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Biko (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)
4.83 from 23 votes

Biko (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)

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.
Yield: 9x13-inch pan
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Rice Soaking Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Filipino
Servings: 18
Calories: 420kcal

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 9x13-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.
Make ahead option in blog post. 

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 Epicurean

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 55mg, Potassium: 246mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 2mg