Easy Sushi Cupcakes
Sushi cupcakes? Yes, you read that right! These vegan sushi cupcakes are a fun spin on traditional sushi. They’re sure to be a big hit at your next get together or family dinner. Perfect for impressing guests or just enjoying a creative treat, these cupcakes are as tasty as they are eye-catching!
Bur first, I need to clear out the air here and say that these are not actual cupcakes, so don’t go serving them for dessert. Rather, they are deconstructed sushi rolls in the shape of cupcakes. A bit like mini sushi cakes! They’re delicious, super easy to make, and so cute!
Excited? Let’s get to it!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the star ingredients that make these sushi cupcakes so awesome. The fresh veggies, seasoned rice, and other key components that come together to create this tasty treat are worth taking a peek at. Want to know what makes each ingredient shine and how they all work together? Keep reading!
- Cooked Sushi Rice – Sticky rice provides the classic sushi texture and flavor. It’s slightly sticky, which helps the rice hold together in the cupcake form. It also acts as the base for the cupcakes, mimicking the rice in traditional sushi rolls. Swap for short-grain rice or quinoa for a different texture and flavor. Keep in mind that using either will have a different overall taste and consistency.
- Seasoned Rice Vinegar – Gives this recipe a tangy, slightly sweet flavor that balances the richness of the other ingredients. This vinegar is lovely for seasoning the rice and giving it that signature sushi taste. Substitute for apple cider vinegar (with a touch of sugar) to mimic the tangy-sweet flavor of seasoned rice vinegar. White wine vinegar can be used as another alternative for a similar acidic bite, though it may lack some of the sweetness.
- Nori Sheets – Adds an authentic sushi flavor with its slightly salty and savory notes. This ingredient gives a subtle crunch to the recipe and helps to wrap the cupcake if used in a decorative way. Try using pre-packaged seaweed snacks if nori sheets are not available. Another option is swapping for cucumber slices for a different, mild and fresh flavor.
- Fresh Veggies – Thinly sliced vegetables add crunch and freshness, making the cupcakes more enjoyable and giving them a sushi-like texture. They also add vibrant colors and different flavors to boost the overall taste of the cupcakes. Think outside the box and consider veggies like snap peas or jicama if you don’t have the traditional cucumber, radish, pepper, or carrots. For a tangy twist, pickled vegetables can replace fresh ones, adding extra flavor and a unique element.
Making the Perfect Sticky Sushi Rice
Sushi rice is what makes sushi so unique! It’s sweet and tangy, moist and sticky. That sweetness comes from the rice vinegar and sugar combined and it’s complemented by the saltiness of the soy sauce. This combo is so yummy! And once you add to it the smokiness of the nori (seaweed) sheets and the nuttiness of black sesame seeds, it’s simply heaven!
The cooking process to get perfect sushi rice is simple. The key part is getting the dressing right so that it doesn’t end up too sweet or too tangy. Cooking sushi rice is one of those things that after you do it once it’ll be easy peasy the next time you give it a go.
- Measure your amount of rice and rinse it thoroughly (but gently), so the rice doesn’t break and releases more starch. Rinse it a few times until the water is almost clear.
- Put rice in a pot according to the measure that for every 100 grams of rice, you add 120 ml of cold water. Cook it on the stove on medium heat for 9 minutes. Leave the lid on and increase the heat to a maximum for 4 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and leave to rest (with the lid on) for 15 minutes.
- Let it cool down and dress with the vinegar mix.
How to Make Sushi Cupcakes
Ready to try a delicious twist on traditional sushi? We’ll walk you through the simple steps to make these adorable sushi cupcakes, perfect for parties or a fun dinner at home. Follow along and discover how easy and enjoyable this recipe can be!
Step 1: Cook the Rice – Cook sushi rice according to package instructions. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature.
Pour vinegar mixture over the cooked rice.
Gently stir until absorbed.
Step 2: Prepare the Nori Cones – Stack nori sheets and cut them into circles using a 5-6 inch saucer as a guide.
Cut a slit from the center to the outer edge of each nori circle.
Shape each circle into a cone and seal with a wet finger.
Step 3: Place each cone in a muffin tin cup.
Step 4: Form the Rice Balls – With wet hands, roll rice into golf ball-sized balls.
Poke a hole in the center with a chopstick.
Fill with ½ teaspoon of hoisin sauce. Cover the hole with more rice and smooth the outside.
Step 5: Place each rice ball into a nori cone.
Step 6: Make the Dipping Sauce – Stir sriracha into vegan mayonnaise. Adjust the ratio to your taste, adding more sriracha for extra spice.
Step 7: Garnish and Serve – Garnish sushi cupcakes with thinly sliced vegetables and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi (if using), pickled ginger, and the dipping sauce on the side.
Serving Tips
Serving up sushi cupcakes is easy and fun. Arrange them on a platter for a visually appealing presentation or pack them into individual containers for a convenient meal. Whether you’re hosting a party or just enjoying a meal at home, these cupcakes are sure to impress.
- Tempting Toppings: Go all out when it comes to toppings for these cupcakes! For extra crunch, think seeds and crushed nuts (sesame, peanut, cashews, etc.) and sliced or diced veggies for color and flavor. Our favorites include pink pickled red onions, pickled carrot sticks, thinly sliced radishes, or small chunks of sliced avocado on top!
- Delectable Dipping Sauces: Don’t skimp on the sauces, friends! Feel free to use any sauce you like such as soy sauce (or tamari for a gluten-free version), vegan oyster sauce or vegan eel sauce (or none at all) since the sushi will be tasty enough with all its amazing fresh ingredients. But, it’ll just add to the flavor and fun if you have a few in little dishes near the finished cupcakes. You could even make a homemade hoisin sauce with this recipe by Vegan Richa if you’d rather not buy a bottle from the store.
- Sushi Cupcakes Party!: We love inviting friends over to make sushi. You can have the rice ready and then fill and roll together while you enjoy each others company. Each friend can bring one or a couple of the ingredients as a fun way to share the cost and work (making it even more fun!). You can even make some sushi cupcakes and traditional sushi to have more variety. Just make sure one of your friends brings some vegan-friendly sake! Check out this vegan alcohol guide for suggestions!
Sushi Cake FAQs
Definitely! Buy the veggies on a day or two before and wash and cut them on the same day! Store them in glass containers or eco-friendly silicone bags (like these!). Then, you’ll be all set to assemble and serve in less time!
Sure you can. That’s an easy swap. Use the same amount of cauliflower as sticky rice, though keep in mind that the cauliflower won’t hold its shape like the rice will. Also remember to dress the cauliflower with the vinegar mixture before adding to the nori cups.
No problem! You can use thinly sliced “sheets” of cucumber or zucchini, vegetable-based wraps cut to size, or even rice paper or soy paper wraps.
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Easy Sushi Cupcakes
Equipment
- 5-6 inch saucer
- ruler optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked sushi rice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 nori sheets
- 6 teaspoons hoisin sauce
- black sesame seeds, for sprinkling
- pickled ginger, to serve
- soy sauce, to serve
- wasabi, to serve, optional
For the vegetable toppings:
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, julienned
- ½ cucumber, julienned
- 1 small avocado, thinly sliced
- 10 fresh chives, sliced
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
For the dipping sauce:
- 2 tablespoons sriracha, adjust to taste
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
Instructions
- Grease a baking tray with flavorless oil (such as vegetable or canola oil.)
- Cook the sushi rice following the package instructions.
- While the rice is cooking, in a saucepan over medium heat, pour in the rice vinegar, sugar and salt and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, then pour over the cooked rice, gently stirring until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Spread the rice over the greased baking tray in an even layer and let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, stack the nori sheets and lay a 5-6 inch wide saucer on top. Cut around the saucer to make nori circles. Find the center of the nori stack and cut a straight slit from the center to the outer edge. Take one nori circle and shape it into a cone, making sure the base is about 3 inches wide. Use a wet finger to lightly brush along the slit and stick it in place. Place the cone in one of the muffin tin cups. Repeat the process until all the muffins tin cups are filled with nori cones.
- Using wet hands hands, roll the rice into a golf ball-sized ball. Poke a hole in the center with a chop stick and pour in ½ teaspoon hoisin sauce. Cover the hole with additional rice to seal in the sauce. Smooth the outside and place the rice ball in one of the nori muffin cups. Repeat to fill all the cups.
- Prepare the dipping sauce by stirring sriracha into the vegan mayonnaise. Taste and adjust the ratio as desired, adding more sriracha if you prefer a spicier kick.
- Garnish your sushi cupcakes with the prepared vegetables and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi (if using), pickled ginger, and the dipping sauce on the side.
Nutrition
This recipe for sushi cupcakes was adapted from the BISH BASH BOSH! cookbook by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby.
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Leave a Comment
Ooh! Super adorable and so fun.
Love the creativity! So tasty, too!
This is the cutest idea!! Can’t wait to try this out!
Such a cute way to enjoy sushi!
Come to me, Cupcakes! I’m a lover of all things small and this recipe is no exception. How is it that tiny things taste so much better? lol. I love how adorable these cupcakes look, but also how easy they are to put together. You can personalize each one with your favorite toppings and that makes me smile so much! My favorite combinations are: 1) a circle of sweet potato with wasabi, brown rice and carrot bits and 2) thin slices of avocado, sushi rice, wasabi and crushed peanuts with a little bit of diced cucumber. This recipe is amazing ! (Also, the black sesame seeds are a must.) I want to make these every night for dinner! 😀
These were so cute and clever. Love all the veggie option add-ins.
Delicious.
Love this adorable spin on classic sushi!