The most delicious and easy Mochi Donut recipe ever! A Japanese-inspired donut that’s mixed in one bowl and is completely gluten-free. The chewy texture, crisp edges, and simple ingredient list will make this a favorite treat. A simple condensed milk glaze adds just enough sweetness.
What are Mochi Donuts?
Mochi Donuts are Japanese donuts made with glutinous rice flour instead of wheat flour. Different from regular donuts, Mochi Donuts have a sticky, chewy, mochi-like texture. They fry up crisp with a delightfully stretchy, chewy texture. Inspired by the famous Japanese chain, Mr. Donut, they are such a delicious snack or dessert!
Unlike traditional donuts, Mochi Doughnuts are light with a springy, bouncy bite. Swapping all-purpose wheat flour with glutinous flour creates a wonderfully chewy, lighter texture. Glutinous rice flour, which comes from glutinous or sticky rice, is also completely gluten-free.
Sometimes, Mochi Donuts are called Pon-de-Ring Donuts. Instead of the classic circle, the dough is shaped into 8 little balls of dough that link together in a circular chain. They form a ring (hence the name) to maximize the chewy texture of each bite. YUM!
To make things easy, my Mochi Donut recipe is not a pon-de-ring. It also does not require a starter dough. A short list of simple ingredients and one bowl is all you need.
I’ve made this mochi doughnut recipe purposefully easy to make. The sticky dough is mixed in one bowl. Then rolled out and cut into donuts. Deep fry in hot oil until golden. A quick dip in a Condensed Milk Glaze completes it!
Ingredients:
- Glutinous Rice Flour. Also known as Sticky Rice Flour, Sweet Rice Flour, or Mochiko flour. A gluten-free ingredient found in the International aisle at most grocery stores or Asian markets. I use Thai Erawan Elephant or Mochiko Blue Star Sweet Rice Flour from Koda Farms. Do not use regular rice flour — it’s not the same!
- Warm Milk. Warming the milk slightly makes the dough easier to handle. The secret to a smooth and pliable dough. I recommend whole milk, as the fat improves the texture immensely. In a pinch, 2% or 1% also works.
- Oil. A little bit keeps the gluten-free dough from becoming too crumbly.
- Baking Powder. Gives the mochi donuts their rise.
- Sugar. Adds a little sweetness.
- Egg. Gives the donuts structure and chew.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk. A simple glaze that adds lots of flavor. Better than a sugar glaze, it adds sweetness without being overpowering. I recommend Vietnamese Longevity Brand.
How to make gluten-free donuts:
- Combine ingredients. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl: glutinous rice flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Combine wet ingredients in a measuring cup: warm milk, oil, egg.
- Mix dough together. Add wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until large clumps form. Gather clumps with hands and form into a large ball. Knead until smooth. The dough will be sticky.
- Cut donuts. Generously flour a work surface with glutinous rice flour. Transfer dough and roll out until 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles and donut holes. Knead the scrap pieces and keep cutting until you have 8-10 donuts. *Make sure the donuts are not too thin!
- Set up Deep Frying Station. Set up a Dutch oven with 1-2 inches of oil. Attach a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil. Set up a wire rack or cooling rack fitted over a sheet pan — it will drain the excess oil and keep the donuts from losing their crispy texture as they cool.
- Deep fry. When the temperature reaches 350F, add donuts to hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown and puffy, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a cooling rack. Check out this Deep Frying Guide for more details. *Make sure not to overcook! When you take a bite, the donut should be chewy and a little bit stretchy.
- Glaze. Dip into sweetened condensed milk. Dip and swirl. Enjoy!
PRO Tips:
- Don’t worry about the dough! The beauty of gluten-free donuts means there’s no worry of overworking the dough. Mix and knead without worry. Rework the scraps to make extra donuts. If you mess up, start over. The dough is very forgiving.
- Do not twist the biscuit cutter! Press downwards, without a twisting motion. A simple trick to create the most rise in the donuts.
- Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. The thickness is essential to the chew and rise. Don’t roll it too thin! You should be able to cut out 8 donuts from the dough.
- Use a candy thermometer. When deep frying, a candy thermometer makes it very easy to gauge oil temperature. Deep frying when the oil hits 350F ensures the Mochi doughnuts are not too greasy and oily.
- Glaze warm donuts. The heat of freshly fried donuts will thin out the sweetened condensed milk. It’s ok if the glaze looks gloppy at first. Once it settles, it will be smooth and shiny.
Variations:
- Matcha Glaze. Add 1 tsp of matcha powder to the sweetened condensed milk and whisk well.
- Ube Glaze. Add 1 tsp ube paste to the sweetened condensed milk and whisk well.
FAQ:
Yes, mochi donuts can be air fried. Spray dough with spray oil and cook in the Air Fryer at 400F for 6 minutes. They won’t be as crispy as deep-fried donuts but it’s a good substitute.
Despite its name, glutinous does not refer to gluten. Glutinous is a descriptor for the kind of rice used — glutinous rice, also called sweet or sticky rice. As a rice flour, glutinous rice flour is completely gluten-free. Make sure to check the label for trace amounts to be entirely sure.
Yes, you can successfully bake this gluten-free donut recipe in the oven. Use a donut pan to make it easier. Otherwise, use a piping bag to form rings on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400F until done, about 12-15 minutes.
More Gluten Free Desserts:
- Black Sesame Mochi Cake
- Black Sesame Mochi Donuts
- Coconut Mochi Cake
- Chocolate Espresso Almond Cake with Cinnamon Whip
- Matcha Coconut Pudding Cups
- Vegan Dark Chocolate Mousse with Cashew Cream
Easy Gluten-Free Mochi Donuts
Equipment
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- candy thermometer
- Baking Sheet
- wire rack
- 5-inch Biscuit Cutter
- 1-inch Biscuit cutter
- Large Bowl
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cups/ 250g glutinous rice flour
- 1/3 cup/ 70g sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup/ 150ml warm milk (microwave for 30 seconds until warm to touch)
- 2 Tbsp oil (I use grapeseed oil)
- 1 large egg
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
Dough:
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl: glutinous rice flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Combine wet ingredients in a measuring cup: warm milk, oil, egg. (I add the milk first and then heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then I add the oil and egg.) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with a fork until large clumps form.
- Gather clumps with hands and form into a large ball. Knead until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. It will be very sticky. (Feel free to add more rice flour, up to 1/2 cup, if it's too sticky.)
- Flour a work surface with rice flour. Transfer dough and roll out until 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles and donut holes. Knead the scrap pieces and keep cutting until you have 8-10 donuts. (Again, the dough will be very sticky so be sure to generously flour with rice flour – the rolling pins, the biscuit cutters, the dough.)
- Prepare for deep frying: Fill a cast iron dutch oven with 1-2 inches of neutral oil with a high smoke point. (I use grapeseed oil.) Clip a candy thermometer and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Heat oil on medium heat until the temperature reaches 350F/175C. Add donuts, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden and puffy, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to paper towel lined baking sheet to drain oil. Keep frying in batches until all donuts are fried on both sides. Keep an eye on the thermometer and adjust heat level so the temperature stays between 340-350F. (Make sure not to overcook! When you take a bite, the donut should be chewy and a little bit stretchy. It's ok if it doesn't look fully cooked — as long as it's not raw, it's better to undercook rather than to overcook.)
Glaze:
- While the donuts cool, add sweetened condensed milk to a small, shallow bowl. Dip donuts, one at a time, and swirl the glaze around. The glaze will be thick at first and thin out, dripping down the sides, as it sits. Repeat a second time.
- Eat donuts immediately! They are best eaten on the same day they are made.
Notes
- Don’t worry about the dough! The beauty of gluten-free donuts means there’s no worry of overworking the dough. Mix and knead without worry. Rework the scraps to make extra donuts. If you mess up, start over. The dough is very forgiving.
- Do not twist the biscuit cutter! Simply press downwards, without a twisting motion. A simple trick to create the most rise in the donuts.
- Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. The thickness is essential to the chew and rise. Don’t roll it too thin! You should be able to cut out 8 donuts from the dough.
- Use a candy thermometer. When deep frying, a candy thermometer makes it very easy to gauge oil temperature. Deep frying when the oil hits 350F makes sure the donuts are not too greasy and oily.
- Glaze warm donuts. The heat of freshly fried donuts will thin out the sweetened condensed milk. It’s ok if the glaze looks gloppy at first. Once it settles, it will be smooth and shiny.
It’s delicious:) I made it for my family and it was so good! Any recommendations for storing the dough in fridge/freezer? Pre making the dough a day before? Thank you
SO. GOOD. I used an air fryer at 175 degrees celsius for 12 minutes. The texture is chewy and crisp in the best way. So so so easy to make as well. I will 100000% be making again. It got my grandmother AND mother’s seal of approval.
I saw these on tiktok few months ago and decided to make these yesterday. They turned out super yummy! I used almond milk and added vanilla extract and made them unto mini donuts and dusted with powdered sugar. My mom is gluten sensitive so I was glad she was able to have them. Definitely will make them again. Thankyou for the recipe ♡
These are absolutely awesome! I put some Ube Halaya on them instead of the icing. Mmm mmmm!!!
Yum! Can’t wait to try these 🙂 what is the best oil to deep fry them in?
For deep frying, peanut oil is the best. But we have people with severe peanut allergies in our lives so I use regular vegetable or canola oil instead. It’s a really good second choice! My third choice would be grape seed oil. Good luck!
So easy and delicious! I have loved having these as a snack with some hot tea. I might add a little more sugar if I’m feeling more of a sweet tooth, but I will definitely make these again!
Hi! I’ve tried this recipe but my donuts don’t puff up and the little bit of puffing up that occurs, it goes completely flat once it’s out the oil and cools down. What am I doing wrong? Used the correct amount of baking powder, had to add a little more milk because my dough was crumbly.
These donuts don’t puff up that much, actually. But if the dough is rolled out too thinly, they fry up really flat. Maybe that’s the issue? The dough should be 1/2 inch thick. And rolls out to exactly 8 donuts. If you have more than 8 donuts, then that might be the issue
Hmm maybe I cut it too thin. But they didn’t puff up at all, they were flat like pancakes lol. Yours look like they have a bit of puff to them. I’ll try again!
You can also check your baking powder and see if it’s fresh? I hope the donuts will be a success the next time!
Have you ever tried almond milk for this? Got a kiddo that’s also lactose intolerant!
I haven’t but let me know if you do! I’ve heard that evaporated milk is easier to digest for lactose intolerant people so maybe it could work, depending on the severity?
Hi! I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I’ve been trying to make donuts at home using alternative flours and this by far was the only one that truly satisfied my donut craving!
I have one question though – Can this dough be made in advance then refrigerated to be fried another time? I learned the hard way that anything else mochi doesn’t really store well in the fridge after cooking, but I’ve read people commenting on other recipes saying the raw dough can be stored and cooked at a later date. Was just hoping to confirm that with you.
Nevertheless, these are DIVINE. So thankful for this recipe (especially since it doesn’t need starter dough too! I’m one of the few barbarians in the world who doesn’t have a microwave at home. Hahaha!). Have also tried the Black Sesame and that came out great as well.
Cheers!
Hi Anton, I’m so happy you love this recipe! Yay!! Thanks for your kind words. Unfortunately, I’ve never stored the dough in the fridge or freezer. I don’t know how they would fare, so do let me know if you try it.
For me, I think I would try freezing the already fried donuts and see how they taste. Most bread recipes and even regular mochi survives very well in the freezer. Simply reheat in an oven at 375 – 400 F! I’ve even thawed frozen mochi at room temp and it’s a perfect texture so I’m guessing it could work with mochi donuts?
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