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These mini cheddar mochi breads are chewy, cheesy, and gluten-free! No yeast required—perfect as a quick savory snack or side dish.

What Is Mochi Bread?
Mochi bread is a chewy, gluten-free bread made using glutinous rice flour (also known as sweet rice flour or mochiko). When baked, it develops a crisp crust while maintaining a soft, elastic interior. This texture is reminiscent of Brazilian Pão de Queijo, which is made with tapioca flour and also Korean mochi bread, which is made with regular all-purpose flour and tapioca flour. Our version combines glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour for that perfect chew and it’s totally gluten-free.
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
1. No yeast or kneading required – You can whip up the dough and bake right away, no proofing time needed.
2. Incredibly chewy and cheesy – The texture is crisp outside, soft and stretchy inside—perfect if you love mochi or Brazilian cheese bread.
3. Naturally gluten-free – No need for special flours or substitutions. Glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour do all the work.
4. Versatile and customizable – Try different cheeses, toss in herbs, or make them spicy with chili flakes or pepper jack.
5. Freezer-friendly – Great for meal prep. Reheat in minutes for a quick savory snack or lunchbox treat.

Super Easy No-Yeast Mini Cheddar Mochi Bread
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 110 gr glutinous rice flour or mochiko flour
- 15 gr tapioca flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 45 gr shredded cheddar cheese
Wet ingredients:
- 1 large egg beaten
- 35 gr unsalted butter melted
- 60 g whole milk
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until you can form a dough. It will be slightly sticky to touch but you should be able to form a dough
Shaping:
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven. If you have convection oven, lower the temperature by 20 F or 15 C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into roughly about 1.5 inch size smooth ball. Place on the baking sheet about at least 1-inch apart
Baking:
- Spray some mist of water on top of the ball and place in the oven, 3rd rack from the top and bake for about 25 minutes (about 30 minutes in my oven) until the bread is crusty on the outside, but soft and no longer wet inside.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes and then serve them warm. They are best eaten when fresh. Once cooled down, the inside remains moist and the crust is a bit harder, but still taste great
Storage and reheating:
- Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days (they don’t last that long at our house). Wrap them in plastic wrap and then freeze if you want to store them longer. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating
- To reheat in oven or toaster oven, spray with some mist of water and then wrap them in aluminum foil and then bake at 350 for 5 minutes. To reheat in microwave, cover the bread with some moist clean kitchen towel or paper towel and heat for about 1 minute or less
- You can read more details on ingredients, substitutions, variations, and other tips in my post that may answer your questions not covered in the recipe card
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Ingredients and Substitutions
1. Glutinous Rice Flour (a.k.a. Mochiko or Sweet Rice Flour): This is the key to the mochi-like chewy texture.
Don’t substitute with regular rice flour—it won’t work. If you’re outside the U.S., look for brands like “Shiratamako” (Japan) or “Erawan” (Thailand) labeled “glutinous rice flour.”
Substitute: For a slightly different flavor and elasticity, you can try half glutinous rice flour and half tapioca flour, but the texture will be softer and more bouncy. My kids actually prefer it when I use more glutinous rice flour than tapioca flour (as written in the recipe)
2. Tapioca Flour/Starch: This enhances chewiness and creates that classic pull-apart texture.
Substitute: You can try arrowroot starch, but it won’t give quite the same stretch or crisp edges.
3. Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar gives a strong savory flavor and browns beautifully.
Substitute: Mozzarella (for a milder pull), Gouda (my favorite), Gruyere, Monterey Jack, or even pepper jack for a spicy twist. You can also do a combo of any!
4. Egg: Helps bind the dough and gives it richness.
Substitute: A flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water) might work but I haven’t tried it myself, most likely the texture will be less fluffy and much more denser.
5. Milk: Adds moisture and richness.
Substitute: You can use non-dairy milk like unsweetened almond, oat, or soy milk. Just avoid anything sweetened or flavored.
6. Butter or Coconut Oil: This gives moisture and flavor.
Substitute: Any neutral oil (like avocado oil) will work. Coconut oil adds a subtle aroma.
Tips for Success
1. Measure by weight if possible: Especially with gluten-free baking, weight is more reliable than volume. Use a digital scale for accuracy.
2. Lightly mist before baking: Spritzing water over the shaped dough before baking helps develop a crisp crust.
3. Use room-temperature ingredients: Cold milk or eggs can make the batter lumpy or tighten the fats.
4. Double the batch and freeze: These freeze beautifully. Just thaw and reheat as needed.
Variations
1. Add-ins: Incorporate chopped green onions, garlic powder, or onion powder for extra flavor.
2. Serving Suggestions: These mochi breads pair wonderfully with soups, salads, or as a standalone snack.
How to store and reheat
Like other breads, mochi bread tastes best when it’s fresh. If you make a big batch and try not to eat all of them at once, here’s how:
STORING – After the cool down completely, store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days (they don’t last that long at our house). Wrap them in plastic wrap and then freeze if you want to store them longer. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating
REHEATING – To reheat in oven or toaster oven, spray with some mist of water and then wrap them in aluminum foil and then bake at 350 for 5 minutes. To reheat in the microwave, cover the bread with some moist clean kitchen towel or paper towel and heat for about 1 minute or less
This super easy mini cheddar mochi bread is seriously super easy to make. No kneading, no waiting time, no rising, and no yeast! They are perfect as snacks or appetizers.

36 comments
Hi, thank you for the recipe, is there any way I can make the bread softer? should I lower the temperature when baking?
Hi Fiona, if you are using convection oven, you can lower the temperature by 20 degrees Fahrenheir (or 15 degrees celcius).
Hi Marvellina! I’m wondering if I can make this bread chewy even more, should I use more glutinous flour or the tapioca flour?
Hi Yani, you can play with the ratio by upping the tapioca flour and see. You can try 50/50 and see if that satisfy the chewiness you are looking for. You may need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly. I also have a mochi bread that uses tapioca flour here in case you want to try that https://whattocooktoday.com/korean-sesame-mochi-bread.html The preparation is different from this one.
thank you! can this work with an egg replacer?
Hi Linrong, I haven’t tried this with an egg replacer. It will probably work but the result may be a bit “denser” I would imagine. Please let me know how it turns out with an egg replacer if you have a chance to try it out 🙂
Yes it did! I was hoping for more chewiness like those in Japan, I think it’s really because I didn’t mist the morsels, or the oven temp being too hot.. 😂 But this is definitely a quick breakfast item in my household.
Hi Jill, if you want it a bit chewier, you can try to up the tapioca starch a bit, maybe try another tablespoon and see. I like to munch on this too, and I can easily finish the whole batch myself LOL!