Brown Butter Mochi Banana Bread blends ripe bananas, nutty brown butter, and the chewy texture of Hawaiian-style butter mochi into a single loaf. The brown butter brings a warm, toffee-like depth that complements the sweetness of the bananas, while glutinous rice (sweet rice) flour gives the bread a soft, springy, satisfyingly squishy interior. With a golden, lightly caramelized top and a custard-like center, this is banana bread reimagined with a delightful mochi twist.
I’ve always loved classic banana bread made with brown butter, especially when there are overripe bananas on the counter. After experimenting with combinations like cornbread and mochi, it felt natural to pair banana bread with butter mochi’s chewiness. I found an old Hawaiian cookbook recipe that used Bisquick, and after testing variations with some all-purpose flour I found them too dry. When I switched to 100% glutinous rice flour (mochiko), the texture became soft, springy, and perfectly chewy.
Key ingredient
This recipe calls for just nine ingredients—most are the same as a typical banana bread, but the flour is different. The essential ingredient is mochiko (sweet rice or glutinous rice flour). For true mochi texture, use mochiko or another brand of sweet rice flour made from short-grain glutinous rice. Regular wheat flour, standard rice flour, or most generic gluten-free blends won’t produce the same springy chew. Using sweet rice flour is what gives this loaf its characteristic mochi-like structure.
It’s simple to make
Most of the prep is browning the butter ahead of time. Apart from that, the batter comes together in one bowl for minimal cleanup. The steps below walk through the straightforward process from browning to baking.
- About 30 minutes before mixing, brown the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Warm butter is fine; it doesn’t need to be completely cold.
- Measure and mash your bananas in a large bowl. You’ll need roughly 1 1/3 cups (about 320 g) of mashed banana, which usually equals 2 to 3 medium bananas depending on size. Using a scale and mashing directly in the bowl keeps things tidy.
- Combine the wet ingredients. If the brown butter is slightly warm, beat the eggs with the mashed bananas first, then slowly pour in the butter while stirring to reduce the chance of curdling.
- Stir in the brown sugar until fully incorporated before adding the dry ingredients.
- Sift the sweet rice flour with baking powder and baking soda into the wet mixture. Add kosher salt separately if your sieve won’t pass large granules. Stir until the batter is smooth — overmixing isn’t a concern with this gluten-free batter.
- Pour the batter into a buttered and parchment-lined loaf pan and bake until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Resist slicing immediately. Let the loaf finish setting from residual heat and cool on a rack until it reaches a comfortable temperature. The loaf will look puffy when it comes out and deflate slightly as it cools — that’s normal.
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Mochi Banana Bread Recipe
12 slices
20
55
1 15
Equipment
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Loaf pan
Ingredients
- 4 oz (113 g) unsalted butter, browned
- 1 1/3 cup (320 g) mashed bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
- 1 1/3 cup (209 g) mochiko (sweet rice / glutinous rice flour)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Extra melted butter for the pan
Instructions
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Brown the butter: Place butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Melt, then allow it to foam. When the foam subsides and clear bubbles appear, whisk continuously to prevent the milk solids from burning. When the butter turns caramel in color and smells nutty (about 8–9 minutes), remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare the pan: Brush a loaf pan generously with melted butter and line it with a long strip of parchment so it overhangs the sides; brush the parchment with more melted butter.
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Make the wet mixture: Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add cooled (or slightly warm) brown butter, eggs, and vanilla; whisk until combined. Stir in the brown sugar and beat until fully incorporated.
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Add dry ingredients: Sift the sweet rice flour, baking powder, and baking soda directly into the wet ingredients. Sprinkle kosher salt over the top and stir until smooth and fully combined. This batter is gluten-free, so you don’t need to worry about overmixing.
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Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Cool: Remove the loaf from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Lift the bread from the pan using the parchment overhang and allow it to cool to a comfortable temperature before slicing.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover mochi banana bread at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Reheating: Butter mochi tends to firm up when chilled. To soften, warm slices in the microwave 20–30 seconds covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap; they’ll regain a freshly-baked texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an approximation.
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