Do you love Melona ice cream? Well, you’ll LOVE these melona ice cream mochi. It’s such a fun treat to make and you won’t believe how easy it is to make at home!
Mochi ice cream is a popular Japanese dessert made from pounded rice. You might have seen these at a Japanese restaurant or the frozen food section of Whole Foods! Did you know it’s very simple to make at home and for much cheaper, too?
For this recipe, I’m making mochi out of everyone’s favorite Korean ice cream bar – Melona! The mochi dough is flavored using melona bars and the inside is filled with the same delicious Melona ice cream.
Mochi ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to make these delicious mochi balls! You should be able to find all of these ingredients at an Asian grocery store, but I’ve also added Amazon links below.
- melona ice cream: this is a popular Korean ice cream bar that has a texture between ice cream and a popsicle. It’s slightly creamy, fruity and so refreshing.
- sugar: I used white sugar for this recipe but you can certainly substitute your favorite sweetener.
- neutral oil: I recommend coconut oil because it has a light and slightly sweet flavor. You can also use any neutral flavored oil like vegetable or canola since the taste will not be noticeable.
- glutinous rice flour: Mochiko is my favorite brand to use when making mochi, but you can use other brands as well. Glutinous rice flour is essential for making mochi! It will give you that soft and chewy consistency that you’re familiar with. And yes, glutinous rice flour is GLUTEN-FREE! The name is a bit confusing but if you’re gluten intolerant, then you can still enjoy mochi.
Here are all of the products I like to use:
Important tips
- Mochi dough is very sticky, so use plenty of starch! I like to use a sifter for thin, even layers of starch. Don’t be shy when adding starch – add it to the cutting board, your hand, the knife and another layer on top of the dough. Once you become a pro, you’ll know exactly how much to use. As a beginner, though, it’s best to use more starch to prevent stickiness.
- Make sure the dough is completely cool before wrapping the ice cream. It will melt and become a mess if you wrap the ice cream with dough that’s still warm. Also make sure to cover the dough with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out
- Work quickly because ice cream melts very fast. Only take out one ice cream ball at a time to wrap your dough and immediately put it back in the freezer until firm. Also, try not to touch and squeeze the mochi balls because the warmth from your hands will melt it.
- Don’t skip any of the steps! There is a purpose to each step and it’s best not to take shortcuts, especially if it’s your first time. As an example – if you don’t freeze the ice cream solid after shaping, then you will end up with a melting mess.
Watch my full length mochi ice cream video below!
Melona Ice Cream Mochi
- Total Time: 2.5 hours
- Yield: 4 mochi 1x
Description
Do you love melona ice cream? Well, you’ll LOVE these melona ice cream mochi. It’s such a fun treat and so easy to make at home!
Ingredients
- 6 melona ice cream bars
- 40g white sugar
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (coconut, vegetable, canola, etc)
- 120g glutinous rice flour
- potato starch for dusting *see note
Instructions
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Start by preparing the ice cream molds 2 hours in advance. Place 4 cupcake liners into a muffin tin. Then take out 3 melona bars and transfer it to a bowl. Tightly pack the ice cream into the ice cream scooper using a spoon and make a flat edge using a knife. Place in the freezer for 2 hours to harden.
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Once the ice cream has hardened, melt 3 melona bars in a nonstick pan on low heat and turn off the heat once melted. Alternatively, you can let the melona bars sit out at room temperature until melted. Add the sugar and oil and mix. Then, gradually add in the glutinous rice flour in several batches and mix well using a whisk.
- Turn the heat back on to about a medium to medium low. Continue to stir with a whisk, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan. After several minutes, it should start to thicken up. Stir constantly and switch to a paddle spatula once it becomes too difficult to mix with a whisk.
- Adjust the heat as needed but do not rush this process! It should take between 7 and 14 minutes to cook, depending on your pan and temperature. The dough is ready when it’s smooth, elastic and soft. Make sure to taste test it – if you still taste little grains of flour, then it needs to cook more.
- Next, sprinkle potato starch on a cutting board using a sifter for even application. Place the mochi dough on top and add more starch on top. Roll it out into a square and cover with plastic wrap. Let it chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Now it’s time to shape the mochi balls! Cut the mochi dough into 4 even squares. Take out one ice cream ball one at a time, place it on top of the dough, bring the edges together and pinch off the excess. Let it set in the freezer for ~20 minutes. You can also store these in the freezer for a longer period of time – just let it come to room temperature for ~10 minutes to soften. Enjoy!
Notes
I highly recommend using potato starch for best texture and taste, but you can substitute cornstarch. I find that cornstarch has a stronger flavor and the texture is not nearly as soft as potato starch.
- Prep Time: 2 hours + 20 minutes resting
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Keywords: melona ice cream mochi
