Homemade Chocolate Mochi Ice Cream
Satisfy your chocolate cravings with this chocolate mochi ice cream: rich chocolate ice cream wrapped in soft, chewy mochi!
Ingredients
- 8 scoops chocolate ice cream #20 cookie scoop size
- About ½ cup cornstarch to dust the work surface
For the mochi
- ½ cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour) 95g, note1
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar 70g
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup water 142g
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil
Instructions
Prep the Ice Cream
- Chill the ice cream: Scoop 8 scoops chocolate ice cream using a #20 cookie or ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons size) into muffin cups, and let them chill in the freezer for at least 2 hours. You can easily scoop ice cream by soaking your scoop in water.
Prep the Mochi
- Dust the work surface: Generously dust your work surface with About ½ cup cornstarch.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Combine ½ cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour), ⅓ cup white granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder in a microwave-safe bowl. Use a spatula to mix.
- Add water and oil: Gradually add ⅔ cup water, stirring until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Mix in 1 teaspoon neutral oil thoroughly.
- Microwave the mochi (note2): Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke small holes in it with a fork. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds, then remove it and mix well. Microwave for another 30 seconds and knead the mochi. Repeat this “microwave for 30 seconds and knead” process two more times, or until the mochi forms a ball, becomes silky, stretches well, and comes off the spatula without sticking to it.- Taste test a small portion. If you detect the texture of uncooked rice flour, microwave for another 15–30 seconds.
- Roll the mochi: Spread the mochi on the dusted work surface and dust the top with cornstarch. Dust a rolling pin and roll the mochi into a square about 0.2 inches (5mm) thick, and let it cool to room temperature (about 15–30 minutes).
- Cut the mochi: Slice the mochi into 6 pieces.
Wrap the Ice Cream
- Wrap individual ice cream balls (note3):Note: Remove one ice cream ball at a time from the freezer to prevent melting.1. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on your counter. Remove excess cornstarch from one mochi sheet and put it on the plastic wrap.2. Gently stretch the mochi with your hands so it’s large enough to wrap the ice cream ball.3. Form a circle with your thumb and index finger, place the mochi sheet over it, and position the ice cream (rounded side down) in the center. Drop the ice cream into the circle, wrapping it snugly with the mochi.4. Seal the opening tightly, trim off excess mochi, and wrap the mochi ice cream in plastic wrap.5. Immediately return the wrapped mochi ice cream to the freezer, and repeat the same processes to create more mochi ice cream.
- Use leftover dough: Combine any leftover mochi dough, roll it out to the same thickness, and cut it into two additional sheets. Repeat the process to make two more mochi ice creams.
Serve
- Let the mochi ice cream sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
(1) Using the right glutinous rice flour: Glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour) is NOT the same as regular rice flour, and it CANNOT be substituted with anything else. You can find it at your local Asian grocery store or on Amazon (Koda Farms Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour is my go-to).
(2-1) Making mochi dough without microwave: You can make mochi dough on the stovetop as well. Prepare the dough mixture as instructed, then pour it into a pot and heat it over medium heat. Stir continuously with a spatula until the dough becomes shiny and smooth. Afterward, follow the instructions for rolling out the mochi into a sheet.
(2-2) How long to microwave the mochi dough: To see how your mochi dough should look at the end of the step, please refer to the step-by-step photos.
(3-1) Another way to wrap ice cream: If the wrapping method in this recipe feels too difficult, you can simply place the mochi sheet on plastic wrap, put the ice cream ball on top, and then lift the edges of the mochi to enclose it. However, you might not be able to make all 8 mochi ice cream balls using this method.
(3-2) Detailed instructions on how to wrap ice cream: For more information, please refer to the How to Wrap Ice Cream with Mochi section.
🍫If you like mochi, be sure to try our Chocolate Mochi with Ganache Filling too!