Mochi ice cream

A small ball of ice cream wrapped in a thin, soft layer of sweet rice dough.

Mochi ice cream: Several round mochi ice cream balls in pale pink, green and white, one cut in half to show the ice cream center inside the thin rice dough wrapper.
  • Frozen desserts and sweet beverages
  • Japan

Mochi ice cream combines a Japanese rice cake with a frozen center. The wrapper is made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and water, cooked into a smooth, stretchy dough and dusted with starch so it does not stick. Thin rounds are wrapped around scoops of firm ice cream, then refrozen.

Because the sugar in the dough keeps it soft, the wrapper stays chewy even when frozen. Popular fillings include vanilla, green tea, strawberry, mango and chocolate. It is best eaten after a few minutes out of the freezer, when the outside softens and the ice cream inside is still cold and firm.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Japan House | Mochi Ice Cream, Japan House, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign