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Crispy & Chewy Shanghai UBE Mochi Bite Sized Tots
If you’ve been looking for a mochi recipe that is equal parts crispy, chewy, and drop-dead gorgeous, your search ends right here with these Shanghai Ube Mochi Tots.
These aren’t your standard baked mochi squares. These are tots — mini, bite-sized, individual little pops of joy baked in a mini muffin pan, designed to give you maximum crispy surface area and that signature pull-apart chewy mochi center in every single bite. Baking mochi in a muffin pan gives you more of that magical crispy crust all around the edges with chewy sweet goodness inside. Now imagine that — but mini, purple, and dusted in a sugar-butter crust that caramelizes into pure gold. That’s exactly what’s happening here.
What Makes These Ube Mochi Tots Different?
The secret is in the details. Most baked ube mochi recipes call for ube extract or store-bought ube halaya jam. Here, we use ½ cup of real baked ube that has been pureed — giving these tots a more natural, earthy ube flavor that lets the purple yam shine through authentically. Ube Mochi is a delightful dessert made with a chewy texture, combining traditional Japanese and Filipino influences, and this colorful treat highlights the unique, vibrant purple hue of ube, or purple yam.
We also use a combination of whole milk and sweetened condensed milk — a move that layers in a subtle caramel sweetness and extra creaminess that complements the ube beautifully. A splash of vanilla rounds everything out and ties those flavors together perfectly.
The Mini Muffin Pan Is the Game-Changer
We take it even further by greasing the mini muffin pan generously with butter and then dusting it with granulated sugar — that sugar caramelizes against the pan during baking to form a crackly, golden shell around every single tot. Combined with convection bake, hot air circulates around each individual tot, ensuring an even, all-around crispiness that regular bake mode simply can’t replicate.
The Flavor Profile: What Do Ube Mochi Tots Taste Like?
These mini mochi bites deliver layers of flavor and texture in every bite. They taste sweet, chewy, and wonderfully rich, with a soft, bouncy mochi texture that’s slightly crisp and caramelized around the edges while staying tender in the center. The ube gives it a subtle nutty, vanilla-like sweetness, while the butter adds a creamy, almost custard-like richness — the result is a dessert that’s chewy, buttery, and lightly sweet with a unique flavor that’s both comforting and a little tropical!
The sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in this recipe work in harmony with the ube, enhancing its naturally sweet, earthy notes without overpowering them.
Key Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Sweet Rice Flour (Mochiko): Also known as glutinous rice flour, this ingredient is key for mochi’s signature sticky, chewy texture.
- Tapioca Flour: Adds extra elasticity and stretch for that satisfying pull-apart chew.
- Baked Ube Puree: Using real baked ube (instead of extract) delivers a more natural, authentic flavor and a stunning natural purple hue.
- Whole Milk + Sweetened Condensed Milk: Milk hydrates the dough and adds extra fat and protein, resulting in a softer mochi with a smoother mouthfeel. The condensed milk adds sweetness and depth.
- Butter + Granulated Sugar Pan Coating: Creates the signature crispy, caramelized golden shell that makes these tots irresistible.
- Egg & Vanilla: Provide structure and that warm, aromatic backdrop that ties all the flavors together.
What’s in the Ube Mochi Bites
- puréed ube
- glutinous rice flour
- tapioca flour
- whole milk
- sweetened condensed milk
- granulated sugar
- butter
- egg
- vanilla extract
Crispy and Chewy Shanghai UBE Mochi Tots
Crispy on the outside, pillowy-chewy on the inside — these Shanghai Ube Mochi Tots are baked in a butter-and-sugar-lined mini muffin pan using real baked ube puree, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, and sweetened condensed milk. Convection-baked for that irresistible golden crust. Bite-sized, beautiful, and completely addictive. 💜
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter + more for greasing the muffin pan
- 1/2 cup UBE purée
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup (130 grams) sweet rice flour
- 3 tablespoons (23 grams) tapioca flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F on convection bake. Place a tiny pay of butter on each well in the mini muffin pan and generously butter each well. Sprinkle each well with 1/4 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Set aside the muffin pan.
- In a small saucepan, warm the milk, sweetened condensed milk and butter just until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the ube until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, vanilla until combined well. Pour the milk/ube mixture into the egg mixture and whisk together. Add the sweet rice flour and the tapioca flour. Continue to whisk it all together.
- Strain the batter through a fine mesh sieve. Use a silicone spatula to help scrape the batter through the sieve. Discard any lumps left on the sieve.
- Divide the batter evenly on to the greased muffin pan. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the edges turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let it rest for 1 minute before transferring the mini mochis on to a cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!
❓ FAQ’s for Shanghai UBE Mochi Tots
Ube is a purple yam native to the Philippines. Ube gives foods a sweet, nutty, vanilla-meets-pistachio flavor and a bold purple color. In these mochi tots, we use real baked ube puree for the most authentic, natural ube flavor.
Glutinous rice flour, also known as sweet rice flour, is the key ingredient that gives mochi its signature sticky, chewy texture — it behaves very differently from all-purpose flour and creates that bouncy, pull-apart chew mochi is famous for. The tapioca flour in this recipe amplifies that elasticity even further.
The mini muffin pan is what transforms these from a typical mochi bake into tots! Each individual cavity creates more surface area for that crispy, caramelized sugar-butter crust to form all the way around, giving you a crispy shell with a chewy center in every single bite.
Yes, you can substitute ube extract in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be quite as deep or natural. Baked ube puree delivers a more authentic, earthy ube flavor and contributes moisture to the batter. If using extract, start with 1–2 teaspoons and adjust to taste.
Sweet rice flour provides the base mochi chew, while tapioca flour adds extra stretch and elasticity — together they create a superior, pull-apart texture that’s both bouncy and satisfying.
Absolutely, but the bake time will increase significantly. The mini muffin pan format is specifically designed to maximize the crispy-to-chewy ratio in each bite-sized tot. Bake 35 to 40 minutes in regular muffin pans or about 28 minutes in mini muffin pans until light golden brown, rotating halfway through for even color.
The butter prevents sticking and the granulated sugar caramelizes during baking to create a crispy, golden, slightly crunchy shell — a delicious contrast to the chewy interior.
Yes! Despite its name, glutinous rice flour or mochiko is actually gluten-free. Sweet rice flour and tapioca flour are both naturally gluten-free, making these Shanghai Ube Mochi Tots a gluten-free treat.
Store cooled mochi in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. When ready to enjoy again, microwave each piece for 10 to 15 seconds to restore its chewy texture. Avoid refrigerating, as it can harden the mochi and alter the mouthfeel.
Yes! You can prepare the batter and refrigerate it for several hours before baking. Give it a good stir before filling your muffin pan. The butter-and-sugar pan prep should still be done right before baking.
SHOP FOR THIS RECIPE
Authentic Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour – Made from high-quality sweet rice, this premium glutinous rice flour is perfect for mochi, dango, and traditional Asian desserts.
Not just for mini muffins, these are great for so many desserts like mini cheesecakes and other bite sized treats.
Stainless steel sieve set with 3 diameters: 3.15"+5.5"+7.87"
A must for every baker. This fits a half sheet pan perfectly.
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