A Beloved Japanese Treat, Reimagined for the Modern Foodie
Mochi ice cream is more than a dessert—it’s a little moment of wonder.
Wrapped in a chewy layer of mochi, its soft bite hides a creamy surprise inside. It’s the kind of sweet that feels like a celebration, even on an ordinary day.
Originating from the traditional Japanese daifuku (だいふく, 大福), mochi ice cream is the playful cousin. Where daifuku was once filled with red bean paste and served in tea ceremonies, today’s version tucks in frozen scoops of vanilla, matcha, or strawberry for a refreshing twist. It’s one of Japan’s most iconic contributions to the modern dessert world—and one that’s beloved around the world.
But for those of us living sugar-conscious lifestyles, you’ve probably found yourself gazing longingly at those pastel orbs in the freezer aisle—only to walk away. Why? Because traditional mochi ice cream is loaded with sugar and starch.
As lifelong lovers of Japanese mochi, we weren’t about to let that stop us—we were determined to recreate the joy without the baggage.
The Inspiration Behind Our Low Carb Mochi Ice Cream
During the height of the pandemic, I made a promise to prioritize my health—and my family’s. After extensive research, I cut out sugar, gluten, and inflammation-triggering foods for good. I also began practicing intermittent fasting for body healing and various benefits. While I saw improvements in my energy, weight, and overall well-being, I also missed the foods that once brought me joy—like mochi.
I searched high and low, but nothing came close. That’s when I decided to go into the kitchen. After countless trials, I finally recreated the mochi sensation I missed so dearly: soft, stretchy, and a satisfying chew—with none of the sugar or carbs.
This Daifuku Mochi Baking Mix is the first product I ever created—and the one still closest to my heart. It delivers a soft, elastic mochi skin that wraps your favorite filling, all while being low-carb, gluten-free, vegan, fiber-rich, and made with clean ingredients, at just 1g net carb per mochi piece.
Finally, a feel-good indulgence that tastes like the real deal.
What You Need to Make Low Carb Mochi Ice Cream
Our Daifuku Mochi Baking Mix is versatile for all types of fillings, not just ice cream! It also works beautifully for classic daifuku with red bean paste (check out our Daifuku Mochi blog post for the full recipe), custard cream, Ichigo Daifuku (strawberry mochi), or without as dango without fillings—offering endless possibilities.
Here’s everything you’ll need to recreate this beloved Japanese treat!
- Ingredients (makes 6 mochi rounds)
- 135g (½ bag) of our Daifuku Mochi Baking Mix
- 90g room temperature water (use filtered or purified water for best result)
- 10g clear-colored, neutral-flavored oil (MCT oil or Nutiva Organic Liquid Fractionated Coconut Oil)—use only oils that stay liquid at room temperature.
- 1 tablespoon Glutinous Rice Flour for dusting. You may also substitute with cornstarch or potato starch.
👉🏻 Carb impact is negligible (1 tablespoon contains about 8g carbs and you’ll be using less than that in this recipe). Want zero-carb dusting? Use bamboo flour. - Your favorite ice cream (we recommend Nick’s Strawberry Swirl—keto friendly with real strawberry bits!)
💡 Tip: Prepare your ice cream filling ahead of time:- Line a muffin pan with 6 liners.
- Using a small cookie scoop (4-teaspoons size), scoop the ice cream into 6 round balls and place them in the muffin pan.
- Place the ice-cream in the freezer to firm up for at least 1 hour.
- Tools:
- 1.5-quart microwave-safe bowl
- Spatula
- Small whisk (or fork)
- Kitchen scale (essential for true mochi texture!)
- Food-safe gloves
- Silicone mat
- Plastic wrap
- Small cookie scoop (≈ 4-teaspoon size)
- Muffin cups (standard-size)
- 3.5″ cookie cutter (optional)
- Rolling pin (optional)
👉🏻 No rolling pin or cookie cutter? Check out the Hand-Pressed Method below.
How to Make Low Carb Mochi Ice Cream
1. Prepare the dough
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 135g (½ bag) of our Daifuku Mochi Baking Mix with 90g room-temperature, filtered water. Mix with a whisk (or fork) until the batter is smooth and no dry lumps remain.
💡 Important: Use a kitchen scale to get accurate measurements.
👉🏻 Even a small difference in water will change the result. Measuring by grams is the only way to guarantee that signature mochi texture. - Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix again until fully combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a few small holes for steam to escape.
- Microwave on high (1000W) for 90 seconds.
👉🏻 When you remove the bowl, you should notice the dough has turned opaque (milky white) and smell a faint, sweet glutinous-rice aroma. - Stir with a spatula to expose any wet spots.
👉🏻 Seeing a few slightly wet patches is normal. This is why we heat it again. - Microwave for another 15 seconds, bringing total heat time to 1 minute 45 seconds.
👉🏻 This final 15-second burst is what fully sets the dough and eliminates remaining wet areas.
2. Add Oil & Let It Rest
- Carefully remove the plastic wrap — hot steam will escape.
- Add 10g oil to the hot dough. Using a spatula, mix firmly for 1–2 minutes to begin working the oil into the dough.
👉🏻 You may notice that the dough cannot absorb all the oil immediately. This is normal. The remaining oil will absorb during resting and kneading. - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap again and let it rest for 30 minutes.
👉🏻 Letting the dough rest is essential:—it cools the dough to a safe, workable temperature and gives the natural gelling agents time to fully hydrate. The result is a smoother, more chewy dough.
3. Knead until Smooth
- Once the mochi dough has rested for 30 minutes, transfer it to a clean silicone mat.
💡 Tip: Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the mat for extra nonstick protection.
👉🏻 Wear food-safe gloves — it prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. - Before kneading, squeeze and compress the dough for 30–45 seconds.
👉🏻 This pre-compression helps drive the oil deeper into the dough so kneading becomes faster. - Knead by hand for 2–3 minutes using a firm push-and-fold motion.
👉🏻 At first, the dough may slide because of surface oil. Hold it steady with your other hand — the slipping will stop once the oil fully incorporates. - Toward the end of kneading, you’ll notice the dough gently lifts off the mat instead of sticking — that’s when you know it’s been kneaded enough.
- After kneading, your dough should look smooth, soft, and silky. It should feel supple and slightly bouncy when you press it.
4. Roll and Shape (See Alternative Hand-Pressed Method Below)
- Shape the dough into a ball.
- Lightly dust the dough (top and bottom) with cooked glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking.
💡 Tip: Microwave a tablespoon of glutinous rice flour for 1 minute (or pan-toast 3–5 minutes) to sterilize and cook it. - On a silicone mat, gently press the dough down and roll it out to about ⅛” thickness, adding dusting flour as needed.
- Use a 3.5″ cookie cutter to cut out as many circles as you can.
- Repeat these steps until you have 6 total rounds.
- Finally, gently dust each mochi round (top and bottom) with cooked glutinous rice flour and spread it evenly with your hands to coat the surface. This will not only prevent stickiness, but also add a subtle toasted-rice aroma—just like real mochi.
5. Assemble
- Retrieve your pre-portioned ice cream from the freezer, one piece at a time (keep the rest frozen, as ice cream melts quickly).
- Gently pick up one mochi round and place into your palm.
- Place the ice cream in the center, fold the sides toward the middle, pinching the seams to seal. Gently shape the mochi ice cream with your hands until it looks nicely rounded.
- Place the mochi ice cream, seam side down, into a muffin cup.
- Lightly dust with cooked glutinous rice flour to give your mochi ice cream that authentic finish.
- Repeat these steps with the remaining filling and mochi rounds.
- Freeze the assembled mochi ice cream for at least 1 hour before enjoying.
6. Enjoy!
- Remove the mochi ice cream from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
👉🏻 Enjoy your mochi ice cream within 3 days of making. Because it’s made without preservatives, the mochi may gradually absorb moisture from the freezer if left too long. For the best experience, wrap individually and store each piece in an airtight container to prevent moisture from the freezer.
Hand-Pressed Method
Don’t have a rolling pin or cookie cutter? No problem.
- After kneading (see “How to” section – Step 3: Knead Until Smooth), divide the mochi dough into equal 35g portions and shape each portion into a smooth ball with your hands.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the silicone mat and dust your working surface with some cooked glutinous rice flour.
- Press each ball flat by hand into a round that’s roughly 3.5″ across (and about ⅛″ thick).
👉🏻 If the dough feels sticky, dust with cooked glutinous rice flour until it’s workable. - Lightly dust each mochi round on both sides before wrapping your filling.
Tips for Success
- Use filtered or purified water – Because mochi is such a clean-tasting dessert, even subtle flavors from tap water (like chlorine or minerals) can interfere with its purity. If you want to truly replicate the authentic mochi experience, we strongly recommend using filtered or purified water.
- Use only oils that stay liquid at room temperature – Solid oils (like regular coconut oil or butter) will harden when cooled.
- Work in small batches – We recommend using only ½ pack of the baking mix per batch. Smaller portions are easier to knead and also help ensure the dough heats evenly in the microwave.
- Let the dough fully rest before kneading – Resting the dough for 30 minutes after microwaving is essential. This gives the mochi dough time to cool and allows the natural gelling agents to fully hydrate and activate—resulting in a smooth, and elastic dough.
- Don’t skip the kneading – Like traditional mochitsuki, kneading is what transforms the dough from rough to silky. 👉🏻 If you’ve seen YouTube videos, you’ll know that mochi dough doesn’t turn silky and smooth on its own. In Japan, this process is called mochitsuki (餅つき)—an age-old tradition where steamed glutinous rice is rhythmically pounded to achieve its signature mochi texture. Our low-carb version behaves the same way—it will gradually becoming smooth, elastic, and non-sticky as you knead.
- Work fast with cold fillings – When making mochi ice cream, speed is your friend. Keep your hands and tools cool, and wrap the mochi quickly to prevent melting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How many servings does one bag make?
One full bag weighs 270g and makes 12 mochi rounds. We recommend working with ½ bag at a time for easier handling (see Tips for Success).
Q2: What’s the best way to handle the dough?
Like traditional mochi, this dough is a little sticky! We recommend wearing food safe gloves and lightly dusting your work surface and the dough to keep things mess-free.
Q3: Why do you recommend using only clear, neutral-flavored oil?
Because oil directly influences the color, aroma, and flavor of your dough. Any tinted or strong-smelling oils (e.g., olive, avocado) will darken your dough and leave an overpowering taste.
Q4: Can I use other fillings besides ice cream?
Absolutely! You can fill them with sweet red bean paste (anko), custard cream, ganache, fresh fruit, or whatever your heart desires.
👉🏻 Check out our Daifuku Mochi and Sugar-Free Red Bean Paste recipe blogs.
Q5: How much filling should I use for the mochi?
For best results, we recommend keeping a 10g difference between skin and filling weight. For example, if your filling is 25g, aim for about 35g of mochi dough. This ensures the skin is thick enough to seal easily without tearing, without overwhelming the filling.
Q6: How do I store leftover mochi rounds?
Separate each with parchment rounds (4-inch parchment rounds work best) and store at room temp for 1–2 days (or refrigerate up to 4). Assemble just before eating.
Q7: How do I store leftovers?
Wrap individually and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before eating.
👉🏻 For red bean versions, check out our Daifuku Mochi for the full recipe blog.
Bringing It Full Circle—where mindful eating and mochi lovers unite!
Mochi is more than just a dessert to us — it’s the reason Mochi Cloud Sweets exists.
Our Daifuku Mochi Baking Mix is where it all began. It started with a craving for something that didn’t exist: traditional mochi — but without carbs overload. So we created it ourselves.
Today, this mix stands as the foundation of our mission: to bring authentic, low-carb, gluten-free Japanese-inspired desserts to every mochi lover.
Whether you’re celebrating a season, a moment, or simply your sweet tooth — this is your invitation to rediscover mochi in a way that’s joyful, mindful, and truly satisfying.
From our kitchen to yours,
Mochi Cloud Sweets ♡
👉🏻 Order Now: Shop Here
✨ Watch It Come to Life: Mochi Ice Cream
📷 Share Your Creations: Tag us @MochiCloudSweets on Instagram—we would love to feature your masterpieces!
