Chewy Red Bean Butter Mochi

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Butter mochi is one of those desserts I keep finding new spins on, and this red bean butter mochi is one I had to share. I’ve been folding homemade sweet red bean paste straight into that chewy, coconut-rich base, and it turned out SO good. If you already know red bean from daifuku or manju, you know how that sweet, earthy anko plays with a soft mochi cake, and trust me, baked into a buttery square it hits even harder. Chewy center, lightly crisp golden top, and CRAZY satisfying in a way a plain dessert just isn’t! 🍽

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What Makes This Red Bean Butter Mochi So Good

The whole magic of butter mochi is in the texture, and I think the red bean version holds onto every bit of it. You get that lightly crisp, golden edge up top with a dense, chewy, almost custardy center underneath, which is the best of both worlds in one little square. Then the sweet red bean paste ribbons all the way through, and that mellow, earthy sweetness keeps it from ever tasting flat.

Plus, anko and mochi just belong together. It’s the same pairing you already love in classic Japanese sweets, except here it’s baked right into a buttery coconut-milk cake instead of tucked inside a soft rice wrapper. If you’re into that combo, my red bean matcha chocolate cups lean on the exact same anko in a no-bake white chocolate shell, so that’s your move when you don’t want to turn on the oven!

What Is Red Bean Mochi Made Of?

Red bean butter mochi comes together from two simple parts. The base is a classic Hawaiian-Japanese butter mochi batter: sweet rice flour (mochiko), coconut milk, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and a little baking powder, all whisked smooth and baked until chewy. The red bean part is anko, a sweet paste you make by simmering azuki beans and sweetening them until they turn glossy. You fold that anko right into the batter so every bite carries that earthy flavor, and honestly, I think it’s easier than it sounds. If you’d rather skip a step, a can of store-bought sweetened anko works too.

What Does Red Bean Butter Mochi Taste Like?

I like mine chewy, buttery, and just sweet enough, with that signature mochi stretch you only get from sweet rice flour. The coconut milk gives the base a rich, slightly tropical background, and the red bean paste sits right on top of it with a nutty, earthy sweetness that reminds me of traditional wagashi like daifuku and manju. It’s dessert, but it’s not the sugar-bomb kind. I love that the flavor is mellow and not too sweet, more cozy than candy, and that balance keeps it from ever feeling like too much.

Tips for Making Red Bean Butter Mochi

1. Soak the beans overnight

Don’t skip the long soak when making the anko from scratch. Cover the azuki beans with water about an inch above them and let them sit at least 10 hours or overnight. They cook up softer and mash into a smoother paste, which makes the paste come together SO much easier!

2. Sift the sweet rice flour

Mochiko loves to clump on you. Whisk the dry ingredients together first, then sift them into the wet mix so your batter goes silky instead of lumpy. A smooth batter bakes into that even, all-the-way-through chew you want.

3. Don’t overbake it

Pull the mochi when the top is deep golden and the center is just set, right around 60 minutes. It firms up a lot as it cools, so a touch of softness in the middle is exactly right. Leave it in too long and you’ll dry out that custardy center.

4. Cool it completely before slicing

This is the hard part, I know. Warm butter mochi tears instead of cutting clean, so give it a solid 2 hours to set up, then slice with a knife you wipe between cuts. That’s how you get those neat little squares instead of a gummy mess.

Storage & Leftovers

I think red bean butter mochi is best the day you make it, when the top is still a little crisp and the center is at peak chew. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. It’s chewiest at room temp, so if you refrigerate it, let a square sit out for a few minutes or warm it for a couple seconds in the microwave to bring that soft texture back. These travel well too, which makes them a great potluck bring-along! If you want another seasonal spin on the same base, my chewy pumpkin butter mochi swaps in pumpkin and warm spice for the fall.

Equipment

• Pressure cooker or Instant Pot
• Fine mesh sieve
• Potato masher
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• 8×8 baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

For the sweet red bean paste:

• 1 cup Assi Red Beans (azuki beans)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Water

For the butter mochi:

• 1 3/4 cups sweet rice flour (mochiko)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups sweet red bean paste (from above)
• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
• 4 oz butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Substitutions and Swaps

Here’s what you can safely swap, plus the one thing I’d never mess with.

• Sweet red bean paste. Homemade anko tastes the freshest, but a can of store-bought sweetened red bean paste works and saves you the overnight soak. Just double-check it’s sweetened, since some canned azuki is plain.
• Coconut milk. Full-fat canned coconut milk gives you the richest, most custardy result. Light coconut milk still bakes up fine, just a little less rich. Whole milk works in a pinch, but you’ll lose that tropical background note.
• Butter. Salted or unsalted both work here. If you go salted, pull the added salt back to a pinch so it doesn’t get too savory.
• Sweet rice flour. Don’t swap this one. Mochiko (glutinous rice flour) is what gives butter mochi its signature chewy, stretchy bite. Regular wheat flour or plain rice flour bakes into a totally different, cakey texture and you’ll lose the whole point.

For a fruit-forward version on the same base, my mango butter mochi ribbons in bright mango jam instead of anko, though that one leans on a boxed Hawaiian mochi mix to keep things quick.

Instructions

1. Soak the beans. Pour the Assi Red Beans into a bowl and cover with water about an inch above the beans. Soak at least 10 hours or overnight.
2. Cook the beans. Drain, then add the beans to a pressure cooker with fresh water 1.5 to 2 inches above them. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then quick release.
3. Mash and sweeten. Drain the beans again, tip them into a bowl, and lightly mash with a potato masher. Leave some partial beans for texture. Stir in the sugar and salt until the paste turns glossy.
4. Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
5. Make the batter. Whisk all the butter mochi ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Sifting the dry ingredients over the wet helps.
6. Bake. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 60 minutes, until deep golden and set.
7. Cool and cut. Let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours, then move it to a cutting board and slice into squares.

This is the kind of dessert I keep coming back to, because it feels a little special without any of the fuss. It’s chewy, it’s buttery, and that red bean paste makes it taste like something out of a Japanese bakery, not something you whisked together in one bowl!

And if you’re new to baking with mochiko, this is a great one to start on, since it’s basically one bowl and a whisk. If you’ve got an afternoon and a can of azuki beans, you’re most of the way there already!

Would you give red bean butter mochi a try? If you make it, leave a star rating on the recipe card below and drop a comment to let me know how it came out. I’m always down to hear which butter mochi flavor is your favorite. 🙌

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