A chewy, chocolaty treat with a Middle Eastern twist
Like many of you, I absolutely adore mochi – the sweet treat with its soft, chewy skin and endless possibilities for delicious fillings. This time, I wanted to create something a little different, a little luxurious and very much inspired by one of my recent bakes – the Dubai Chocolate Cake. That cake stirred up quite a few compliments and I had some leftover pistachio cream from the batch. So I thought, why not make Dubai Chocolate Mochi?
In my mind, the idea came together instantly. Chocolate mochi skin wrapped around a decadent pistachio cream and crisp knafeh pastry filling, then coated in rich dark chocolate ganache. The concept sounded too good not to try, so I headed straight to the kitchen to bring my vision to life.
A twist on a favourite
This Dubai Chocolate Mochi follows the same basic method as my Berry Mochi recipe, which I’ve already shared on the blog. The only real difference is the ingredients that shift the flavour profile to something more indulgent and sophisticated. This dark chocolate, pistachios and buttery toasted pastry – all wrapped in a chewy mochi shell.
Making the chocolate mochi skin
Let’s begin with the mochi skin. I followed the same trusted method, but added cocoa powder for that rich chocolate depth. In a mixing bowl, I combined glutinous rice flour, cornflour, sugar, milk and cocoa powder, whisking until smooth. I then passed the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps – this is essential to get that silky mochi texture.
Cover the bowl with cling film, poke a few holes to allow streams to escape and microwave the mixture until fully cooked. This usually takes around 4-6 minutes, depending on your microwave. Once the dough is hot and cooked through, I added butter and let it melt in, setting it aside to cool just enough to handle.
Pistachio cream and pastry filling
While waiting for the dough to cool, I worked on the filling. My pistachio cream is made from scratch – a bit of fiddly process, I admit, but so worth it. The flavour is unbeatable and it’s free from additives, which gives me extra peace of mind.
You can take a look at my Dubai Chocolate Cake recipe to learn how to make this irresistible delicious pistachio cream from scratch.
Next, I toasted about 50g of knafeh pastry in a dry pan with a bit of butter until golden and crisp. Off the heat, I stirred in 200g of pistachio cream. The residual warmth from the pan helps it all come together into a delicious, nutty, crunchy filling. Once cool, I rolled the mixture into balls weighing about 12-15g, the size depends on how large your mochi will be.
Don’t forget the ganache
To compel the chocolate overload, I made a quick dark chocolate ganache. I simply warmed double cream in the microwave for a minute, poured it over some chopped dark chocolate and let it sit for five minutes before stirring into a glossy ganache. For ease of handling later, I popped it into the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
Time to assemble
Once the chocolate mochi dough was cool enough, I kneaded it by hand (with gloves) for around five minutes, until it became soft, stretchy and smooth. Then, on a clean surface dusted with cocoa powder to prevent sticking, I rolled out the Doug and divided into 20 equal parts.
To assemble each Dubai Chocolate Mochi, I took one piece of dough, rolled it lightly in cocoa powder and flattened it out with a rolling pin. I placed the flattened skin over a small sauce bowl, piped in a little ganache, added one pistachio pastry ball in the centre, then piped more ganache over the top. Finally, I wrapped the dough around the filling and sealed it closed. If you’re unsure about the folding, you can check out my Berry Mochi post for step-by-step pictures.
Dubai Chocolate Mochi – A flavour bomb
Keep going until all the Doug and fillings are used up, and there you have it – Dubai Chocolate Mochi! These treats are intensely chocolaty, satisfyingly chewy and bursting with layers of flavour and texture. From the smooth ganache to the nutty pistachio cream and crunchy pastry bits, every bite is a small adventure.
I hope you enjoy making and eating these as much as I did. Dubai Chocolate Mochi might just become your next favourite!
Dubai Chocolate Mochi
Description
Dubai Chocolate Mochi is a decadent twist on the classic Japanese treat, combining rich chocolate mochi skin with a luscious pistachio cream and buttery toasted knafeh filling, wrapped in smooth dark chocolate ganache. Inspired by my popular Dubai Chocolate Cake, this mochi is packed with bold flavours and contrasting textures – chewy, crunchy, creamy, and utterly irresistible.
Ingredients
For the chocolate mochi skin
For the pistachio & knafeh filling
For the chocolate ganache
To finish
Instructions
-
Make the mochi dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, cornflour, sugar, cocoa powder and milk until smooth.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve.
- Cover with cling film, poke holes for steam and microwave for 4-6 minutes until fully cooked.
- Add butter while hot and let it melt in.
- Set aside to cool slightly.
-
Prepare the filling
- Toast the knafeh pastry in a dry pan with butter until golden and crispy.
- Remove from heat and stir in pistachio cream.
- Mix well, allow to cool, then roll into 20 small balls (around 12-15g each).
-
Make the ganache
- Heat the cream in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Pour over the dark chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir until smooth.
- Chill or freeze until thickened.
-
Shape the mochi
- Once the dough is cool enough to handle, knead it for 5 minutes with gloved hands until soft and elastic.
- Dust your surface with cocoa powder, divide the dough into 20 equal parts, and roll each into a flat circle.
-
Assemble
- Place a dough circle over a small bowl.
- Pipe a little ganache, add a pistachio-knafeh ball, then top with more ganache.
- Wrap the dough around the filling and sea.
- Repeat for all.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 20
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 206.43kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 14.14g22%
- Saturated Fat 8.58g43%
- Trans Fat 0.25g
- Cholesterol 29.37mg10%
- Sodium 14.6mg1%
- Potassium 134.48mg4%
- Total Carbohydrate 17.72g6%
- Dietary Fiber 1.69g7%
- Sugars 5.78g
- Protein 2.75g6%
- Vitamin A 105.55 mcg
- Vitamin C 0.12 mg
- Calcium 44.32 mg
- Iron 1.57 mg
- Vitamin D 0.52 mcg
- Vitamin E 0.31 mg
- Vitamin K 1.58 mcg
- Thiamin 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin 0.1 mg
- Niacin 0.67 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.07 mg
- Folate 3.04 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.13 mcg
- Phosphorus 75.69 mg
- Magnesium 34.43 mg
- Zinc 0.6 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
