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Trader Joe's Ube Mochi Pancakes

Easy★ 4.7Yields: 8-10 pancakes

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Trader Joe's Ube Mochi Pancakes

Trader Joe's Ube Mochi Pancake and Waffle Mix is the product that sells out within hours of hitting shelves. People stalk the TJ's Instagram for restock announcements. There are Facebook groups dedicated to tracking which stores have it. Someone probably has a Google Alert set up. It's that deep. And for good reason. These pancakes are a gorgeous natural purple color from ube (Filipino purple yam), and they have this incredible chewy, stretchy, almost bouncy texture from the mochi flour (glutinous rice flour) that is completely unlike any regular pancake you've ever had. They're crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside and they taste like vanilla and coconut and a mild earthy sweetness that's hard to describe but impossible to stop eating. Here's the problem: most people make them wrong. They treat them like regular pancakes and get frustrated when they don't cook the same way. Mochi batter is thicker. Mochi pancakes need lower heat. They take longer to cook through. And they need to be smaller than regular pancakes or the centers stay gummy. I've made probably 200 of these over the last year dialing in the method and what I'm about to give you is the foolproof approach. Follow it exactly and you'll get those picture-perfect purple mochi pancakes with lacy crispy edges and chewy, stretchy centers. Deviate from it and you'll get purple hockey pucks. Your choice. Let's fucking go.

Ingredients

1 box Trader Joe's Ube Mochi Pancake and Waffle Mix
1 cup milk (whole milk or coconut milk for the best flavor and color)
1 egg
2 tbsp melted butter or neutral oil
Butter or coconut oil for the pan
Toppings: maple syrup, whipped cream, toasted coconut flakes, fresh fruit, Trader Joe's Cookie Butter

Instructions

1
Mix gently
Whisk the pancake mix, milk, egg, and melted butter together until just combined. The batter will be THICK. Thicker than regular pancake batter. More like a thick muffin batter. That's the mochi flour. Don't add more liquid to thin it out. The thickness is what gives the pancakes their chewy texture. Small lumps are fine. Do not overmix or the mochi will become gummy and tough.
2
Low and slow
Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Not medium. Not medium-high. MEDIUM-LOW. These pancakes burn easily on the outside while staying raw on the inside if the heat is too high. Melt a pat of butter or brush with coconut oil. Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake. Keep them SMALL. 3-4 inches max. Larger pancakes won't cook through in the center.
3
Be patient
Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side until bubbles form on the surface AND the edges look set and slightly dry. Regular pancakes take 2 minutes. These take longer because mochi flour conducts heat differently. Flip gently and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Press lightly with the spatula to check firmness. They should feel springy, not squishy. If the center is still gummy, your heat is too high or your pancakes are too big.
4
Top and devour
Stack them up and go wild with toppings. Maple syrup is classic. Whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes lean into the tropical vibe. Fresh berries contrast beautifully with the purple color. And if you want to be completely unhinged, spread Trader Joe's Cookie Butter between the layers. Ube mochi pancakes with cookie butter is a combination that should not work as well as it does and yet here we are.

Baker's Notes

SMALL PANCAKES. I cannot stress this enough. 3-4 inches maximum. Big mochi pancakes don't cook through and you end up with raw, gummy centers that are deeply unpleasant. Small pancakes cook evenly and give you the right ratio of crispy edge to chewy center.
Medium-low heat. These are not regular pancakes. Regular pancake rules do not apply. The mochi flour needs gentle, even heat to cook through without burning. If the outside is browning too fast, your heat is too high. Turn it down. Way down.
Coconut milk instead of regular milk intensifies the flavor and gives a slightly richer, more golden color to the pancakes. It's not required but it's the pro move.
These are also amazing as waffles. The mochi flour makes the outside extra crispy in a waffle iron while the inside stays chewy. It's genuinely one of the best waffles I've ever had. Spray your waffle iron GENEROUSLY with cooking spray because mochi batter sticks to everything.
If your TJ's is out of the mix (which it will be), you can find ube mochi pancake mixes online or at Asian grocery stores. Or make your own: 1 cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour), 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 egg, 2 tbsp ube extract. Not the same brand but scratches the same itch.

Nutrition

Calories

220

Fat

6g

Carbs

38g

Protein

4g

Sugar

14g

Serving

2 pancakes

Notes

“The recipes are good. The language is bad. You're welcome.” - fuckingdelicious.co

FAQ

What is ube?

Ube (OO-beh) is a purple yam from the Philippines. It has a mild, sweet, almost vanilla-like flavor and that insane natural purple color. It's been a staple in Filipino desserts forever and the rest of the world is finally catching on. It's not like a sweet potato despite looking similar. The flavor is more delicate and floral.

Why are my pancakes gummy inside?

Three possible reasons: (1) Your heat was too high, so the outside cooked before the inside. Turn it down to medium-low. (2) Your pancakes were too big. Keep them 3-4 inches max. (3) You didn't cook them long enough. Mochi pancakes take 3-4 minutes per side, not the 2 minutes regular pancakes need. Be patient. The chewiness you want is different from the gumminess you don't.

Can I make these ahead and reheat?

Yes but they're best fresh. Mochi loses its chewy texture when it cools completely and gets hard. To reheat, pop them in a toaster for 1-2 minutes or microwave for 20-30 seconds. The microwave makes them chewier while the toaster re-crisps the edges. Both are acceptable. Neither is as good as fresh off the griddle.

This mix sells out instantly. When does it come back?

TJ's restocks it periodically but it's technically a seasonal or limited item that appears randomly. Follow Trader Joe's fan accounts on Instagram (@traderjoeslist is a good one) for restock alerts. When you find it, buy multiple boxes. The mix keeps for months in the pantry. Hoarding is normally frowned upon but in this case it's simply good planning.

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