Apple Ginger Mochi Bars
These Cosmic Crisp® Apple Ginger Mochi Bars won first place in the Baking category of the 2024 Cosmic Crisp® Culinary Challenge. They come together easily and have become one of my favorite ways to celebrate apple season.
I love baking with apples because they add texture, moisture, and natural sweetness. Cosmic Crisp® apples work especially well in this recipe. Their crisp texture and rich flavor hold up beautifully in the oven. Since developing these Apple Ginger Mochi Bars, Cosmic Crisps are my go-to apple for both snacking and baking. While other apples may work in this recipe, I haven’t tested them in this recipe.
These chewy, flavorful mochi bars are topped with apples, candied (or crystallized) ginger, cinnamon, and sugar. Candied ginger adds a bright, bold pop of flavor that sets this dessert apart and makes it truly unique. If ginger isn’t your favorite, you can leave it out, but I highly recommend including it for an extra burst of zing.
Whether you’re looking for something different in a dessert or trying glutinous rice flour for the first time, these award-winning Apple Ginger Mochi Bars are a must-try!
“Obsessed with this recipe! I love a buttery, chewy mochi cake – and these bars are next level! Easy to make and serve, with a crowd pleasing combination of apples, cinnamon sugar, and candied ginger on top. I love the incredible layers of textures these bars offer, and they’d be perfect for serving or gifting for the holiday season!”
Erin McDowell – New York Times bestselling cookbook author, food stylist, baking expert
Visit my recipe and more apple recipes on the Cosmic Crisp®️ website.
Cosmic Crisp® Apple Ginger Mochi Bars
Ingredients
- 2 Large Cosmic Crisp apples , separated (300g cubed for topping, 120g pureed for batter)
- 8 oz Glutinous rice flour e.g., half a box of Mochiko brand
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Butter , melted, unsalted
- 4 oz Coconut milk
Additional ingredients for topping
- 2 TB Candied/crystalized ginger (30g)
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare an 8×8 inch pan by buttering the sides of the pan and using a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl combine dry ingredients – glutinous rice flour sugar baking powder salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl combine the wet ingredients – melted butter coconut milk eggs milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Rough chop the candied/crystalized ginger.
- Peel core then chop the apples into cubes about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in size.
- Separate out the portion of apples and pulse in a food processor into a consistency like apple sauce (or chunky apple sauce).
- Pour the processed/pureed apples and wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Add cinnamon sugar and chopped candied ginger to the cubed apples and stir until apples are evening coated by the cinnamon.
- Evenly sprinkle the cubed apple mixture onto the batter.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is browned.
- Cool and slice.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to use glutinous rice flour. Read more about glutinous rice flour on my Lemon Sprinkle Mochi Muffins recipe.
- I love baking in small batches for the freshest snacks to munch on. A half batch of this recipe fits great in a rectangular bread loaf pan or 2 mini loaf pans.
- I admit, sometimes I get lazy. Feel free to use store bought apple sauce in place of step 7, if you don’t want to process your own.
- Whenever I bake, I like to use as much of the fruit as I can within reason. If you don’t mind the peel, save time by leaving the peel on. I like to make mine this way.
- Feel free to adjust the cinnamon to taste or for visual appeal. The recipe is pretty heavy handed on the cinnamon, which also gives the topping a darker color.
Also, try my Lemon Sprinkle Mochi Muffins for a lemony treat.
