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Black Sesame Mochi Muffins

/ Mochi, Muffins

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Post published: 07/30/20 Updated: 04/24/2024

Inspired by Hawaiian butter mochi, these nutty black sesame mochi muffins are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Black-Sesame-Mochi-Muffins

WATCH BLACK SESAME MOCHI MUFFINS RECIPE VIDEO BELOW:

Has anyone been to Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley, California? I have heard so much about their Original Mochi Muffins and have always wanted to try them. I also keep seeing them on Instagram, which makes me want to try them even more! Since it is nearly impossible and unsafe to travel due to the pandemic, I’ve decided to make my own to satisfy my cravings, for now.

Disclaimer: I personally have never tried them, but I have done plenty of research and tested numerous recipes. I also got friends and coworkers to taste-test and they all approved! My recipe and the flavor might be totally different from Third Culture Bakery, but it is what I imagined their muffins would taste like. Regardless, I’d eat anything with mochi in it.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Butter, melted
  • Eggs
  • Coconut Milk
  • Brown Sugar
  • Sweet Rice Flour (I used Mochiko)
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt
  • Black Sesame Seeds
  • Honey

Based on my intense online research and readings, their gluten-free mochi muffins are made with Mochiko sweet rice flour. Coconut milk and butter give the muffins their richness and sesame seeds on top added a toasty flavor. I also read that they use pandan for sweetness. For texture, their muffins are dense and chewy in the center, and crispy on the exterior.

For this recipe, I incorporated my homemade black sesame paste. The result is less buttery, but more of a nutty flavor. Every single bite is like an explosion of sesame seeds. They are really gooooooooood. I also used dark brown sugar for sweetness and caramelization, since it was more accessible. Next time I do want to try using pandan and coconut sugar.

HOW TO MAKE BLACK SESAME PASTE:

  1. Toast black sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat. Keep stirring until you smell the aroma and hear light popping sound. You can also place sesame seeds onto a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Using a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor, grind the toasted seeds until grainy. Add honey and mix until smooth.

If you’ve had the original mochi muffins from Third Culture Bakery, please let me know what they’re like, and how this recipe compares to theirs!

OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Make sure you also tag me @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite so I can see your creations!

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Black Sesame Mochi Muffins

★★★★★

5 from 20 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Inspired by Hawaiian butter mochi, these nutty black sesame mochi muffins are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups sweet rice flour
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 13.5 oz coconut milk
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup sesame seeds, toasted
  • ½ cup honey

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously brush cupcake or muffin tin with butter.

Sesame Paste

  1. Toast black sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat. Keep stirring until you smell the aroma and hear light popping sound. You can also place sesame seeds onto a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Using a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor, grind the toasted seeds until grainy. Add honey and mix until smooth. Set the sesame paste aside.

Sesame Mochi Muffins

  1. In a large bowl, prepare dry ingredients. Mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
  2. In another bowl, prepare wet ingredients. Whisk together melted butter, coconut milk, and eggs.
  3. Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until smooth. Then add sesame paste into the batter, stir until well combined.
  4. Fill each muffin tin with batter up to just below the rim. Sprinkle some black and white sesame seeds on top (optional).
  5. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the tops and edges are golden brown. Remove muffins from the tin and let cool completely before eating. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe inspired by Snixy Kitchen’s Butter Mochi Cupcakes and New York Times’ Brown Butter Mochi recipes

  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese

Keywords: mochi, muffins, sesame

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • I just made them, they came out deeeee-licious! I happen to live close to Third Culture in Berkeley, and regularly pick up their goodies, so I can verify that these are strong contenders, if not a little bit better.

      I made 2 tweaks:
      – substituted coconut sugar for brown sugar for a bit healthier option, and it didn’t impact the moisture in my opinion.
      – I didn’t have coconut milk, so I combined a ratio of coconut cream and coconut water to make a substitute.

      Thank you for sharing this recipe, I will surely be using it again!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  2. Made these last night and loved them soon much! Perfect texture, perfect mochi pull and when they came out of the oven, the tops were so crispy I literally died and came back to life. My boyfriend can’t get enough of them either

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Oh my goodness!! Thank you for taking the time to try the recipe and write a review. I’m so glad you and your boyfriend like them!!

      Reply

  3. So excited to make this for a friend! I have a jar of black sesame tahini (unsweetened) — do you think this would be possible to substitute in place of making the black sesame paste in steps 1-2?

    Reply

  4. I’ve just moved away from Berkeley and I’ve missed the mochi muffins from Third Culture Bakery + all the cafes they supply so much. I’ve made them twice now with your recipe and they are so good + so similar! I didn’t have black sesame seeds on hand, so I made the first batch with white sesame seeds and they were delicious! The next day I tried it with a few changes:
    – coconut paste instead of sesame paste
    – pandan extract instead of vanilla extract
    – dessicated coconut on top instead of sesame seeds
    and it was SO good too! Thank you so much for this recipe, can’t wait to make them again + try out new flavors as well! :’)

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Hi!!. I made yesterday and just tried it… Delicious 👏🏻👏🏻. It’s so chewy and soft. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  6. Hi! I’ve been wanting to try these mochi muffins in Berekely, but sadly haven’t been able to drive over 🙁 Thank you for your recipe! I can’t wait to try it out! I don’t have a cupcake tin, but do you happen to know if I’ll be able to bake these in silicone cupcake molds instead?

    Reply

    • You should be able to use silicone molds! I would still make sure to grease the mold with cooking spray or butter. Let me know if it works 🙂

      Reply

  8. This was so good! I substituted butter with ghee and dark brown sugar with organic cane sugar since we didn’t have any. It was bombs! 🤤🤤🤤

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Hi! I had never thought about making muffins with mochi flour, and the addition of black sesame makes me super curious to try them. I do have one question: do you think I could substitute the eggs with chia seeds or psyllium husk? I know the flavour is going to change if I do, but mostly I was wondering about the texture and structure.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Oh, it is so good you have to try it with mochi flour! And if you like sesame, you would absolutely love these muffins. I have never tried it with eggs substitute, so I am not sure how the muffins will turn out, sorry!

      Reply

  10. Hello! I actually haven’t tried this recipe, but I have everything needed…so I can’t wait to try it! I do have a question though. I already have black sesame paste, so I’m wondering how much of that would I use? I’m thinking it would end up being 1C (1/2+1/2), but since the seeds get blended with honey I don’t feel confident about that being right haha. What amount would you recommend?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  11. The muffin was really good! A tad sweet for my liking but the taste is spot on. I used paper liners and they’re all stuck so I’m actually disappointed in that. Will bake without them next time!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • I’m glad you like the muffins! I find that greasing generously with just butter or ALOT of cooking spray works better than paper liners. Hope you make them again 🙂

      Reply

  13. Hello, it seems my comment didn’t post earlier. I was wondering, since I already have the sesame paste. How much would I add instead of the homemade sesame paste. Would it still be 1 cup? Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  17. I made this today! So good ! The flavor of the black sesame is spot on. My family loved them too. Recipe made 19 muffins and baked in 50 minutes. Mahalo for the recipe Christian 😍🤗

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  18. We made these last night and I’m officially addicted! Fantastic recipe! We substituted pandan extract for the vanilla, and used coconut sugar, and the flavor was outstanding. Because we love black sesame flavor so much, we were wondering what you think about substituting some black sesame oil for some of the butter. Do you think that would work, and if so, what proportions do you think would be best? Also, we’ve had the Third Culture Muffins before and indeed they are amazing. But I have to say that your version is every bit as good.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi there! Thank you for visiting my website! I think if you substitute just 1-2 tbsp should be fine, but not too much because too much oil can make the muffins softer, instead of crispy exterior. Hope it works!

      Reply

  19. Hi Christian, would love to try your recipe. Does it still work if I substitute the coconut milk to fresh milk instead? will it change the texture though? thank you.

    Reply

  20. Tried this the other day but added a little bit more mochiko flour bcus the batter seemed watery. However, turned out great! This was a very easy recipe to follow.
    I only had silicone cupcake holder so the edges were not as crispy as I’d expect a muffin TIN would bake but my family actually liked the “softer” edges and the top/bottom crunchy!
    Thank you for this recipe 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Tiff, thanks for visiting my website! Silicone material does create softer texture, so glad your family still love them!

      Reply

  21. These muffins are so delicious! I changed them to vegan however, and they are still incredible! I love the contrast of the crispy outside and the gooey inside and of course the flavor of black sesame which is so unique. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!

    Reply

  22. Hi Christian! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    I love third culture mochi muffins, but I’m lactose-intolerant so it’s always a bit of a risk stomach-wise since they use quite a bit of butter.

    I swapped out the melted butter for melted coconut oil and the recipe still came out wonderfully. I also hadn’t made my own sesame paste before, and thought the freshness really added something! Compared to third culture, I think your mochi muffins have a much more moist, mochi middle, which I enjoyed even more than the original. Thank you so much! Trying to stop myself from gobbling these up in one night!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi Angie! Wow, I am flattered! Good to know that coconut oil works too. I find making your own black sesame paste always taste better. Thank you so much for making my recipe:)

      Reply

  23. Oh yeah !!! I tried Yesterday and it was so good !!!!!! I used chia seeds instead of eggs. Délicious !!! Thanks ❤️ !!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  24. Oh yeah !!! I tried Yesterday and it was so good !!!!!! I used chia seeds instead of eggs. Délicious !!! Thanks ❤️ !!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

        • Hi Renee, I am excited for you to try! Silicon pan tends to bake more quickly. I would reduce the baking time and check periodically to make sure the muffins are not burnt.

          Reply

  25. I just made them, they came out deeeee-licious! I happen to live close to Third Culture in Berkeley, and regularly pick up their goodies, so I can verify that these are strong contenders, if not a little bit better.

    I made 2 tweaks:
    – substituted coconut sugar for brown sugar for a bit healthier option, and it didn’t impact the moisture in my opinion.
    – I didn’t have coconut milk, so I combined a ratio of coconut cream and coconut water to make a substitute.

    Thank you for sharing this recipe, I will surely be using it again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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