A popular Japanese sweet treat, Daifuku is a small, round mochi filled with sweet red bean paste. This easy recipe shows how you can make this delicious snack at home with a quick steam on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Daifuku (大福) or Daifuku Mochi (大福餅) is a small round mochi stuffed with anko (sweetened red bean paste) made from azuki beans. We usually enjoy this popular Japanese sweet with green tea.
I’ve previously shared Strawberry Daifuku recipe on Just One Cookbook, which includes a whole strawberry inside a mochi surrounded by anko filling. While strawberry daifuku is seasonal and available during the springtime, daifuku is available all year round at Japanese confectionery shops and supermarkets. Here, I will show you how to make the classic daifuku mochi with 2 quick and easy methods— steaming and microwaving.
Table of contents
What is Daifuku
Among the wide variety of traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi), daifuku is considered a type of mochi sweet. The name daifuku literally means “great luck.” What a perfect name! Who wouldn’t get lucky after eating these adorably round, chewy and tasty sweets?!
In Japan, you’ll find all sorts of colors and fillings for daifuku. Some shops even sell daifuku the size of one’s palm instead of the usual golf ball size, which is 3-4 cm in diameter. You can also bake, grill, or eat daifuku in soups.
A Quick History
Daifuku was a later product from uzura mochi (mochi shaped like a quail) which was popular during the early Edo period (1603-1867). During the Meiji period (1868), salted red bean was a common filling as sugar was a luxury item at the time.
In 1875, it is said that a widow in Koishikawa, Edo (modern-day Tokyo), refashioned the sweets by making them in smaller sizes and added sugar to the red bean paste. It became known as habotai mochi (thick belly rice cake) because the rice cake resembled a well-fed belly. The name later changed to daifuku mochi (big belly rice cake), as fuku can mean both ‘belly’ and ‘luck’.
The new daifuku mochi was then given a new meaning by using “大福” the kanji (Chinese characters) for big luck. As a result, we often serve daifuku—known to bring good luck and fortune—during Japanese New Year and other spring celebrations.
How to Make Daifuku with Red Bean Filling
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shiratamako (glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour) OR mochiko – I personally prefer to use shiratamako as it yields a better texture compared to mochiko. However, I understand that mochiko is cheaper and widely accessible.
- Water
- Sugar
- Potato starch or cornstarch
- Sweet red bean paste (anko) – store-bought or homemade
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Prepare the sweet red bean paste if using homemade. You can prepare it in advance and freeze.
- Make the mochi mixture: Combine the rice flour, sugar, and water. Microwave or steam the mixture until it becomes translucent and cooked through.
- Spread and the mochi into a thin layer: Transfer the hot mochi onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with potato starch. Use a rolling pin to roll out the mochi.
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes until the mochi is set.
- Cut the chilled mochi into 7-8 mochi wrapper circles.
- Stuff the anko filling: Wrap the sweet red bean filling with the mochi.
Homemade Red Bean Filling: Fine or Coarse Texture
You can make two types of red bean filling.
- Koshian (fine texture)
- Tsubuan (coarse texture)
I’m more inclined with tsubuan for its coarse texture as you can still taste the azuki bean skin in the paste. However, it’s totally personal. Get my homemade recipe here and make it in advance.
Different Types of Daifuku
Anko red bean paste is the most common filling for daifuku. However, you can find some other popular flavors and fillings, such as:
- Yomogi Daifuku – Green colored mochi made with yomogi (Japanese mugwort leaves).
- Matcha Daifuku – Matcha (green tea powder) is used to flavor either the mochi or the white bean paste (shiroan) or both to create a lovely matcha-scented mochi sweet.
- Ichigo Daifuku – A springtime favorite, this daifuku is stuffed with strawberry.
- Shio Daifuku – This daifuku uses a mix of salt and sugar in the red bean filling to create a mildly sweet and salty taste.
- Ume Daifuku – Ume or Japanese plum is another signature flavor for Japanese sweets. For this version, the tangy ume is coated with red bean paste to create a contrasting flavor before they are wrapped with mochi. A precious flavor to enjoy in early spring during ume season.
- Coffee Daifuku – Made from mochi stuffed with a creamy coffee-flavored bean paste. Some variations even include a filling made with fresh cream, sometimes called Café au lait Daifuku. Other types mix the mochi with coffee, causing the rice cake to take on a coffee-like brown color and a coffee taste and aroma.
- White bean paste (Shiroan) – After red bean paste, white bean paste (made from lima beans or butter beans) is also very popular. It has a milder taste and can be used on its own as a filling or mixed with other flavoring.
- Kinako paste – A filling made from roasted soybean flour.
More on Japanese Desserts and Sweets
- How to Make Mochi with a Stand Mixer
- Mitarashi Dango
- Wagashi Guide: History of Japanese Confectioneries
- What is Mochi? All You Need to Know About Japanese Rice Cakes
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Daifuku Mochi
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup shiratamako (glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour) (or use mochiko; see the measurement below)
- ¼ cup sugar (do not omit; the sugar helps the mochi stay soft)
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup potato starch or cornstarch
- 1½ cup sweet red bean paste (anko) (I use tsubuan chunky paste; you can make Homemade Anko)
To Substitute Shiratamako with Mochiko, Use:
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Mochi Mixture
- Combine ¾ cup shiratamako (glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour) and ¼ cup sugar in a medium bowl and whisk it all together. Tip: If you can‘t find shiratamako, you can substitute ¾ cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour).
- Add ¾ cup water and mix well until combined.
- Microwave Method: If you’re using a microwave to cook the mochi, loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in the microwave and heat it on high (1100w) for 1 minute. Take it out and stir it with wet rubber spatula. Cover again loosely and cook for 1 additional minute. Stir again, cover loosely, and cook for 30 seconds more to finish cooking. The color of the mochi will change from white to almost translucent.
- Steaming Method: If you’re using a steamer, wrap the steamer lid with a towel so the condensation does not drop into the mochi mixture. Put the bowl into the steamer basket and cover to cook for 15 minutes. Halfway through cooking, stir it with a wet rubber spatula, then cover to finish cooking. The color of the mochi will change from white to almost translucent.
To Roll and Cut the Mochi
- Cover your work surface with parchment paper and dust it generously with some of the ½ cup potato starch or cornstarch. Then transfer the hot mochi on top.
- To prevent it from sticking, sprinkle more potato starch on top of the mochi. Once it cools a bit, spread the mochi into a thin layer, about 3/16 inch (4–5 mm), with your hands or with a rolling pin. Make sure to apply potato starch to your hands and the rolling pin as needed. I recommend using a rolling pin because it’s easier to evenly spread out the mochi.
- Transfer the mochi with parchment paper onto a large baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (no more than that) until the mochi is set.
- Take out the mochi from the refrigerator and cut 7–8 mochi wrapper circles with a 3½-inch (9-cm) cookie cutter.
- Dust off the excess potato starch from these wrappers with a pastry brush. If you find any sticky spots, cover the area with potato starch, then dust it off. Next, stack the wrappers: Place a piece of plastic wrap on a plate and put a mochi circle on top. Then, layer another piece of plastic wrap on top, and add another wrapper. Repeat for all the wrappers. Roll the leftover mochi dough into a ball, roll it out into a thin layer, and cut out more wrappers circles. You can make about 12 mochi wrappers.
To Make the Daifuku
- Now, we’re ready to make the Daifuku. On the work surface, place one sheet of plastic wrap with a mochi wrapper on top. Using a medium cookie scoop, place one scoop of the 1½ cup sweet red bean paste (anko) on top of the mochi wrapper.
- Pinch the four opposite points of the mochi circle together to enclose the anko. Then pinch the remaining edges together.
- Put some potato starch on the sealed area and set aside, seam side down. Continue making the rest of the Daifuku.
To Store
- Keep the Daifuku mochi in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place. Enjoy within 2 days. For summer months when it‘s very hot, you may want to refrigerate these; since mochi gets hard in the refrigerator, you will need to wrap the container with a thick kitchen towel to keep it cool but not cold.
Hello,
Great recipe, I have already made them several times ! Very addictive ! I also tried putting some confit ginger or confit citrus (yellow lemon🍋 ) inside the anko, and both flavor were very good !
I also decreased the sugar to 40% ^^
And I think I prefer the method you explain in the green tea mochi to form them ^^ Even if they risk to have heterogeneous sizes.
Hi Ricardo! Sounds delicious! Thank you so much for your feedback. 🙂
Hello.my comment for your recipes is so original and full of Japanese Traditional character.
Thank You so much for revealing and teaching how to make Japanese food
Thank you for your kind words and feedback, Jack!
Thanks for the recipe! I just tried it out and it tastes and works great. I feel like the texture is more like dango than mochi though. (Or is it supposed to be that way?) Any tips with making it less grainy? Your mochi recipe requires a stand-mixer so I came across here, but if you know any other way for getting the same texture I’m all ears.
Hi Maan! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! What type of flour did you use? I’m afraid you used rice flour? Shiratamako or mochiko are very tender. Dango is made with both shiratamako and rice flour, so it has that firmness from rice flour. Daifuku does not include any rice flour so it should stay very soft.
Let me know. I’d be happy to help! 🙂
If I don’t have any baking sheet, am I able to cover the tray with cling wrap?
Hi Fiona! You can use any tray. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve made it twice now, both with the microwave method, and everytime it comes out lovely. I’ve filled them with canned strawbeeries and coconut cream, sweet red bean paste and also cashew nut butter.
Next time I will tey out the steam method
Hi Ellen! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I’m so glad yours come out well every time! Hope you like the steam method as well. 🙂
This Daifuku mochi is delicious I love It
Hi Oasis! Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂
Hi Nami!
Yesterday I experimented with the powdered shiratamako as well a glutinous rice flour from thailand which I can easily get in Malaysia (erawan brand).
Verdict?
Powdered shiratamako was a failure. It turned out to be like a cross between agar-agar and konyaku jelly (it’s springy, but its hard as well). I couldn’t roll it flat, and it was crystal clear (color). I’ll be cutting those up into tiny pieces and roll them in powdered sugar later and tell my kids they are candy LOL.
Thai glutinous rice flour I would say a passable substitute (cheaper) for shiratamako (which is quite expensive in Malaysia). Slightly different texture than shiratamako, but it will do. Can’t really tell the difference UNLESS you are used to eating the real deal or if they are put side by side.
My kids loved both (thankfully!)
Hi Mastura! Thanks SO MUCH for your detailed feedback. This was interesting to read! I had never seen “powdered” shiratamako, and it’s very helpful to know it doesn’t work. From the description, it made me wonder if it needed more water OR overcook it. It sounds solidified (as you couldn’t roll out) so that shows lack of moisture and overcook the rice. Sometimes, kneading will go back to the pliable stage, but maybe it wasn’t possible after overcooking. I expected Thai brand to be similar but like you said the taste and texture is slightly different – just like mochiko is different from shiratamako’s taste and texture. 🙂
Thank you again for writing feedback for me and my readers!
Hi Nami!
Guess what? It’s not shiratamako after all. I relied on the translation sticker. When I got a hold of an apps that can translate by just pointing the camera, i managed to get the words ‘potates grown…’ out. Later I met somebody who could read Japanese. She said it’s for thickening (like cornstarch) sauces. So I it was NOT shiratamako in powder form 😅 and that is why it was a failure hahaha.
Hi Mastura! Oh how funny! So you kind of end up making Warabi Mochi (https://www.justonecookbook.com/warabi-mochi/)!! The real warabi mochi is made of bracken starch, but the substitute people recommend is potato starch called Katakuriko 片栗粉. Now it made sense – yesterday I was thinking that description sounds like warabi mochi. LOL!!!!
Thanks for clarifying!! xo
I made your Daifoku recipe and they look about right. The texture of the wrapper is very gummy. Is this normal? Also I cheated a little and rolled it in granulated sugar for a little texture and ease of handling. They were quite sticky. I wish that there were a few pointers as to how it should feel and mouth texture as I am not sure that I cooked the flour enough. Thank you for all of these recipes. It makes life interesting.
Hi Robert! Thank you for trying this recipe! One part that I’m not sure is if you have tried daifuku mochi before. I wouldn’t say “gummy” but it’s hard to describe the mochi texture to someone who never had mochi before. In Japan, mochi’s texture is described as “mochi” because no other food is similar to mochi texture. It’s more like marshmallowy or jelly-like or combination of both than “gummy”. Mochi making is VERY sticky. That’s why we need to coat the mochi surface with potato or corn starch. Without it, it sticks to your hands! It requires some practice so you know how to avoid it and once you know, it’s pretty reasonable (after 1-2 practice times, I’d say). 🙂
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Would the measurements of powdered shiratamako be the same as the grainy kind you used? I wasn’t sure, so I bought both the other day. Now I need to find a use for the powder shiratamako.
BTW, i have just cooked the mochi skin and waiting for it to cool off right now.
Hi Mastura! Hmmm Shiratamako is always more granule kind and I am not sure if I had seen 100% fine powdered kind… does it say “shiratamako”? If you use the gram measurement, the weight of powder or granule should be the same? Hope you enjoy the daifuku!
yes, according to the ingredients (translations sticker). Will try to make it with the powder and will let you know the outcome.
BTW, due to so many factors, I only managed to get 8 pieces of mochi from 3/4 cups of the granule shiratamako I did yesterday. Not too shabby for my first mochi, though I need to improve on the mochi skin wrapping. It tasted good all the same.
Will post it on FB soon.
Hi Mastura! I think powder or not, it should be the same. I always wondered why shiratamako is very chunky with irregular shapes. It almost seems like it was a sheet and they break into pieces randomly into smaller chunks (that could have been powder).
Believe me, your mochi making skills will improve with practice. Next time it’ll be a lot easier as you know what you should do to avoid stickiness etc. 🙂
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