A soft, yielding vegan banana mochi made by steaming ripe bananas with mochiko — naturally sweet, no sugar needed, with a gentle warmth from ginger.
This simple banana mochi recipe comes together with just three ingredients.
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🍁 About Banana Mochi
During summer, I began to notice my stomach getting colder, a little unsettled day by day — craving something warm and comforting.
I had been making chewy ripe banana shiratama all summer, looking for something naturally sweet. This time, I wanted something softer, warmer, and a little more gentle — and this recipe came to me.
Fresh from the steamer, the aroma and sweetness of ripe banana come through beautifully. It stays soft even as it cools, the texture tender, almost melting as you eat it.
When it cools, the sweetness settles. I just pull out the bag of kinako (roasted soybean powder) and dust it over — sometimes a pinch of cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup.
A simple vegan snack that warms you from within.
🧺 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Naturally sweet, no sugar needed: Ripe bananas do all the sweetening work.
- Just 3 ingredients: Banana, mochiko, and a little ginger. That's it.
- Soft even when cool: Unlike regular mochi or shiratama, the texture stays tender.
- A hint of ginger: Just a few drops are enough to bring out the sweetness of the banana.
- Easy to customize: Top with kinako, cinnamon, or a drizzle of maple syrup.
🫖 Ingredients
- Ripe bananas: The skin should be starting to turn black, the flesh is very soft but not yet mushy. This is the sweet spot for flavour.
- Mochiko (sweet rice flour): Not joshinko, not shiratamako — mochiko is what gives this its soft, yielding texture.
- Ginger juice (optional): A small knob of fresh ginger, squeezed. Just a few drops are all you need.
Full quantities are listed in the recipe card below👇
🥣 How to Make
Just mash, mix, shape, and steam. Simple enough to make with little ones.
- Mash the banana
- Place the ripe banana in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.
- Add a few drops of ginger juice if using, and mix well.
- Add the mochiko
- Add the mochiko and mix with a fork until combined.
- Check the dough
- Mix until no dry flour remains — you're ready to shape.
🌿 The dough will be sticky — that's fine. If you firm it up the way you would with shiratama dough, the mochi will turn out too dense. Keep it loose.
- Shape
- Scoop portions with spoons and shape roughly into rounds.
- Place on a steamer lined with parchment paper.
🌿 Leave plenty of space between each piece — they spread as they steam.
- Steam
- Steam over boiling water for 10–15 minutes.
🌿 No need to wrap the lid in a cloth (unlike when making ichigo daifuku). The steam droplets falling onto the mochi give it a smooth, glossy surface and make them easier to lift off when it's done.
- Serve
- When the surface turns translucent, they're done.
- Transfer to a plate and enjoy while warm.
🌿 Top with kinako, cinnamon, or a drizzle of maple syrup if you like.
📘 Kitchen Notes
- Variations: A dusting of cinnamon or kinako takes it closer to dessert territory. As it cools, the sweetness mellows — a drizzle of maple syrup or a coat of kinako adds a little sweetness back.
- Storage: Keep in the fridge for up to a day. Re-steam briefly before eating to bring back the soft texture.
📚 FAQ
Look for bananas where the skin is just starting to turn black, but the flesh still holds its shape. This is when the flavour and sweetness are at their peak.
A deep pot or frying pan works fine. Place a heatproof plate or small bowl upside down on the bottom, add 2–3 cm of water, and bring to a boil. Once steaming, arrange the mochi on a parchment-lined heatproof plate, set it inside, cover, and steam for 10–15 minutes. Check the water level occasionally so it doesn't run dry.
Either works — it's up to you. Coating gives it more of a kinako mochi feel, while sprinkling keeps it lighter.
🍌 With Leftover Bananas
Gently sweet vegan dessert recipes:
🍡 More Mochiko Recipes
Soft and chewy vegan mochi made with sweet rice flour:
🚲 Using Kinako
Lightly sweetened vegan kinako desserts:
🍯 More Maple Syrup Recipes
From desserts to side dishes:
✏️ Recipe Card
Banana Mochi Recipe｜3 Ingredients, No Sugar, Vegan Mochi
Equipment
- Bowl
- fork
- parchment paper
- steamer
Ingredients
- 100 g banana (ripe, very soft but not yet mushy)
- 60 g mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
- ginger juice (optional, a few drops)
Toppings (optional)
- kinako (roasted soybean flour to taste)
- cinnamon (to taste)
- maple syrup (to taste)
Instructions
- Mash the banana: Place the ripe banana in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Add a few drops of ginger juice if using, and mix well.100 g bananaginger juice
- Add the mochiko: Add the mochiko and mix with a fork until no dry flour remains.60 g mochiko
- Shape: Scoop portions with two spoons and place on a parchment-lined steamer. Leave plenty of space between each piece — they spread as they steam.
- Steam: Steam over boiling water for 10–15 minutes. When the surface turns translucent, they're done.
- Serve: Enjoy warm straight from the steamer. Once cooled, top with kinako, cinnamon, or a drizzle of maple syrup to add some sweetness.kinakocinnamonmaple syrup
☕️ Closing
Bananas are such a reliable ingredient.
They keep well, offer something different at every stage of ripeness, and make it easy to cut back on sugar in desserts.
Next on my list is a banana pie with rich vegan custard made with kudzu starch. Ripe banana and a thick, creamy custard — I have a feeling it's going to be very good.
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