Part 2: Healthier Mochi Filling Ideas (Homemade & Vegan Friendly Recipes)

If you're a mochi lover like me, you know the struggle of trying to balance your cravings with concerns about sugar and calories. But don't worry, I've got some good news to share! I've been experimenting with different mochi fillings and discovered 10 healthier mochi filling options that are perfect for guilt-free indulgence.

These creative mochi filling ideas are a game-changer. You can enjoy your beloved treat without feeling guilty about the sugar and calories!

1. Purple Sweet Potato

Just as you can fill mochi with bean paste, you can also fill them with sweet potatoes, too. Purple sweet potatoes not only bring a burst of vibrant color but also offer a natural sweetness and a rich, creamy texture. If you want, you can also use mashed orange sweet potatoes as well!

• How to Make: Here’s a Purple Sweet Potato Filling Recipe here

2. Almond Butter

Almond butter is a fantastic choice for a healthy mochi filling! Not only does it offer a delectable creamy texture and nutty flavor, but it's also packed with beneficial nutrients like healthy fats, protein, and fiber. So, you can indulge in the deliciousness of mochi while treating your taste buds and your body to a wholesome, satisfying treat!

3. Walnuts

I love the crunch and added texture of the walnuts in the red bean paste filling. To make, mix walnuts and red bean paste in a 1:1 ratio. Roll them into balls, and use them as your filling!

• How to Make: Here's my recipe for the Walnut Bean Paste Filling

4. Chickpea Cookie Dough

Sometimes I want my mochi healthy, and these filling recipes help me do just that. These mochis are filled with a sweetened chickpea filling. Just like the traditional sweetened bean paste, chickpeas give a creamy and thick body to the filling, and the addition of chocolate chips make it sweet enough to have a mouthfeel of a traditional mochi filling.

• How to Make : Quick & Easy Chickpea Cookie Dough (Just 5 ingredients!)

5. Matcha Bean Paste

Matcha bean paste is an excellent choice for a healthy mochi filling that's sure to captivate your taste buds! Bursting with the vibrant green color and distinctively earthy taste of matcha, it offers a unique twist to traditional mochi fillings. Here's the recipe for the Matcha Chickpea Cookie Dough, below!

6. Chestnuts

Chestnuts are a delightful addition to mochi fillings that bring a nutty and creamy texture to the table, making them a perfect choice for a healthy twist on this beloved treat! Packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, chestnuts offer a natural sweetness that complements the mochi dough, providing a scrumptious and wholesome filling that will leave you craving for more!

7. Nice Cream

Introducing nice cream as a mochi filling is a game-changer! Unlike traditional ice cream, nice cream is made from frozen bananas, providing a naturally sweet and creamy base that's lower in sugar and calories, and packed with essential nutrients like potassium and fiber. So you can indulge in the lusciousness of mochi with a guilt-free and wholesome twist!

• How to Make - Healthy Chocolate Nice Cream Recipe

8. Low Fat PB Powder Yogurt

This is probably the easiest frosting you’ll ever make. This low fat, high protein Peanut Butter Powder Yogurt Frosting is incredibly easy to make and only needs 3 ingredients peanut butter powder, Greek yogurt ( can also be vegan yogurt) and sugar. It’s a perfect guilt-free frosting recipe you can use that won’t derail your diet.

9. Apple Pie

Imagine biting into a mochi with the irresistible flavors of warm apple pie! Using apple pie as a mochi filling adds a delectable combination of sweet and tart notes, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, all wrapped in a soft and chewy mochi dough.

10. Mung Bean Paste

Sweet mung bean paste is a delicious mochi filling that offers a delicate and smooth texture with a naturally sweet taste. Made from cooked and mashed mung beans, this traditional Asian filling offers a naturally sweet taste without the need for excessive addition of sugars.

Unfortunately, mung beans are not commonly sold in stores in paste form, so I usually make it at home using this simple food processor recipe (below!)

• How to Buy: the dried mung beans are sold on Amazon, here
• How to Make: Here’s my recipe for the 2-ingredient sweet mung bean paste!

11. Peanut Butter

Crunchy and Nutty, this Chinese-styled peanut mochi filling is made with just ONE ingredient: crunchy peanut butter! Not only is it fun to make, but you can whip up a batch of this recipe in just minutes.

• How to Buy: Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
• How to Make: If you only have creamy peanut butter you can easily make the crunchy filling at home by mixing ¼ cup of creamy peanut butter with ¼ cup of chopped roasted peanuts

12. Sweet Taro Paste

Sweet taro paste is a delicious and healthier choice for filling mochi. To make, taro is steamed and blended into a smooth and luscious paste. Taro tea powder is added to get the signature pale purple-pink color of taro, but for those seeking a more natural alternative, a bit of mashed ube (purple yam) can also be used to achieve a similar hue.

• How to Make: here's a Sweet Taro Paste recipe I used

GO BACK TO PART 1 --> Ultimate List of Mochi Filling Ideas

More Filling Ideas on the Blog!