Check out the remake: 2 Layer Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea Mochi Bars!

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These tea infused brown sugar boba mochi bars are milky, sweet, chewy and fun– they’re easy to make and are sure to delight. They are gluten free and by swapping out the milk for milk alternative, you can make them vegan!

The Process

Make the boba

Cook tapioca pearls per instructions on the package. I used these tapioca pearls. To cook them, I bring a pot of water to a boil, add the tapioca pearls and cook them until they float. Then I cover the pot and lower the heat, letting the boba simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then I turn the heat off and let the boba sit in the pot covered for another 2 minutes.

When the tapioca pearls are ready, strain them and mix it in a bowl with brown sugar. Let it soak in the sugar mixture for about 15 minutes.

 

Make the mochi

Generously grease a 6×6 inch baking dish with oil or line with parchment paper.

Add tea in with milk in a saucepan and heat it over medium heat, stirring until the milk starts to steam. Turn off heat and let the tea steep for about 3 minutes. Remove the tea and dissolve in sugar. Let cool, ~3 minutes.

Evenly mix the glutinous rice flour into the milk. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into the baking dish and then disperse 1/3 of your boba mixture on top. Pour another 1/3 of your rice flour mixture, top it with boba, then flour and then boba again.

Cook the mochi

 

You can either bake or steam the mochi. I prefer baking the mochi since it gives the mochi a more solid structure.

 

Bake: Oil a piece of aluminum foil and use it to cover the baking dish. Gently tap the baking dish with mochi onto your counter to remove some air bubbles. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes. The finished bars should look semi transparent and a bit glossy.

 

Steam: Alternatively you can steam your bars. Place the baking dish in a steamer, cover and bring the water to boil on high heat. Lower the temperature to medium heat and let steam for 45 minutes.

Cooling, serving & storing

It is important to cool the mochi completely before cutting or it will be too hard and sticky. Let it cool for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

When ready to slice, grease a knife or wet with water. Re-grease the knife or run the knife under water in between slicing to prevent sticking. If the mochi bars is still not very structurally stable or sticky, let it air dry for another hour or toss it in corn starch. Store at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for longer. It will get harder after a day– simply steam, microwave, or re-bake to soften.

Tips & Recommendations

1. Line your baking dish with parchment paper or very generously oil your baking pan to prevent the mochi from sticking. I prefer using parchment, but when I do use the greasing method, I would grease the pan with coconut oil and pop it in the freezer for 5 minutes so the coconut oil will solidify before using.
2. This is a small batch recipe– it fits well in a 2 cup narrow baking dish. I use this from Snapware. Double the recipe if you are using more than a 3 cup baking dish or using a square baking dish.
3. Bake the mochi covered. This prevent the top from drying out and cracking.
4. Sufficiently cool the mochi before handling. I recommend to cool the mochi at least 4 hours. Ideally, let it rest overnight!
5. Oil knife or run it under water before cutting. You will have to re-oil/wet the knife. If the mochi sticks to the knife, clean the knife well, and continue to cut.
6. Try pan frying the mochi as well! It gives it a nice toasty flavor and an addicting crunch! One of my favorite ways to eat rice cakes!

Looking for more mochi recipes? Check these out!

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• Back Sesame Mochi Bar
• 3 Layer Macchiato Mochi
• Warabimochi with Tapioca Flour
• Quick & Easy Microwave Mochi
• Red Bean Mochi Bar