Confession time: I used to be intimidated by Japanese desserts.
I looked at those perfect little wagashi jewels and intricate rice cakes and thought, "There is no way I'm pulling that off in my kitchen."
But here's the secret: a lot of the best Japanese sweets are actually simple to make.
Did you know you can make legit mochi in your microwave in five minutes? Or that the famous "fish-shaped" cakes are basically just really cool pancakes?
Once I started experimenting with rice flour and sweet red bean paste, I couldn't stop.
This list covers everything from the traditional classics to the modern, Instagram-famous treats that are taking over the world.
So, grab your matcha, and let's get into the 16 Japanese desserts that I guarantee will become your new obsession.
Jump to:
- 1. Mochi (餅)
- 2. Daifuku (大福)
- 3. Dorayaki (どら焼き)
- 4. Mitarashi Dango (みたらし団子)
- 5. Taiyaki (鯛焼き)
- 6. Mizu Yokan (水ようかん)
- 7. Castella Cake / Kasutera (カステラ)
- 8. Anko (あんこ) - Red Bean Paste
- 9. Hanami Dango (花見団子)
- 10. Warabimochi (わらび餅)
- 11. Sakura Mochi (桜餅)
- 12. Melon Pan (メロンパン)
- 13. Purin (プリン) - Japanese Custard Pudding
- 14. Japanese Cheesecake (ジャパニーズチーズケーキ)
- 15. Ichigo Daifuku (いちご大福) - Strawberry Mochi
- 16. Taiyaki Ice Cream
1. Mochi (餅)
Okay so this is THE classic Japanese dessert that everyone thinks of first.
These chewy little rice cakes are made from pounded glutinous rice and they're addictive. You can make them with mochiko flour in your microwave (yes, really!), stuff them with sweet red bean paste, ice cream, or literally anything your heart desires.
The texture is what makes them so special-soft, stretchy, and almost bouncy. Once you nail this recipe, you'll be making them every weekend.
2. Daifuku (大福)
These are basically mochi's fancy cousin. Soft mochi wrapped around sweet red bean paste (anko).
I'm obsessed with the strawberry version where you hide a whole strawberry inside with the bean paste.
Making these takes like 5 minutes if you have a microwave, and they're SO much better than store-bought. The contrast between the pillowy mochi exterior and that sweet, earthy filling is just chef's kiss.
3. Dorayaki (どら焼き)
If you've watched Doraemon, you know these are THE thing. Two fluffy honey pancakes sandwiched with sweet red bean paste-it's like Japan's answer to a pancake sandwich, but way better.
The pancakes get this gorgeous even golden color, and the trick is cooking them low and slow so they stay super soft and tender.
My kids literally fight over the last one every time I make them.
4. Mitarashi Dango (みたらし団子)
These are the cute little rice dumplings on skewers that you see at every festival in Japan.
They're covered in this crazy-good sweet soy glaze that's somehow both salty and sweet at the same time.
The dumplings themselves are chewy and mild, but that glaze?
So addictive. I've been known to eat an entire skewer standing at the stove before they even make it to the plate.
5. Taiyaki (鯛焼き)
These fish-shaped waffles filled with red bean paste are straight-up adorable and delicious.
You'll need a special taiyaki pan (they're on Amazon), but once you have one, you're golden. The outside gets crispy while the inside stays soft and cakey, and that warm red bean filling is just right.
Pro tip: the head has more filling than the tail, so if you're sharing, claim the head first.
6. Mizu Yokan (水ようかん)
This is summer in a dessert-a chilled red bean jelly that's light, refreshing, and not overly sweet. It's made with agar agar (seaweed gelatin), red bean paste, and sugar, and it sets into these beautiful, jewel-like blocks. I love adding chestnuts to mine for a bit of texture. It's great with green tea on a hot afternoon when you want something sweet but not heavy.
7. Castella Cake / Kasutera (カステラ)
This Portuguese-inspired Japanese sponge cake is MOIST. Like, unbelievably moist.
It's made with honey, eggs, bread flour, and sugar, and has this gorgeous golden-brown top that's everyone's favorite part (I peel it off and eat it first, don't judge me).
The secret is letting it rest wrapped in plastic overnight. Ιt gets even better the next day as the flavors develop. Take my word for it.
8. Anko (あんこ) - Red Bean Paste
Okay, technically this is an ingredient, not a dessert, but it's THE foundation of so many Japanese sweets that you need to know how to make it.
It's just adzuki beans cooked down with sugar until they're sweet and smooth (or chunky, if you prefer tsubuan).
Making it from scratch takes time, but the homemade version blows store-bought out of the water. Use it in literally everything.
9. Hanami Dango (花見団子)
These tri-colored dango (pink, white, and green) are traditionally eaten during cherry blossom season.
They're skewered and look Instagram-worthy, representing spring with their pastel colors. The pink is usually plain, white is plain, and green is often flavored with matcha or yomogi (mugwort).
They're not super sweet, which makes them great with tea. (See dango recipe above at Wandercooks)
10. Warabimochi (わらび餅)
This is the jelly-like cousin of regular mochi, made with bracken starch instead of rice.
It has this silky, almost melting texture and is usually dusted with kinako (roasted soybean powder) and drizzled with kuromitsu (black sugar syrup). It's lighter than regular mochi and great for summer.
Once you try it, you'll understand why it's everywhere in Japan during hot weather.
11. Sakura Mochi (桜餅)
Pink mochi filled with sweet red bean paste and wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom leaf. Yes, you eat the leaf!
It gives the whole thing this delicate, floral, slightly salty flavor that balances the sweetness well.
There are two styles-Kansai and Kanto-but both are gorgeous and taste like spring in dessert form.
12. Melon Pan (メロンパン)
Don't let the name fool you-these sweet bread rolls don't actually taste like melon. They're called that because of the crisscross cookie crust on top that looks like a melon rind.
The outside is crispy and sugary while the inside is soft and pillowy. They're sold at every konbini (convenience store) in Japan, and now you can make them at home!
13. Purin (プリン) - Japanese Custard Pudding
Japan's take on flan or crème caramel, and theirs is better. It's silkier, creamier, and has this ideal wobble.
The caramel sauce on top is slightly bitter which balances the sweet custard beautifully.
You can find these at every convenience store in Japan, but homemade is next-level.
14. Japanese Cheesecake (ジャパニーズチーズケーキ)
The jiggly, fluffy, cloud-like cheesecake that broke the internet. It's WAY lighter than New York-style cheesecake, almost soufflé-like, and it wobbles when you move the pan.
The trick is the water bath and whipped egg whites. It's not hard to make, but you do need patience and a gentle touch.
15. Ichigo Daifuku (いちご大福) - Strawberry Mochi
A whole fresh strawberry wrapped in red bean paste, then wrapped in mochi.
It sounds weird but the combination of the tart strawberry, sweet bean paste, and chewy mochi is magical.
These are peak strawberry season treats in Japan, and once you try them, you'll get why people line up for them.
16. Taiyaki Ice Cream
The modern twist on classic taiyaki-they fill the "mouth" of the fish with soft-serve ice cream.
Matcha, vanilla, chocolate, black sesame... the flavors are endless. It's become a huge trend, and shops like Taiyaki NYC have made it Instagram-famous.
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