This easy microwave mochi recipe is fun to make to celebrate Earth Day. It really looks like our planet, with green landmasses, blue oceans, and even swirling white clouds! Your kids will love making and eating this tie-dye mochi recipe.
Microwave Mochi Recipe for Earth Day
If you are looking for a fun Earth day activity for your kids or maybe just a fun Earth Day recipe, these microwave mochi are the perfect fit!
They are tons of fun to roll out and not overly sweet. Mochi have a chewy consistency that is unlike anything else!
If you plan on turning off your electronics for Earth Day, these mochi can be made in advance and stored in a small airtight container — however, they are best if consumed in the same day!
(If you are looking for more fun Earth Day ideas, check out these Earth Day Jell-O balls – which also come in a vegan version!)
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But first, a word about the importance of Earth Day
One of my favorite cartoons growing up was Captain Planet. (If you grew up in the ’80s, you probably know what I am talking about — if you didn’t, sorry you missed out on the coolness!)
Everyone had a favorite Planeteer; mine was Linka.
Hailing from the Soviet Union, blonde-haired Linka wielded the power of wind and an equally powerful razor-sharp charm.
On the other end of the coolness scale, was Ma-ti, from South America.
When we pretended to be Planeteers, nobody ever wanted to play Ma-ti; his power was “heart”, which usually manifested in him communicating with animals to escape some predicament or another.
Because his power wasn’t as cool or flashy as the other Planeteers, we all thought it was ~super~ lame.
I can’t believe they have the show available on Amazon!
Except now I understand that it wasn’t.
Because IRL (in real life), no one has the power to cut trees with wind, or use water to wash away your enemies, or create mountains out of nothing.
But the power of the human heart is real. And our hands are able to shape the future of the planet.
It is a power that can destroy this planet…or make it better.
It is choosing to recycle. It is turning off unnecessary appliances and lights during the daytime to conserve energy, washing your clothes only once you have full loads (saving up to 1,000 gallons/month), and forgoing pesticides to save the bees.
It is all this and much more.
Most of all it is the power of choice. Because it is your choice to make a difference. Have a heart like Ma-ti and make decisions that will change this planet for better, not worse.
Now on to the mochi recipe!
This Earth Day microwave mochi recipe is super easy to whip up with your kids (or just for yourself, hey no judgment).
Ingredients to make microwave mochi Earths:
- Mochiko flour
- Fruit juice (clear, so that the color doesn’t spoil the green and blue; I used apple)
- Green and blue food coloring (gel preferred)
- Cornstarch
You will also need:
- A microwave
- Two microwave-safe bowls
(Quick little note about bowls; when choosing a bowl for cooking in the microwave or steaming in my rice cooker, I always select bowls that I know are made lead-free. That’s why you see me using these Fiesta Gusto bowls, which are made with a fully vitrified lead-free china with a color glaze. Just something to consider!)
How to make microwave Mochi
Here are the steps to making microwave mochi. Unlike most mochi recipes, you will have two separate bowls for two different colors. We want to keep them unmixed until we are ready to roll them.
1. Separate the mochiko flour
Divide the mochi flour evenly between the two bowls. Each bowl should have 1/2 cup mochiko.
2. Add the juice
Add 1/2 cup of juice to the first bowl, stir to fully combine, then add the remaining 1/2 cup juice to the second bowl and stir to combine.
3. Add the food coloring
Once both bowls have been mixed well, add the green food coloring to one bowl and the blue to the other.
Mix until even color. Add more coloring as you like to get more intense colors (gel food coloring will result in a more intense color than liquid drops).
4. Microwave and stir
Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and place in the microwave for 90 seconds.
Remove both bowls and stir the mixtures with separate spoons, so the colors don’t mix.
5. Microwave and stir again
At this point, it will be partially sticky, partially liquid. Replace the plastic wrap and put back in the microwave for another 90 seconds.
Remove again and stir.
You should now have a sticky Play-doh consistency mixture…if you don’t, put it back in the microwave for another minute and repeat the process. Stir again; repeat for another minute if necessary.
(Because of the nature of microwaves, one bowl might finish faster than the other bowl. That was the case with mine. Basically, you just need to keep adding time in 60-second increments until you get a sticky, firm Play-doh-like consistency.)
Below, you can see that my blue has reached the correct consistency before my green. I just popped the green back in the microwave until it was done one minute later!
6. Cool and combine
Once your mochi has reached the correct consistency, make sure you allow the VERY HOT mochi batter to cool until you can handle it properly. Otherwise, you will burn your fingers!
To get that fabulous planet-Earth-look, dust your work surface liberally with cornstarch and spoon a glob of color at a time, one on top of the other, until all the mochi batter is piled on your work surface.
It should look similar to the image below.
7. Roll and cut
Dust again, and form into a log. Cut off small pieces about the size of a golf ball or a little larger and roll in your palms until they have formed into a ball.
Use more cornstarch if needed to avoid stickiness. (Sorry, I couldn’t take a picture because I had mochi and cornstarch all over my hands!)
Place on a cornstarch-dusted plate and serve for Earth Day (or any time you need a tie-dyed mochi!)
I hoped you enjoyed this easy mochi recipe!
Leave me a comment if you have any questions. 🙂
Earth Day Mochi
This Earth Day mochi recipe is easy to whip up quickly in the microwave. The mochi really look like our planet, with green landmasses, blue oceans, and swirling white clouds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mochiko flour, divided in half
- 1 cup apple juice
- food coloring, green and blue
- cornstarch for dusting
Instructions
- Separate the mochiko flour between two bowls. Each bowl should have 1/2 cup mochiko.
- Add 1/2 cup of juice to the first bowl, stir to fully combine, then add the remaining 1/2 cup juice to the second bowl and stir to combine.
- Once both bowls have been mixed well, add the green food coloring to one bowl and the blue to the other. Mix.
- Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and place in the microwave for 90 seconds. Remove both bowls and stir the mixtures with separate spoons, so the colors don't mix.
- At this point it will be partially sticky, partially liquid. Replace the plastic wrap and put back in the microwave for another 90 seconds.
- Remove again and stir. You should now have a sticky Play-doh consistency mixture...if you don't, put it back in the microwave for another minute and repeat the process. Stir again; repeat for another minute if necessary.
- After the mochi batter has become solid and Play-doh-like, allow to cool 2 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
- Dust your work area liberally with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Take a spoon and spoon out a glob of green, then a glob of blue, then another blog of green. Keep doing until all of the batter is on the tabletop. Now, dust the top liberally with cornstarch and roll into a log.
- Take a sharp knife and cut off pieces of the log in your desired size, rolling between your palms to shape into a ball. Place on a plate or other surface dusted with cornstarch.
- Repeat until all mochi has been formed into balls! Now eat up!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 132Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g
Julie Briones says
Love this, and love how to used the analogy from the cartoon! Pinning!
Miz Helen says
What a special Earth Day treat to celebrate Earth Day! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you again real soon!
Miz Helen
Marissa says
Thanks so much, Miz Helen! I look forward to seeing more on Full Plate Thursday 🙂