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Soft and chewy Hong Kong-style mochi rolls flavored with real bananas are childhood favorites. They are so easy to make and have a nice texture and the right amount of sweetness.
I told my kids that I grew up with these mochi rolls as a kid, not banana flavor in particular, but I remember them being pink in color (most likely from a food coloring). Every time I saw them at the market or grocery store, I would nag my mom to get some. It’s one of my favorite childhood snacks! And now it’s my kids’!
Why you’ll like this recipe
1. Recipe is easy and forgiving
Really, there’s not much skills needed to make these banana mochi rolls.
2. Soft and chewy mochi
The texture is simply amazing. Soft yet chewy at the same time. My kids couldn’t get enough of these
3. Made with real bananas and no extract
Many recipes uses banana extract, but I want something made with real bananas. Afterall, we all bound to have that overripen bananas and this is one of the recipes you can utilize to use up some of those bananas
How to make Hong Kong-style banana mochi rolls
1. Put 100 grams of glutinous rice flour on a dry pan. Toast this over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until the flour is lightly brown in color. Remove from the heat and let it cool down before using
2. Put the bananas, sugar, water, oil, glutinous rice flour, and rice flour in a blender and process into a smooth batter. If you don’t have a blender, you can mash the banana by hand and then combine it with the rest of the ingredients to make a smooth batter. Strain the mixture if necessary
3. Pour the batter into a lightly oiled plate or a pan. Preferably the plate or pan is wide enough so the batter won’t be too thick and take longer to steam. An 8 x 10 inch pan or a shallow plate will do
4. Cover with aluminum foil or wrap the lid of the steamer with a cloth to prevent water condensation from dropping onto the cake surface
5. Steam over medium-high heat for 20 minutes 
6. Use a rubber spatula to stir and fold the cooked mochi dough, sort of like kneading the dough. The dough is sticky at this point
7. Dust your work surface with the toasted glutinous rice flour you prepared earlier
8. Transfer the dough onto that floured surface. Dust the top with some toasted flour. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick rectangle
9. Cut the rectangle into half
10. Start rolling the dough up like a Swiss roll
11. Use a bench scraper or knife to trim off both ends for a neat presentation. Then cut into about 3 inches long mochi roll. Dust with some toasted flour as needed
How to store
This can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for a day or two. For longer storage, keep them in the freezer. They freeze very well. Simply thaw at room temperature before serving. Do not store it in the fridge as it will dry out and the texture also suffers.
Did you make this Hong Kong-style banana mochi roll recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
You may also like these mochi rolls with red bean paste
Chinese Banana Mochi Rolls (Made with Real Bananas)
Ingredients
- 300 gr peeled bananas
- 150 gr glutinous rice flour
- 50 gr rice flour
- 100 gr sugar
- 100 gr water
- 1 Tbsp oil
For dusting:
- 100 gr glutinous rice flour
Instructions
- Put 100 grams of glutinous rice flour on a dry pan. Toast this over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until the flour is lightly brown in color. Remove from the heat and let it cool down before using. This is to be used for dusting later, not to prepare the batter
Prepare the batter:
- Bring the water in the steamer to a boil
- Put the bananas, sugar, water, oil, glutinous rice flour, and rice flour in a blender and process into a smooth batter. If you don't have a blender, you can mash the banana by hands and then combine with the rest of the ingredients to make a smooth batter. Strain the mixture if necessary
Steam the cake:
- Pour the batter into a lightly oiled plate or a pan. Preferably the plate or pan is wide enough so the batter won't be too thick and take longer to steam. An 8 x 10 inch pan or a shallow plate will do. Cover with aluminum foil or wrap the lid of the steamer with a cloth to prevent water condensation from dropping onto the cake surface
- Steam over medium-high heat for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a bit of sticky dough smeared on it is fine as long as the dough is no longer raw or wet
To cook the dough in microwave:
- Pour the batter into a lightly oiled microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a cling wrap, leaving a bit of gap at the edge to let the steam vent. You can also use a microwave-safe plate or lid, leaving a bit of gap.
- Cook on high power for 90 seconds and then carefully remove from the microwave and uncover the cling wrap or cover and use a sturdy spatula or spoon to stir the mixture. The edge usually cooks first and the center and bottom are not cooked through. Give the batter a good stir to mix everything. Cover with a cling wrap again and cook for another 1 minute.
- Remove from the microwave and check and see if the dough is cooked through by giving it a good stir again. If not, cover and give it another 30-second burst and check again. Proceed to shaping
Shaping:
- Lightly oil a sturdy rubber spatula to stir and fold the cooked mochi dough, sort of like kneading the dough to make it elastic. Keep kneading it until the dough is elastic The dough is sticky at this point
- Dust your work surface with the toasted glutinous rice flour you prepared earlier. Transfer the dough onto that floured surface. Dust the top with some toasted glutinous rice flour you prepared earlier. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick rectangle. Dust with flour as needed if it feels sticky
- Cut the rectangle into half. Start rolling the dough up like a Swiss roll. Use a bench scraper or plastic knife to trim off both ends for a neat presentation. Then cut into about 3 inches long mochi roll. Dust with some toasted flour as needed and brush off any excess
- They are best served on the same day. They can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for a day or so. They freeze very well too. Simply let them thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes or so before serving. Keep the extra flour you toasted earlier in an air-tight container. You can dust the mochi roll again after they are thawed (if you freeze them) before serving
41 comments
I tried this recipe, but this is coming from someone who has never kneaded dough or handled cooked rice flour. Flattening the door was fine, it was only afterwards that I discovered that the flattening made my dough stick to the mat. Got cooked dough stuck all over my fingers during the process, and I exhausted pretty much most of the toasted rice flour to keep it from getting sticky. Do you have any advice for this situation?
Hi Samuel, sorry you had so much trouble handling the dough. Really, the thing that keeps the dough from sticking to our fingers, rolling pin or any surface is the toasted flour you prepared. Make sure you really fold the dough several times too using a rubber spatula after it’s cooked to make the dough soft and flexible, this also helps to improve the stickiness situation. You want to make sure you dust your work surface with flour generously and also the rolling pin. Whenever you feel some stickiness, dust with some flour. You can always brush the excess flour off later.
This looks absolutely incredible, can’t wait to try it! One question… Do you add the 100g of toasted flour with the rest of the flour (in step 2 of making the batter)? Or do you only use the toasted flour for dusting the rolls at the end?
Thanks!
Hi April, the 100 gr toasted flour is only for dusting the rolls, not to be used to prepare the batter. I hope that helps to clarify. I will amend the recipe to make it more clear
Thanks for the quick reply! All right, time to get some rice flour and make these ASAP ^_^
Please make sure it’s glutinous rice flour (mochiko flour/sweet rice flour), not the regular rice flour. I hope it turns out good for you. Keep me posted if you have the chance 🙂
I’m eating one ight now, and it is sooo delicious! I’m going to be making these all the time now. You were right about the sweetness level being just perfect, it makes them dangerously addicting ^_^
I’m so happy you like it 🙂 It’s my childhood favorite and still love it to this date 🙂
How much sugar???
I have updated the recipe accordingly.
I am originally from Honolulu , Hawai. The banana rolls were sold in a Chinese bakery in the old Chinatown. Do you know if those sold in the bakeries used fresh bananas or banana extract? I’m hoping you can tell me, so that my first try making these will be what I’m hoping to taste. Thank you very much.
I think most likely they are using banana extract. I’m not 100% sure though 🙂
I don’t see the amount of sugar and oil to put in on the ingredients list
Sorry, I somehow missed that part. The recipe has been updated accordingly!
I have not tried it but I do have some banana ripening beyond appealing to eat as is. Thus this will be a good recipe to try. Usually I make jolobio (deep fried banana with sticky rice flour). The variant with red beans looks delicious. I bet a smear of Nutella will be yummy too. Thank you for sharing this recipe, Marvellina.
Hi Tuty, I hope you like it if you give it a try! I like the red bean version too. The banana fritter you described sound so yummy too!