
Baking tools
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Electric hand mixer — you can choose to mix the batter by hand but I like using my mixer for the smoothest consistency. And happily, since glutinous rice flour is actually gluten-free, there’s no risk of over-mixing the batter.
- Sharp knife or bench scraper — to slice the baked mochi
Step-by-step photos
Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir melted butter and sugar…
… until combined.
Add eggs one a time.
Make sure each addition is incorporated well before adding the next one.
Add dry ingredients: glutinous rice flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Stir until about 80-90% combined.
Add evaporated milk and mashed bananas. Stir until incorporated. Ensure your batter is smooth and has no big chunks of banana.
Transfer the batter to your prepared pan.
Optional: sprinkle with chopped nuts on top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick or tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, allow to slightly cool in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert baking tips
Easy, right? Here are more baking tips when making this sweet rice flour banana bread.
- Don’t be afraid to stir the batter until very smooth because there is no risk of over-mixing here. Despite its name, glutinous rice flour or mochiko is gluten-free.
- You’ll know your banana mochi cake is done when the sides begin to firm up and when a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Banana bread mochi is delightfully chewy and sticky. For the cleanest slices, ensure the mochi is completely cool before cutting into bars.
Recipe FAQs
The word “mochi” refers to two different treats — the Hawaiian snack we have here, and Japanese mochi, which is shaped like a bun and filled with red bean paste, matcha, chocolate and more.
Both are made of Mochiko, a Japanese sweet rice flour made from cooked mochigome, a glutinous variety of short-grain rice.
I like adding chopped nuts on top of my banana mochi bread. You can also add chocolate chips and even coconut.
Yes! You can make banana mochi bread up to 2 days ahead of when you’re planning to serve them.
Mochi banana bread is best stored covered on your counter. They should be good for up to 2 days.
You can store them covered in the fridge to keep them for longer, just remember that chilling them will change the texture slightly.
More recipes using bananas
Love making all kinds of treats with bananas? Check these out:
We love banana bread butter mochi. It’s so familiar but also so unique. Enjoy!
Happy baking!
Did you make this banana bread recipe with rice flour? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest and YouTube.
Banana Mochi Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool slightly
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 16-oz box Mochiko flour can use any brand of glutinous rice flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 12-oz can evaporated milk
- 13 oz mashed bananas 2-4 medium bananas
- chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir melted butter and sugar until combined.½ cup unsalted butter, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- Add eggs one at a time. Ensure each addition is incorporated well.4 large eggs
- Add mochiko, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Stir until about 80-90% combined.1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 16-oz box Mochiko flour, 2 tsp baking powder, pinch salt
- Add evaporated milk and mashed bananas. Stir until incorporated. Ensure your batter is smooth and has no big chunks of bananas.1 12-oz can evaporated milk, 13 oz mashed bananas
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan (optional: sprinkle chopped nuts on top).chopped nuts
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool slight in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- The yield depends on how big or small you slice your banana mochi bread. The estimated nutrition information is based on 24 squares.
- Don’t be afraid to stir the batter until very smooth because there is no risk of over-mixing here. Despite its name, glutinous rice flour or mochiko is gluten-free.
- You’ll know your mochi is done when the sides begin to firm up and when a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- See post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
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