This Watermelon Mochi is a soft, chewy candy flavored with refreshing watermelon juice. It’s a naturally gluten-free treat that’s also vegan and Modified AIP compliant. An easy to make and fun to eat fruit treat!
As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find dairy and gluten-free goods that taste as delicious as their conventional counterparts. This naturally vegan and gluten-free mochi tastes just like the popular Japanese confection but made Modified AIP compliant.
Want some more refreshing fruit treats? Try my Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Bars, Strawberry Matcha Latte, Watermelon Mojito Mocktail or Trinidadian Citrus Chow.
Table of contents
Watermelon Mochi Recipe
If you’re not familiar with it you’re probably wondering, “What is mochi?” It’s a Japanese rice cake traditionally made from short-grain glutinous rice (sweet rice or mochigome). In North America, the dessert version of mochi is popular which also includes water, cornstarch or potato starch, sugar, and other ingredients as flavorings or toppings. For convenience, most home cooks make mochi with glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour; mochiko or shiratamako) instead of pounding the rice from scratch.
This watermelon mochi is a Modified AIP version of the mochi dessert sweet. I use glutinous rice flour with tapioca starch to make it corn and nightshade-free while retaining its signature stretchy, sticky doughiness. Fresh watermelon juice gives the mochi its natural pink color and sweet, refreshing taste. Maple sugar also lightly sweetens it. It’s soft on the inside with a chewy texture. Sort of like taffy but not as tacky, with a gumminess and bounciness like a fluffy marshmallow.
This watermelon candy is a sweet and fruity dessert without any dyes, refined sugars, gluten or dairy. A cooling treat perfect for sunny summer days!
Watermelon Mochi Ingredients
- glutinous rice flour – also found as sweet rice flour, mochiko or shiratamako.
Despite its name, it’s a completely gluten-free flour and “glutinous” refers to its stickiness and chewiness. This is a key ingredient; regular white rice flour or other rice flours will not work as a substitute in this recipe! - maple sugar
- tapioca starch – helps lend structure and thicken the mochi in lieu of cornstarch.
- watermelon juice – make it fresh from a ripe watermelon for the best flavor.
- avocado oil
Ingredient Substitutions
- Maple sugar: You can use coconut sugar if you prefer, noting that your mochi will be a darker orangeish hue.
- Tapioca starch: You can replace it with arrowroot starch.
How to Make Watermelon Mochi
Step 1: Make Watermelon Juice
Blend watermelon in a blender and filter through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer to remove the pulp and any seeds. Measure out 3/4 cup of the watermelon juice.
Step 2: Make the Watermelon Mochi Mixture
Combine the glutinous rice flour, maple sugar and tapioca starch in a large bowl.
Then, pour in the watermelon juice and 1 TBSP avocado oil, and whisk to combine until it’s smooth without any lumps.
Step 3: Cook the Watermelon Mochi Dough
Heat a non-stick skillet over low-medium heat and add the remaining 1 TBSP avocado oil. Pour in the mochi mixture and stir constantly for 3-4 minutes, until the liquid becomes a semi-solid dough and the color darkens evenly.
Step 4: Shape and Chill the Mochi
Remove the mochi from the pan with slightly oiled hands and form into a sticky ball. Put the ball of mochi dough in the middle of a piece of parchment paper. Use the paper to shape the dough into a square. Transfer the shaped dough with parchment paper into a 15cm x 15 cm square glass container and cover. Refrigerate the mochi for 1 – 2 hours until firm.
Step 5: Dust with Flour
Remove the chilled mochi from the fridge and dust it on all sides with glutinous rice flour.
Step 6: Cut the Watermelon Mochi
Use an oiled knife to cut the mochi into cubes of desired size and amount. You can cut the watermelon mochi into strips then cut across horizontally to make cubes. I cut 20 squares.
Dust all sides of each cube with more glutinous rice flour to prevent them from sticking. Serve immediately.
Tips & Tricks
Watermelon Juice Consistency
Make sure you’ve strained the watermelon juice well so that only the liquid is extracted and used, in lieu of water. If it’s too pulpy, the reduced amount of liquid in the batter will make the mochi get hard. Conversely, too much liquid in the dough will make it really sticky.
Whisk the Mochi Mixture Well
Ensure you mix the mochi dough mixture thoroughly until it’s smooth and lump-free so that it cooks evenly. I recommend using a whisk to combine the ingredients instead of a spoon.
Avoid Overcooking the Mochi
Keep stirring continuously to ensure the mixture cooks evenly. You want the liquid mixture to become a semi-solid consistency without overcooking it or else it will get too hard. Pay attention to the changing color of the mochi, making sure its becoming darker evenly throughout the dough.
Dealing with sticky Mochi
It is normal for some of the mochi to stick to the bottom of the pan as you heat it. Don’t worry too much if some of it sticks but if you’re finding it too much, try lowering the heat and adding a teaspoon more of avocado oil. Your priority should be to keep stirring the majority of the mixture so that it transforms into a smooth, sticky ball of dough. You’ll notice the mixture begins to turn color as it heats and thickens. Keep stirring so that your mochi mixture has an even color.
Shaping the mochi
You need to work with the mochi dough while it’s still hot as it’s less pliable and harder to shape and stretch once it cools (unless you’re using shiratakamo which remains pliable when cooled). If it cools too much you’ll end up overworking the dough, which will result in sticky mochi. This is why I suggest using parchment paper to help you shape the hot and tacky mochi rather than using your hands alone. If you do use your hands, oiling them slightly might help!
Alternatively, you can line the container with parchment paper and place the cooked mochi dough into it directly. Then use a spatula, the back of a spoon or your slightly oiled hands to flatten, smooth and spread the dough evenly into the container while it’s still warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
I buy glutinous rice flour at my local gluten-free bakery. You can often find it at specialty health food stores, Japanese or Asian markets and potentially in the international aisle of groceries.
You might see it as sweet rice flour, mochiko, or shiratamako. Mochiko is more widely available and less expensive than shiratamako.
Leaving the cooked watermelon mochi dough out, uncovered, will make it get hard. It should be kept in the fridge, with a tight seal (lid) or else it will dry out and get too tough.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Mochi is best enjoyed fresh, on the day you make it.
Store leftover watermelon mochi in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It hardens and dries out after that. Make sure to seal it with a lid and not just cover with plastic wrap or it will get too tough.
Reheating: Warm up leftover mochi in the microwave for about 30 seconds if it’s too hard from the fridge to regain a softer texture.
I hope you love this Watermelon Mochi. If you do, I would appreciate it if you would give the recipe a rating and review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious.
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Watermelon Mochi Recipe (Dye-free)
- Total Time: 2 hours 14 minutes
- Yield: 20 squares 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Watermelon Mochi is a soft, chewy Japanese inspired confectionery flavored with refreshing watermelon juice. It’s a naturally gluten-free and vegan, corn-free, dye-free and refined sugar-free.
Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour (plus more for dusting)
- 1/4 cup maple sugar
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed watermelon juice, strained
- 2 TBSP avocado oil (divided)
Instructions
- Make the watermelon juice by blending cubed watermelon in a high powdered blender until it becomes a smooth liquid. Strain through a mesh sieve to remove pulp and seeds, then measure out 3/4 cup of juice.
- To a large bowl, add glutinous rice flour, maple sugar, and tapioca starch and whisk to combine.
- Make a hole in the center and pour in watermelon juice and 1 TBSP avocado oil. Whisk to combine.
- Heat a large non-stick pan over low-medium heat and add in remaining 1 TBSP avocado oil.
- Slowly pour in mochi mixture, stirring immediately and consistently for 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes a much darker, pinkish/orangeish color.*
- Remove pan from heat and use slightly oiled hands to remove the mochi from the pan and form into a sticky ball.
- Place the mochi dough ball in the center of a piece of parchment paper. Use the paper to shape the mochi dough into a square by folding it over the ball and flatting it on all sides.
- Once shaped, transfer the parchment paper with the square of mochi dough into a small square glass tupperware/container (15cm x 15cm).**
- Cover the container with a lid to prevent it from becoming dry and hardening too much, and place in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and dust the square of mochi with glutinous rice flour on both sides.
- Use an oiled knife to cut the mochi into cubes of desired size and amount. (I cut 20 small cubes).
- Dust all sides of mochi cubes with additional glutinous rice flour and serve immediately.
Notes
*It’s important to stir continuously! Don’t worry too much if some of the mochi sticks to the bottom of the pan, your priority should be to keep stirring the majority of the mixture so that it transforms into a smooth, sticky ball of dough. You’ll notice the mixture begins to turn color as it heats and thickens. Keep stirring so that your mochi mixture has an even color.
**You can use a smaller sized container as well. The mochi will be a bit taller/thicker and you might get fewer squares.
Store leftover mochi in the fridge in a sealed container (with a lid, not just covered with plastic wrap) for up to 2 days. It hardens too much beyond this time frame.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese-inspired
What can be substituted for all of the coconut ingredients for those of us who also have that allergy?
Hi Jamey, this recipe is coconut-free so we recommend making it as is 😊.
I can’t wait to make this!
Hi is glutinous rice flour aip compliant?
It’s modified AIP compliant. You can learn about Modified AIP here https://healmedelicious.com/aip-diet-food-list/