Biko is a Filipino dessert made with glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar. This easy and simple homemade dessert is a staple at parties and gatherings.
Without even knowing it, I was eating rice for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Rice is a staple in Filipino cuisine (and many other Asian countries).
From rice porridge, rice noodles, rice cakes, and rice cereal, rice is used in many forms and applications.
What is Biko
Biko is an easy and simple dessert made with glutinous rice (also known as sticky rice), coconut milk, and brown sugar.
There are many ways to cook this popular homemade dessert. Some people cook the entire thing over the pot while some people prefer to use a rice cooker.
Biko is a popular dessert snack that is commonly shared during birthdays, holidays, and all the special occasions in between.
To me, biko tastes like an all encompassing warm hug from your beloved grandmother. It’s sweet, fragrant, and a little over the top.
This recipe makes a large batch of biko. Be prepared to share! Otherwise, cut the recipe in half to make. Scroll down for more details.
Ingredients
Three key ingredients plus water and salt. That’s all you need to prepared this delicious comforting treat.
- Glutinous Rice: A variety of short grain rice known for its high starch content.
- Canned Coconut Milk: Use well shaken full fat coconut milk. Fat content and ingredients vary depending on the brand. Recommended brands include Chaokoh and Aroy-D.
- Brown Sugar: Any variety of brown sugar works, light or dark.
Glutinous Rice versus Jasmine Rice
Glutinous rice, contrary to it’s name, does not contain any gluten.
It is also known as sweet rice, sticky rice, or malagkit. The most commonly available brand you’ll find at your local American supermarket is Koda Farms Short Grain Sweet Rice.
You can see the different between glutinous rice and jasmine rice (medium/long-grain rice) in the photo above.
Glutinous rice (short grain) is less translucent in color compared to long grain rice because of it’s starch content. It’s the starch content that makes glutinous rice perfect for desserts and porridge, such as champorado.
Do not substitute jasmine rice or any other medium/long grain rice for glutinous rice. The results will not be the same!
Shortcut: Soak Rice Overnight
Cooking rice is often time consuming. To shorten this process, soak the rice in a bowl of cool water overnight.
This speeds up the cooking time because the soaked rice has had time to soften and absorb moisture.
Drain the soaking liquid. Rinse the rice clean and drain once again. Now the rice is ready for cooking.
Soaking the rice ahead of time shortens the cooking time. If you are pressed for time, no need to soak overnight. Even soaking the rice for an hour is helpful.
Stove Top + Oven Cooking
All the ingredients are mixed together and cooked stove top until the rice is tender. Like risotto, the mixture must be continually stirred to ensure even cooking. The stirring also helps to release the starches, making the mixture thicken.
The cooked rice mixture is transferred to an oven safe vessel. Caramel sauce made from coconut milk and brown sugar is poured on top. Then, it is baked for about an hour until the topping has bubbled and thickened.
Cool slightly before digging in. The caramel on top will be VERY HOT.
Make Ahead Option
Want to prep ahead? Biko is an excellent make ahead dessert!
- Day 1: Cook the rice mixture stovetop as directed in recipe card. Transfer cooked mixture to oven safe serving pan. Fully cool uncovered at room temperature. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to two days.
- Day 2: Preheat oven. Prepare brown sugar caramel sauce. Pour sauce over chilled rice mixture. Bake as directed.
Serving Suggests and Storage Instructions
Biko is best served warm or at room temperature. For best results, serve the same day the biko is baked.
Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to two days. Beyond that time, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Warm biko in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to remove chill. Or, leave out at room temperature for an hour or two to soften.
More Rice Based Dessert Recipes
- Bibingka (Coconut Rice Cake)
- Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge)
- Pear Rice Pudding with Maple and Pecans
Biko (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)
Ingredients
- 4 cups glutinous rice
- 3- 14 oz cans coconut milk, , divided
- 1 ½ cup water
- 2 ½ cups dark brown sugar, packed, divided
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place rice in a large bowl. Cover with cool water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse rice. Drain and set aside.*
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Generously grease* an oven safe 9×13-inch casserole pan.
- Reserve ¾ cup of coconut milk. Pour remaining coconut milk and 1 ½ cups water in a large sauce pot. Set over medium heat and cook until mixture begins to simmer. Add drained rice. Stir often, making sure rice does not burn along the sides of the pot. Continue to cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until rice has soaked up most of the liquid.
- Reduce heat and add 1 ½ cups brown sugar and salt to rice mixture. Continue to cook, another 5-8 minutes, stirring often. Taste a small amount of rice to check it is cooked through. At this point, the mixture should be thick and sticky. Transfer cooked rice mixture into prepared pan. Spread into an even layer.
- In a small sauce pot, combine reserved coconut milk and remaining 1 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, 3-5 minutes, before gently pouring over rice mixture.
- Bake for 1 hour, until brown sugar topping has thickened and is bubbling. Allow to cool slightly before serving. The caramel topping will be very hot.
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
- Soaking the rice overnight speeds up the cooking process.
- Soaking the rice is not necessary. You can cook the rice over the stove with the coconut milk and water mixture. Rinse and drain the rice before adding to coconut milk mixture. You will have increase the amount of water in the recipe to ensure the rice is cooked through.
- Glutinous rice is also known as a sweet rice, sticky rice, or malagkit. Contrary to it’s name, it does not contain any gluten. Glutinous rice is a type of short grain rice known for it’s high starch content.
- Grease baking pan with coconut oil, baking spray, or butter.
Leftovers and Storage Notes:
Biko can be stored at room temperature in a covered container for two days. Afterwards, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm up biko for a few seconds in the microwave or leave out for a few hours to soften to room temp. All images and text ©The Little EpicureanNutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
It was really good but I used dark brown sugar and it looked nothing like yours I looked like molasses
Can you cook the G rice on the rice cooker? I’ve seen some friends do that.
The BEST Biko recipe. Tastes just like my Lola’s version!