My first pumpkin recipe of the year! It’s still pretty toasty and sunny in our corner of the world lately, but I’m forcing all the Fall cozy vibes by way of cinnamon, autumnal squashes, and sweaters that I can only wear in the morning before I start getting too sweaty. I spent all day yesterday with the oven set to 350 working on some bread and cookie recipes and it sort of felt like an extended session of Bikram Yoga… not that I’ve ever done that but I feel like this would be pretty close but with more carbs.

If it’s a little chillier where you are I think these Pumpkin Mochi Muffins would be the perfect reason to turn your oven on and make your whole home smell like warm spices and sweet pumpkin! I’m not sure how popular mochi muffins are in other parts of the country but they are such a thing in the Bay Area thanks to Third Culture Bakery. They have some baking magic going on in there! Mochi muffins are made with mochiko or sweet rice flour, which is gluten-free, and gives the muffin such an addicting chewy texture. If you’re one of those people who don’t like chewy textures then I would look away now.

I added pumpkin puree to my mochi muffin base and some cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg for that pumpkin spice action. The pumpkin makes these muffins extra moist and a little gooey in the center, which is such a nice textural contrast to the crisp exterior of the muffin.

The flavors bring me back to my high school days, when I was obsessed with Panera Pumpkin Muffin Tops. YES, just the muffin tops! I haven’t been to a Panera in a few years so I’m not sure if those still exist. Can anyone confirm??? I would treat myself to one of those round squishy pumpkin baked goods during my senior year lunch breaks to help fuel me through my physics and calculus homework. (shutters) Ok, stop thinking about high school, Kristina.

Make these yummy Fall forward mochi muffins! There are some tips and tricks below along with the recipe!

The BEST Mochi Muffins

I know that’s a big statement, but I feel pretty confident about my mochi muffin recipe! I’ve been making mochi muffins to bring to each of my dumpling workshops, so it’s safe to say that I’ve made A LOT of mochi muffins. More than someone who doesn’t sell mochi muffins should I think.

I love them because pretty much everyone can eat them. They are gluten-free but without any gluten-free flavor or textural compromise if that makes sense. I’ve made them in Black Sesame form, Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake form, Matcha White Chocolate form, Salted Peanut Butter forms, and countless other varieties based on whatever ingredients I had in my pantry that day. The base recipe is really so versatile and I encourage you to play around with flavors on your own!

The only ingredient that might be hard to source depending on where you live is mochiko flour. I love using this brand, I’ve seen it at whole foods before but most Asian grocery stores will sell it or another brand of sweet rice flour. It’s sometimes referred to as glutinous rice flour too!

How to Get Those Flat Muffin Tops

“How do you get the flat top on your mochi muffins??”

This is probably the most commonly asked question I get about my mochi muffin recipe. All I gotta say is PAM. I swear by PAM to get those characteristically flat muffins tops. Spray the crap out of your muffin tins with non-stick spray so that the mochi muffin batter can smoothly bake up the sides of the muffin tin. Right as you take the muffins out of the oven the muffins will be soaring high above the rim of the muffin tin, but they will eventually deflate! If the tins are not coated properly then the batter will stick and cause you to have puffy rounded tops, more like cupcakes, which is totally fine! It will still taste the same. That thin edge around the flat top gets really crispy and it’s just a nice texture contrast with the chewy and semi gooey interior!

Pumpkin Mochi Muffins

makes 24 muffins

Materials:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 14oz can of coconut milk
1 1/2 cup milk (or alternative milk)
2 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 3/4 cup mochiko flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup pumpkin puree
nonstick cooking spray - very important!
roasted pumpkin seeds - for garnish

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Make sure to evenly coat all sides of the muffin tin. This is important because it help the muffins get their characteristic flat tops. So spray the crap out of your tins.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about 4 minutes until it turns slightly brown. Turn off the heat and immediately whisk in coconut milk, milk, and brown sugar until evenly mixed and sugar has dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

3. Whisk together mochiko flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Slowly pour in butter mixture and whisk until smooth. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined.

4. Fill muffin tins with mochi batter up to just below the rim. Top muffins with some pumpkin seeds. Place in the oven and bake for 38-42 minutes.

5. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Remove from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack until ready to eat.

enjoy!