Easy Pumpkin Mochi (Hawaiian Butter Mochi)

Pumpkin mochi is the chewiest, tastiest and easiest pumpkin treat you can make this season. You’ll only need 1 bowl, less than 10 ingredients, and they’re done in 30 minutes! I also give lots of baking tips and FAQs for perfect pumpkin mochi every time.

(Looking for more easy pumpkin recipes? Try these no bake pumpkin cheesecake bars. They’re a hit at every gathering!)

I’m familiar with glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour because a lot of Filipino recipes use it (to make palitaw, for example) but I’m fairly new to the world of mochi. 

But I’m so glad I discovered it when I did because it’s one of the most unique and delicious treats ever and so easy to make.

The first mochi I worked on was ube mochi. Mochi muffins and chocolate butter mochi are amazing too.

And now since we’re in the middle of fall and autumn, I’m happy to share my recipe for pumpkin mochi. It’s really good!

Let’s get to it.

What is butter mochi

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. 

Why you’ll love pumpkin mochi

Pumpkin butter mochi (lots of people call it pumpkin mochi cake too or pumpkin mochi brownies) is one of the easiest pumpkin treats you can make. In fact, I love making it all year; hope you do, too.

• Perfectly pumpkin. You know how store-bought pumpkin pies are packed with an overwhelming amount of pumpkin spice? None of that here! The flavors are perfectly balanced you’ll want to immediately grab a second slice.

• 1-bowl recipe. Don’t you just love recipes that only use 1 bowl? Makes for easy cleanup! And you’ll need less than 10 ingredients too.

• Straightforward steps. Each step is simple and straightforward. No special techniques or tools needed.

• Makes a big batch. This recipe also makes a big batch of 36 bars (more, depending on how you slice them), making it perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers, potlucks, picnics, and more.

• Foolproof. Best of all, it’s an easy, no-fail recipe. Hard to go wrong with this one!

How to make

To make pumpkin mochi, all you’ll need to do is combine all ingredients together and bake. It’s that easy.

Ingredient notes

You’ll need pantry staples like butter, granulated sugar, eggs and baking powder. A few things to note about the other ingredients:

• Pumpkin spice — pumpkin spice is a seasonal grocery item so if you don’t have it on hand, you can use other spices (see FAQs). Another option is to just use ground cinnamon, though you won’t get the same exact flavor profile.

• Pumpkin puree — make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is already flavored and sweetened, which we don’t need in this recipe.

• Mochiko flour — while any brand of glutinous rice flour can work (sometimes also called sweet rice flour), I’ve had best results using Mochiko. You can find it in the international aisle of your supermarket, in Asian grocery stores and in Amazon.

• Evaporated milk — you’ll want to use full-fat evaporated milk for the richest and creamiest texture.

(If you have extra pumpkin puree, try making pumpkin spice swirl bread!)

Baking tools

As far as baking tools, you’ll need:

• 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 mixture. 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.

Expert baking tips

Easy, right? Here are more tips to make it even easier.

• 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 pumpkin mochi is done when the sides begin to firm up and when a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

• My pumpkin mochi recipe results to mochi that’s a little softer than other mochi recipes. So for the cleanest slices, ensure the mochi is chilled. Once it’s completely cool, place it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to help it set, before slicing into bars.

Recipe FAQs

Other easy desserts you can serve during the holidays

If you’re looking to add more easy desserts for your upcoming get-togethers, check these out:

Happy baking!

Did you make this easy pumpkin mochi recipe? 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!

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