Butter mochi is a staple in Hawaii — because it’s great, says Peter Som, fashion designer and Mill Valley-rased author of the forthcoming cookbook, “Family Style” (Harvest, $40).
It’s a great, portable, chewy snack he learned about from his grandma, who likely got her recipe from Som’s auntie Florence, a longtime Hawaii resident, he says.
While the exct origins of butter mochi are unknown, “all I can do is give thanks that it exists,” he writes. His version uses browned butter and adds miso to infuse it with umami flavors.
Brown Butter Miso Mochi Blondies
Makes 24 squares
INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1 tablespoon white or yellow miso
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) can coconut cream
1½ cups white sugar
1½ cups dark brown sugar
1 pound sweet (glutinous) rice flour, such as Koda Farms
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the long sides.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook until golden nutty brown and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the miso (it won’t completely dissolve but will ultimately get fully combined in later mixing — so don’t stress!). Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
Once the butter miso mixture is cool, add the eggs, vanilla, coconut cream and white and dark brown sugars and mix until smooth. Add the sweet rice flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until deep golden brown with set edges and just the slightest wobble in the center.
Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt and cool completely, then use the parchment to lift out. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
From Family Style by Peter Som. Copyright © 2025 by Peter Som. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
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