Objective: This study aimed to optimize the formulation of millet rice balls and improve their textural stability and sensory quality during frozen storage. It also sought to reduce quality defects， such as texture deterioration and surface cracking， which commonly occur in frozen coarse-grain dough products during freeze-thaw cycles. Methods: Millet flour and glutinous rice flour were used as the main raw materials. A single-factor experimental design was applied to optimize the basic formulation based on sensory evaluation and texture analysis. Different levels of pectin (0%， 2%， 4%， 6%， 8%， 10%， and 12%) were then added to evaluate their effects on rheological properties and freeze-thaw quality， including texture， cracking rate， expansion rate， and soup transmittance. Results: Based on the total mass of millet flour and glutinous rice flour (100%)， the optimal basic formulation was determined as follows: 30% millet flour， 70% glutinous rice flour， 15% tapioca starch， 1% yeast powder， 10% sucrose， and 70% water， with a fermentation time of 60 min. Compared with the control group without pectin， the addition of 2% pectin significantly increased the apparent viscosity and storage modulus (G'). After four freeze-thaw cycles， the 2% pectin group showed the highest expansion rate， reaching about 10%. The lowest cracking rate was observed in the 4% pectin group， at about 6.67%. At this level， soup transmittance increased to 72.98%. In general， the addition of 2%-4% pectin significantly improved all quality indicators compared with the control. Conclusion: The addition of 2%-4% pectin effectively improved the freeze-thaw stability and sensory quality of millet rice balls by strengthening the gel network structure. These findings provide theoretical support and practical guidance for improving the quality of frozen coarse-grain dough products， and they may support the industrial production and functional development of millet rice balls.