Daifuku (Mochi Rice Cakes with Red Bean Paste)
Pillowy, chewy mochi wrapped around smooth sweet red bean paste, dusted with a fine veil of starch. Soft, bouncy and just sweet enough — a little mouthful of Japanese tradition you can make at home with nothing more than a bowl and a microwave.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Shape the filling
Divide the chilled red bean paste into 8 portions, about 25 g each, and roll each into a smooth ball with slightly damp hands. Cover the balls with plastic so they do not dry out while you make the mochi dough.
- 200 g red bean paste
- a few drops water, for damp hands
✅ Done when: 8 smooth, round balls of filling, covered
Mix the dough
In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk the rice flour, sugar, salt and water together until completely smooth, with no lumps.
- 150 g rice flour
- 35 g sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 180 ml water
✅ Done when: batter is smooth and lump-free
Cook the mochi
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Dust and portion
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Wrap the filling
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Smooth and finish
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Rest and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Shape the filling
Divide the chilled red bean paste into 8 portions, about 25 g each, and roll each into a smooth ball with slightly damp hands. Cover the balls with plastic so they do not dry out while you make the mochi dough.
- 200 g red bean paste
- a few drops water, for damp hands
✅ Done when: 8 smooth, round balls of filling, covered
Mix the dough
In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk the rice flour, sugar, salt and water together until completely smooth, with no lumps.
- 150 g rice flour
- 35 g sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 180 ml water
✅ Done when: batter is smooth and lump-free
Cook the mochi
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Dust and portion
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Wrap the filling
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Smooth and finish
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Rest and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Mochi — pounded sticky rice — has been part of Japanese food culture for over a thousand years, originally tied to seasonal and New Year rituals believed to bring strength and good fortune. Stuffing soft mochi with sweet bean paste became popular in the Edo period, when sugar and refined anko grew more affordable, and sweet shops began selling the little filled cakes to everyday customers rather than just temples and courts.
The name daifuku means "great luck," and the cakes are still exchanged as a cheerful, auspicious treat at New Year and other celebrations, alongside everyday versions sold fresh in convenience stores and sweet shops across Japan.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The contrast between the soft, stretchy mochi and the smooth, mildly sweet bean paste inside is one of the most loved textures in Japanese confectionery, simple enough to make at home yet instantly recognisable.
💡 Fun Fact
Modern daifuku shops have expanded far beyond red bean, filling the mochi with whole strawberries, custard cream or matcha paste, but the plain anko version remains the one most Japanese grandmothers still make at home.
Japan
35.68°N, 139.65°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!