Biko is a Filipino dessert made with glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar. It’s an easy and simple homemade dessert that is popularly served at parties and gatherings.
Without even knowing it, I was eating rice for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.
Growing up, rice was a main food group in my diet.
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.
As a kid, biko was my favorite sweet treat.
It was something I enjoyed every birthday, holiday, and special occasion.
What is Biko?
Biko is an easy and simple dessert made with glutinous rice (aka 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.
I’m sharing the method I was taught as a kid.
Filipino Sticky Rice Cake
To me, biko tastes like an all encompassing warm hug from your beloved grandmother.
It’s sweet, fragrant, and a little over the top.
It is best served warm, but it’s also great at room temperature.
This recipe makes a large batch of biko. Be prepared to share!
Does it matter what kind of rice you use to make biko?
Glutinous rice, contrary to it’s name, does not contain any gluten.
Glutinous rice is also known as sweet rice, sticky rice, or malagkit.
It is a type of short grain rice known for its high starch content.
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. (Example: Champorado! Filipino chocolate rice porridge.)
Do not substitute jasmine rice or any other medium/long grain rice for glutinous rice. The results will not be the same!
Secret: Soak Rice Overnight
Cooking rice is often time consuming.
To shorten this process, I 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.
The rice is then drained, rinsed, and drained again. It is poured into a simmering pot of coconut milk and water.
Like risotto, the mixture must be continually stirred to ensure even cooking.
The stirring also helps to release the starches, making the mixture thicken.
Once the rice is cooked, brown sugar (and a touch of salt) is added.
The cooked rice mixture is transferred to a buttered casserole pan. A rich and creamy brown sugar coconut syrup is poured on top.
The dish is then placed in the oven to bake for about an hour.
The biko is done once the syrup has thickened and is bubbly vigorously.
Cool slightly before digging in. The caramel on top will be VERY HOT.
While other kids looked forward to rice krispie treats and peanut butter jelly sandwiches after school, every afternoon I’d hope to find a fresh batch of biko waiting for me in the kitchen.
I don’t make biko often because I could easily devour any entire pan of this by myself.
It’s a special treat I make once in a blue moon.
Each bite tastes like a sweet childhood memory.
It’s more comforting to me than a giant bowl of mac and cheese.
Biko is one of those desserts I could never tire of.
Biko (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)
Ingredients
- 4 cups glutinous rice
- 3- 14 oz cans coconut milk
- 1 ½ cup water
- 2 ½ cups dark brown sugar packed
- 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 butter 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.
OMG, I love biko! It is seriously like a warm hug from your grandma! I remember the first time I was taught how to make it and it was super fun and easy. One of my fav Filipino party foods.
Never heard of biko, but I’m now curious and need to start trying out new stuff. This looks delicious, your recipes just make me smile every time.
Yum!! I LOVE sticky rice and I think this recipe just deepen my affections. Lol. Can’t wait to try this!
i haven’t had biko before, but i could see how cozy and comforting this would be! chewy rice and creamy coconut milk; what’s not to love?
This sounds sinfully delicious! I’ve never tried it but am going to have to make it now.
Anyone know how many servings this feeds??
Please reply back, making this tonight for coworkers and family…. thanks :)
The recipe fills a 9×13-inch baking dish. It should serve 10-12 people, depending on how large of a portion people eat.
Biko is a childhood dessert that mom fixed for us, but she wrapped it banana leaves.
Puerto Rican, but is willing to try it this way.
It’s great baked in banana leaves!
Love your recipe and easy to follow instructions! I haven’t eaten Biko since my childhood. I love your soaking the rice overnight method! I made this recipe today and was wondering if you used sweetened coconut milk or unsweetened?
I used canned unsweetened coconut milk (full fat). I have a link in the recipe to the exact brand of coconut milk I used.
My step-mom is from the Philippines. I just moved away from them, and I miss her so much! This recipe is going to either make that worse, or make me feel better. ha ha I hope I can get it a fraction of good she makes it.
Hi Melissa! I hope you enjoy the recipe! (And I hope it makes you feel better, not worse!)
Wow, i grew up on filipino sweet rice now i love making it!
Will this work with brown glutinous rice?
Sorry, I haven’t tried making this recipe with brown glutinous rice. I’m not sure how it will turn out.
I made this on Xmas for my mom! She loved it! The recipe is perfect.
Yay! Merry Christmas! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe!
This was my first time baking anything. Followed the recipe as instructed and hoped for the best. I served this at my in-laws Christmas lunch and it was a big hit! It was so delicious that I’m planning to make it again for our New Year’s Eve celebration.
Hi! Your biko looks great! Lools just like my mom’s. I was wondering what brand rice do you use?
I use the “Sho-Chiku-Bai” sweet rice from Koda Farms or Calrose Sweet Rice.
I gonna try your biko recipe, as it’s looks like yummy, hope I can get more other different kind of cooking something new,..
Hi Maryanne, this is Megan from Visit Cebu. We’d like to share your photo for one of our articles–we will of course give the appropriate credits to you. Just let us know if you wish to have it taken down. Thanks!
I would love to try this recipe but could you tell me how to downsize it to bake in a 8 x 8 baking dish?
Thank you
Do you have a recipe for Cebuano Biko.
Please share in detail. Thanks
No, I don’t.
Hello Maryanne,
Thank you for this post, I enjoyed this!~ May I ask how long can Biko last in the fridge?
Hi! Biko can last 3 days in the fridge. Any longer and the rice will start getting stale.
Hi can you add coconut and almonds to this recipe ?
I have not tried adding coconut or almonds. If you do add mix-ins, you will have to adjust the amount of coconut milk in the recipe to prevent the biko from drying out.
Can you make this in a foil pan for a party . I can’t use my glass one bc I don’t want it to get broken .
Yes, you can bake this in a foil pan. You may have to adjust cooking time.
Can you double the recipe to make two pans ?
Yes, you can double the recipe. Be sure to use a large enough pot to cook the mixture stovetop. Also, you have to increase stovetop cooking time to adjust for the increased amount of rice and liquid.
I made this dish today for the first time. When I was younger I was had to wait to go to a Filipino party to have this dish…LOL. Now that I am older in my 50’s I didn’t know how easy and simple to make this dish!!! My husband who is American loves this dish and a lot of other dishes. I will be making this often. So delicious!!
That’s great to hear! Yes, it’s simple to make. I hope you enjoy it often :)
Hi! I was just wondering whether making Biko works with short-grain rice? Like the type of rice used for sushi?
The recipe works best with glutinous rice. You may use other short-grain rice like sushi rice. It won’t have the same chewy and starchy qualities. But, it’ll still be tasty!
Thank you! This is the best recipe I found. Soaking the rice overnight did cut done the cooking time. I did cut the recipe in half. 4 cups was a bit too much for a family of 3.
Thanks for trying the recipe! Yes, the original recipe makes a large batch. Glad you cut the recipe in half :)
I tried it and OMG, it was love at first bite. With sliced bananas and strawberries it was absolutely perfect. I was hoping that my boyfriend wouldn’t like it so I could eat the whole thing by myself but he obviously also loved it :( Thanks so much for sharing!!!!
Thank you for trying the recipe! Yes, it’s delicious with fresh fruit! I’m so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed it :)
Do you have a recipe for bibinka? I’m Mexican but I must of been Filipino in another life! I love Filipino food! Thank you for your time. Just made Biko and this recipe is so easy to follow and it came out delicious!!
Thanks for trying out the recipe! Glad you enjoyed it. I have a cassava bibingka recipe on the site.
Can I use light brown sugar
Yes, you may use light brown sugar.
Outstanding recipe
Bike is definitely a treat that I remember as a kid. My grandpa was filipino & we would go to alot of church gatherings where I could get my fill. It bring back good memories. Thank you now I can make it for my grandkids.
Thanks for sharing! I hope you enjoy the recipe! It’s one of my favorites.
What if i dont have fine sea salt? Any substitutes?
You can use kosher salt.
This recipe is fantastic. Simple, easy to make, great for sharing.
Can I substitute a “Short Grain” rice instead of Glutinous rice?
Glutinous rice is a type of short grain rice. To achieve the correct texture and consistency, use rice labeled “glutinous rice” or “sweet rice” for the recipe. Rice simply labeled as “short grain” will not yield the same results.
Thanks so much, Maryanne for your reply! I love all your recipes
Saw this and was intrigued so made it tonight and it went down a right treat.
I did have to scale the recipe down as I didn’t have enough rice.
Thank you! Your recipe is easy to follow. The Biko tasted delish – almost like my mom’s!
My mother used to make this for us years ago and this recipe is WONDERFUL! I used Coconut Cream and added shredded coconut to the topping! Next time in going to add coconut to the base recipe! I love this recipe!
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s the one recipe I make that always reminds me of my lola!
My family loves this. My mom made it every year as Christmas loaves for her clients and they loved it too.
That’s wonderful to hear! So glad your family loves it!
I cook the rice in a rice cooker and make the coconut milk and brown sugar on the stove til somewhat thick then add in the cooked rice. Can be put in the oven and topped off with the brown sugar and coconut milk. I also add macapuno, adzuki beans and Lanka to the rice when i mix it. Even a halohalo mix will work well added to the rice.
Thanks for sharing your tips! Adding macapuno and jackfruit is a delicious idea! I’ll have to try that next time!
Love this recipe … family loved it! Thanks for sharing, this one is a keeper.
I love this but could I 1/2 this recipe
Yes, you can cut the recipe in half and bake it in a smaller container.
Hi, I wanted to make this recipe in two 8×8 pan. What would the cooking time be?
If you are using metal pans, cook for about 30-40 minutes until the topping is bubbling.
Everyone I ever asked said Biko was very hard to make so I never tried until I found your recipe. Being a diabetic, I substituted brown sugar Splenda for the brown sugar. My husband and sister really loved it and it was very easy to make. A new go to recipe. Thank you for sharing
So good! Warm and sweet.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! It’s my son’s favorite!
Can u reduce the amount of brown sugar for a less sweet version?
Any idea roughly how many calories per serving? Can’t wait to make this!
Thats a lot of sticky rice I was thinking of making a half batch. Have any tips on that?
Yes, this recipe makes a large batch that serves about 18 people. It’s meant to be shared. If you want to cut the recipe in half- bake it in one 8-inch square pan. Same cooking time, simply cut all the ingredient measurements in half.
Can you share the nutrition information? Would love to make this
Hi, unfortunately, I don’t know the nutritional information for this recipe.
I’ve been looking for an authentic recipe to replicate my mom’s recipe from the Philippines. She never wrote it down and always made it from memory. After her stroke, she couldn’t quite remember how to make it. My first attempt at making this was awesome! Reminds me of my childhood. I would half the amount of sugar for the topping next time. It was kind of too sweet but still amazing. She’s coming over tomorrow to try it. Fingers crossed ?
Good but not five-star worthy. Was disappointed after reading such rave reviews. Definitely needs to be served warm. I know it’s probably butchering this traditional dish, but if I make it again, I will add a nut of some kind for crunch and a dollop of whipped cream. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Biko is generally served warm or at room temperature. As with most rice based dishes, it doesn’t do well chilled. (Although, some of my cousins LOVE it cold!). For crunch, biko is often served with latik (caramelized coconut milk bits).
When you say I can cook the rice before you say to use the coconut water and rice mixture, rinse and put it back with the coconut water mixture. What do you mean?
Soaking the rice speeds up the cooking process. Rinse the rice using water. Drain. Then, cook the rice using new water and coconut milk.
I haven’t tried to cook biko..but i think this recipe is easy to make and filled my cravingness..i love it,i wanna try this recipe soon??
If you do not soak the rice overnight, how much more water do you add?
For this biko, do I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk
This was so easy to make and tastes just like my Mom used to make! I wonder if anyone has tried making this in a disposable pan. This would be great at potlucks, but I’m afraid of how the thinner baking vessel would affect it.
Thank you! Yes, I have cooked this in those large foil disposable party pans. It cooks just fine. The only problem with those foil pans- they are a bit flimsy, making it difficult to pull the heavy biko out of the oven. I suggest playing the disposable party pan on a large sheet tray to make it easier move it in/out of the oven. (I will be updating the post with more tips later this month)
Can InnovAsian sticky rice be used as a substitution for glutinous rice? This is the only kind of sticky rice I could find at the local Publix where I shop.
InnovAsian sticky white rice is medium grain rice. The recipe works best with short grain rice because of it’s high starch content.
Thank you for this recipe! I used rampadura instead of brown sugar, it was awesome, especially when it’s next day and it’s nice and cold!
Just made this tonight. Found the recipe easy to follow & pan looks just as golden & delicious as your photos. Too hot to try yet, but I expect deliciousness.
I loved this recipe! I took it out of the oven early, but everything else I followed to the T. It also pairs really well with egg pudding and mango in my opinion 🤤