Mitarashi Dango
Sweet meets savory! Try homemade Mitarashi Dango, chewy rice dumplings coated with a caramelized soy glaze that’s surprisingly addictive, and you’ll love.
You’ll be amazed by the taste combination between!
What is Mitarashi Dango?
Mitarashi dango are small, chewy dumplings made from glutinous rice flour (sometimes mixed with tofu for softness). They’re skewered, lightly grilled or torched, then coated in a sauce made of soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. The sauce strikes a balance between sweet and salty, making it a favorite for both kids and adults.
If you’ve ever strolled through a Japanese festival or visited a traditional tea house, chances are you’ve seen shiny skewers of dango glazed with a glossy sauce. That’s mitarashi dango, a traditional street food you’ll see often in a Japanese festival. The uniqueness of this treat is that you mix soy sauce with a sweet dango, I mean, how?
Salted Caramel, but Make it Japanese.
Do you have the same question as me at first? Haha 😄 you’re not alone in thinking that — mitarashi dango can sound a little unusual at first because we don’t usually expect soy sauce in desserts. Most people imagine soy sauce as purely savory, but in Japanese cooking, it’s often used in sweets too, especially when paired with sugar.
So, here’s why it works:
Soy sauce contains umami + saltiness that balances the sweetness, so the flavor isn’t cloying. Meanwhile, Sugar, when simmered with soy sauce, creates a glaze that’s glossy and slightly smoky. The summary makes combo = sweet-salty harmony. Similar to how salted caramel or chocolate with sea salt tastes surprisingly good.
So, mitarashi dango is Japan’s version of that sweet-salty trend. The chewy rice dumplings act like a neutral base, and the sauce makes every bite complex—sweet, savory, and satisfying.
Think of it this way: if you like salted caramel, kettle corn, or even Indonesian kue lupis with salty grated coconut + sweet palm sugar syrup, then mitarashi dango is right up that same flavor alley. Now, let’s try and make it first, then you’re going to make Mitarashi Dango for the second time!
Ingredients of Mitarashi Dango
Dango
- Soft Tofu; Besides having a high water content, silken tofu or soft tofu adds smoothness and a slight sweetness to the rice dumplings. Tofu acts as the water in the dough and the key to achieving a more tender, soft, and chewy texture. This also keeps the dango chewy but not too tough, giving a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Glutinous Rice Flour: a type of flour made from sweet rice known as “mochigome” in Japanese. The base ingredient for dango. It gives the dumplings their signature chewiness. Without glutinous rice flour, the texture would be too crumbly or firm. I use the available in my kitchen which is regular glutinous rice flour
- Sugar: I use regular white caster sugar for sweetness in the sauce, but you can also use granulated or even light brown sugar, depending on your preference.
Sauce
- Sugar: To sweeten both the dumplings and the glaze. I went with granulated white sugar, but feel free to use light brown sugar or coconut sugar for the glaze. When cooked, it helps the sauce turn glossy.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the glaze. The starch thickens the sauce. I recommend using either kudzu starch or potato starch. These both form a more translucent gel than cornstarch, and they don’t get gummy as they chill.
- Soy Sauce; For saltiness and plenty of umami. To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos. It creates that iconic balance of sweet and savory, which makes mitarashi dango unique compared to other sweet rice dumplings.
- Water: to balance the taste and improve texture. It also controls the consistency, making sure the glaze is not too thick or too watery.
Equipment
- Bamboo Skewer
How to Make Mitarashi Dango
Prepare the skewers
First, soak the bamboo skewers in water before using them. This prevents them from burning during the toasting step.
Make the dough
Next, mash the soft tofu with a fork. Add the glutinous rice flour and sugar, then knead with your hands until everything is well combined and forms a smooth dough
Shape the dango
After that, divide the dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball with your hands until smooth.
Cook the dumplings
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Carefully drop in the dango balls and cook until they float to the surface.
Cool them down
Once they float, remove the dango from the boiling water and transfer them immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and firm up the texture.
Make the sauce
In the meantime, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then stir until thickened. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Skewer and grill
Now, thread three dango balls onto each bamboo skewer and place them on a plate. Lightly char the center of each dango with a blow torch (or over an open flame) until slightly browned for extra aroma.
Finish and serve
Finally, pour the sauce generously over the skewered dango. Serve immediately and enjoy your Mitarashi Dango!
By the way, I made Soy Milk tea to complete with mitarashi dango. You can check my latest post very soon, as seen in this picture.
Dango can be topped on my soy milk tea.
Create this recipe!
Don’t miss a recipe! Be sure to follow us on Instagram @Muchdesserts and our Tiktok! You can also sign up and check Muchbutter for mouthwatering food pictures and daily cooking recipes!
You should try making other dessert recipes below!
Thanks for your support. I really appreciate it!
Mitarashi Dango
Equipment
- Bamboo Skewer
Ingredients
Dango
- 180 g Soft Tofu
- 150 g Glutinous Rice Flour
- 1½ tbsp Sugar
Sauce
- 2½ tbsp Sugar
- 1½ tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Soak the bamboo skewers in a water before using them.
- Mash the soft tofu with a fork then add glutinous rice flour and sugar then knead with hand until well combined.
- Divide the dough into 24 then roll into a ball with your hands.
- Heat the water until it boils over medium heat then add the dango dough and boil until they float.
- Remove from the boiling water and transfer the dango to the ice water.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil. Turn off the heat once the sauce is thickened.
- Skewer three dango onto the bamboo skewer and place it to a plate. Blow torch the center of each dango until it slightly burn.
- Pour the sauce over the dango and serve. Enjoy!
