Mochi Donuts (Sakura & Strawberry Flavors)

Recently, I’ve been so obsessed with making sakura🌸 and strawberry🍓-flavored mochi donuts, and they’ve become my go-to dessert during the weekend.

These lovely donut rings, resembling pink flowers, boast a unique texture that combines chewy mochi with airy donuts. Surprisingly, making mochi donuts is way less complicated compared to traditional mochi or donut recipes. There’s no need for kneading or proofing. Instead, you’ll just mix the dry and wet ingredients, then pipe the dough into small circles, forming beautiful flower-shaped donut rings on parchment paper.

By incorporating sakura powder or freeze-dried strawberry powder into both the batter and glaze, our mochi donuts not only look like flowers in appearance but also impart a floral essence to their flavor.

Hope you enjoy making and savoring these delightful mochi donuts as much as we do!!

What are mochi donuts?

Mochi donut, or Pon de Ring, is a popular and unique type of donut originally created by the Japanese donut chain Mister Donut. It has gained popularity both in Japan and internationally. The distinguishing feature of a mochi donut is its shape, which consists of a series of small, interconnected spheres forming a flower-like ring. This design gives the donut a fun and playful appearance.

The texture of mochi donuts is also distinctive. It is made using a special dough that includes glutinous rice flour (the key ingredients for making mochi) and silken tofu that provide a chewy and slightly elastic texture, which is quite different from the fluffy texture of traditional donuts.

Mochi donuts are often glazed or coated with various flavors, such as chocolate, matcha, strawberry, or sakura flavored sugar glaze. They come in a range of colors and can be decorated with fruits, sprinkles, or other toppings.

Are mochi donuts vegan friendly?

This current recipe for mochi donuts includes eggs, making it unsuitable for a vegan diet. However, it can be effortlessly modified to be vegan-friendly by replacing the 2 large eggs in the recipe with 110g of silken tofu. In other words, you can incorporate a total of 310g of silken tofu and omit the eggs to ensure the recipe adheres to vegan principles.

Why adding tofu to mochi donuts?

Adding soft silken tofu to mochi donuts recipe can serve several purposes:

1. Texture: Tofu has a soft and smooth texture that can contribute to the overall mouthfeel of the donut. It can add moisture and create a tender and slightly dense texture, enhancing the eating experience.
2. Binding: Tofu can act as a binding agent, helping to hold the dough together and maintain its shape during frying. This is especially beneficial for donuts with unique shapes like mochi donuts, where the interconnected spheres need to stay intact.
3. Flavor: Silken tofu has a mild and neutral taste, allowing other flavors to shine while still contributing to the overall richness of the donut.

If silken tofu is not available, you can use plain, unsweetened yogurt (can use both Greek yogurt and dairy-free yogurt) to substitute silken tofu in the mochi donut recipe. It provides a similar moisture and binding effect.

Can I use regular flour instead of glutinous rice flour?

Glutinous rice flour is a key ingredient in mochi donuts as it provides the characteristic chewy texture (the “mochi” part). Using regular flour as a substitute will not yield the same results.

However, if you don’t have any glutinous rice flour at home, you can still follow my Crème Brûlée Donuts Recipe to make traditional donuts with a tanghulu-like crunchy caramelized topping and a creamy homemade custard filling.

How to store mochi donuts?

Mochi donuts are best enjoyed warm and fresh on the day they are made. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. But it’s important to note that their texture may become firmer over time, particularly if refrigerated. If you haven’t glazed the donuts prior to storing, you can revive their freshness by reheating them in the oven at 350°F for a few minutes before serving.

EQUIPMENT

• Kitchen scale (Or measuring cups.)
• Fine mesh strainer (Or food processor. For mashing the silken tofu.)
• Large mixing bowl
• Piping bag with a round piping tip
• Scissors
• Parchment paper
• Small pot (For deep frying)

INGREDIENTS  

• 240 g cake flour (1½ cup)
• 160 g glutinous rice flour (1⅓ cup)
• 80 g granulated sugar (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp)
• 4 g baking powder (1 tsp)
• 10 g sakura powder (2 tbsps; Can also use freeze-dried strawberry powder, or skip to make original flavor.)
• 200 g silken tofu (About half box of a 17oz silken tofu block; Make sure you use extra soft or soft silken tofu. )
• 2 large eggs (Evenly beaten)
• 6 tbsp water
• vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Mochi Donuts Glaze

• 120 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
• 30 g milk (2½ tbsp; Can also use oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk …)
• 5 g sakura powder (1 tbsp; Can also use freeze-dried strawberry powder, matcha powder, or skip to make original flavor.)

Step-by-step INSTRUCTIONS 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, glutinous rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and sakura powder (optional). Whisk them well together.

2. In another bowl, use a fork to mash the silken tofu. For an even smoother consistency, it is recommended to use a food processor to finely mash the silken tofu. Place a fine mesh strainer over the mixing bowl and pass the mashed silken tofu through it to achieve a smoother texture.

3. Add the beaten eggs and water to the mixing bowl, then combine all the ingredients using a spatula until they form a sticky dough. Do not knead the dough with your hands, cuz it’s very sticky.

4. Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip.

5. Cut a large sheet of parchment paper into 5×5 inch small squares. Pipe the dough into 8 small circles on each piece of the parchment paper, allowing the circles to adhere to one another and create a flower shape. After you pipe out a small circle, you can hold the piping bag with one hand, and use a pair of scissors to cut the batter off the piping bag. Each individual circle should weigh approximately 10 grams, while each donut ring should weigh around 80 grams. With the provided ingredients, you should be able to yield a total of 10 mochi donuts. To ensure a smoother surface, dampen your finger with cold water and gently tap the surface of each dough circle.

6. Pour vegetable or canola oil into a small pot, filling it with approximately 2 inches of oil. Place the pot on the stovetop over medium heat and heat the oil until it reaches 320℉/160℃. (If you don’t have a food thermometer, you can use the chopstick method to test the oil temperature. Submerge the tip of a wooden chopstick into the oil, and if you see steady tiny bubbles forming around the chopstick, it indicates that the oil is hot enough.)

7. Hold the edges of the parchment paper to lift a mochi donut, and gently place it into the hot oil, allowing the parchment paper to stick to the donut. Fry the donut for approximately 2½ minutes on each side until it turns golden brown. Once the parchment paper naturally detaches from the mochi donut, carefully remove it from the pot.

8. Once the donut has been cooked, remove it from the oil using a slotted spoon and rest it on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Repeat the frying process with the remaining donuts until all the dough has been fried.

9. Add powdered sugar, sakura powder (optional), and milk (or plant based milk) into a small bowl. Stir them well with a spoon or a whisk to combine, until it forms a smooth glaze.

10. Take each donut and immerse one side into the glaze, ensuring that any extra glaze drips off. Alternatively, you can use a spoon to drizzle melted chocolate over the donuts, creating decorative patterns. Optionally decorate with edible sakura flowers or strawberry slices.

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