Making Easy to make Japanese Snacks from the comfort of your own Home

Japanese snacks are beloved worldwide for their unique flavors and textures. If like me and you’re craving something sweet or savory, making Japanese snacks at home can be a super fun experience. We have made a quick list of easy to make popular Japanese snacks right in your own kitchen!

1. How to Make the Classic Japanese Snack: Onigiri (Rice Balls) 

Let’s start off this list with a classic! Onigiri are a delicious staple Japanese snack made from rice and that can be filled with your favorite ingredients. Onigiri is quite simple to make and with only a few ingredients to make it!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked Japanese short-grain rice
• Fillings (tuna with mayo, pickled plum, grilled salmon)
• Nori (seaweed) sheets
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Prepare the rice: Cook the rice according to package instructions. Let it cool slightly.
2. Form the rice balls: Wet your hands with water and sprinkle with a little salt. Take a handful of rice and form it into a ball or triangle.
3. Add the filling: Make a small indentation in the center of the rice ball, add your desired filling, and then cover it with more rice.
4. Wrap with nori: Wrap a strip of nori around the rice ball for added flavor and texture!

Onigiri can be enjoyed warm or cold and are perfect for a quick snack or packed lunch.

2. Dorayaki (Red Bean Pancakes)

Second on our list is the infamously delicious Dorayaki! If you do not know what they are, Dorayaki’s are sweet pancakes filled with anko (sweet red bean paste) that have become a staple of traditional Japanese snacks for many, many years. They are my personal favorite snack as they are very similar to pancakes  (to be honest it’s like eating a pancake sandwich with filling! ). We added Dorayaki on the list to show you all that you can make even the most traditional Japanese snacks right in the comfort of your own home! Below you can find the necessary ingredients and an easy to follow guide on how to make them. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 can of sweet red bean paste (anko)

Instructions:

1. Make the batter: In a bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until frothy. Sift in flour and baking powder, and mix until smooth. Add water to achieve a pancake batter consistency.
2. Cook the pancakes: Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour a small amount of batter to form 3-4 inch diameter pancakes. Cook until bubbles form on the surface. After that, flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
3. Assemble the dorayaki: Spread a generous amount of anko on one pancake and sandwich with another.

Dorayaki are best enjoyed fresh but can also be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days if you would like to keep them for snacks too! Dorayaki is a great Japanese snack to start off with making at home and we hope you can make the best Dorayaki snack and share it with your friends or family! 

3. Mixed Tempura

Tempura, although today is known as a  battered and deep-fried vegetables, seafood delicious Japanese dish, a fun fact is that Tempura was considered a snack back in the Edo Period! We are technically cheating a bit in terms of category, but we love Tempura and wanted to sneak it in the list for fun! Does not require a lot of ingredients and overall an easy to make delicious dish / old school Edo-Period Japanese snack!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup ice-cold water
• Assorted vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, bell peppers)
• Seafood (shrimp, fish fillets)
• Oil for frying
• Tempura dipping sauce (ten-tsuyu)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the batter: In a bowl, beat the egg and add ice-cold water. Gradually add flour and mix lightly (it’s okay if the batter is a bit lumpy).
2. Heat the oil: Heat oil in a deep pan to 350°F (175°C).
3. Batter and fry: Dip vegetables and seafood into the batter and fry in the hot oil until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
4. Serve: Serve hot with tempura dipping sauce.

You don’t need to eat Tempura at a traditional Japanese restaurant to experience its delights. Tempura is a fun, versatile, and relatively easy to make fun dish, or “snack” that you can enjoy with a variety of vegetables and seafood. We recommend making it a few times yourself and then make them for your love ones to enjoy too!

4. Takoyaki (Octopus Balls)

Our fourth snack on the list is Takoyaki! You can find Takoyaki being served in festivals and other celebrations across Japan, And for a good reason too, they are delicious ! Takoyaki are basically ball-shaped snacks filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion. We noted the list of ingredients with the super easy to follow instructions below. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Diced octopus
• Tempura scraps
• Chopped green onions
• Pickled ginger
• Takoyaki sauce
• Mayonnaise
• Bonito flakes
• Aonori (seaweed powder)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the batter: In a bowl, mix flour, dashi, eggs, soy sauce, and salt until smooth.
2. Heat the takoyaki pan: Heat and oil a takoyaki pan. Pour batter into the molds, filling them halfway. Add octopus, tempura scraps, green onions, and pickled ginger, then fill the molds with more batter.
3. Cook the takoyaki: Cook until the bottom is golden brown, then use skewers to flip them and cook the other side.
4. Serve: Drizzle with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, then sprinkle with bonito flakes and aonori.

Takoyaki are fun to make and perfect for sharing at parties, family gatherings, or heck to make and enjoy solo! Make your own mini home festival with home made Takoyaki! And if you happen to be in Japan you will also be able to find Takoyaki making machines for those of you that wants to make it just like a Japanese family makes Takoyaki snacks at home!

5. Matcha Mochi (Green Tea Rice Cakes)

We left the best for last, Matcha mochi! Matcha Mochi is a chewy rice cake flavored with green tea powder. It is one of our favorite Japanese snacks and we think you will love it too! We listed out the ingredients and easy to follow instructions on how to make this delicious snack at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon matcha powder
• Potato starch (for dusting)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the mochi mixture: In a microwave-safe bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, water, sugar, and matcha powder until smooth.
2. Microwave the mixture: Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir, and then microwave for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture is thick and sticky.
3. Shape the mochi: Dust a surface with potato starch, place the mochi mixture on it, and let it cool slightly. Dust your hands with potato starch and shape the mochi into small balls or squares.
4. Serve: Roll the mochi in more potato starch to prevent sticking.

Matcha mochi are chewy, sweet, and slightly bitter, making them a unique and delicious treat.

Bringing the best Japanese snack to you

These easy-to-make Japanese snacks are sure to impress and satisfy your and your family’s cravings for Japanese flavors right at home! With 5 different easy to make Japanese snacks, and some of them like Onigiri you can customize them in any way you like ! You will be able to make your very own Japanese snacks just for you. 

Now, if you are the kind of person that not only loves to cook, but also just loves a quick bite we also have a great assortment of Japanese sweets and snacks that are only a few clicks away! Check our Japanese snacks and sweets boxes which come with fun cultural items!