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Warabi Mochi わらび

4.88 (50) 25 minutes
63 Comments

RECIPE

CLASSIC WASHOKU EASY GLUTEN-FREE

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Warabi Mochi is a chilled, deliciously

chewy, jelly-like mochi covered with
sweet and nutty soybean powder and
drizzled with kuromitsu syrup.

JUSTONECOOKBOOK.COM

I usually spend my summers in Japan

with my children, and that’s when they
explore new Japanese foods that are
not always available in the SF Bay Area.
Warabi Mochi (わらび ) was their new
“discovery” this year and I’ve enjoyed
making it at home after we came back.

MY OTHER RECIPES

What is Warabi Mochi?

If you haven’t heard of Warabi Mochi
(わらび ), don’t worry, you’re not
alone. There are many types of “mochi”
in Japan, and this is just one of them.
And unfortunately, this type of mochi is
not so well-known outside of Japan.
Maybe it’s due to the lack of available
ingredients to make them.

Warabi Mochi is made of warabi starch

or bracken starch. Warabi/bracken is a
type of fern, and the starch comes from
the rhizomes (underground stem).

Unlike typical mochi made from

glutinous rice, warabi mochi’s texture is
more jelly-like and it’s chewy yet
dissolves quickly. Because it is clear
and looks refreshing, warabi mochi is
often enjoyed in the summertime.

What does it taste like? Believe it or not,

it has almost no flavors – the only thing
you taste is the sweet toasted soybean
flour or kinako and the kuromitsu (黒蜜,
brown sugar syrup). Sometimes red
bean paste is wrapped inside the
warabi mochi too.

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2 Types of Starch used in

Warabi Mochi
Making this dessert is the easy part.
The hard72H限定セール
part is getting the main
belleladys

ingredient – warabi/bracken starch.

Most likely typical Asian grocery stores
won’t carry it so you’ll need to check
Japanese grocery stores. There are 2
types of warabi/bracken starch.

Hon Warabiko (本わらび粉) –

Warabi 100%
This is the pure starch from warabi (but
please read the next section for more
details). It’s very expensive because it’s
difficult to harvest, and only a small
amount of the roots (just 5%) becomes
starch. It is also very time-consuming to
process it into powder. If it’s made from
hon warabiko then the price is usually
very expensive.

Warabi mochi made with 100%

warabi/bracken starch is more brownish
or blackish color. The package comes
in clay-colored pebbles (not powders).
If you refrigerate warabi mochi, it gets
hard. Therefore, true warabi mochi is
stored at room temperature all times
and it only lasts for a day.

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Warabi Mochiko (わらび 粉)

– Made of other starch
The majority of warabi mochi that you
今季トレンド新作特売中
can purchase is made with other starch,
ochics
not warabi starch. If you look at the
ingredients, it should say sweet potato
starch (甘 (サツマイモ)澱粉) or tapioca
starch (タピオカ澱粉). Warabi mochiko
is more reasonably priced, and you will
probably find this type in a Japanese
grocery store.

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Where To Buy
Warabi/Bracken Starch
The Warabi starch I used for this recipe
is “warabi mochiko”, the sweet potato
starch type.

While I was researching where you can

buy bracken starch, I found out that you
can get “hon warabiko” (本わらび粉,
100% warabiko) on Amazon here and
here . However, I’ve also read that
because there is no regulation, a lot of
places sell the mixture of warabiko and
other starch as “hon warabiko”. So keep
in mind that it might not be 100%
bracken starch even though the box
says so, especially if it’s a relatively
affordable price (but it’s more
expensive than warabi mochiko).

If you’re looking for kinako, toasted

soybean flour, you can find a really
good quality one from Hokkaido,
Anything From Japan ships
internationally, or here on Amazon.

For kuromitsu syrup, you can purchase

it here on Amazon. Or, you can make
it with an equal part of brown sugar and
water to make the syrup.

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Warabi Mochi

4.88 from 50 votes

Warabi Mochi is a chilled, deliciously

chewy, jelly-like mochi covered with sweet
and nutty soybean powder and drizzled
with kuromitsu syrup.

PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

PREP TIME: 10 mins

COOK TIME: 15 mins
TOTAL TIME: 25 mins

SERVINGS: 4
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Ingredients

US CUSTOMARY METRIC

1X 2X 3X

¾ cup Warabi Mochiko or

Warabiko (bracken starch) (To
substitute, you can use potato or
tapioca starch. However, please note
that it will be a different consistency.)

½ cup sugar (The ratio of warabi

mochiko and sugar ratio is usually
equal. However, if you use a generous
amount of kuromitsu syrup, you can
reduce sugar to ⅓ cup or 80 g.)

1 ¾ cup water

Toppings
¼ cup kinako (roasted
soybean flour)

kuromitsu (brown sugar

syrup)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want

substitutes for Japanese condiments and
ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

1 Prepare all ingredients and

sprinkle some kinako on a baking
sheet.

2 In a medium saucepan, combine

the Warabi Mochiko, sugar, and
water and mix all together.

3 Heat the mixture over medium

heat until it starts to boil.

4 Then reduce the heat. Using a

wooden spatula, stir (more like
beat) constantly and vigorously for
10 minutes, or until the mixture is
thick and evenly translucent. It’s
quite a workout but be patient, it’ll
transform to clear color!

5 Remove the mochi from the heat

and transfer to a baking sheet
that’s covered with kinako
(soybean flour). Sprinkle more
kinako on top and let it cool in the
refrigerator for 20 minutes.

6 Once it’s cooled, take it out from

the refrigerator and slice into ¾
inch cubes. Toss the warabi mochi
with kinako and serve on the plate.
If you like, pour the Kuromitsu
(brown sugar syrup) over the
Warabi mochi and enjoy.

To Store
1 You can save warabi mochi at
room temperature for 1-2 days. If
you keep in the refrigerator warabi
mochi gets hard and becomes
white color. Warabi mochi is tastier
if you refrigerate for 20-30 mins
before you eat. If you use real
warabi starch, it lasts only for a
day and must be enjoyed soon. If
warabi starch is mixed with other
starch, it lasts longer, but the color
is not as clear.

Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Warabi Mochi

Amount per Serving

Calories
217
% Daily Value*
Fat

2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat

1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat

1
g
Monounsaturated Fat

1
g
Sodium

2
mg
0
%
Potassium

189
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates

48
g
16
%
Fiber

1
g
4
%
Sugar

26
g
29
%
Protein

3
g
6
%

Vitamin A

9
IU
0
%
Calcium

30
mg
3
%
Iron

1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000
calorie diet.

Author: Nami
 Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: mochi, wagashi

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DESSERT CLASSIC WASHOKU EASY

GLUTEN-FREE JAPANESE SWEETS

MOCHI STREET FOOD

UNDER 5 INGREDIENTS VEGAN

VEGETARIAN

Published: Oct 12, 2016 · Updated: Jul 6, 2023

Written by Nami

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63 COMMENTS

  Newest 

 Comment search... 

scw   4 months ago 

Used cornstarch for this and not sure why but its
so hard.. when I took it out of the fridge after
about 30min it was so solid not sure what went
wrong so disappointing and not chewy at all
did I cook it for too long? not sure how to tell when
its done

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to scw  4 months ago 

Hi scw, Thank you so much for trying Nami’s

recipe. We’re sorry to hear that this recipe
didn’t work out for you.
If you use the cup measure, we recommend
using the weight measure to ensure you have
the correct amount of ingredients. When the
mixture is thick and equally transparent, it is
time to stop cooking.
We hope this helps!

0 Reply

Lucie   7 months ago 

Hi Naomi and the team ! I’m wondering if you can

freeze warabi mochi ? It’s so sad that it only lasts
for one day… Thank you so much for your
feedback on that point

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to Lucie  7 months ago 

Hi, Lucie! Thank you for taking the time to

read Nami’s post and try her recipe!
We do not recommend freezing the
Warabimochi when you use Warabiko
because it loses its texture when it freezes. If
you use Tapioca starch, you can freeze them
after cutting them into cubes. Wrap each one
in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight
container. Then freeze them.
It is best to thaw it in the refrigerator before
you serve it.
We hope this was helpful!

1 Reply

Jessie   1 year ago 

Hi, I wonder how the warabi mochi from the

shops/Don Don donki can be stored in the fridge
for a few days. Can I do that with this recipe as the
temperature here is hot (33 celcius) and I am
afraid the warabi mochi will spoil if not
refrigerated.

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to Jessie  1 year ago 

Hi Jessie! Thank you very much for reading

Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
For homemade Warabi Mochi, we recommend
keeping it at a cool temperature. You may use
ice under the Warabi mochi or place the tray
in the cold water to keep the temperature
lower.
We hope this helps!

0 Reply

Liv   1 year ago 

This actually looks a bit like those square candies,

wrapped in rice paper, in a rectangular box. If
memory serves the box is red and has a picture of
a Buddha or a child on it. I think the squares are
possibly around the same colour as the dessert in
this post?

Is this the same, just in a different size? Those

candies were my absolute favourite as a kid!

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to Liv  1 year ago 

Hi Liv! Thank you very much for reading

Nami’s post!
This Warabi Mochi is very soft and is more
like a jelly-like mochi. The ones wrapped in
rice paper are different. Of course, those
candies are delicious too.

0 Reply

Lisa   2 years ago 

Thank you for this recipe, it brings back such

good memories of living in Kyoto. Warabi mochi
was my favourite summer treat. There was a small
stall in the Kyoto suburb we lived in, just a large
wooden counter at the sidewalk where the lady
would make one batch of warabi mochi for the day
and then close once it was all sold. They were
very dark coloured cubes that when you put it in
your mouth, you felt a much cooler temperature,
then it literally melted in your mouth. Perfect for
the hot Kyoto summer!!!
I never thought to even try making this once we
moved away because of the difficulty finding and
the high cost of the braken starch. But I think I will
try looking for warabi mochiko at our local Korean
&Japanese grocery store. I have bought regular
mochiko there before.
Thank you for all your delicious recipes!!!

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to Lisa  2 years ago 

Hi Lisa, Thank you very much for your kind

feedback and for sharing your good
memories! We hope you can find the Warabi
mochiko at your local store and enjoy the
homemade Warabi Mochi soon!

0 Reply

Sin yee   2 years ago 

Really good, just like those fr don don donki! Tks

for your recipes!!

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to Sin yee  2 years ago 

Hi Sin, We are glad to hear you enjoyed this

recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback!

0 Reply

Danny   2 years ago 

!!! I had warabi mochi once, when I was in Japan

on an exchange trip – my exchange family had it
for dessert on our second night there, it was
delicious. I’m so glad to have found a recipe for it I
can try!! Also I just love your blog in general, your
recipes are always super clear and easy to follow,
and delicious. I’m so excited to try and make this
when I can get some warabiko

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to Danny  2 years ago 

Hi Danny! We are so glad to hear you fond

this recipe! We hope you can get Warabiko
soon to try this recipe! Thank you for your
kind feedback.

0 Reply

Kristine Qiu   2 years ago 

This is so freaking good. I just made it. I can eat

this all day long. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to Kristine Qiu

 2 years ago 

Hi Kristine, Thank you very much for trying

this recipe and your feedback! We are glad
you enjoyed this Mochi!

0 Reply

Wen xuan   2 years ago 

Hi ! I just wanted to ask if i could use this recipe

for matcha and black sesame warabi mochi as well
? If so, how much do i add ? And are there any
steps that are different ?
Thank you !

0 Reply 
Naomi (JOC Community
Manager)
Admin 

 Reply to Wen xuan  2 years ago 

Hi Wen,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback.
Yes. You may add matcha or black sesame to
this recipe. However, we have not tested it
yet.
Please let us know how it goes!

0 Reply

osmanthus tea   2 years ago 

Just tried it last night after a friend recommended

this recipe. Turned out ace and really easy to
follow. Thank you so much!

PS. Any tips for pouring it out evenly?

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to osmanthus tea

 2 years ago 

Hi Osmanthus Tea! I’m so glad to hear that! If

you see my step 5, you can tell I collected the
warabi mochi in a corner of the pot first
before tilting. This helps to “transfer” from
the pot to the baking sheet in one go, so it’s
easier to shape into a square when you
scrape off from the pot.

0 Reply

Jessica Au   2 years ago 

Made this yesterday and it came out perfect!

I’m not sure if it’s because the warabimochi flour I

bought from Isetan had real warabiko in it, but my
mixture had not started boiling but I noticed lumps
were already forming when I stirred it. So I
decided to just immediately lower the fire to low
and start stirring with a large metal spoon for 10
minutes. I did use lesser sugar (60 gm sugar for
80 gm of warabimochi flour) and topped with
kinako powder only but it definitely needed more
sweetness. So I won’t be skimping on the sugar
next time or I’ll eat it with kuromitsu.

Because of the gluey texture of the warabimochi,

it wasn’t the easiest task to wash my pot and
spoon but I found pouring boiling water into them
and letting them soak for a while helped
tremendously.

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Jessica Au
 2 years ago 

Hi Jessica! Thanks so much for trying this

recipe and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. When
sugar dissolves, it provides moistures to the
flour, so it might help to remove lumps. You
may want to adjust and see if increasing a bit
of sugar may help with that. Yes, anything
mochi is hard to wash, but soaking definitely
releases everything with a quick brushing.

0 Reply

Terri   3 years ago 

Found this recipe while obsessing over all the cute

cartoon warabi mochi posts on Instagram, I’ll have
to try it. I’d love to make a cute version, too,
though – do you know how / what the face and
details are drawn onto those cute characters?

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Terri  3 years ago 

Hi Terri! Hmmm, in order to write/draw, I feel

like you have to cut into a bigger place. The
mochi itself is not sturdy (imagine it’s jello-
like but even more pliable)… so I actually
don’t know how you can draw it on top of
warabi mochi…

0 Reply

Jayne   3 years ago 

Hi Nami-san,
I’ve been following your blog for many years and
made countless japanese cookings from your
recipes. They are delicious and almost always
easy to make! If there were few failures, almost
always because I didn’t read the recipes and/or
instructions correctly.
I’ve been a frequent visitor to Japan for over 20yrs
and this particular mochi is my favorite. Strangest
thing is, I just learned the name a few weeks ago

Probably because I never have enough confidence

to try to make japanese sweets.
Anyway, I’m so happy to have come across this
recipe. I will try with tapioca starch as it’s easy to
get in my country and can’t wait to see the result.
Thank you Nami-san!

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Jayne  3 years ago 

Hi Jayne! Thank you so much for your kind

comment and for trying so many recipes from
my site. If my recipes have some issues,
please do not hesitate to let me know. I do
make mistakes and I may not write good
instructions etc.

I’m glad to hear that you now know your

favorite sweet’s name! It’s a lot of arm work
required to eat this wagashi at home, but it’s
so worth it at the end! Enjoy!

0 Reply

Konishi   3 years ago 

Have you found the warabi mochiko in the Bay

Area?

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Konishi  3 years ago 

Hi Konishi! Nijiya sells warabiko (I think I saw

two brands).

0 Reply
May the adventures never end –
She Googled and She Went

 4 years ago 

[…] of my favorite Japanese desserts – Warabi

Mochi was served in a bowl of ice to keep it cool
and […]

0 Reply
12 Popular Foods to Enjoy at Cherry
Blossom Viewing (Hanami) • Just
One Cookbook

 4 years ago 

[…] Matcha and Warabi Mochi […]

0 Reply

Mel   4 years ago 

Can you also add an Amazon link for warabi

mochiko? I went to my local Japanese grocery
store and did not find any

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Mel  4 years ago 

Hi Mel! Amazon didn’t have it, unfortunately,

and still doesn’t have it.

Found on global rakuten.

https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/profoods/
item/10013299/
https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/mitake-
shokuhin/item/10000113/

The other choice is to use potato starch to

make it.

0 Reply 
Mel 
 Reply to Nami  4 years ago 

Thank you so much for the links! I will also try

it with potato starch.

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Mel  4 years ago 

Thank you Mel! Good luck and let us know

how it goes!

0 Reply 
Mel 
 Reply to Nami  4 years ago 

What color should it be when using potato

starch? Should it also be translucent?

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Mel  4 years ago 

Hi Mel! It won’t be completely clear, but yes

somewhat translucent.

0 Reply

Jennifer   4 years ago 

Thank you for all the wonderful recipes of my

favorite Japanese foods.

It would be really helpful to have a picture of the

packaging of the ingredients you can find in the
US. Even though it may not be available
everywhere, it is useful to see how things are
typically packaged and sold.
Thank you!

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Jennifer  4 years ago 

Hi Jennifer! Thank you for reading my blog.

Have you seen my Pantry page? I show
pictures of packaged products there.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry/

0 Reply

Judi   4 years ago 

i’m making it now and followed the recipe but it

looks really watery what should i do?

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to Judi  4 years ago 

Hi Judi! Sorry for my late response. How did it

go? Did the water / excess moisture go away
as it cooks down and evaporate?

0 Reply

JJ   5 years ago 

This, along with kibidango, is probably my all-time

favourite Japanese dessert. I had heard about it
before going to Japan and on my first visit, the
first thing I did when I got off the plane was find a
tea room that served it. The first thing I officially
ate in Japan! I stuff myself with all types of it
whenever I’m in Tokyo. I still haven’t made it to the
fabled holy grail that is Ikkoan sweet shop (who
make it by hand with 100% warabi), but one day…

I can’t find warabi mochiko where I live – would a

regular bag of tapioca starch or sweet potato
starch do the trick or is there some other magic
ingredient? Thanks!

0 Reply 
Nami Author 

 Reply to JJ  5 years ago 

Hi JJ! So happy to hear that you’re so

passionate about this delicious dessert.
I’ve never tried to make the warabi mochi with
potato starch but I heard it works – texture-
wise. It’s best to get the flour from Japan
when you visit, or order online.

0 Reply

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