Healthy Apple Mochi Cake / Nian Gao Recipe (can be Baked or Steamed!)

Here's a healthy apple mochi cake (nian gao) recipe that is sweet and soft, all thanks to the applesauce which gives the mochi a sweet flavor and soft, moist texture.

This chewy, soft and sweet applesauce nian gao 红糖年糕 is a healthier take on traditional nian gao recipes that only use sweet rice flour, water and sugar. Made with unsweetened applesauce, glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, brown sugar, almond milk, and coconut oil, this sweet rice cake is a great dessert alternative for people who aren't ready to break their New Years' resolutions too soon!

Ingredients Used to Make Baked Apple Mochi Cake (Nian Gao)

_{**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂}

• Glutinous Rice Flour - this goes by many names. You'll see Glutinous Rice Flour and Mochiko Flour (my favorite brand) in Asian grocery stores, and Sweet White Rice Flour in most other stores. ***Please note that regular white rice flour or brown rice flour is NOT the same thing as glutinous rice flour!!!

• Sugar of Choice – I used dark brown sugar in this recipe, but many traditional nian gao recipes use Chinese Rock Sugar (also called Slab Sugar) which you can typically find in Asian grocery stores or buy online, here. Coconut, date, and maple sugars are also great substitutes if you have them at home, and if you want you can also use sugar-free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener in this recipe for a slightly lower-sugar / lower-carb option.

• Applesauce - unsweetened applesauce is one of my all-time favorite pantry staples. Applesauce can be used to replace some of the oils in the recipe to cut calories and fat, but even for mochi recipes like this one, a large amount of pectin naturally in apples helps seal in more moisture and keeps the mochi nice and soft.

• Coconut Oil - You can use regular coconut oil, or refined coconut oil, like this one, which has a neutral scent and flavor (this is great for people who do not like the distinct smell and flavor of coconut. You can also use other oils in this recipe such as olive oil, avocado oil, or regular canola oil. You can also use plant-based, dairy-free butter or regular butter instead.

• Milk of Choice – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk (dairy or dairy free) works in this recipe. You can even use water.

Add Ins

• Walnuts  – I love the chew and extra nutrition the walnuts provide to the mochi cake! You can use pecans if you don’t have walnuts.

• Diced Honeycrisp apples - the diced apples cook perfectly inside the mochi batter and add sweetness, in addition to more moisture and texture.

More Recipes Using Glutinous Rice Flour (HERE)

Step-by-Step Guide

Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:

• The add in options for this nian gao recipe are pretty much unlimited and you can easily customize the flavor and texture of this nian gao recipe to fit your own tastes! Here are some awesome ways you can make this sweet rice cake your own 
  • Add more flavor! Add up to 1 Tbsp of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to bring out the fall flavors of this recipe. You can also add cocoa, ginger powder, cardamom powder, or a teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. They're not typically added to a traditional recipe, but you're welcome to experiment!
  • Add more texture! Adding chopped nuts, seeds, or dried fruits or oats is a fantastic way to increase the nutrition and flavor in rice cakes. If you’re feeling indulgent, you can also add chocolate chips.
  • Turn them into muffins – instead of baking this recipe in a round pan, divide the batter into muffin pans and steam/bake. You’ll have to adjust the baking time (about 20-25 minutes).

How to Store Apple Mochi Cake (Nian Gao)

• The nian gao (mochi cake) can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or in the fridge for 5 days.
• Rice flour desserts like mochi and nian gao usually tend to develop a weird, waxy hard texture when stored in the fridge for more than 1-2 days. To revive the nian gao to its original soft and chewy texture, you'll need to re-steam or pan-fry the rice cake until hot and completely translucent.
• For the best texture (and longer storage), I would wrap the sweet rice cake completely in a plastic wrap or Ziploc bag and freeze it and then defrost it at room temperature when ready to eat. Frozen nian gao does not have to be re-steamed, which is why I usually freeze all my leftover nian gao and mochi recipes.

Final Tips & Reminders

• Glutinous rice flour goes by many names. You'll see Glutinous Rice Flour and Mochiko Flour (my favorite brand) in Asian grocery stores, and Sweet White Rice Flour in most other stores. Please note that regular white rice flour or brown rice flour is NOT the same thing as glutinous rice flour!!!

More Rice Cake Recipes You'll Love (HERE)