The 4-Ingredient Filipino Dessert I Make for My Family

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.

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.

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.

Sweet Rice Treats

• Chai-Spiced Rice Pudding
• Lotus, Purple Sweet Potato, and Coconut Rice Pudding
• Nian Gao (Baked Sticky Rice Cake with Red Bean Paste)
• Horchata
  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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