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Home » Recipes » Breads » Cheesy Korean Mochi Bread

Cheesy Korean Mochi Bread

Published: May 19, 2024 · Modified: Apr 27, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

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This cheesy Korean mochi bread is soft and chewy on the inside and so tasty! It tastes so good, you'll find it hard to stop at one! Shaped into balls, they are the perfect size for snacking on or serving with a soup or salad. It’s an easy and delicious gluten-free treat you’re going to love!

A distant relative to the Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao de Queijo), these cheesy mochi balls are soft, chewy, and incredibly tasty. I've updated and simplified this recipe from my original version so that it is even easier to make, so there is no excuse not to make these tasty treats! There is no need to heat the milk and you can mix it all with a spoon...no mixer required! Let's get on with it!

Ingredients

  • Glutinous rice flour (same as sweet rice flour, Mochiko rice flour)
  • Milk
  • Neutral-flavored oil
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Egg
  • Salt

See recipe card for quantities.

A white bowl containing white flour, a silver bowl containing an egg, a measuring glass containing oil and milk, a white bowl containing grated cheese.

Equipment

As with almost all gluten-free baking recipes, using a digital scale (affiliate link) ensures more reliable results because of the greater accuracy in measuring the ingredients. For other recommended equipment items for this recipe, check out the equipment list in the recipe card below.

Instructions

Milk and oil being poured into a black bowl containing white flour.

In a mixing bowl, add the glutinous rice flour and salt. Add the milk and oil.

A black bowl containing a white spoon and white coarse pebble shaped dough.

Using a spoon or mixer, mix the flour and milk and oil together until the mixture resembles course pebbles and most of the flour has been incorporated.

A yellow beaten egg being poured into a black bowl containing pebble-like white dough.

Beat the egg and then add it to the flour-milk mixture.

A black bowl containing a white spoon and light yellow dough.

Mix the egg into the pellets until a cohesive dough forms.

A black bowl containing a white spoon and yellow grated cheeses.

Add the grated cheddar and Parmesan cheese to the bowl.

A light yellow ball of dough in a black bowl with a white spoon.

Mix the cheese into the dough until fully incorporated.

A disc shaped piece of dough on a wood surface dusted with white flour.

Transfer the dough to a work surface lightly dusted with glutinous rice flour. Flatten the dough slightly into a disc.

A disc cut into 8 wedges on a wood surface dusted with white flour.

Use a knife to cut the disc into 8 wedges.

Close-up of a piece of dough rolled into a ball, resting in a hand.

Roll each wedge of dough in between your hands to form a ball.

Eight round dough balls on a paper-lined baking sheet.

Place the dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven for18-20 minutes until slightly golden brown.

Hint: The dough is not meant to be kneaded and is very easy to handle. Lightly dust your hands with glutinous rice flour and simply press the dough together to form a cohesive mass before dividing into 8 pieces.

Eight baked mochi bread balls on a baking sheet lined with white paper.

Variations

Try adding any of these ingredients to the dough before shaping them into balls and baking:

  • Green onions
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Mozzarella cheese - substitute one of the cheeses with mozzarella and get a stretch of cheese when pulling a mochi bread ball apart!

See this chocolate version on my website!

Close up of a Korea mochi bread ball with chopped green onions.

Serving Suggestions

A white dish containing cheesy Korean mochi bread next to a bowl of green soup and a spoon.

I really like eating the cheesy mochi bread just as they are for a snack alongside my favorite hot beverage. However, I also really enjoy eating them with a hot bowl or soup or with a salad. Here are a few of my favorite dishes to serve with the bread:

  • Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup
  • Shrimp Avocado Beet Salad
  • Roasted Broccoli and Bacon
  • Oh-So-Good Chicken Vegetable Soup

Commonly Asked Questions

Is rice flour the same as glutinous rice flour?

No. Do not use regular rice flour or any all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. It must be glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour.

Does glutinous rice flour mean it has gluten?

No. Glutinous rice flour has no gluten. Glutinous refers to the sticky, chewy quality the flour takes on when cooked.

Can this recipe be dairy-free?

The only way to make this dairy-free is to omit the cheese and use a non-dairy milk. However, I do not know how the final result or how long the bread will last if there is no cheese to add fat and moisture.

How long do they last?

The cheesy mochi bread tastes best the same day it is made, but you can keep leftovers for up to two days. Reheat the in microwave for about 5-10 seconds to soften them up.

Close-up of a Korean mochi bread ball being ripped apart by two hands.

Other Recipes You Might Like

I'm a big fan of mochi because of the chewy texture. If you're like me and like mochi, too, take a look at these recipes where I combine mochi with other flavors:

  • Chewy Butter Mochi Bites
  • Double Chocolate Mochi Muffins
  • Mochi Cinnamon Rolls
  • Chewy Matcha Mochi Bites
A hand holding a mochi bread ball that has been bitten.

You are going to love this savory cheesy mochi bread with its crackled texture and how cute they are! Eat them soon after you pull them out of the oven and you'll enjoy the crisp outside and soft and chewy inside. They are so good, it will be hard to resist eating more than one!

~ Lisa.


Watch How To Make It!

Cheesy Korean Mochi Bread

This cheesy Korean mochi bread is soft and chewy on the inside and so tasty! It tastes so good, you'll find it hard to stop at one! Shaped into balls, they are the perfect size for snacking on or serving with a soup or salad. It’s an easy and delicious gluten-free treat you’re going to love!
4.59 from 17 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Makes: 8 pieces

Ingredients

  • 200 grams glutinous rice flour
  • 5 grams salt
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup light olive oil
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 30 grams grated Parmesan cheese
  • 45 grams grated cheddar cheese
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped green onions (optional)

Equipment

  • Digital Kitchen Scale
  • Baking sheets
  • Parchment Paper
  • Grater
  • Measuring Cups
  • 1-cup Measuring Cup
  • Measuring Spoons

Instructions

  • Preheat oven 375 deg F (190C).
  • Add glutinous rice flour and salt to a mixing bowl.
  • Add the milk and oil to the glutinous rice flour and mix with a spoon or mixer until mixture resembles small pellets.
  • Add the egg to the bowl and mix/beat until well-incorporated and a dough forms.
  • Add grated cheeses and chopped green onions (if using) and stir well into the dough with a spatula or spoon.
  • Dust your work surface and your hands with glutinous rice flour and lightly shape the dough into a disc.
  • Cut the dough into 8 wedges, then roll each wedge into a ball.
  • Place dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes until you see cracks in the surface of the bread and they are lightly golden in color.
  • Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

  • Look for glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour in your local Asian market. The brand does not matter as long as it's the correct type of rice flour.
  • Volume measurements (This recipe works best with weight measurements because they are more precise and yield more reliable results):
    • 200g of glutinous rice flour is approximately 2 cups + 5 tsp. This volume measurement was made from spoon the flour into the measuring cup/spoons (so the flour is not packed) and leveling it off.
    • 5 grams of salt is about 1 teaspoon.
    • 45 grams of cheddar cheese is approximately ¾ cup.
    • 30 grams Parmesan cheese is approximately ½ cup.
  • Leftover mochi bread can be stored in a sealed container or bag for up to 2 days.
  • Heat up any leftover mochi bread for 5-10 seconds in the microwave to soften.
Have you made this recipe?Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to mention @dayinthekitchen!

**This post was originally published August 18th, 2019 and republished May 20th, 2024 with an updated name and recipe, new writing and new photos.

You Might Also Like:

  • Almond Flour Banana Bread
  • Gluten-Free Bread Rolls
  • Chewy Chocolate Mochi Bread
  • Gluten-Free Bacon Cheddar Scallion Scones

Comments

    4.59 from 17 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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  1. Karen says

    April 27, 2025 at 1:06 pm

    5 stars
    These were very delicious, served with Turkish soup, will make again, thank you for the recipe

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 27, 2025 at 10:19 pm

      Thank you so much for making the recipe, Karen! I'm so glad you liked it and that they went well with the soup!

      Reply
  2. Anna says

    July 12, 2024 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    These turned out so well, and so tasty. It really reminds of the Brazilian bread that they serve at Gauchos. I think the only thing i would change just for me personally is to make the breads a bit smaller and make more, perhaps 12-16.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 13, 2024 at 9:30 pm

      Thanks so much for making them, Anna! I'm so glad you liked them, and making them smaller and getting more out of the recipe is a great idea.

      Reply
  3. Debbie says

    July 07, 2024 at 3:56 am

    Why 2 different forms of measurements?
    Please use all standard measurements!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 07, 2024 at 10:56 am

      Hi Debbie! Except for the liquid measurements, I have listed all the dry ingredients in weight because volume measurement can vary greatly. Weight measurements yield more reliable results. However, if you look at the Notes section of the recipe, I did give the best approximation of volume measurements for the dry ingredients that you can try if you'd like. Thank you for your comment!

      Reply
  4. Cynthia Villanuevs says

    March 31, 2023 at 12:19 pm

    Hi Lisa. good day to you. Thanks for this recipe. I just wanted to find out if I could use evaporated milk instead of whole milk. Please let me know. Regards.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 31, 2023 at 10:17 pm

      Hi Cynthia! Thanks for the question...I think evaporated milk should work fine. I would certainly consider giving it a try.

      Reply
  5. Karlie says

    January 27, 2021 at 6:50 pm

    5 stars
    I am an average cook at best but these turned out great! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 27, 2021 at 8:08 pm

      Fabulous, Karlie! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  6. Evy says

    January 07, 2021 at 2:00 am

    Hi, this recipe could be "the one" i've been looking for, for quite some time! I want to try in minutes but i only have regular rice flour, in my country there's no glutinous rice flour, would a regular rice flour work? Or do you have anything in mind to add to ingredients if i use a regular rice flour? Thanks a bunch in advance 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 07, 2021 at 7:49 am

      Thanks for the question, Evy. Unfortunately, this recipe will not work with regular rice flour as it is completely different from glutinous rice flour. They will end up hard, dry, and not chewy in any way. The only thing I can think of substituting or mixing into a bit of regular rice flour is tapioca starch (more starch than rice flour), but that still will not yield the exact results as if you used glutinous rice flour.

      Reply
      • Evy says

        January 07, 2021 at 10:58 pm

        Thank you Lisa, that's still great news for me, I already have tapioca starch at home, wow, got so exited! I just miss bread a lot and i got bored from all other flours or couldn't like the smell or taste... I absolutely will try your recipe! So, to make it clear, if you had to, how would you try it? Do you think i should use, say, 120gr tapioca starch plus 80gr regular rice flour?

        Reply
        • Lisa says

          January 08, 2021 at 8:32 am

          If I were to try this experiment, I would start with 150g tapioca starch and 50g rice flour to see how it works. You could also make just half a batch to run the test. Good luck with it, Evy, and let me know how it turns out. Also, another option for a chewy bread type recipe is my Pao de Queijo. The recipe is similar, but not exactly the same as the Mochi Balls and it uses all tapioca starch. https://www.adayinthekitchen.com/chewy-brazilian-cheese-bread/

          Reply
          • Evy says

            January 08, 2021 at 5:34 pm

            🙏🏼 I cannot thank you enough! I've just checked your Pao de Queijo recipe and this is the first time i saw tapioca starch used this way. I absolutely surely will try both recipes and let you know, thank you again 😊🙏🏼

            Reply
  7. Didi says

    September 16, 2020 at 11:56 pm

    Hi I followed the recipe .. is the crust supposed to be hard. Insides are soft. I baked 30 mins at 190. Any recommendations to have the outer crust softer?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 17, 2020 at 1:58 pm

      The crust is supposed to be crisp, but I'm not exactly what you mean by hard. You could try brushing the outside of the mochi balls with some oil before baking, or alternatively, you could try adding a bit more oil to the dough, keeping in mind that adding more liquid will make the dough a bit stickier to handle. Let me know if you try the recipe again, Didi.

      Reply
  8. Jay says

    July 21, 2020 at 11:45 pm

    Hello, I just wanted to drop in and say that QQ is not the Korean word for chewy that is a Taiwanese word. The Korean word for chewy is jjolgit jjolgit.
    (I say this as someone who is both Korean and Taiwanese)

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 22, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      Wow. Thanks, Jay! I appreciate you enlightening me! I've corrected the information in the post to reflect that information.

      Reply
  9. Jenny says

    June 24, 2020 at 6:37 am

    Hi, I was wondering if I could replace the light olive oil with regular vegetable oil or unsalted butter?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 24, 2020 at 6:46 am

      Yes, those should work fine. Thanks for the question, Jenny!

      Reply
  10. Juliana says

    June 22, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    I tried once by using exactly the same recipe and they tasted wonderful. For better control of calories, I cut half on cheese volume and they were still good enough to attract my colleagues. Really want to try out green tea.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 23, 2020 at 10:44 pm

      That's awesome, Juliana! I'm still working on the green tea version and hope to come out with the perfected version soon!

      Reply
  11. Jade says

    May 25, 2020 at 10:25 pm

    Just made these! Can you freeze them?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 26, 2020 at 7:59 am

      Sorry, Jade. I've never tried so I don't know if they freeze well or not. If you wanted to test it, I would freeze one, then bring it to room temperature before reheating.

      Reply
  12. ham says

    April 19, 2020 at 3:41 pm

    I followed this recipe, but i can still taste the flour texture and the flour smell. Any ideas where I missed out?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 19, 2020 at 4:44 pm

      I'm not sure. You could try adding more cheese, or perhaps mixing in some onion or garlic powder into the rice flour to see if that makes any difference.

      Reply
  13. Miann says

    February 07, 2020 at 6:25 am

    Hi! These look delicious but I am wondering if I can substitute the milk for a non diary option or use water instead? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      February 07, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      I have not personally tried this recipe with water or a non-dairy option, so I am not sure how they would work out. If you're looking for non-dairy in this recipe, you may also run into an issue with the cheese, and if you omit that, then you'll want to find a different way to add flavor. If you try the recipe without dairy ingredients, please let me know how they turn out! Thanks for the question, Miann.

      Reply

Hey, I'm Lisa!

Welcome to A Day in the Kitchen! This is your one stop shop for easy gluten-free recipes for baking and cooking, as well as traditional home-cooked Chinese dishes! Whether you want to try gluten-free baking, are feeling nostalgic for Chinese dishes you had as a kid, or you simply want easy meal ideas, I've got you covered! It's always a great day to cook!

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