Easy Biko Recipe (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake) - 4 Ingredients

Name: Easy Biko (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 420 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups glutinous or sweet rice (malagkit); 1 (8-ounce) container or can coconut cream; 1 (13.5 to 14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt

When I was a little girl, biko was the mildly sweet rice cake snack I anticipated as soon as I got home from school. It was newly cooked by my mother, each hefty square fragrant, warm, and inviting.

This was the same biko that our family often received as gifts from friends during Christmas, the sweet aroma of coconut luring us to finish dinner quickly knowing it was for dessert. I saw it on our family table, savored after a long Lent season. It was served at our town fiesta, or party, in the rural Philippine province where I grew up.

Taking a cue from what my mother taught me, I now cook biko, made in a jiffy just before my sons get home from school. When I’m invited to neighborhood potlucks, I can put together a biko rice cake using the staples I have in my pantry.

No other classic Filipino dessert or snack is so easy to prepare and such a joy to relish.

slices of slice of biko (Filipino sticky rice cake) on small plates and more on a larger plate — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

What Is Biko?

Biko (pronounced “beeh-koh”) is a Filipino rice cake made of glutinous rice, also known as sweet or sticky rice. The rice is mixed with coconut milk and sugar, and then cooked to make a thick, dense cake. A sprinkling of latik, or golden-colored sprinkles made from coconut cream, gives it an added sweetness and a luscious flavor.

The term biko traces its origins to the Chinese influence on Philippine cuisine, originating from the Hokkien words bi (rice) and ko (cake). It is one of the more popular Filipino kakanins or "rice cakes" and perhaps the easiest to cook.

Traditionally, it is cooked in large woks over a low fire. A slow, gentle stirring results in soft rice grains that can be baked into a rich, gooey delicacy.

There are different kinds and colors of Filipino biko, from yellow-colored ones made with kabocha squash and pale green ones made with sweet-smelling pandan to maroon-colored sweet biko made from purple rice.

How To Make Easy Biko

My mother had an abundant supply of fresh coconuts from the trees in our backyard. I have transformed mom’s recipe into an easier one, using pantry ingredients like canned coconut milk and sweet rice purchased from the Asian market.

Simple Tip!

Look for short-grained white rice labeled as sweet rice, sticky rice, and/or glutinous rice. On the package, there will often be suggestions for how to use the rice. If the packaging indicates the rice is good for rice cakes, then it will work well for this recipe.

First, you soak the glutinous rice in water for at least six hours. This allows the uncooked rice grains to swell and puff up, ready for cooking. Then, mix the rice with the coconut milk and sugar. Over medium heat, stir the mixture for a few minutes until the rice softens, then transfer everything to a pan to bake in the oven. Once it is cooked, crisp coconut latik are sprinkled on top.

slice of biko (Filipino sticky rice cake) on a plate with a bit on a fork — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Sweet Rice Treats

Easy Biko (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Soak Time 6 hrs

Total Time 7 hrs

Servings 4 to 6 servings

If you can only find 13 to 15-ounce cans of coconut cream, you can use it to make this recipe. Just be sure to use a saucepan that is large enough. You’ll end up with extra coconut oil and latik.

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1 1/2 cups glutinous or sweet rice (malagkit)
1 (8-ounce) container or can coconut cream
1 (13.5 to 14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Soak the rice:

Add the glutinous rice to a bowl and cover with water by at least an inch. Cover and let sit at room temperature for six hours or overnight.

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Make the latik (coconut sprinkles) topping:

Add the coconut cream to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. The white creamy liquid will start boiling and transform into solid, golden-colored sprinkles in coconut oil in about 12 to 15 minutes. Don’t walk away, or there’s a good chance the latik will burn. Stir it constantly.

Once the coconut cream has turned to solid latik (coconut sprinkles) and is golden brown, remove the saucepan from the heat.

Separate the oil that has been rendered from the solid coconut, scooping out the sprinkles and setting them aside. Do not discard the oil.

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Use the reserved coconut oil to brush the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch baking pan. Set aside.

Simple Tip!

You can use the leftover coconut oil in other recipes—store it in the fridge. It adds flavorful depth to pork or chicken adobo.

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Cook the rice:

Drain the liquid from the soaked rice. Discard the liquid.

In a large skillet, combine the rice, coconut milk, sugar, and salt, and mix well.

Over medium heat, stir the rice mixture until the grains are soft and have thickened in size by about double, about 15 minutes. If the rice begins to boil aggressively, lower the heat to a simmer so that it doesn't burn. Keep stirring. The finished mixture will be thick and resemble porridge.

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Bake:

Transfer the rice mixture to the greased baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or silicone spatula, smooth the mixture so it is level. Bake until the rice is a solid cake, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Serve:

Slice the biko into 2x2-inch squares. Top each slice with half a teaspoon of the latik.

Store leftovers without the topping in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the latik separately. When ready to serve, top each piece with the sprinkles, then microwave each piece for about 25 seconds.

Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
197	Calories
5g	Fat
37g	Carbs
1g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	197
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g	7%
Saturated Fat 5g	24%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 194mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 37g	13%
Dietary Fiber 0g	2%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 17mg	1%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 62mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.