Baked Ube Mochi Donuts

My love affair with ube continues with these ube mochi donuts. My previous ube recipes (like my ube brownies or ube rice krispie treats) have been some of the most popular recipes on the blog. And I definitely get why! Not only are they a really pretty purple color, but they’re also really good and not too sweet. These mochi donuts are a great addition to my ube recipe collection. They take less than 30 minutes to make, and they’re also gluten free! For more mochi donut recipes, check out my black sesame mochi donuts and my matcha mochi donuts.

What is ube?

Ube is another name for purple yam. This ingredient is often used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and is especially popular in Filipino cuisine. It has a vanilla pistachio flavor that goes really well in both sweet and savory dishes. Personally, I like it in desserts. When I make ube desserts, I typically use ube in the form of ube halaya which is when purple yam, butter, coconut milk, and other ingredients are combined to create a jam.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

• Ube extract – Ube extract adds the purple color and ube flavor to the brownies. The extract is more responsible for the purple color than the ube halaya. Technically, you can make this dish without ube extract, but I wouldn’t recommend it because it won’t be as purple and you won’t get a strong ube flavor.
• Ube halaya – Ube halaya adds the ube flavor to the donuts. I included this ingredient because I wanted some actual ube in the donuts. If you can’t find ube halaya, I would add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of ube extract.
• Coconut milk – I love using full fat coconut milk because the coconut fat gives the donut a fluffier texture. You can use low fat coconut milk, but it will change the texture of the donuts a little. A good substitution for coconut milk is whole milk.
• Unsalted butter – Adds richness and nuttiness to the donut batter. I chose to use browned butter for these mochi donuts because it added extra rich flavor to the donuts.
• Light brown sugar – Adds sweetness and moisture to the donut. You can also use dark brown sugar or granulated sugar. Dark brown sugar will make the donut sweeter and chewier.
• Vanilla extract – Adds flavor to the donuts. Good substitutes are 1 vanilla bean or an equal amount of vanilla paste.
• Eggs – Adds richness to the donuts and binds the dough together.
• Salt for seasoning
• Sweet rice flour – This is the ingredient that gives the donut its squishy texture. I like to use Koda Farms mochiko sweet rice flour.
• Baking powder – Baking powder provides lift to the donuts and makes it airy.

Making my ube mochi donuts

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Prep donut pan by greasing it with oil or butter. I used a donut pan with donut molds that are 3 inches in diameter. Set aside. Next, brown your butter. Heat butter over medium heat until it melts. Lower the heat to low and cook until brown bits start to appear. Pour into a large bowl. Let it cool for 1-2 minutes.

Add the brown sugar and egg. Mix until incorporated. Add the coconut milk, ube extract, ube halaya, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until well incorporated. Add the sweet rice flour and baking powder. Mix until incorporated. poon the dough into a pastry bag or Ziploc bag. Pipe the donuts into the prepared donut pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let donuts cool in the donut pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the donuts are cooling, combine all the ingredients for the glaze. Mix and set aside. Dip the donuts into the glaze and enjoy!

Tips on how to make the perfect ube mochi donuts

Rest your dough if it feels a little wet

If your dough feels a little wet, rest it for 5 minutes to allow it to dry out a bit before piping into the donut pan.

Use a Ziploc bag to pipe donuts into donut pan

I tried to spoon the batter into the donut molds, but I ended up making a mess. That’s how I ended up using a Ziploc bag to pipe them into the molds. It’s a lot quicker, and there is less mess. You can also use a pastry bag if you have them!

How do you store mochi donuts?

These donuts should last up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Can I reduce the sugar in these donuts?

Yes you can, but make sure to reduce the sweet rice flour accordingly. For every 1 tablespoon reduction in sugar, reduce the sweet rice flour by 1 1/2 teaspoon.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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