This Biko recipe is one of my tried and true favorites –sticky, chewy Filipino rice cake topped with a luxurious coconut caramel and crunchy latik!

Recipe Rundown

Ingredients

This recipe uses 5 simple ingredients to make the most flavorful Biko: lots of coconut milk, glutinous/sticky rice, water, brown sugar, and salt.

Instructions

We first start off by making the crunchy latik by cooking down the coconut milk. Second, to make the Biko, we gently cook the rice in coconut milk and water until the grains have softened. Finally, we top it off with a thick, sticky coconut caramel glaze to make it even more decadent.

Quick Tips

Gently FOLD your Biko, do not vigorously stir as this can break up the rice and result with a mushy texture. If you find that you still have undercooked rice, add a tablespoon of water at a time and keep cooking gently until softened. Feel free to also add in flavoring extracts such as ube, pandan, or vanilla for variety.

Storage

Biko can last for up to 5 days refrigerated. To restore their texture from cold, simply microwave or steam until soft and fully warmed-through.

Watch the Biko Recipe Video Below!

Table of Contents

My Tita makes one of the best Biko I’ve ever tasted and I wanted to replicate her recipe almost exactly. She always made her version chewy and sweet, with the rice grains cooked perfectly and with a rich, luxurious caramel on top.

She’d gift us a batch of her Biko every Christmas Eve, which was a wonderful addition to our holiday dinner spread!

Long story short, thanks, Tita for the inspiration. This recipe is dedicated to her, with a few small adjustments to suit our tastes.

What is Biko?

Biko is a native Filipino rice cake where glutinous rice is cooked with coconut milk and brown sugar. It’s typically topped with Latik, a coconut-based topping that can either be in syrup or curd form (this recipe uses both!).

Similar to other rice cakes, Biko is considered as kakanin -which refers to a Filipino snack or dessert composed primarily of rice and coconut milk.

It’s traditionally served in a round, shallow bamboo tray known as a bilao that’s been lined with banana leaves. Not only do the banana leaves form a barrier between the Biko and bilao (so that it doesn’t get dirty or sticky), but the leaves also add a mellow aromatic flavor, that I think, completes the Biko entirely.

Biko is similar to other party dishes, think Pancit, Lumpia, or Filipino Spaghetti. It’s meant to be shared with a group of people whenever you’re celebrating a holiday or celebrating someone else.

Some regions or families will add other flavorings into the rice, such as pandan leaf, ube extract, or vanilla. Feel free to experiment with these if you choose to add some variety to your Biko!

Ingredients and Substitutions

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these ingredients!

Glutinous Rice: This dish is normally made with glutinous rice, also known as malagkit (sticky) rice in Tagalog to give it that sticky, chewy, dense texture.

Substitutes: Standard Jasmine rice may also work, though the texture will be less sticky and chewy.

Coconut milk: You’ll need lots of coconut milk for this recipe since it’s the integral ingredient for any Biko.

Brown sugar: To make this dark and rich, go for dark brown sugar or muscovado. Both of these contain high amounts of molasses which will give the Biko both a caramelized color and taste.

Substitutes: Coconut sugar may also work. I wouldn’t recommend replacing this with white sugar, however, since you’ll lose that characteristic caramel taste and color that Biko is typically known for.

Salt: A little bit of salt goes a long way. This will balance out the sweetness of the overall dish.

Banana leaf: Biko is traditionally served in a bamboo tray lined with banana leaf that’s been lightly brushed with coconut oil. This not only prevents the rice from sticking onto the tray or plate, but it also lightly flavors it with a floral, aromatic flavor.

Substitutes: Parchment paper or foil may work.

Instructions

Prepare the crunchy Latik:

In a cold pan, pour in the coconut milk.

Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and continue cooking to evaporate the liquid. Be sure to stir frequently to avoid the bottom from burning.

After a while, the coconut milk will begin to thicken, which will eventually separate into the solids and the coconut oil. Continue stirring and cooking until the coconut solids are golden brown in color.

Using a sieve, strain the coconut solids from the oil. Reserve the coconut oil for plating and let the Latik cool until crisp. Set aside.

Prepare the Biko:

In a medium-sized pot, combine together the rice, water, coconut milk, dark brown sugar, and salt. Mix to combine.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a medium low to simmer. Place a lid on, opening the lid frequently to gently fold the rice over to prevent the bottom from scorching (I usually fold every 5 minutes). Do not mix too vigorously or the Biko will come out mushy.

Continue to fold and simmer the rice over 50-60 minutes until the rice has softened and all the liquid has been absorbed.

In a hollow plate or pan, line with banana leaf and lightly brush coconut oil onto the surface to prevent sticking. Transfer the hot Biko onto the plate and evenly spread the rice around to ensure a flat surface. Let cool.

Prepare the syrup Latik:

Combine together the coconut milk, dark brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and let it reduce until the liquid has thickened slightly, about 5-7 minutes.

Pour the syrup Latik over the Biko, spreading evenly on its surface.

Finish the Biko:

Section the Biko evenly into squares. In each square, sprinkle a generous amount of crunchy Latik. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Be sure to rinse your rice: Rinsing the rice washes out the excess starch from the grains, which can cause your Biko to be overly thick and turn out mushy.

Gently FOLD your Biko, do not vigorously stir: Folding refers to gently mixing the Biko by bringing the bottom over the top. The idea is to incorporate the liquid evenly throughout, prevent the bottom rice from burning, and to avoid a mushy Biko. Mixing too hard will break up the rice grains, resulting with an unpleasant texture!

Flavor to taste: Feel free to add more or less brown sugar if you want to control how sweet you’d like it to be. You can also experiment with adding extracts such as ube or pandan for a twist in flavor.

Add more water if there’s undercooked grains: If you find that after 50-60 minutes you still have hard rice grains, it may be indicative of not enough moisture. To fix, simply add a tablespoon of water at a time, folding gently, and continuing to let it simmer until the grains have softened.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I store leftovers?

You can store leftover Biko for up to 5 days refrigerated in an airtight container.

Do note that once refrigerated, the Biko tends to dry up and harden. To restore their texture, simply heat the Biko in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds or steam it until fully warmed-through.

Why do I have undercooked/crunchy rice grains?

This is a sign that the rice grains haven’t fully cooked yet. If you find that after 50-60 minutes the grains still haven’t softened, add a tablespoon of water at a time, and continue folding and cooking gently until the grains are cooked.

Can I add flavorings to my Biko?

Yes! Other classic versions include Ube Biko (using ube extract) and Pandan Biko (either using fresh pandan leaves or pandan extract). You may also add vanilla extract if you’d like.

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