Mochi ice cream is a popular dessert served at many Japanese restaurants. It’s soft and chewy on the outside with a sweet and creamy ice cream center. It’s mind-blowing the first time you try it because there’s nothing like it! This is such a fun and easy dessert to put together, especially because this easy mochi ice cream recipe only requires 2 ingredients!
If you’re craving a refreshing dessert with fresh fruit, don’t sleep on my super easy Filipino Mango Float that’s made with only 7 ingredients or Strawberry Matcha Latte made in only 5 minutes!
👩🏽🍳 Pro-Tips to This Easy Mochi Ice Cream Recipe
Deal with EXTRA Sticky Dough Like a Pro
The mochi dough is extremely sticky! The best way to handle it is to dust everything it comes in contact with rice flour. That includes the surface you work on, your hands, the rolling pin, and the mochi itself! As you continue to roll out the mochi dough, you’ll need to continuously move and (you’ve guessed it!) dust it.
How to Prevent a Melted Mess
This is a problem many people face the first time making mochi (myself included!), but this doesn’t have to be you! Two crucial things to keep in mind to prevent a mess and so much frustration.
First, move QUICKLY! This is obvious, but ice cream melts quickly, even faster when they’re in small chunks like the pieces we’ll work with. And that brings us to our second tip!
To buy yourself a little more time, cut the ice cream bar into pieces then keep them in a cupcake tin lined with cupcake liners. When you’re ready to assemble your mochi ice cream, work with only one piece of ice cream at a time while the rest remain in the freezer.
If you bring the whole cupcake tin out to bundle up, you may have a bunch of small puddles to clean!
🍦 Serving & Freezing Mochi Ice Cream
Once your mochi ice cream is fully frozen, the mochi will be firmer. Get a chewier mochi texture by letting them defrost for about 5 minutes before enjoying! I know, it’ll feel like torture, but worth the wait!
This easy mochi ice cream recipe is SO easily gobbled up, but they’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks!
🍰 More dessert & drink Recipes You’ll Love!
Let’s get cooking!
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2-Ingredient Easy Mochi Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Melona ice cream bars
- 2 oz Mochiko sweet rice flour
Instructions
Freeze Ice Cream Filling
- Prepare a cupcake tin by lining it with 8 cupcake wrappers.
- Cut 2 of the Melona bars into 4 cubes each (8 cubes total). Place each slice into the cupcake liners, then transfer the cupcake tin to the freezer.
Make Mochi Dough
- Add the remaining 2 Melona ice cream bars to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 – 2 minutes, or until completely melted.
- Add in Mochiko rice flour and mix until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a few holes to allow steam to escape. Microwave for about 45 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 45 seconds, or until the mochi dough is set in the center.
- Lightly dust a clean dry surface with cornstarch or more Mochiko rice flour (to prevent sticking), then pour out the mochi dough – be careful because it will be hot. Dust your hands and a rolling pin with the cornstarch as well. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 15 inches by 10 inches. You’ll need to continuously rotate the dough and may need to use more cornstarch to prevent sticking.
- Transfer the dough to a parament-lined baking sheet that's been lightly dusted with more cornstarch. Allow it to cool in the fridge for 15 minutes; this will help make it easier to manage.
- Meanwhile, cut 6 pieces of plastic wrap large enough to wrap the mochi balls. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and use a 4-inch cookie cutter or lid to cut the dough into 6 disks.
Wrap Mochi Ice Cream
- For the next steps, you'll want to move quickly and touch the ice cream and mochi dough as minimal as possible to prevent melting. Take out one cupcake liner from the freezer and quickly place the ice cream chunk in the middle of a mochi dough disk.
- Gently stretch the dough to bring the edges to the top and pinch them together to seal.
- Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap so it's tight enough to hold the mochi ball shape. Do not twist too hard otherwise the ice cream may ooze out. Place it in the cupcake tin to freeze with the twisted side of the plastic wrap at the bottom of the tin. Repeat for the remaining mochi and freeze for at least 1 hour before enjoying!
Notes
- Handling Sticky Dough: Dust everything in contact with the mochi dough, including the work surface, hands, rolling pin, and mochi itself, with cornstarch Continuously dust as you roll out the dough.
- Quick and Organized: Move quickly since ice cream melts fast, especially in small chunks like in this recipe. Cut ice cream into pieces and store in a cupcake tin with liners. Work with one piece at a time while keeping the rest in the freezer.
- Serving and Freezing: Fully frozen mochi ice cream will have a firmer texture. For a chewier mochi texture, let them defrost for about 5 minutes before enjoying. Patience is rewarded!
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
